Thanks very much for your comments on my “Rossisms”. I do share your reservations about “throwing out the baby with the bathwater” regarding libraries and research. Since taking over my first ES library in ’78, I’ve considered Library Research as having basically what became the Big6 steps - with the addition of a “Presentation” step following “Synthesis”. One of the most important of those steps is clearly locating and accessing material which becomes the foundation for something new.

Perhaps I did Ross a disservice in my post by oversimplifying his message. His and Carol Kuhlthau’s Guided Inquiry process involves much more than simply “transforming information”. That’s only one step in their Guided Inquiry process – but what I heard him to say is that all the other steps exist in the service of this main one.

Big 6 (Eisenberg and Berkowitz)

1. Task Definition – O think Ross would agree that there’s not much really creative about generating something to no purpose. See Step 1 below

2. Information Seeking (Ross might suggest that there’s a wealth of info readily available, but would agree, think, that the wise researcher would gather from both the open web and from the “formal” resources carefully selected by information professionals. GI steps 2 & 3.

3. Location and Access (the “found” items”) I guess this is where I agree that the new tools allow this step to be a much less onerous step than it used to be, so that a much greater percentage of time can be devoted to the creation of new ideas GI steps 2 & 3.

4. Use (I used to call this “data manipulation” – taking all the “found” information and looking at it from all directions to make sense of it. GI step 4 & 5

5. Synthesis (here’s where Ross’s “transformational” steps kick in. Creating something new from the products of steps 1-4) GI steps 4,6

6. Evaluation

Guided Inquiry (Todd & Kuhthau)

1 Initiation:

2 Selection:

3 Exploration:

4 Formulation:

5 Collection:

6 Presentation:

7 Assessment:

Big 6 and Many other Information Literacy models at; http://ictnz.com/infolitmodels.htm

Thanks again for your thoughtful comment. As we begin to seriously review our MS/HS library program with an eye to recreating our Main Library in a form more suited to the needs of our “21st Century Learners”, I really value the insights I gain from considering responses like yours.

Rob Rubis

“It’s not what we say, it’s what we do - day by day.

-STOP obsessing over “found” items (locating, accessing, finding, evaluating “stuff”)
-Start helping kids Transform Information and Create New Ideas instead of just “finding stuff”

and yes, as a teacher-librarian for 26 years I have obsessed over the ‘found’ items. But I wonder how new knowledge and ideas can be created without the old to build on. To create this new knowledge our students must be able to discover the old.

I am a very strong proponent of all that the new read/write web offers but even so I cannot say creating new ideas or products are more important than the skills that allow one to successfully find and understand the information that responds to a curiosity that one might have. I believe that it is our understanding and internalization of knowledge that leads to new ideas.

I do agree that we need to help kids create new ideas and in doing so they learn about ownership, evaluation and the critical analysis of their own and others’ work. But can they do so without the skills to use ‘found’ information effectively?

I believe that we, all teachers, but especially teacher-librarians have a responsibility to ensure that students acquire and have the ability use the skills to find, access, and evaluate information.

http://donnadesroches.ca