Course Announcements & Email Archives

Welcome to e-class! This course is your opportunity to learn about information age inquiry. The student information scientist is at the center of the inquiry environment. They are supported by a cadre of caring, supportive, instructional specialists that have an important role in nurturing the young information scientist within an engaging learning laboratory filled with information tools and resources.

Carefully read the Course Syllabus, Calendar, Requirements, and Checklist. When you're ready to begin the course, read the Course Guide. This guide is divided into three parts (Guide 1, Guide 2, Guide 3) and will take you step-by-step through the course materials and assignments. The course materials are divided into four sections: Information Age Inquiry, Student Information Scientists, Instructional Media Specialist, and The Learning Laboratory. If you're seeking additional information, be sure to explore the Snapshots, Key Words, and Resources.

Check the email archives (BELOW) regularly to be sure you haven't missed important class communications. Questions? Contact Annette Lamb.

Class Email Archives

You should have received the following messages through email. If you didn't get this email, please email me with your current email address so I can add you to the class list.

Class Update: Final Note

This is the end! I've really enjoyed this semester.. Just a few last notes.

I've finishing up grading. I've sent most of you a personal email with your grade. Let me know if you didn't receive this.

PROJECT 3 DEBRIEFING
Some people love Project 3 because it allows you to make choices and think creatively... that's also the reason that some people dislike this assignment.

The members of this class wrote some great articles this semester. We had some very creative themes and approaches. If you wrote based on a real situation, consider sharing your experience with others! Get published! Journals such as Teacher Librarian and School Library Monthly are always looking for good articles. Or, consider submitting your ideas as a proposal for the AIME conference! However keep in mind that professional reviewers and editors will be much more critical than your peers.

It's important that new media specialists get involved with the profession,... writing and speaking are a great way to start! Remember... the articles you read in professional journals are written by people just like you. The conference presentations you attend are made by people who were willing to share their expertise and ideas with others. I did my first conference presentation my first year as a media specialist back in the early 1980s. I teamed with another librarian in my district to do a presentation on "Using Print Shop to Make Bulletin Boards.".. don't laugh, we had a full house.

Some students lost points for misreading the guidelines and missing required elements. It's a good reminder to carefully read the checklist before submitting your project.

Finally, thanks for providing so much support for each other in the discussions and reviews. You did a wonderful job providing feedback for your peers. Keep in mind that in the "real world" you are often faced with writing newsletter articles, school board presentations and professional reports. It's important to be able to write well along with critique the work of others. In addition, every collaboration should end with self and peer evaluation. It's important to be able to provide useful feedback as well as carefully listening to the thoughts of your colleagues. Collaborations are built on trust and the ability to openly share ideas and criticism. Without this type of "give and take," it's difficult for collaborative relationships to grow.

In the past, I've had the chance to be both a regular and guest editor of professional journals. In some ways it's more difficult to provide feedback to authors than it is to write an article. It's tough to balance the importance of providing "warm fuzzies" with the need to provide specific suggestions that will help an author improve their work. The articles in professional journals often go through a number of revisions "behind the scenes" that include a series of "peer reviews". It's important to remember to separate yourself from your work. Critiques are intended to provide useful feedback that will improve even the best works.

FINAL DEBRIEFING
Both the formal discussions and projects, as well as the informal conversations were great this semester. This is probably the toughest, most brain-draining class you'll ever take online. Pat yourself on the back. You made it! Whenever you approach a reluctant teacher about collaboration or work with a young person who is bored with school, remember the power of inquiry. How can you promote a love of learning by helping educators and young people ask deep questions, conduct authentic investigations, and share their understandings?

Here are some excerpts from a conversation I had with a student recently:

"I think I have finally figured out this class! I was writing in my journal the other day about how it's like hard labor for me to produce my trailblazers and especially projects for this class. I wrote something like 'It's like I have to construct this knowledge from all these parts'... Finally I understood why you give us all of these readings and videos and websites and stuff. It feels impossible to manage it all, but I don't think I am supposed to manage it. I'm not supposed to read everything, I'm supposed to use the materials you have provided to figure things out, and the assignments are designed to make me do that. It reminds me of this game that my dog plays. I give her two tennis balls and she does what I call 'ball management' where she tries to keep a hold of both balls. It's really very cute and she has a great time. She can only keep one in her mouth at a time, so she has to use her paws to keep the other one near her. Anyway, I've felt like I was playing 'ball management' all semester. I remember that you wrote to me early in the semester and told me to focus on the assignments, but I am not sure that it was clear to me when you said that... I didn't understand it myself and I was trying to figure out how to design constructivist experiences for others!... I get it."

She gets it!...
I design all of the activities to help you "construct knowledge"... that's what teaching and learning is really all about. Anyone with no understanding can figure out how to answer simple questions on a test or copy from other sources. Constructing knowledge is "messy" and requires critical and creative thinking. I loved the "ball management" analogy, it's perfect for this situation. I try to establish the foundation early in the semester, but it's hard to understand until you "experience" it!... now the tough part, how can we design these learning environments for young people... challenging students without turning them off?

COURSE MATERIALS
Remember, the Virtual Inquiry website as well as all of our other course materials will always be online for you to use. Keep in mind that I'm constantly updating the materials for this course. You can always come back later to find out what's happening.

If you ever have ideas or want to share your professional experiences, please email me. I'm always excited to hear about what's happening in your life.

Thanks to those who have emailed me with ideas for future revisions and additions. I'm always happy to hear from you.

Keep in touch!

THE END
I hope you've enjoyed the course! Remember... Larry and I teach 8 online courses, so we hope to e-see you again in another online course. Learn more about web-based courses at http://eduscapes.com/iupui

COURSE EVALUATION: A REMINDER
You'll be getting a paper course evaluation. Please fill it out. These help determine the future of online courses, so they're very important. Or if you prefer SLIS is trying a new online evaluation form. Please complete the evaluation. Read the scale carefully as it may be a little different from the old paper forms.

Go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8C6D67J

Thanks!

E-see you later!

Class Update: Almost Done

Just a quick note to let you know you should be receiving an email with your project 3 grade and final grade. Please let me know if you have questions.

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S TEACHER LIBRARIANS, COLLABORATION, and INFORMATION INQUIRY

I've had a number of e-conversations with students about the role of today's school media specialist. While some teacher librarians are on fixed schedules, others are on flexible schedules. Regardless of the schedule, it's important to realize that today's schools emphasize accountability and expect every minute of the school day to be productive. When looking for places the cut, some schools have decided that school librarians can be replaced by minimum wage aids or volunteers.

Those librarians on a fixed class schedule may have limited time for collaboration and integration of library skills into the curriculum. The key is to think small. Many teachers only think about using their textbooks and giving a worksheet or test. However there are endless other ways to learn. The job of the media specialist is to help teachers and young people understand the wide range of resources that are available, how to use them, how to investigate questions, and solve problems through the use of information.. and at the same time instill a love of information, reading, and learning.

First, know what teachers are doing in their classrooms. Although it may take a few years to connect with every grade level and content area, it's easy to find out what's happening in your building. Everyone addresses the same standards and many schools have established content schedules or follow their curriculum/guide or textbook table of contents. Let's take a teacher who is asking children to answer questions out of their textbook about frogs. The first year you might suggest specific trade books and websites that could be used.

The second year you might talk to the teacher about The Super 3 and convince him/her to let children develop questions. Think about ways to connect information literacy standards to help young people go beyond simply reading information and answering teacher-directed "scavenger hunt" type questions. This is where information inquiry comes in... talking with teachers and suggesting that maybe instead of just answering fact-based questions about frogs, we could get students involved with asking and answering their own questions (inquiry process). OR, asking students to select another animal that lives in the same habitat as the frog and learn how the frog and this animal or insect are connected. Does one eat the other? Now, children are taking ownership of the activity and they are also addressing new standards such as "food chain" standards. Another approach might be to incorporate a fact and fiction element by asking children to examine picture books and look for the "fact and fiction" about how frogs are represented in the books. This would address science, language arts, and information skills.

It might take three or more years before you're truly collaborating. You may never develop a collaborative relationship with some teachers.

There are still many traditional teacher librarians who don't talk to teachers and see their role as buying and checking out books. However with increasingly tight budgets, schools can get volunteers and minimum wage "library aids" to check out books and read-aloud to kids. Although these are important activities, they're also the reason that many school districts nationwide are eliminating professional teacher librarian positions. By connecting what you do in the library to BOTH content area and information/technology skills you're able to demonstrate your value as a professional educator.

While some librarians work within a traditional, fixed schedule, others work in a flexible schedule that allows more time for collaboration and intense, project-based approaches. Both environments allow the types of collaborations we've been discussing in class.

There's lots of research showing that teaching library skills (or any subject area skill) in isolation is ineffective. In other words, if you do a scavenger hunt on finding things in the almanacs, children are unlikely to be able to use the almanac when they're asked to perform this skill in the "real world." They may not even be able to answer simple questions about what's in an almanac. However if you place the skill in a meaningful context, children are much more likely to remember.

So.... if you're in a school with fixed scheduling, you might partner with the fourth grade teacher on a class almanac about Indiana. While children are learning about Indiana in their classroom, they may also be using Indiana as a topic in the library throughout the semester. For instance, you might spend a couple class periods introducing Indiana authors, exploring almanacs, and developing class almanac pages that include statistics about Indiana authors, child-produced polls about the favorite authors, and other information that might be included in an almanac. While children are learning about social studies content, they are also addressing information skills related to authors and almanacs. Along the way, you might do booktalks, read aloud poetry written by Indiana authors and address other national standards while instilling a love of reading.

For those of you who had thought that being a librarian involved storytelling, puppets, and reading aloud... it does! From wearing goofy costumes and reading spooky books to primary-aged children to reading poetry to high school students in your 60s beatnik costume, libraries will always be about instilling a love of reading. However reading aloud is only part of the activity. After reading aloud the Caldecott winning book "Officer Buckle and Gloria," children might create their own stars identifying important safety rules. These stars might be placed on a bulletin board in the classroom, hall, or library. This links the reading activity to information skills, reading comprehension, as well as health education standards. It also is a balance of critical and creative thinking. Finally children have an authentic audience for their activity whether the results are shared with the world. This is an activity that can easily fit into a "fixed schedule" environment. If you only have 20 minutes for both checkout and activity, you could use two class periods for this assignment, but collaborate with the teacher so that the read-aloud happens in the library and the followup activity occurs in the classroom as part of a large unit on reading and safety that might include other fiction and nonfiction books and resources.

Finally, keep in mind that the job of teacher librarian involves a wide range of activities that promote a love of learning. From reading wacky limericks on April Fool's Day to helping teens investigate social issues and create podcasts.

Class Update: April 27

Just a quick note and reminders

DUE
Project 3 should have been posted on Monday, April 23.

BE SURE to complete the Peer Review of Project 3. For most students, these points could impact the final grade. It's due by today Friday April 27.

I'll be grading through early next week. I'll let you know when I've done the final grading for class.

Class Update: April 23

We're almost done!

As you think about what needs to change in education, watch a great video called http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

GRADING
I've graded all of your assignments except Project 3. Please check the GRADEBOOK in Oncourse to be sure I didn't miss any of your assignments. Let me know immediately if you find any errors.

DUE
Be sure to post your Project 3 in the Oncourse Forum by Monday April 23. DOUBLE CHECK your link or attachment to be sure it works!

During the next few days you should read the Project 3 articles written by your peers, when write and post an article review by Friday April 27. This article review is worth 2 POINTS. Be sure to include specific examples to support your views. After these are posted, I'll be grading Project 3.

TRAILBLAZER 8 DEBRIEFING
You all did a wonderful job with the analogies. I've used this assignment many times and was particularly happy to see some unique ideas.

Although the SAVE YOUR JOB wasn't a popular discussion topic, it's important! You never know when your job might be in jeopardy. It's always a good idea to be prepared in case disaster strikes in your district. In the past couple years, I've been communicating with school librarians all over Indiana. We've been hit by a wave of budget cuts recently and many are concerned about the future of school libraries. On the other hand, I hear there are lots of jobs in Oklahoma, so it seems to just be our years for cuts.

It's fun to think about different visions of the future! I always liked the part of school that was about learning... it was the rigid, artificial subjects and endless seat-time I disliked. I enjoyed the great ideas for building authentic, inquiry-rich learning environments.

PROJECT 3
You should be hard at work on Project 3. Check the Evaluation Criteria before submitting your project at
http://www.virtualinquiry.com/course/guide3.html#pr3

BEFORE you submit Project 3, ask yourself:

Does this project look more like a "class paper" or more like a "professional article." If it looks like a paper written for a class or an instructional unit, you need to go back and make a revision. This project should read like an article in a professional education or library magazine journal. If you want to include elements of a lesson as examples such as a list of standards or list of activities, put them in a box or make them look like a table so they don't distract from the main line of the article which should be addressed to the general education audience, NOT to me as your professor.

Many people are writing in Microsoft Word. This is fine, HOWEVER be sure to save as a PDF so your formatting will be retained. It should be professional in appearance as well as content. If you use Microsoft Publisher BE SURE to export it as a PDF so everyone can read it.

Class Update: April 16

Your grades for Trailblazer 1-7 and Project 2 have been posted. This would be a good time to go back and be sure nothing is missing. The semester is winding down. Only a few assignments left to go!

DUE

All Trailblazers (postings/replies) should be posted by Monday April 16.
Work on Project 3, it's due Monday April 23. It should be posted in the Forum area.

Be sure to complete the Project 3 Review. It's due Friday April 27.

Friday April 27 is the last day to turn in work for a grade. If you have trouble at the last minute, please let me know so we can make other arrangements.

READINGS
This is the last of the reading assignments. Traditionally, the library was composed mainly of shelves, tables, and a front desk. However today's school libraries may incorporate computer labs, large group presentation areas, outside natural areas, video production studios, and other inviting learning environments. Also, remember that learning occurs both inside and outside of school both physically and virtually... are you making best use of all your learning spaces.

Read Learning Spaces - http://virtualinquiry.com/lab/spaces.htm
Read Inviting Environment, Display Areas, Seating Areas, Student Work Areas, Video Production Areas, Presentation Areas, Wall Displays

Everyone enjoys viewing student work displayed. Whether it's student-produced materials on a bulletin board or student sculptures or dioramas on book cases, think of all the ways students ways students can share and publish their understandings. Again, think of both physical and virtual spaces.

Read Student Generated Materials - http://virtualinquiry.com/lab/materials.htm
Read Artwork, Exhibits, Journals, Portfolio, Young Authors

VIRTUAL LEARNING SPACES
As you design learning spaces, remember to consider virtual spaces and experiences. Consider inquiry-based lessons that combine hands-on learning with virtual tools.

PROJECT 3 IDEAS

Your mission is to weave thirty ideas into a short article.

First, focus on the ten most important "key ideas" that you feel are critical for today's library media specialists. For this section I'm thinking about methods and strategies, go to http://www.virtualinquiry.com/glossary/index.htm. You DO NOT need to do ALL the external readings on all the teaching topics if you come from an education background and have experience with the term. Instead, you should simply know enough to be able to define the key idea and provide an example.

You might find other ideas in the Instructional Specialist section of the course athttp://www.virtualinquiry.com/specialist/index.htm

Second, examine the ten Learning and Teaching Principles of School Library Media Programs found in Information Power (1998, p. 58). Find them on the assignment page. Think about the role of the school librarians in facilitating the inquiry process.

Third, think about what RESOURCES/MATERIALS might be useful. Explore learning resources, tools, spaces, and/or materials in the Learning Lab sections of the course at http://www.virtualinquiry.com/lab/index.htm

It's possible that some of the "key ideas" can overlap with the learning resources/tools/space/materials. That's fine. You just can't use the same word in two places. For instance, primary resources could be either a "key idea" or a learning resource.

Finally, write an article for the online journal that brings all thirty ideas together. Here are some suggestions for your final project....
MUST be...
Written for a general audience, not just for "me" (don't think of it as a "paper", instead it should be an "article" you might find in a library or education magazine/journal).

MAY be ...
A case study approach focusing on a particular example or experience (real or imagined)
Tell me a story about a great teacher-student-media specialist collaboration that's real or imagined
Reflects "best practice" of teacher-student-media specialist relationship related to information inquiry

SHOULD NOT be...
Simply a list of ideas
A lesson plan format

RECOMMENDED APPROACH

Let's say you were going to explain to someone how media specialists can work with teachers on collaborative projects. They want an example of a situation where this might occur. What topic would you use as an example?... Let's say your students are reading Diary of Anne Frank... Let's say your students are talking about WWII ... what could happen in the best of all worlds as far as interactions with the teachers, students, and school library media specialist in terms of teaching, learning, and inquiry?

If you'd like to get ideas, go to http://virtualinquiry.com/course/projects/bowriding/index.html

The semester will be over before you know it!

Class Update: April 9

It's time to think about the end of the semester.

Registration Reminder... If you enjoyed this course, try another online course! I'm offering History of Libraries this summer. Tell your friends!

DUE

Trailblazer 8 is due Monday April 9. Be sure to make a reply by Monday April 16.

Project 3 is due Monday April 23. Then you'll have until Friday April 27 to post your Project 3 Review. The Review is a required, graded assignment.

Keep in mind that Friday April 23 is the last day to turn in any assignment this semester without prior arrangement with me.

READINGS
Think about all of the tools available to you, your teachers, and your students. What else could you add to this "bag of tricks"? Think of your library as the information center that encompasses all of the content areas.

This means you need to have tools and resources from across the curriculum ready to check out to inquisitive young people... Will you check out a science kit (magnifying glass, magnet, etc) that kids could use with nonfiction science books? What about a measuring tape for young people reading the book Measuring Penny by Loreen Leedy? How about finger puppets to go with a book containing short skits?

Read Tools - http://virtualinquiry.com/lab/tools.htm

Read Audio Tools, Calculator, Charts & Post-Its, Clipboards, Telephones, Digital Cameras, Electronic Keyboards, Electronic Whiteboard, Handheld Devices, Laptops, Measuring Tools, MP3 Players, Science & Math Tools, Video Cameras, Visual Presenter, Writing & Drawing Tools, Work Boards

PROJECT 2 DEBRIEFING
I've graded your Project 2 assignments, posted grades and sent your comments through email.

I know that using the wiki can sometimes be a pain in terms of the basic editing tools, but I think it went great! Most of you did a wonderful job with posting the assignment, commenting to a peer, and creating a substantial addition to a peer's page. Way to go!

I know that using the wiki was a new experience for some of you. However I think this project was an excellent way to introduce this collaborative approach to posting, editing, and commenting. Think about ways you can use this tool with young people for collaborative writing.

Designing lessons for specific grade levels is a difficult task for new as well as experienced teachers. However it's an essential skill for media specialists who must be able to see the "big picture" of how young people mature as information scientists.

I was particularly happy with your comparisons of the two levels you chose. As you work with addressing Information Standards in the future, remember the importance of providing specific scaffolding, modeling, examples, and guidance for the information standards along with the content area materials. Most of you did a great job with the content area activities. However many of you skimmed over the specific activities needed to truly meet the information standard. What kinds of activities will help students develop deep questions; locate, organize, and cite information from a book; evaluate information found on a website; or synthesize information in creating a final product? How can you build inquiry-rich activities that get students actively involved rather than passively listening to a teacher then answering questions? Support materials and assignments such as building concept maps, taking notes, completing evaluation forms, and building products as part of a guided activity that can help build these skills.

IDEAS FOR PROJECT 3
Often, university courses are all about theory. This course strives to be about the "theory to practice connection". How do you see the various approaches fitting into your professional philosophy of information inquiry, teaching, learning, and libraries?

Your Third Project is focused on this "theory to practice connection." Your task is to consider how the theories presented in 10 Key Ideas can be applied to practice. In addition, you need to show how the 10 principles are reflected in practice. Finally, think about the wide variety of resources, tools, spaces, and materials that you might use in the "real world"... 10 of these will be included.

Your job is to choose some aspect of information inquiry, teaching, and/or learning that you think is important. Then, write an article focusing on a specific example that illustrates a practical application of the theory, concept, approach, or strategy.

The specific example doesn't have to be anything that you've done yourself. It can be an idea you adapt from the Internet, something from another teacher/librarian, or something that you invent.

There are MANY ways to do this project. The MAIN thing is that you're writing for a general audience. In other words, you are writing an article that other educators, libraries, administrators, and parents might read.

This project should NOT just be a lesson plan with 30 references (10-10-10), instead it should be a written narrative that uses a lesson plan, unit idea, project, or other idea as an example of how you see INFORMATION INQUIRY integrated into the curriculum. It should read like an article NOT a "paper".

Think of it as a promotional piece convincing everyone of the value of school library media programs or public library literacy programs to promote information inquiry and how collaborative (i.e., classroom teachers, library media specialists) lessons and experiences are critical for today's learner. Being able to justify your curriculum role is critical in a time of budget cuts! It's also essential in convincing parents, administrators, and teachers that information inquiry blends with various curriculum areas.

Your job is to show how all of the 10-10-10 ARE reflected in a single lesson, whole unit, or learning experience related to information inquiry. I don't care how this is achieved... however you MUST note the specific place in the article where you address each of 10-10-10. These 30 references can be in brackets in the article, as endnotes at the end of the article, or any way that works for you. Look at the examples for ideas. If you forget to do this, you WILL NOT get another chance.

If you're not sure that I can figure out how the "key idea or principle" idea is reflected in the article through a simple footnote reference, feel free to elaborate in your footnote/end note.

This is sometimes the project that distinguishes the As from the A minuses in the class, so be creative but also follow the criteria carefully.

Whatever tool you use, your project should be interesting, creativity, persuasive AND professional in appearance. If you use Word, consider the fonts you use, style of the headings, attraction of the title, and use of visuals to express ideas.

Getting an idea is the most time consuming part of every project. Don't do it alone! Bounce ideas off your friends, peers, or email me and we can brainstorm together. I love brainstorming, so don't worry about "bothering me". I'm happy to help. Like the first project, each student project will be different.

IMPORTANT POINT ABOUT PROJECT 3
PLEASE to read the articles written during the past semesters. However I've taught this course for many years and often revise the assignment. Notice the last couple semesters the project involves more points and requires you to include THREE areas (principles/keywords/resources) rather than TWO areas (principles/keywords).

PROFESSIONAL NOTE
People often ask me what professional resources I read. One of my favorites is the weekly American Libraries Direct e-newsletter that comes to me through email. You can now subscribe without being an ALA member:

American Libraries Direct
http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/aldirect/aldirect.cfm

Class Update: April 2

It's time for a final push... the semester will be over in less than a month!

It's time to be registering for Summer and thinking about Fall courses.

Also, if you're interesting in working with children and young adults, I strongly recommend the Electronic Materials for Children and Young Adults. I'm told it's much easier than this course and a lot more fun.

If you're looking for summer fun, consider my new online course called History of Libraries or my fall Marking for Libraries courses. They are important courses for anyone interested in library work.

GRADING
This would be a good time to check the Oncourse Gradebook to be sure that you've gotten credit for everything you've submitted. Trailblazers 1-7 have been graded.
I won't begin grading Project 2 until after the additions have been added.

DUE

Your Project 2 Additions are due Monday April 2.

In order to post on the page of a classmate, you'll need to SIGN IN and also JOIN THEIR SPACE. Your classmate will need to approve you for you to see the EDIT button. If they don't seem to be responding, try emailing them directly using the Oncourse Email system.

You'll automatically receive an email from wikispaces when someone has requested to join your space. When you open your wiki, there's a message across the top of the page if someone has requested to join. You just choose ACCEPT.

You've just got one more Trailblazer assignments left, Trailblazer 8 (Due Monday April 9).

You should begin thinking about Project 3. It's due Monday, April 23.

ASSIGNMENT
It's time to jump into the last section of the course: The Learning Laboratory. Traditionally we separated those materials in the library from those resources available elsewhere in the school building or outside the school. However, today's students need seamless access to information regardless of its location. As such, think of the physical library as only part of a school library collection. Although the electronic databases are online, the digital cameras may be in a technology lab, the GPS devices in the science closet, and the water testing equipment at the local nature center, they're all materials that the school librarian can coordinate to maximize their use. Also remember the many different kinds of resources from fossils, harmonicas, and kites to the many materials such as post-it notes, flip chart paper, and puppet building materials can be used by students as part of inquiry-based projects. Classroom teachers, librarians, and community members need to work together to ensure that all the local and remote materials are accessible to all children.

Your role as a collaborator goes beyond curriculum connections and team teaching. You'll be working with community members, grant writers, parents, and others who are interested in accessing, organizing, and integrating a wide range of resources, tools, and technologies. You may collaborate with a group of community volunteers on the creation of a puppet theatre for your center. Or, work with the local 4-H club on promoting materials for after-school activities. Developing a passion for reading and life long learning goes beyond the school walls.

Read the CourseQuest 3 Guide at http://virtualinquiry.com/course/guide3.html#pr3

Read A Learning Environment for Inquiry - http://virtualinquiry.com/lab/learning.htm

Read BLUE BOOK: p. 185-221, 307-317

Read Information Resources - http://virtualinquiry.com/lab/inforesources.htm
Read Realia & Models, Books & Periodicals, Digital Media, Maps & Globes, Puppets, Blogs, Electronic Databases, E-mail, E-forums and social networks, Live interaction, Web-resources

PROJECT 3
Let's talk about Project 3. This project is worth 20 points and should be a concise article, not a novel.
Read the guidelines for this project at http://virtualinquiry.com/course/guide3.html#pr3

The assignment has changed from previous semesters, but the general idea is the same. In most cases, I found that students could have done the following two things to improve the quality of their projects: (1) provide DETAILED information in the endnotes about how the item was reflected in the article, particularly if the connection isn't clear in the text, (2) cite articles and readings from class or beyond to support their perspectives.

Graduate students are always complaining that their classes aren't "practical." How does the course content relate to the "real world"? This project is intended to help you make this "real world" connection.

Like the first 2 projects, this activity may be unlike anything else you've done in graduate school. I'm asking you to think both critically, but also creatively. Rather than a traditional "term paper" on a key educational idea related to information inquiry such as student motivation, multiple intelligences, or rubrics, I want you to develop a project that synthesizes the research and tells a story about how the research can be applied to a "real world" library situation, educational problem, or teaching/learning strategy. In other words, your project should NOT be a "term paper" or a "lesson plan" it should be an article than applies research to a real-world example(s).

An easy way to think about this is to envision it as a "theory into practice" paper. You need to tell me how the theories fit with the real world.

TEN PRINCIPLES. The 10 principles are from the Information Power book. Read Information Power (1998, p. 58-82) Chapter 4: Learning and Teaching - the ten Learning and Teaching Principles of School Library Media Programs. This book is now a decade old, but the 10 principles still provide a great foundation for thinking about teaching and learning and they are still used by the state of Indiana. They are listed on the Project Page.

TEN KEY WORDS. The 10 Key Ideas are flexible. You can choose which ideas you'd like to incorporate from the Glossary - http://virtualinquiry.com/glossary/index.htm You can also choose from the key words in your readings a few weeks ago. Try to select those words that you think are KEY IDEAS related to teaching, learning, and inquiry.

Here's a couple examples of 10 key words. Remember you can choose your own:
Key idea example 1: analogy, authentic learning, choice, collaboration, digital divide, interview, primary sources, problem solving, questioning, scaffolding
Key idea example 2: assignment, bias, concept mapping, cooperative learning, creative thinking, metacognition, motivation, note-taking, situated learning, synthesis

TEN KEY RESOURCES/TOOLS/SPACES/MATERIALS. Explore the materials in the learning laboratory section of the course. From books and puppets to digital cameras and wall displays there are a wide range of resources, tool, spaces, and materials that can be integrated into an inquiry-based project.

Project Idea Starters...
Use the following examples to begin brainstorming ideas for your project.
Idea 1. The teacher and media specialist collaborate on a unit where students read classic, controversial literature such as Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and relate it to historic topics and current issues. How could the 10-10-10 areas be reflected in this project?
Idea 2. The teacher and media specialist collaborate on a unit on diary, journal, or letter-writing where students read literature or primary, historical documents, then create their own. How could the 10-10-10 areas be reflected in this project?
Idea 3. Start with a topic that you've taught or you've seen other teachers teach. How could the 10-10-10 areas be reflected in this project?

Here's another way of thinking about your Project 3. I don't want to confuse anyone, but maybe this scenario will help you better understand the product that I'm seeking. Let's say that the "state evaluators", "national evaluators," or other "outside evaluators" were coming to your school or library to determine whether you're doing a good job developing an effective learning environment for your students. They want to know whether your work with teachers and students reflects the philosophies described throughout the course. To get "certified" your school or library must show that your work on information inquiry with teachers/students reflects your 10-10-10.

Also keep in mind that after posting your project, you are also responsible for doing an ARTICLE REVIEW. This is a 2-point reply to a peer's posting that should be a review of their article with specific examples.

Hope this helps!

PROJECT 2 FOLLOWUP REQUIREMENT
You need to make the required wiki edits and discussion tab additions. These are worth a total of 4 Points and are very important to this project.

Here are some guidelines for those of you who would like additional information about this segment of the requirement:

REPLY USING DISCUSSION TAB - 2 POINTS (the same as a Trailblazer posting)
You'll find the DISCUSSION button (next to the EDIT button) in the area right above the body of each page. The criteria I use to evaluate Oncourse/Trailblazer REPLIES will be used for this assignment. You should provide feedback with specific examples, suggestions, experiences, or other useful information. Keep in mind that this is worth TWO points, so it should be more substantial than a Trailblazer reply.

SUBSTANTIAL ADDITION - 2 POINTS (the same as a Trailblazer posting)
Your addition can be in any form. For those who enjoyed the Comic Life assignment, think about creating a comic page as your addition! Keep in mind that you can upload any type of document using the IMAGE tool including images (gif, jpg, png), documents (.doc, pdf) and media (audio, video files). Simply upload, then double-click on the document for a link to appear on the screen.

Your wiki addition should be MORE than an idea or a couple resources. It should be an example of "a DIFFERENT GRADE LEVEL that shows a different level of maturation." In other words, if your peer posted an elementary example focusing on using a Venn Diagram to compare two perspectives (2 sides of the Civil War) and a middle school example focusing on using a 3-way Venn Diagram (German, Japanese, and American views of WWII), you might suggest a high school activity where small groups explore many perspectives on the immigration debate and create a matrix of their results. You could do this in writing on the wiki, attach a Word document, or create a 1 page Comic Overview of your idea like the Exploratorium Comics. You could even upload and audio segment of your addition.

To make this addition:
Choose EDIT THIS PAGE when you're on a peer's page.
Add your addition to the bottom of the page with a heading such as Additional Ideas and Resources.

For a review of this requirement, go to the Class Guide 2 at http://www.virtualinquiry.com/course/guide2.html#pr2

Let me know if you have questions. I'm happy to help!

MORE ONLINE FUN

If you're enjoying this course, consider taking another e-course! Each course is interesting, unique, and 100% online!

Between Larry and I you've got lots of choices. Learn more about web-based courses at http://eduscapes.com/iupui

SUMMER 2012 ONLINE COURSES

S603 Electronic Materials for Children and Young Adults
Instructor: Larry Johnson

From educational software to informational websites, a wide range of electronic materials are currently available for children and young adults. These materials can help parents entertain and motivate their children. They can also assist teachers in meeting the individual learning needs of children. This three-credit hour course focuses on the evaluation, selection, management, and use of electronic materials for children and young adults including web and computer-based materials. Learners will explore categories of resources and develop materials such as pathfinders and WebQuests to facilitate access and promote learning. They will also develop a database guide to promote the effective use of electronic databases by children and young adults. Issues such as Internet filtering, copyright, and technology planning will also be explored. This course will expand your thinking about the integral role of electronic resources in a comprehensive PK-12 school and/or children's/YA public library setting. Choices allow graduate students with varied backgrounds and interests to select activities that meet their professional needs.

S580 History of Libraries
Instructor: Annette Lamb

From stone tablets to digital tablets, the history of libraries is a fascinating exploration of culture, politics, and society around the world. Whether exploring the great Library of Alexandria or rural libraries of the 1900s, there's something for everyone interested in understanding the impact libraries have had on life through history.

Designed specifically for the short summer school schedule, you'll explore The Beginnings of Libraries, Ancient Libraries, Early Libraries, Modern Libraries, Contemporary Libraries, and Libraries of Today and Tomorrow. Each student will have the opportunity to examine a personal or professional area of interest within the history of libraries.

From hidden walls in the libraries of Ancient China to book burnings of the 20th century, the history of libraries is filled with intrigue and adventure along with censorship and destruction. Join me Summer I 2012 for an engaging 100% online course. History has never been so relevant AND exciting!

Regardless of whether you're interested in academic, school, public, corporate, health, and/or other special library settings, this course is a great elective. To plan and succeed in the future, we must learn from the past!

To learn more about this engaging, summer course, go to http://eduscapes.com/history/

You can also download the syllabus

Word Version at http://eduscapes.com/history/course/S580final.doc

PDF Version at http://eduscapes.com/history/course/S580final.pdf

FALL 2012 ONLINE COURSES

S604 Marketing for Libraries
Instructor: Annette Lamb

This new online course is for YOU!

Marketing is much more than creating attractive displays and updating your Facebook status, it's about meeting the needs of individuals and groups. If library users aren't aware of your resources and services, they're unlikely to visit your physical or virtual library. If they've had a bad experience in the past, they may be sharing this negativity with their friends and colleagues. Marketing is about understanding the needs and interests of current and potential users, reaching those individuals with quality resources and services, and evaluating the experience so adjustments can be made to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and appeal.

This three-credit hour graduate course focuses on the application of marketing concepts, techniques, and technologies for all library types. Emphasis is on matching library customers with services through information, education, persuasion, and partnerships. Topics include planning, audience analysis, needs assessment, market analysis, goal-setting, message design, public relations, publicity, promotion, advocacy, assessment and evaluation, internal and external communication, and change theory.

What do people want and need from a library? What services can your library provide? How can services be connected with the needs of current and potential library users? Regardless of whether you're interested in academic, school, public, and/or other special library settings, this course will expand your thinking about the essential role of marketing.

Join me for this 100% online course in Fall 2012 for the most important and practical elective of your graduate program.

To read the Course Syllabus,
download the PDF document at http://eduscapes.com/marketing/604syllabi.pdf
download the Word document at http://eduscapes.com/marketing/604syllabi.doc

I'm happy to answer questions if you'd like to learn more about this course.

S603 High Tech Learning
Instructor: Annette Lamb
http://eduscapes.com/hightech/

From blogs to wikis, today's learners have access to a wide range of technology tools and learning spaces. This course explores these technologies and examines how librarians and educators can facilitate high tech learning. High tech learning refers to the constantly evolving hardware, software, and networking tools and resources available to those wishing to acquire knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values through formal instruction or free inquiry. Because of the virtual nature of these digital tools and resources, high tech learning can occur anywhere, anytime. Libraries, educational institutions, museums, and community organizations all play a role in facilitating this type of learning.

This three-credit course explores high tech learning tools and spaces. Participants explore how technology tools can be used to produce texts, illustrations, photographs, sounds, videos, and animations for use in teaching and learning. Next, participants examine the role of librarians and educators in facilitating learning spaces through the use of technologies such as email, forums, blogs, virtual conferencing, collaborative web/wikis, social networks, course management systems, desktop spaces, and interactives. Along the way, participants examine evidence of the effectiveness of each technology as well as issues associated with their use. This course will expand your thinking about the integral role of technology in a school, academic, and/or public library setting.

S603 Teaching and Learning at a Distance (1.5 credit hours) - First Half of Semester
Instructor: Larry Johnson
http://eduscapes.com/distance/

An increasing number of public and school librarians are becoming involved in developing, supporting, and/or offering programs at a distance. From virtual book clubs to non-credit online courses on topics such as cooking to genealogy, public librarians are finding that virtual library activities can attract new patrons. Online high school courses, virtual test prep, and virtual reading programs are just a few of the ways that the virtual school library program can become the bridge between home and school.

Distance education is the process of connecting teachers and students with online resources, virtual communications, and remote activities as the primary means of instruction. This workshop was designed to help instructors, course developers, and others interested in distance education design and develop effective, efficient, and appealing online teaching and learning environments. This course was designed for academic, public, and school librarians. However other librarians involved with certification programs, professional development, and other virtual programs may also be interested. The course is also useful for university and K-12 educators, instructional designers, information scientists, and others interested in developing online courses.

S603 Multimedia (1.5 credit hours) - Second Half of Semester
Instructor: Larry Johnson

From YouTube and Animoto to Adobe Flash and interactive games, the world is filled with multimedia tools and resources. This short-course will explore the most popular multimedia tools and resources for use in your library. In the past, this course focused primarily on Adobe Flash development. Now, the course will place emphasis on a wide range of multimedia tools and resources for your library. Students will explore resources and build projects based on their personal and professional interests. This course is useful for those with interests in all library settings.

S671 (4206) School Media
Instructor: Larry Johnson
http://eduscapes.com/sms/

This course focuses on the role of the school library media specialist as an educational leader and center administrator. Emphasis is placed on the evolving role of the teacher librarian as a critical player in the learning community including manager, collaborator, collection and curriculum developer, facilities designer, fiscal agent, planner, advocate, promoter, and evaluator. In addition to building professional knowledge and skills in traditional areas, this course explores accountability, administration, and advocacy aspects of the media specialist's critical leadership role in the learning community.

Contact either one of us for more information or to answer specific questions.

Class Update: March 26

You might check the Oncourse Gradebook to be sure everything looks correct. Let me know if you think you've submitted something and you don't have anything recorded.

There are no new readings this week. Instead, concentrate on your project.

IN THE NEWS
A recent court case has found that the common practice of excerpting and linking to online articles is a fair use rather than copyright infringement. Keep in mind that it's still important to cite the source. Read more at https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/03/court-declares-newspaper-excerpt-online-forum-non-infringing-fair-use

DUE
Trailblazer 8 (Due April 9) will be the last Trailblazer for the semester!

Project 2 is due Monday March 26. Keep in mind that it's worth 30 points. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE!

The Project 2 assignment should be posted on the class Wikispaces page at http://virtualinquiry.wikispaces.com/

After reviewing the work of your peers, you might get some new ideas. Feel free to make changes in your own materials through Monday April 2.

You also have one week to post your additions to Project 2. REMEMBER, there are two elements to these additions: discussion tab comment and page addition. These are due Monday April 2.

Trailblazers 1-7 have been graded. Be sure to examine the Oncourse Gradebook to check your grades and comments.

TRAILBLAZER 7 DEBRIEFING

The postings for Trailblazer 7 were outstanding! It was interesting to see the variety of choices for "key ideas" to explore. Topics such as note-taking are sometimes overlooked in our curriculum and are more meaningful when taught in context. Students often find "library" assignments BORING... so be sure to think about ways to make the content associated with topics such as note-taking practice interesting. Also remember to teach about plagiarism in conjunction with note-taking and other writing assignments.

Although the emphasis of the Assignment option was to focus on the activity, also consider the importance of SCAFFOLDING. In other words, even if you've shown a video, lectured about a topic, or shown a procedure, new learners need guidance in their work. This scaffolding provides a bridge for new learners that need help assimilating the new content and practicing these new skills. For instance, you might provide a sample project that can be used as a reference, an example of a completed problem, or a prompt to get the student started. A blank piece of paper can be overwhelming, but so can a blank worksheet. Modeling the behavior is another important aspect of teaching and learning. Young people need to see the skill "in action." Many of you did an excellent job weaving the word "scaffolding" into your discussion.

No one chose the Assessment option, however you might want to review the materials in this area. Think about how rubrics and checklists are similar, yet different. Lists are great to be certain that all of the required elements are "covered" in the project. However when evaluating a project for a grade, it's helpful to have more detail in the form of a rubric or criterion-referenced checklist. Rather than simply stating "conclusion," ask yourself what criteria you'll be using to evaluating the conclusion such as "conclusion brings together key ideas into a final statement." In other words, for assessment purposes a criterion-referenced checklist is much more useful than a checklist of project elements. While a rubric can overwhelm some students, a comprehensive criterion-referenced checklist can be simple to use, yet detailed enough to provide students with information about the expectations.

No one chose the Habits of Mind assignments. I think these kinds of activities reflect the importance of "self knowledge" and "critical thinking" in our quest for information fluency. This approach is particularly effective for social issues types of assignments.

Class Update: March 19

It was Spring break. Does it feel like spring? We're going to have snow here in Utah the next couple days!

DUE
You should be working on Project 2. You need to post your project by March 26 for full credit and you have one week to revise and share your project enhancements.

Trailblazer 7 Reply is due March 19.

ASSIGNMENT
This week we'll be focusing on Teaching and Learning. Those who are new to teaching will want to pay particular attention to the readings. Those of you with teaching experience will be familiar with most of the content. There's no reason to "reinvent the wheel." There are many excellent lesson ideas on the web. The key is adapting these resources to fit your needs.

The readings will be very useful to those new to creating lessons and collaborative environments.

Read
Inquiry for All - http://virtualinquiry.com/specialist/all.htm
Science and Inquiry - http://virtualinquiry.com/specialist/science.htm
Social Sciences, Humanities, and Inquiry - http://virtualinquiry.com/specialist/ss.htm

THOUGHTS ON PROJECT 2
1 - Think information INQUIRY... Don't just create a "how to use the library" type lesson.... BORING! The key to developing the JOY of inquiry-based learning is engaging students in activities that will promote skills in authentic, meaningful ways!

2 - In grading, I expect "A" projects to focus on topics and skills that are challenging and insightful. In other words, there are zillions of websites, lessons, and resources that teach basic Internet search and evaluation strategies... think of some of the other possibilities such as the use of primary resources in history, ways of synthesizing information for use in debate, critiquing political cartoons in newspapers, analyzing the use of television media by particular groups, exploring issues in cybersafety in blogging or IM, formulating plans for ethic using of information... consider how these connect to specific information skills and subject-area standards. This unit should have both a content area focus as well as an information literacy focus.

3 - FOR EACH OF YOUR TWO GRADE LEVELS - You should provide an overview (timeline, sequence of activities, who (media specialist, teacher, student) is doing what), as well as at least 1 large lesson or 2 mini-lessons. These lessons should be complete enough that a substitute teacher could use them. They should include many examples and ideas such as Word-based handouts, Powerpoint presentations or templates, activities, etc. that help students learn, practice, understand, and self-evaluate. Rather than a surface level look at an inquiry project, try to select a couple aspects to really explore in-depth.

4 - This should be an original unit NOT developed for another course. However, SOME of the materials can be adapted from other sources as long as you CITE these adaptations. For example, you could incorporate a tutorial for an electronic database you created in another course.

5 - The materials can be presented in whatever way fits your needs. For example, I expect most projects will be a Word document that includes the body of your work along with electronic handouts and other materials. This could be uploaded and linked to your wiki page. Or, it could be a WebQuest you create made directly in the wiki. It could also be a combination of materials such as a Word document unit with a PowerPoint Presentation you would use. Also consider creating wiki pages specifically for your students containing materials they would use in the activities you're designing.

6 - BE SURE to address all of the REQUIRED ELEMENTS in addition to the unit overview and lessons themselves. Use the EVALUATION criteria to self-evaluate. I will be using the checklist to evaluate your project.

7 - BE SURE to read the project guidelines. Keep in mind that I will be using the EVALUATION checklist to evaluate your project and assign the 30 points. Notice the values... for instance your written description of the lesson comparison is worth 2 points. It should be substantial.

WIKISPACES FOR PROJECT 2

Remember that you need to create a space on wikispaces. You can name the space whatever you wish such as frogproject.wikispaces.com

Then, go to http://virtualinquiry.wikispaces.com/ and click JOIN THIS SPACE. After I confirm your membership in the group, you will be see and be able to click the button to EDIT THE PAGE and add your name and topic to our class list such as Frog Project - John Doe. Then, add a EXTERNAL LINK to http://frogproject.wikispaces.com

Class Update: Spring Break

It's Spring Break. Nothing Due!

WEBSITE UPDATE
They've moved the Wikispaces for Teacher page. If you want a new, free wiki go to http://www.wikispaces.com/content/teacher

TRAILBLAZER 6 DEBRIEFING
I'm glad we had someone conduct an interview! Interesting insights can emerge from interviews with school library professionals. One reason to join professional organizations is the opportunity to interact with other professionals and gain new ideas. For instance, one former media specialist in another class brought up the idea of conducting mini-inquiries over a series of library periods. Media specialists need to be creative when working both inside and outside traditional library schedules.

You may have noted that many of your assignments are related to collaboration. Keep in mind that the role of a teacher librarian as a curriculum developer and collaborator is relatively recent. Many people who went through library school prior to the 1990s viewed their role as an information and resource support person and consultant rather than as a professional educator, leader, and collaborator. As more and more school boards are replacing library media professionals with library clerks and paraprofessionals, it is critical that administrators are aware of the value you add to a school through collaboration and curriculum development.

As a beginning media specialist, you have a unique opportunity to make changes in a building. Once you get entrenched in a position, it's difficult to change. Success with collaboration goes hand-in-hand with many of the other aspects of your program such as making requests for funding, center promotion, and leadership.

Some teachers will immediately be receptive to your suggestions for collaboration. Others will be more interested in simply cooperating on assignments or making requests for materials. Just like each child is unique, each teacher has a different teaching style and comfort level regarding collaboration. Your job is to nurture partnerships with teachers at whatever level best meets the needs of children and young adults. A couple people noted the importance of developing trust. This type of relationships takes time to build.

Keep in mind that teachers are often not motivated to work with the media specialist. They see collaboration as a waste of time... some envision scheduling issues when teaming and others don't like to be "observed" teaching.

Here are some of those teachers and the kinds of things they might say:
1. I cover the textbook. It's supposed to be aligned with standards. I use the tests that come with the book.
2. My classroom is on the other side of the building, it's just such as hassle to come to the library.
3. I'll just send the class to the library when they need to do projects, we don't need to collaborate. Let me know if you have any discipline problems.

Collaboration is much easier said than done. Because you are a group of enthusiastic students, teachers and librarians, it may be hard to believe that not all teachers are as positive and receptive to new ideas as you are. It's not enough to say that collaboration address standards, increase test scores, save time, motivate students... how exactly? To many teachers, it will seem like work rather than fun.

Ideas to help you develop a convincing argument.
As you look down the standards, what unique contribution can you and your resources provide?
What can you do in the library that teachers can't do effectively alone in their classroom?
What benefits might teachers see in collaboration beyond the standards?
How will collaboration save time and effort rather than increasing time and effort?

The Harada book has some excellent suggestions for collaboration you might wish to review.

Class Update: March 5

Hey everyone -

We've been getting winter weather in Utah. I'm looking for Spring!

DUE
Trailblazer 6 Reply is due Monday March 5.

Trailblazer 7 is due Monday March 5 and the reply is due Monday March 19.

Project 2 is due Monday March 26.

ASSIGNMENTS
This week the materials focus on exploring, adapting, and creating instructional materials. Media specialists and classroom teachers don't have time to build all their lessons from scratch. Adapting ideas from a variety of sources is critical for time management. Be sure to cite the materials you locate and use from both online and offline sources. There are many links to sources of lessons and unit ideas in your readings for this week.

Read BLUE BOOK: p. 523-526

Optional - Information Power: Chapter 4

TRAILBLAZER 5 DEBRIEFING

This trailblazer was about critical and creative thinking, motivation, and visualizing information inquiry. For some people, a concept map, comic, or other visual helps provide the big picture of a process.

It's always fun to read the activities you come up with for the critical and creative thinking assignment. Creativity is directly related to motivation and the joy of learning. Many of the assignments we remember best are those that involved flexibility, independent thought, and creativity. As you incorporate creative elements, focus on innovative experiences and opportunities for young people to create unique content. In other words, simply asking students to do a presentation instead of a report isn't very creative. Instead, think about the "content" and "context" of the report or presentation. How can you make these elements creative? For instance, inventing a character based on a historical photography, then combining historical facts with imagination to write a historical fiction story brings this time period alive.

Motivation is closely tied to creativity. Unfortunately, young people have gotten so accustomed to ignoring their creative side that they're often reluctant to jump into activities that could be fun. In other words, they're rather just write down an answer and move on. Many of you had great ideas for "waking up" young people to the joy of learning.

The key is differentiation... understanding that each individual has a unique way of thinking and understanding. The more we can model the process and help young people as well as peer teachers see the "big picture" of inquiry, the more likely they are to become engaged in the learning experience.

Comic Life is a blast. This a great tool for many different kinds of projects. It's also an inexpensive software package to buy for your school or library.

No one chose the Linkage option this semester. This type of thinking and visual presentation is a wonderful metacognitive activity.

Class Update: February 27

Howdy everyone -

I hope Spring is headed your way. It's beautiful out right now, but I hear 6 inches of snow are on their way the next couple days.

GRADING
I've graded Project 1. Your grades are in the Oncourse Gradebook and I sent comments through Oncourse email. I carefully worked my way through the comments on each blog, but let me know if I somehow missed your peer comments and you lost points. I know that comments can sometimes be lost in "cyberspace."

I've also graded Trailblazer 4.

READINGS
This week we'll focus on assignments. The key to learning is engaging young people in motivating activities that ask students to acquire and practice new skills through authentic experiences and share their understandings in meaningful ways.

Read Assignment: http://virtualinquiry.com/specialist/assignment.htm

Reading the subsections: Audience Analysis, Bias, Concept Map, Evidence, Figurative Language, Idea Strategies, Information Search Strategies, Interview, Note-Taking, Nonfiction Reading, Oral History,Organizers, Plagiarism, Primary Sources, Questioning, Story, Student Products, Student-Talk, Synthesis, Technology, Textbook, Time on Task.

Read BLUE BOOK: p. 275-291, 303-306, 328-333, 369-394, 401-410, 442-460, 470-475, 480-488, 502-509, 531-535, 539-573

It's important that teacher librarians are involved with all aspects of the teaching and learning process. While most grades are given by classroom teachers, media specialists can still play an important role in assessment.

Read Assessment http://virtualinquiry.com/specialist/assessment.htm
Reading the subsections: Checklist, Conferencing, Student Journals, Portfolios, Rubrics, Professional Assessment.
Read BLUE BOOK: p. 476-482, 489-495, 516-522, 536-538
Optional Reading - Information Power: Appendix E
Optional Reading - CC: Chapter 8

DUE
Remember to post your reply for Trailblazer 5 by Monday February 27.

Trailblazer 6 is due Monday February 27.

Project 2 is due Monday March 26. Then, you'll have one week to make your additions.

Keep in mind that the most important aspect of the project is demonstrating that you understand how students mature as information inquirers and thinkers from one grade level or age to another. You show this change through your two lessons.

It looks like many of you have gotten into Wikispaces and begun posting. Everything looks great so far. Be sure to let me know if you run into trouble.

Please get your free wikispaces account and JOIN OUR SPACE (or try to EDIT THIS PAGE of our class space and add your topic and name) in the next couple weeks. DO NOT WAIT until when it's due because I need to accept your membership for you to make the link on the entry page.

Also, remember that after posting your Project, you're NOT done! You need to use the wiki DISCUSSION tab to provide feedback to a classmate. You also need to add a SUBSTANTIAL ADDITION to a peer's page.

TRAILBLAZER 4 DEBRIEFING

Trailblazer 4 was about two things: standards and collaboration. The key was not just stating the standards, but convincing teachers that information skills are an essential part of the entire school curriculum. To do this, you needed to do much more than simply stress the importance of the standards. Teachers are well-aware of their importance and most have spent the past few years revising curriculum to address them for state testing. The key is to find other ways to motivate and convince teachers. Some of you had great ideas. I recommend that you go back and skim these powerful ideas.

The past decade many schools have focused on creating curriculum maps to visualize the curriculum, activities, resources, and scope/sequence. It's essential that teacher librarians be involved in the evolution of these documents. Some schools are sharing these documents using tools such as Google Docs so they can easily be updated and expanded. Look for ways to work with teachers to enhance and expand their infusion of information skills and inquiry across the curriculum.

PERSONAL RANT AND COMMENTARY
A couple years ago a student asked me about NCLB and a decade of focusing on testing and standards... where did they come from and where are we going? The following rant is simplistic and cynical, but I thought some of you would enjoy it... Here's my reply:

The standards movement and No Child Left Behind is just the latest cycle in education. We've always had some degree of testing. When I was young in the early 1960s, I took the Iowa Test of Basic Skills in Iowa. I also took the ACT and SAT. They were just a few of the many tools that schools and parents could use as a self-check. In the 1960s and early 1970s we went through an interesting time of discovery learning with a lot of focus on individual learners and interdisciplinary approaches... then in the 70s, we moved to competency-based learning focusing on teaching specific skills. "Programmed instruction" and many new companies came along with step-by-step learning products and early computer drills and practice that were based on specific learning outcomes (standards). This was fine for some kids, but really stomped creativity in others. In the early 80s a report called NATION AT RISK came out around the same time the book Why Johnny Can't Read came out, so we were "Back to the Basics" again. The late 80s brought the focus on Information Inquiry and Information Skills and the 1990s, brought whole language learning, WebQuest and constructivism foci. It was a wonderful time filled with differentiated instruction, exploration, and a passion for learning. The big education companies REALLY didn't like this approach because it emphasized trade books, free inquiry, and free Web-based resources... so they started supporting legislation that would mandate rigid standards... and books they could sell that would "teach to those standards"... Both aisles of Congress thought education was a good rallying cry so they supported NCLB. Unfortunately, in most cases it means that schools are focusing on low-level re-mediation for low-level skills, stifles creativity, and promotes stress in teachers.... oh, and companies "on the list" make lots of money. The good thing that came out of the recent movement was a "wake up call" for a few poor schools and teachers... we could have handled that in a couple years and gone back to learning... but it's hung on for much longer than expected. If you stay around education long enough you'll see many more cycles. The easiest way to anticipate the next cycle is to look at the publications of ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development - http://ascd.org/ Local and state administrators like to use these publications and approaches for the "next round" of professional development activities.

The good news is that most schools have done all they can to "increase test scores" and School Improvement Plans are starting to emphasize a shift from low-level to higher-level thinking. In other words, the standards aren't the problem, it's the focus on a "test" as the sole indicator of success or failure. Many schools are revisiting inquiry-based learning, problem solving, and higher order thinking within the context of going beyond the basic standards provided by each state. I'm also seeing more of an emphasis on focusing on changes where they're needed. For instance, urban schools have very different needs than rural schools.

The shift from mindless "test taking" to nurturing a generation of artists, thinkers, and scientists is coming... just hold on. You're entering the profession at a great time. We need forwarding thinking media specialists to lead this new movement. Although the job situation might not look great right now, we're simply in downside of a cycle that is bound to turn around.

Class Update: February 20

The semester is flying!

NEWSIE

If you love libraries, check out these beautiful libraries from around the world. Salt Lake City is number 1! Go to http://matadornetwork.com/trips/photo-essay-amazing-libraries-around-the-world

I had a request for an article I wrote more than a decade ago on the 8Ws. I thought some of you might enjoy it. Go to http://virtualinquiry.com/1997article.pdf

DUE

Trailblazer 5 is due Monday February 20.
Also, remember to post your reply for Trailblazer 4. It's also due Monday February 20.

You start working on Project 2. PLAN AHEAD. You need to JOIN THE WIKISPACE before you can add your page. I need to approval your membership in a group and it can take a few hours. Go ahead and do it NOW - http://virtualinquiry.wikispaces.com/

Project 2 should be posted ON THE WIKISPACE rather than in the OnCourse forum. It should be posted by Monday March 26. You then have one week to make the required wiki edits and discussion tab additions. These must be posted by Monday April 2.

If you've never used Wikispaces, be sure to read the directions in the Project 2 guidelines.

READINGS
We've spent the past three weeks focusing on students. Now, it's time to move into a new section of the course: Instructional Specialists. Although the library media specialist is often specifically trained in the area of facilitating inquiry, all instructional specialists including teachers, parents, and support staff should feel confident in supporting student inquiry.

This is a heavy reading week.

Read BLUE BOOK: 131-169, 322-327, 378-380, 461-469
Optional Reading - Read Information Power: Chapter 3
Optional Reading - Read CC: Chapter 5, 6, 9, 10, 11

Over the past thirty years there's been a lot of talk about learning styles. However the research doesn't always keep up with the theories. Read http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/01/08/study-stop-funding-learning-styles/

PROJECT 1 DEBRIEFING

I really enjoyed reading your blogs and exploring your products. I found myself spending much more time than I had anticipated. It is like reading exciting, page-turning adventure novels.. okay maybe not that exciting, but very interesting! I kept getting sidetracked exploring your links, resources, and interesting topics. Everyone should have received a personal email with their comments. The numeric grade can be found in the Oncourse gradebook.

We had a wide variety of topics. Although some of you had lots of prior experience locating, evaluating, and using information, many of our patrons and students lack these experiences. As you reflect on the process, consider those areas where students would have difficulties. Also, think about what kinds of activities and lessons would help students deal with these frustrations. Consider incorporating some of these feeling and ideas into meaningful student activities for your projects ;-)

Thanks to everyone for sharing your insights and ideas with others through the blog comments. They were interesting to read and very helpful for your classmates! Recording all the comments took a long time. I need to wait until I get through all the blogs and check that everyone has made postings, before I can send out grades.

I was also happy to see how many of you saw value in conducting an inquiry over time. Rarely do young people get the opportunity for reflection, fresh perspectives, and looking at the process over a period of time. The advantage of journaling or blogging is that you can go back and see the process.

Some of you expressed the recursive nature of the inquiry process with statements like "quick rewind to my wondering phase" or "I thought I was done weaving, but I'm back at the loom." I was happy to see how many of you discussed the importance of viewing information inquiry as a recursive process where you often go back and revisit earlier steps along the way. I bet many of you could now develop your own personal model of information inquiry to help guide your students through inquiry.

It was great to see many of you connecting your experiences to those of young people and really thinking about how to facilitate inquiry processes of children.

I could tell that a couple of you didn't read my updated about the importance of incorporating the professional citations. There were a few outstanding examples of infusing the writing of Callison, Kuhlthau, and others into your blog.

It was good to hear that some of you enjoyed being able to select and explore your own topics. A number of you commented about how much you learned about the Information Inquiry process by going through the process yourself. Remember....

Fun, Meaningful Topic + Process Approach = Learning

I hope everyone remembers their experiences the next time you hear that a teacher is "assigning a term paper". Are students really learning to be "thinkers" or will students just "copy stuff" the night before it's due? Whether it's a self-selected topic or a teacher-assigned topic, how will you help students at each stage of the inquiry process?

I know it was awkward to think about standards at the end of this project. I know that a few people had a hard time with the standards connection. However, I feel it's important. We need to be able to convince students that EVERYTHING is connected to standards. In other words, school and life shouldn't be separate. The things we teach in school are much more meaningful if they can be connected to the outside world. I noticed that many of you were surprised at how well "fun" topics can connect to "school" topics.

BLOGGING FOR STUDENTS
Now that you've had a blog experience, consider how they could be used with students.

If you really got into the blog idea, consider integrating this type of activity into your classroom. For more information, check out my blog workshop at http://escrapbooking.com/blogging/

Consider having your K12 students create blogs. The key to blogging is looking at levels of control. In other words, you can install software on your school web server such as the open source Word Press (http://wordpress.com/) and have total control. You could set it up so that it's on your intranet and only people inside the network could see it. You can even set it up so that only the person keeping the log has access.

Another option is to use the password restrictions on most blogging software. This allows the blogger to indicate who can post comments. You can set it up so that certain users can post comments or everyone.

PROJECT 2

It's more than a month until Project 2 is due, but you need to start now. This project will take some thinking, planning, and creating.

Here are a few ideas as you work on Project 2.

Project 2 is something that a prospective employer would expect to find in your portfolio. It should be your BEST work in terms of your vision of a rich, learning experience for students related to information inquiry. It will also be the most difficult for those of you with no teaching experience. The toughest part may be identifying the needs of children and young adults at different grade levels.

I WILL NOT be strict when evaluating the appropriateness for the particular grade level, since many of you don't have experiences teaching.

I WILL be strict when looking at your comparison of the two lessons. Do the levels show an expectation that students are maturing between the two assignments? How? Are you asking for a more complex or higher level information skill of the higher level students? If show, provide examples.

Keys to an effective project:

1 - Keep in mind that you are creating lessons for 2 different grade levels and then comparing the lessons in terms of student needs and development. Be sure to review the ideas provided on the Student Maturation pages at http://virtualinquiry.com/scientist/scientist3.htm

2 - Be sure to focus on the combination of content area standard(s) and information standard(s). In other words, DO NOT develop a lesson that teaches "library skills" in isolation. Instead consider how information inquiry can be integrated into the traditional curriculum areas (i.e., social studies, science, health, language arts, math, etc.) and if possible the "real world". It's helpful for comparison if your "information standard" is similar for both grade levels so you can show how you're expecting a higher level or "website evaluation," "use of citation," "complexity of questioning", etc. at the higher level.

PROJECT 2 HELP FOR NON-TEACHERS
You can download the PDFs for each subject area and it will provide standards for each subject for each grade level.
http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/PrintLibrary/ILS_Correlations.shtml

We'll be dealing more with lesson planning later, but for those who would like some ideas, go to http://thinkfinity.org/

Class Update: February 14 - Valentine's Day Weekend

Happy Valentine's Day Weekend!

This email is chuck-full of important information, please don't skim it. Read it. Thanks!

DUE

Project 1 is due Monday February 13. Be sure to post a note in the SCOUT area indicating that your project is done and ready for grading.

Be sure that you have woven professional resources (i.e., course materials, Callison book, various models) related to inquiry into your blog. I grade based on the evaluation criteria in the project guidelines. Notice how many points are associated with each requirement. This is the area where people sometimes lose points.

Be sure that you have made comments on peer blogs.

Grades for Trailblazers 1-3 have also been posted in the Oncourse Gradebook.

TRAILBLAZERS
Thanks for all your hard work on the project and your Trailblazer assignments. I know this is a time-consuming course, but I can tell you're learning a lot through your readings and discussions. As you can tell, I stay out of the discussions because I don't want to sidetrack or inhibit your postings. However if there are any issues you'd like to discuss with me personally, feel free to contact me and we can email about your concerns.

TRAILBLAZER 3 DEBRIEFING
It was interesting reading the "note to parents" assignment. I particularly liked the articles that truly reflected the needs of their audience. It's importance to strike the right tone with parents. There must be a balance between the need for authoritative information and practical approaches.

Ask yourself: What do parents really need to understand? I felt that the postings that avoided "buzzwords" and provided specific, topical examples were the most effective. Writing for school and parent newsletters is a wonderful way to promote the mission of the school library media program.

Also, as you think about the teaching and learning environment remember that the focus should be on "facilitating" inquiry not "teaching" inquiry. The information process and models aren't effective without a meaningful context. Learners need to be engaged and guided through the process. Teaching isolated "information skills" isn't effective. Young people need to develop the skills and be able to apply them inside and outside of formal school situations.

Many of you chose to explore visual literacy and provided many great ideas for integrating graphic resources such as maps, photos, drawings, and diagrams into the classroom. However keep in mind that developing literacy in young people involves more than just using these resources in teaching. Connect these resources to high level thinking and the development of graphic skills. For instance, young people need to be able to explain how data can be misrepresented in charts and graphs, identify elements of a historical photo that reflect the time when the photo was taken, or create a diagram showing how gears work. In other words, convincing a teacher to focus on visual literacy is much more than using pictures to motivate teens. It's a change in philosophy about what's important in terms of content and skills development.

The "turf wars" continue to be a serious issue. Although some of the issues have changed, many of these issues have been around since computers were introduced to schools nearly 30 years ago.

FUTURE TRAILBLAZERS
Be sure to address ALL of the requirements discussed in the Trailblazers to get full points. For example, be sure to provide a specific example for your discussions. I know some of you don't have teaching experience, but please do your best. You might even extend the example into the school, public library, museum, or nature setting.

Read the guidelines for these carefully, they have a number of questions and elements that you need to cover.

Although the Trailblazers ask you to focus on specific topics, models, or subject areas, be sure you explore all the readings. They will be helpful in providing a "big picture" of information inquiry.

Here are a couple suggestions for future assignments:
1. Be sure to read the Trailblazer assignments carefully. You must address all aspects of the assignment to get the 2 posting points.
2. Please proof-read your Trailblazer before posting it to Oncourse. This is particularly important when creating a letter to parents or newsletter for the community. You may wish to create your posting in Word and run a spell-check, then copy it into Oncourse. Don't think of this as "picky"... think of it as "professional."

READINGS
As you read about the grade level standards for subject areas a few weeks ago, you may have noticed that many topics are covered over and over again. Is this really necessary? The key to helping students mature as information scientists is viewing each learning experience as a way to help students mature as thinkers and inquirers. In other words, although we may visit the same content at different points in a child's academic career, it's our job to help them view each experience with new eyes. On other words, very young children may only see an issue from two sides, while older children will begin to recognize multiple perspectives. While elementary children may see all adults as equal sources of information, teens begin to understand the authority of experts and need to carefully select data sources. As you explore the readings this week, think about how young people mature as information scientists. Also, consider how you can work with teachers to ensure that young people are becoming increasingly information fluent as they move through school.

I've added a new section to the course focusing on the bridge between learners and teacher librarians. How will you facilitate inquiry-based learning?

Read
Inquiry-based Learning - http://virtualinquiry.com/scientist/inquiry.htm
Questioning - http://virtualinquiry.com/scientist/inquiry1.htm
Exploration - http://virtualinquiry.com/scientist/inquiry2.htm
Assimilation - http://virtualinquiry.com/scientist/inquiry3.htm
Inference - http://virtualinquiry.com/scientist/inquiry4.htm
Reflection - http://virtualinquiry.com/scientist/inquiry5.htm

This section contains a six-part video series titled Digital Detectives at http://vimeo.com/user1164582/videos. Be sure to watch these videos to learn about the role of teachers and media specialists in facilitating the inquiry process.

There's also an OPTIONAL reading... read the book Inquiry Learning through Librarian -Teacher Partnerships by Harada & Yoshina. It's a great, practical book and a quick read!

STUDENT INFORMATION SCIENTISTS
Now that you're done with Project 1, it's time to jump into the readings and assignments related to second phase of the course and Project 2 - The Student Information Scientist.

Read CourseQuest - Guide 2: Student Information Scientist
http://virtualinquiry.com/course/guide2.html

PROJECT 2
It's time to start thinking about Project 2. Remember that I grade based on the EVALUATION CRITERIA only. Be sure to read it carefully.

Review the requirements for Project 2: Maturing Information Scientists - http://virtualinquiry.com/course/guide2.html#pr2

Design inquiry-based learning experiences for TWO DIFFERENT grade levels of children or young adults. A learning experience is much more than simply a lecture and worksheet. You should provide a real-world connection that students will find interesting and meaningful.

This project will involve adding to a class wiki. Directions are provided on the project requirements page.
This wiki is available at http://virtualinquiry.wikispaces.com/

This assignment will be completed in three parts:

First, your project will contain the following elements: inquiry skill, overview, teaching materials, and student materials. It will also contain a lesson comparison. This will all be posted on a wiki page(s).

Second, you will have a week to provide feedback to a peer in the wiki using the DISCUSSION TAB.

Third, you will be making a substantial contribution to the wiki page of a classmate.

Don't worry, you don't need to be an expert in making lesson plans. Every school uses a slightly different format, so I encourage you to get to know lots of different ways to planning. In addition, different subject areas sometimes like different formats. If you'd like to work ahead a little on the readings, you'll find more resources related to planning in the Instructional Specialist section of the course
http://www.virtualinquiry.com/specialist/index.htm

Keep in mind that many of the students in the class don't have teaching experience, so I don't expect perfection in terms of planning. Instead, I'm more interested in your thinking about the role of information inquiry in the lives of young people and how the assignments you design reach that goal and reflect the needs of children at 2 different ages.

Also keep in mind, in most cases a media specialist will be collaborating on the creation of lesson plans. It's an important skill to be able to collaborate and ask questions. Generally, you'll need to be flexible enough to work with a teacher and integrate your ideas into a format that makes them most comfortable.

If you want to see examples of excellent lessons, do some searches in Thinkfinity at http://thinkfinity.org/

PROJECTS 2 and 3
Our class contains students with a wide variety of professional interests. As you think ahead to your other class projects, let me know if you have concerns about developing a project that's meaningful to you in your professional area of interest. I'm happy to work with you in order to adapt the project to fit your needs.

Class Update: February 6

Be sure to take some time out to enjoy the Superbowl (or at least the commercials). The semester is rolling along, it's time to spend a few hours finishing up Project 1!

DUE

Be sure to post a Trailblazer 3 reply by Monday February 6.

Trailblazer 4 is due Monday February 6. We're half way done with Trailblazers!

Remember that PROJECT 1: PERSONAL INQUIRY is due Monday February 13.
Please post in the Oncourse Scouts: Cohort Group Discussions: Project 1 discussion area when it's ready to grade.
Also, remember that you need to be posting comments on the blogs of your peers are due the same time as your project.

READINGS
This week the focus is on understanding your learners. From being aware of the interests of young people to addressing the individual needs of children with different learning styles, it's essential that educators are able to differentiate the learning environment to help each child reach their potential. A decade ago the US government connected the phrase "No Child Left Behind" to basic standards, I believe the true meaning of this phrase relates to looking at each child as an individual and challenging his or her thinking at the very highest levels. Far BEYOND the standards, our job is to stimulate the critical and creative thinking of our future artists, scientists, historians, carpenters, doctors, diplomats, and prepare them to be active, intelligent global citizens.

Read BLUE BOOK: p. 334-339, 349-353, 363-368, 381-386, 431-436

TRAILBLAZER 2 DEBRIEFING
I've graded the Trailblazer 2 postings. You can find your grade in the Oncourse Gradebook.

Now that you've spent a couple weeks exploring the inquiry models, what do you think?

It was interesting to read your comparisons of the models and the steps. I found it particularly fascinating that some of you came up with different ideas on whether the model was information search and use or information inquiry. In some cases, the differences relate to applications of the model rather than the model itself. Keep in mind that you can adapt components of different models to come up with something that will meet the needs of a particular group.

Also, remember that the models weren't developed with "information search" vs "inquiry" in mind. The categories are simply a way to categorize for analysis. There's not a "right" answer and people disagree on where some of the models should be placed.

Here's my view. The inquiry models can be used for information search and use. However the inquiry models go BEYOND search and use. They encourage the self-directed investigation that happens in everyday life beyond focused problem solving. For instance the idea of "watching and wondering" isn't integral to the information search and use models. Watching and Wondering promote self-reflection, curiosity, and the creative side of information inquiry.

So.. rather than thinking about two categories, consider a spectrum that goes from traditional report writing, Q&A, and problem solving (very teacher directed) TO flexible, recursive, free-thinking inquiry (very child-centered).

Personally, I don't think there's a single "best" model. Instead, there are many different perspectives on the most effective, efficient, or appealing way to present the idea to teachers and students. I tend to agree with Callison that there are a few "basic components" of information inquiry that can be found in nearly all the models. I also think that it's important to focus on both the "process" and the "product." In some cases, students and teachers may place more emphasis on process or product, but they both are important in developing life-long learners.

Finally, I think the dynamic aspect of information inquiry is critical. Rather than thinking of it as a linear process, I prefer words like recursive process, cycle, reflective, ongoing, and interactive. In the "real world," the process is depends on many factors including motivation, assignments, time, resources, and grades. When the end product is a decision about a major purchase, having a baby, or elective surgery, the time you spend evaluating resources, synthesizing information, and going back to ask additional questions and gather more information is likely to be very different from choosing a weekend vacation or writing a term paper.

I was happy that so many of you associated the "levels of inquiry" with the models. The usefulness of any model depends on how it is implemented. For instance, a WebQuest can be designed for free inquiry, but it can also be very controlled. It depends on the needs of the person designing the project and the media specialist or classroom teacher adapting the project.

I was impressed by how many of you talked about the value of reflection and recursion in a model. As you're finding with your personal inquiries, in the "real world" you don't follow a strict step-by-step model for inquiry... you revisit steps like exploration, questioning, assimilation, inference, and reflection over and over again.

Many of you also pointed out the importance of scaffolding... providing resources to assist young people in their inquiry. From anticipation guides and website resources to charts and diagrams, young people often need support whether doing free inquiry or controlled activities.

Keep in mind that the goal is to ultimately let young people fly on their own. Models are designed to help young inquirers keep on track. Without some guidance, many students will become frustrated and flounder. As media specialists we need to find ways to provide the most effective help at the best time to facilitate learning. The balance between freedom and control is very delicate.

When students are outside the school setting, they may not think about the Big6 or the 8Ws, but their experiences with inquiry will hopefully transfer so they are independent explorers, thinkers, and decision makers using whatever process works best for them.

FINAL CHECK OF PROJECT 1
I'll be grading the project after the February 13 due date. I will provide specific feedback based on the grading checklist.

If you run into last minute emergencies, problems, or really juicy excuses, let me know. Please don't stress out. If you need an extra day or two, just email me so I don't worry about you. However keep in mind that the class keeps rolling on, so it's important to stick to the due dates.

PROJECT 1: WRAPPING - WAVING - WISHING
Before you jump to the end of your project, slow down and take time to move through wrapping, waving, and wishing.

WRAPPING ---- Once you've collected, analyzed, and synthesized your information, it's time to think about how you'll share what you've learned. Wrapping is about making a decision, reaching a conclusion, bringing ideas together, and often involves creating a final product that reflects what you've learned. This product can be personal in nature such as a list of strategies for handling a personal problem. Your product doesn't need to be high tech... it could be a birdwatching field guide you create in Word. Or, it could be a public product such as a PowerPoint presentation for students or parents, web page, scrapbook, or poster. You need some way to share your product electronically, so if you do something tangible (like refinishing a table) you can send digital pictures.

Be sure to write about the wrapping process, rather than simply posting your product. How did you go about making the decision about a product? What steps were involved in creating a final product?

WAVING ---- Think about who needs to know about your inquiry. How will you share it with the world? It may be a personal project that you'd like to share with your family. Or, maybe it's something that should be shared with the world through social activism or an email to someone far away. For young people in a traditional classroom setting, waving can be very motivating. It may involve sharing with peers or reaching outside the classroom to help with a local service project or present at a 4H fair. Consider ways that you can facilitate waving with young people.

WISHING ---- So... what did you think? How did it go? Be sure to address the specific questions in the course guidelines. Also, use this opportunity to think about the role of inquiry in your life. Is it time to rethink how you're spending your personal and professional time so you have more opportunities for life long learner?

PROJECT 1: FINAL THOUGHTS
Some people are concentrating very hard on the "final product" aspect of the Personal Inquiry and skimming over what I consider to be the most important part, the specific steps in the process. It's not too late to go back through your blog. You can even add comments to your own entries if you find areas where you'd like to add a reflection or personal connection. For example, be sure that you've connected Professional Literature (i.e., Callison and other readings) to each step in your inquiry.

When you look at the evaluation checklist (http://virtualinquiry.com/course/guide1.html#pr1), you'll notice that most of the points are related the "narrative" in your blog where you discuss your experiences completing the personal inquiry. This blog is critical for this class because it describes the process of how you, personally, moved through the information process (i.e., selected your topic, developed questions, used resources, synthesized information, came up with a product idea).

To officially turn in your project, you MUST post a message in Oncourse. Be sure to provide the weblink/URL of your blog and your product. Many of you will be posting your product right in your blog, but some of you will be attaching a product such as Word file or PowerPoint presentation in your OnCourse Workspace, GoogleSites, or another space. It's up to you. BE SURE to check your final product on another computer to be sure that was uploaded properly and can be viewed by others.

COMMENTING ON PEER BLOGS
Check the master list of class blogs at http://virtualinquiry.com/course/archivesblogs.html
One of the requirements for Project 1 is to make some comments on the blogs of your peers. These comments should be made on their blog rather than in Oncourse. These comments can be to their topic or the inquiry process.

Remember to ALLOW comments in your blog. If you wish to comment on a blog that doesn't have the comments open, it's okay to place a comment in the Scouts: Cohort Groups: PROJECT 1 area of Oncourse. If you prefer to send more personal feedback, it's okay to email the person through Oncourse email. Just CC me so I can be sure to give you credit.

Class Update: January 30

Howdy Folks!

DUE
Remember, you have one week to post a reply for Trailblazer 2. It's due Monday January 30.

Trailblazer 3 is due Monday January 30.

Project 1 is due Monday February 13 but you MUST be working on it now.

Keep in mind that you should comment directly on the blogs of your peers. You may need to get a free google/blogger to comment to your peers. Don't wait until the last minute.

Tricia Arturi http://tarturi.edublogs.org/

Andrea Brinkley http://inquirybyandrea.blogspot.com

Josh Deisler http://jdmicah.blogspot.com

Anne Hatke http://babysigninginquiry.blogspot.com/

Cathy King http://cathy-quiltingquest.blogspot.com/

Lisa Mueller http://lisaannmueller.blogspot.com/

Barbara Raymond http://retirementexploration.blogspot.com/

STUDENT INFORMATION SCIENTISTS

It's time to move into the second section of the class website: Student Information Scientists.

To work effectively with young people, it's important to understand them as novice inquirers. We often talk about putting our students at the center of learning.
What can we do to help facilitate student inquiry?
How do we help each child grow as an information scientist?
How are these young thinkers like and unlike an expert information scientist?
What are their interests and needs?

The next few weeks we'll be focusing on how young people mature as information scientists.

Read
Student Inquirers - http://virtualinquiry.com/scientist/scientist0.htm
Professional Information Scientists - http://virtualinquiry.com/scientist/scientist1.htm
Expert vs Novice Information Scientists - http://virtualinquiry.com/scientist/scientist1a.htm
Student Information Scientists - http://virtualinquiry.com/scientist/scientist2.htm

Be sure to explore the Annie's and Danny's Inquiries through school on the Student Information Scientist page. Then, think about your own experiences and how they would be different for today's young people.

Read BLUE BOOK: p. 170-183.

Optional Reading - CC Chapters 3 & 4

GRADEBOOK
I've graded Trailblazer 1 postings and replies. Your grades and comments are in the Oncourse Gradebook. I tend to provide comments that focus on both strengths and weaknesses in your assignment early in the semester to give you an idea about my expectations. Overall, everyone did a great job!

TRAILBLAZER 1 DEBRIEFING and CHALLENGE
I think the discussions are outstanding this semester. I can tell you all have a passion for teaching, learning, and inquiry. Keep up the good work.

I like to keep the forums as a place where you can discuss topics without the "intrusion" of the teacher. However after the discussion I like to spend a couple minutes, debriefing and challenging your thinking...

As you could tell reading through the Trailblazer 1 discussions, our class has people with a wide range of experiences. Thanks to everyone for sharing their observations and examples. As you think about conducting inquiries with students, consider what you wish to accomplish. What do you want students to learn in terms of "inquiry" as well as the standards you are addressing? Consider the obstacles students will face such as learning styles, socio-economic background, resources, and provide the types of assistance, guidance, and scaffolding needed for student success. Also, think about how student projects will be evaluated. Although the guidelines and grading criteria are more difficult to establish for free inquiry, for some assignments the end product may be worth the time and energy. There's a place for all levels of inquiry and all aspects of literacy. The key is to match the learning environment to the needs of students.

I enjoyed reading your thoughts on the levels of inquiry. In these "test driven" times, I think it's sometimes difficult to convince teachers that it's worth the time to move from worksheet and textbook centered activities to hands-on, opportunities for primary resources, independent reading, and deep thinking.

In a past class, someone noted that "high level kids" would be able to do free inquiry, but not "low level kids". It may be tougher to do it with "low level" kids, but it's even more important. Since computers were first introduced to schools, the research has shown that the poor, low academic schools tend to emphasize using technology for "drill and practice," while the high achieving schools used these tools for "inquiry," "simulations" and "thinking tools" in the classroom. It's a chicken and egg problem. Are the assumptions we make about the abilities of some children undermining the activities we choose for these kids?

The same question about what kids can and can't do can be posed about young children and inquiry. Some of the most fascinating questioning I've heard come from first graders. All the levels of inquiry can be done at all the academic levels from PreK to College. The key is making sure the activities are matched to the maturation level of the children.

I can tell that a few of you aren't convinced that moving from controlled to free inquiry is worth the extra time and effort. From my experience to develop independent, life long learners, it's essential to devote the time to these types of activities. If we're only interested in tests, we can stick to the teacher-directed controlled inquiries, however in the long run I think the kids suffer.

Although I love getting students involved with free inquiry, there are times that all four levels of inquiry make sense for a particular activity or learning experience. The key is building an engaging learning environment where all children will flourish. As you collaborate with other teachers, examine lessons carefully and think about ways to adapt the lesson to the level of inquiry that makes sense for the particular situation.

Just a note for the future... When possible, cite course materials and provide examples. Also, be sure to read the Trailblazer directions VERY carefully. For example, if it says "convince" then your job is to come with a convincing argument that will persuade a teacher to transform their assignment. If the Trailblazer talks about developing a collaborative partnership, be sure to speak directly to how you would go about working with a teacher. Many beginning librarians assume that teachers want to work with them... however this is often not the case. You'll have to be creative and proactive to persuade teachers that collaboration is worth their time and energy. Those that chose the Trailblazer relating to working with a teacher did a great job with the "convincing" part.

KEY PEOPLE
In addition to knowing the models, it's important that you start identifying the key people who brought information inquiry to the attention of educators such as Jacqueline Mancall, Carol Kuhlthau, Virginia Rankin, and Michael Eisenberg.

Many people credit a 1986 article in SLMQ in 1986 by Mancall, Aaron, and Walker with getting the "information inquiry movement" started.
Educating Students to Think: The Role of the School Library Media Program

Carol Kuhlthau has spent over 20 years on refining her ideas, conducting research on her model, and publishing results. What I think makes her model unique is the way it gets "inside the heads" of students and their thinking as they go through the process. I'm not sure that it's the best model to use with kids, instead I think it's the best model to help teachers understand the process/thinking that students go through as they conduct inquiry.

Carol's model was part of a surge of interest in inquiry in the late 80s and the basis for the models we see today. Personally, I can remember attending a Treasure Mountain retreat in Georgia around 1990 where this synergy really got going at the national level... it's the reason that professional development and leadership conferences are so important. It's the place that I refined my Ws that I've been using in my classes since the late 1980s.

While some have focused on the theoretical aspects, other have focused on developing resources for students and teachers. For example, Michael Eisenberg's Big6 has become the most popular model for teachers to use with students in the classroom because he has really "advertised" it through mainstream education.

PROJECT 1: WEBBING - WIGGLING - WEAVING
You should be working your way through the stages of inquiry. Remember that this process is RECURSIVE. You may go from searching for information to evaluating information, and back to brainstorming questions. You might decide to write an email to an expert, interview a local official, or explore old photographs, then make choices and categorize what you've found.

Don't just throw these three phases together. They're distinct activities within your inquiry.

WEBBING ----- Spend some time thinking about and planning your search strategy. Open your mind to ALL the resources available in the world: live, print-based, digital, or multiple formats.

Explore online resource. For example, INSPIRE has great electronic databases. Keep in mind that you can explore many electronic resources through the IUPUI online library. Google, Vivisimo, and other search tools will help you explore the web. Also, think about making a phone call, interviewing a friend, or visiting your local public library or school library media center. Visit a zoo, museum, or park... remember, ideas and information can be found in many places!

WIGGLING ---- How will you make sense of all this information you've collected? What tools do teachers give students to help them organize ideas? What will you use to help organize your thinking? How do all your ideas related to your original problems and questions?

Once you've got lots of information, begin thinking about how it all fits together. Like a giant puzzle, choose pieces to keep and others to toss. Create your own personal evaluation criteria... how will you determine what's quality information and what's junk?

What resources would help you clarify your thinking? Who can you bounce ideas around with? Are there people you could talk to? Try emailing a webmaster or using http://expertcentral.com to find an expert online. A friend, paster, and local retailer might be a source of information.

WEAVING ---- Students of all ages seem to have the most trouble with synthesis. Rather than really thinking and weaving ideas together, students often create a patchwork of copied quotes, while adult often choose a quick answer. Consider ways to transform all these ideas into meaningful knowledge. This is the stage where we move from random pieces of data and information to ideas that become knowledge and maybe even wisdom.

Consider ways to effectively organize your ideas in a concept map, chart, table on paper or using computer software such as Inspiration, Word, or other method.

Think about information you can COMPARE, ORGANIZE, ANALYZE, and SYNTHESIZE. How are these four words alike and different? What do these words mean to you? How do they help you make sense of the information you've collected?

Is it time to go back and revise your original questions and seeking more information? Or, are you ready to think about a product of your inquiry? Remember, inquiry is a recursive process. You may revisit the steps over and over before heading for the last couple phases.

Don't just tell me what you're thinking... SHOW ME examples, charts, lists of ideas... Remember, you can create a "screen shot" graphic from any program or website. This is a great way to share your experiences with exploring the web or trying a software package.

PROJECT 1: SUGGESTIONS
As you move into your blogging entries, be sure to reflect on the "process"...
At what point in your thinking did the connection between "this" and "that" occur to you?
How does this connection impact your thinking about the project?
Can you make a personal connection will help the topic come alive for you or facilitate the development of essential questions?
What do some of the models say about this stage in thinking?
These are just a few of the things to consider as you're developing the next stages in your blog.

Remember that "walking a mile in their shoes" as the quote goes is one of the best ways to have empathy with our students. That's what project 1 is all about.

If you follow the guidelines and address everything in the checklist as you move through the process, you WILL get the points. Everyone will do fine. I won't let anyone fail. If you're unsure about your direction, then email me and I'm happy to look at your blog to be sure you're on the right track.

As I've been exploring people's blogs. Here are 3 most common concerns AND the most likely difference I see between an A and an A- on Project 1.

1) Your blog should be more than a log of activities. You MUST "reflect" on the process. For example, include your initial brainstorms of questions, then a revised list of questions, then a sequenced list of question, the refine the verbs of the question.... Then, reflect on this evolution of ideas and how/why it changed. Step away from yourself and look at how you're moving through through the step in the process. Compare this with the experience of a novice or students AND how you would help students through this process.

2) Provide LOTS of examples. For example when you get into the search process, I want MUCH MORE than "I used Google" or "I used INSPIRE's databases" or "I interviewed a travel agent" .... I want SPECIFIC examples of the WORDS you used in your search and how you REFINED your search. What were the specific results? How did this impact your thinking and your searches?

3) I'm looking for LOTS of professional connections to your course readings, models, and key people. If Carol Kuhlthau or Virginia Rankin were reading your blog, what would they be saying about your thoughts?

4) You might want to explore blogs from previous semesters. Although I think that many students could have incorporated MORE reflection and references to course readings, they're a place to start if you're unsure of direction. Keep in mind that this is the second semester where you're required to comment on classmate blogs, so you won't see comments on most of these blogs.

PROJECT 1: THE STANDARDS
A couple people have asked about the "students" and "standards" requirements. What I really want you to do in the blog is to write about how students would approach your topic. Also, what information standards did you address as you moved through your project... why do you see these standards reflected? What does this say about you as an information fluent people?

Also, even though your topic is of personal interest, are there K12 content standards that would apply? In other words, you're doing a "real world topic" ... but it's possible it may apply to something students learn... even if it's a slightly different topic or approach. Or... if not? Why don't you think it applies?

PROJECT 1: BLOG COMMENTS
Consider going back and reflecting on areas where you think maybe you didn't include very much professional literature related to inquiry. You can add your own COMMENT.

CHALLENGE
Remember that the blogs of your peers are listed at http://www.virtualinquiry.com/course/archivesblogs.html
There are three fun ways to keep track of all the class blogs:
Option 1: Try creating bookmarks on your blogs to the blogs you're reading.

Option 2: You might also try using an RSS reader such as Google Reader to keep track of the blogs you've read and the current postings.

Go to http://reader.google.com/ to set up your own Google Reader. You can use your email address or set up a google account. If you have a Blogger blog then you already have a Google account.

THE KEY TO INFORMATION INQUIRY
As you're going through the stages of inquiry, you should be reflecting on your course readings. How do these steps relate to the things you know about inquiry models and student learning? Think about how you're moving forward, backward, and around the model. Are you doing more than one step at once? How? Why? Tell me about your thinking.

ONCOURSE WEB HOSTING
Oncourse has a web hosting feature. When you first open Oncourse, choose My Workspace. Choose Resources from the left sidebar. Click ADD. You can upload FILES of any kind including web pages.

If you want the world to see them, you'll need to make sure you check edit details and check "Display to PUBLIC". The URL will look something like https://oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/user/anlamb/annette.html
For more help, use the Help option on the sidebar in Oncourse.

COOL TOOL
Google Docs has added a presentation tool! Along with word processing and spreadsheets, you can now create presentations similar to PowerPoint! One advantage of Google Docs is the ability to collaborate on a project online! This might be a fun tool to try for your final project. ;-)
http://docs.google.com

We went to the orchards last fall and I took some photos. I created an example called Orchards of Capitol Reef NP. You can view it at http://docs.google.com/Present?docid=ddzhd9fc_2dhwnp9&fs=true

FREE WEB HOSTING
I'll be talking more later about sharing the products you create for Project 1. They will be posted online anywhere you wish. If you don't know HTML, don't worry just do your writing in Microsoft Word and upload the file to your blog, your Oncourse Space, or another location.

Many people are choosing the free Google Sites. You can find this at http://sites.google.com/
This new tool allows you to create web pages as well as adding social technology features such as discussion areas.

NEED HELP?
If you're feeling lost or frustrated, remember that I'm just an email message away. I can't read your mind, if you have questions be sure to email! I'm happy to help.

Class Update: January 23

This e-mail is chuck-full of information. Be sure to read the section below related to Project 1!

Just a quick note to remind you of the importance of these class updates. Be sure to read them carefully. They contain essential information about assignments, projects, and "how tos" to make completing assignments easier.

DUE
I've enjoyed skimming your Trail Blazer 1 assignments. They look great. Be sure that you make a reply to Trailblazer 1 by Monday January 23. AFTER all the replies are made, I'll be grading this assignment.

I don't always comment on each assignment. However if I have a particular idea or suggestion, I'll normally write it in the comment area of the gradebook. If I have a concern or if you've lost a point, I will email you directly or write a comment. If there are no comments and you get the points, you're doing great so keep up the good work! I wish I had a more effective way to send you each "warm fuzzies," but the impersonal gradebook seems to be the most efficient way to communicate progress.

Work on Trailblazer 2. It's due Monday January 23. For more information about this assignment, go to http://virtualinquiry.com/course/guide1.html#tb2
Again, you'll have 1 week to post a high-quality reply.

Remember that the blog is an ONGOING project. You should be making postings every few days. It's time to move into the middle stages of your inquiry. Also keep in mind that you should be providing feedback to your peers using the COMMENTS in peer blogs.

Find classmate blogs in the Project 1 forum or on my master list at http://virtualinquiry.com/course/archivesblogs.html

In some of the blog software, you'll need to change the comments setting to allow comments if you want classmates to be able to provide you with feedback on your blog. Also, if you set it up to moderate comments, be sure to check them regularly so people can see comments.

READ
There's lots of reading this week. These readings provide the foundation for the rest of the course.
Information fluency involves applying a wide range of literacy skills across the curriculum to solve problems, draw conclusions, and make decisions inside and outside of formal education settings. Without these literacy skills and information fluency, people have difficulty successfully completing inquiry activities.

This week you'll also be focusing on Standards. If you don't have a teaching background, these may be new to you.

If you get a chance to read through Information Power, keep it mind that it was written more than 10 years ago. A lot has changed since then. The new AASL standards were published in Fall 2007, but Indiana is still in transition to the new standards.

Read the Standards for the 21st Century Learner (PDF)
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_Learning_Standards_2007.pdf

Also, read the ISTE's National Educational Technology Standards.
http://www.iste.org/NETS/

You should also be familiar with how to access all the content area standards, but you aren't expected to "know them". Instead, you should be able to access them online and begin learning how you might match content area standards with information standards at various grade levels of your interest.

Standards - http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/standards.htm
Information Literacy Standards - http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/standardsinfo.htm
Inquiry-based Learning and Content Area Standards - http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/standardscontent.htm
Information Standards Across the Curriculum - http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/standardsintegrated.htm
Information Literacy Curriculum - http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/infolitcurriculum.htm
Student Info Scientist & Specialist in Learning Lab - http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/inquiry4.htm
Read BLUE BOOK: 85-117
Optional Reading - CC: Chapter 2

Read Standards... In Action (Skim the entire book during the next couple weeks)

I recently participated in a national panel comparing the AASL and NETS standards. If you want to get my perspective on this important issue as well as some technology-enhanced examples, read Strong Nests, Successful Students: Skills & Strategies for 21st Century Learning at http://www.eduscapes.com/sessions/nests

PROJECT 1: THE ASSIGNMENT
It's time to get moving with Project 1. Your Project 1 is due in a few weeks. Remember that the blogs are dated, so I'll know if you're procrastinating. If you've been working on your blog all along, you should have worked your way through the steps in inquiry by the due date and that's it.... you don't have to do anything else for Project 1.

I'll read your entire blog along with any product you've developed and use the Project 1 evaluation criteria to grade your blog/product.

In addition to your blog, you'll be creating a product of some kind. However, your product can be ANYTHING. In the "olden days" your final product may have been a "typed paper". Today, it can still be a written product (in Microsoft Word), but it might also include other aspects such as digital photographs, a PowerPoint presentation, or something entirely different.

You could write a letter to the editor, photograph your spring garden, create a PowerPoint presentation, create a list of reasons for making a life altering decision, build a web page, or create a painting in watercolors. Whatever best reflects your learning from your personal inquiry. There's a good chance you may not know what this product will be until you get through the Wrapping phase. The easiest way to upload a document or other materials to the web is to use the MY WORKSPACE part of Oncourse. You can then provide a link at your blog.

PROJECT 1: WATCHING AND WONDERING
This week you should be working your way through the Watching and Wondering phases of your project. Remember that information inquiry is recursive! In other words, you'll probably go back and revisit earlier stages before moving on.

As you blog about your experiences, try to distinguish among the different phases and how they contribute to information inquiry.
How is each important?
Which is the most difficult? Why?
Can you "sense" the steps of various models that you've learned about in your readings?
Can you understand why students get frustrated when they begin to realize that inquiry IS NOT LINEAR.

Although you might identify separate steps, you move both forward and backward through the various models.

Reflect on what you did in your Trailblazers and what you learned from your classmates.
How would you introduce these ideas to students?
How would you provide students with practice?
What examples would you use?
What resources and tools would you provide to help students?
How would you determine whether students have successfully completed a phase?

PROJECT 1: PROFESSIONAL CITATIONS
A few people have asked about the "professional citations" requirement for Project 1. You don't need FORMAL citations... just references to the people, models, approaches... For example, you might write "I'm beginning to understand what Carol Kuhlthau was saying when she talks about the frustrations students feel when..." or I can see how the webbing phase is much like the BLANK stage of the BLANK model. If you haven't been doing this, you can go back and comment to yourself. These citations are worth 3 points in your project grade!

PROJECT 1: THE BLOG
Remember that the Project 1 blog is an ONGOING project. You should be making postings every few days. It's time to move into the beginning stages of your inquiry. Also keep in mind that you should be providing feedback to your peers using the COMMENTS in peer blogs.

I'm not going to provide specific dates for you to post to your blog. It's up to you when you want to work on this project. HOWEVER please don't wait until the last minute. The idea is to give your thoughts a chance to gel rather than trying to do all your processing at once. I suggest that you do a couple postings a week. Also, check out the blogs of your classmates. Comment to their blogs and give them ideas.

Find classmate blogs at http://virtualinquiry.com/course/archivesblogs.html
You might also want to scan through the blogs done in previous semesters for ideas.

It looks like most of you are beginning to blog. Be sure to post the URL in the Project 1 discussion area and I'll add it to the class list. Many of your are doing a good job so far journaling your inquiry experiences. However, as you add new entries begin focusing meta-cognitively. In other words, reflect on your thinking. This is much higher level thinking that simply writing in a journal.
Why do you think these topics occurred to you?
How do the questions you create reflect your personality and interests?
How do the inquiries you select relate to your interests in terms of subject areas?

If you're not familiar with metacognition, read about this word in Callison's book.

SCREEN READING TIP
I know some of you have difficulty reading off the screen, here are a few tips:
1 - Enlarge the size of the font. All web browsers provide an option to increase the VIEW size.
2 - Reduce the width of the screen so it's not so wide to read across the lines.
3 - Use your mouse to drag down the text line by line as you read. The text will be highlighted making it easier to read. It may seem like something young readers would do with a bookmark, reading line by line. However I find that it's easier to keep track of your place on the page.

TROUBLE WITH ARTICLES AT IUPUI LIBRARY?
I'm finding the links to online article through the IUPUI databases sometimes are a problem.

Use the following as a backup to search for class articles. It will allow you to enter the title of a journal, then you can find the particular issue. It will still require your username and password, but it should be easier:
http://ulib.iupui.edu/findit/openurl

Class Update: January 17

We made it through the first few days of class! Sorry about the length of this email, but there's a lot to cover this week.

From now on, I'll normally send out a class email on Friday or Saturday since many of you work on course materials over the weekend. Hopefully, this email will be particularly helpful for those of you who are feeling a little overwhelmed.

INTRODUCTIONS

It was fun to read about everyone's lives!

As I read your introductions, I noted that almost everyone identified themselves as an information seeker and lifelong learner. As you conduct your personal inquiries for class, keep in mind that the people who choose this professional tend to love information, creating questions, and seeking alternative ideas and approaches. Remember that this is not true of all the patrons including teachers and students you'll encounter.

APPROACH TO COURSE READINGS

Be sure to focus on the linked articles with the "EYE" graphic that say READ. They are the most important links. The other linked readings (that say SKIM or under LEARN MORE) may be useful as you complete assignments and projects, but ARE NOT required. The optional readings aren't required either.

I know some of you are feeling a little overwhelmed by the readings. Put simply... the readings are intended to help you complete the activities and the projects for class. People come to this class with very diverse skills. Some people have no background and need much more support than others. Since there are no tests, it's only really important that you read the materials until you feel like you have the concept. In some cases, just reading my web pages without reading any of the articles may be enough background for you.

So... here's the strategy I'd use. Read my class page at virtualinquiry.com. Then go back and select articles you think look the most interesting and relevant. Skim those first. Then, if you feel like you need more help, go back and skim some of the other articles.

DUE
Read about Project 1. The directions for this project are at the bottom of Guide 1 in the Course Materials Section.
http://www.virtualinquiry.com/course/guide1.html#pr1

Over the next several weeks, you'll be creating a blog as part of this assignment.
You need to post your blog address in the Project 1 SCOUT area in Oncourse by Tuesday January 17.

Trailblazer 1 posting is DUE also Tuesday January 17. The reply for Trailblazer 1 is due one week later BY Monday January 23.

When you're ready to post your Trailblazer Assignment, go to the FORUM area of Oncourse. Select 1.1 Levels of Inquiry or 1.2 Transforming Assignment.

You have UP TO a week after a posting is due to make your reply. Read through the work of your peers, then reply to AT LEAST one of their messages with a quality reply. See guidelines for quality replies on the REQUIREMENTS page of the Course Materials section of the website. (http://virtualinquiry.com/course/require.html#8). You can reply in any of the options under Trailblazer 1.

In most cases I like to grade all the Trailblazer posting and replies at once. It's difficult to go back later and grade the replies out of context, so I'll generally grade after all the replies are in. If I have questions, comments, or concerns, I'll write you a note in the GRADEBOOK comments area. Otherwise when you go to the GRADEBOOK you should see a 2 for the Posting and a 1 for the Reply for your Trailblazer assignment.

Oncourse can occasionally get very slow. This is a particular problem the first couple weeks of the semester. Sometimes, you're best off just shutting everything down and try again later in the day or evening.

ONCOURSE POSTING ISSUES
It's a good idea to write in a word processor then paste into the message area. You may have to play with the formatting a little because Word uses a little different editing tools than OnCourse. If you have trouble with formatting, use NOTEPAD in Windows or TEXT EDIT on the Mac instead of Windows.

It's fine to attach a Microsoft Word document posting.

REPLIES
Although you may enjoy reading all the postings, keep in mind that you only have to choose ONE of the options under each Trailblazer such as 1.1 or 1.2 or 1.3... you don't have to do all three. Then, you only have to post a reply in ONE of the three areas, not all three for each Trailblazer.

You can have a week after the postings are due to post your replies.

Your replies should be SUBSTANTIAL. When possible, include a quote from a reading or a specific example from your readings or your experiences.

A few people have asked about criteria for the Trailblazer Replies. There's no specific criteria other than contributing to the discussion in some way that goes beyond "way to go" or "I agree." The key is ADDING to the discussion. These are all possibilities:
* act on a suggestion given by another classmate. For example, after reading a posting or comment from a peer, you might decide to add an example, suggest a website address or other resource, answer a question, or clarify an idea.
* provide feedback to others such as a specific comment or idea along with an example, expansion, or suggestion. In other words, "way to go Susie" is a good start, but won't get you a point. You could even start with "that's crap Susie", however the key is providing positive, constructive criticism or helpful and encouraging advice. Healthy debate is fine, but let's discourage mean-spirited comments.
* state an opinion and provide supportive evidence or arguments. This can be fun because it can really get a discussion going.
* add an insight. If you've had an encounter with the topic being discussed, it would be valuable to hear your thoughts and "real world" experiences.

ASSIGNMENTS
Now that you have a little background in life long learning and inquiry, it's time to dive into the process of inquiry. Lots of people have tried to identify the process that people go through as they search for information, complete investigations, or conduct experiments. Keep in mind that this recursive cycle of information inquiry is unique for each person. To better understand the process, you'll be examining many different models. As you work your way through the readings be thinking about the process that you use for inquiry. What about students? How do they answer questions, solve problems, or conduct research?

Read Models: http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/models.htm
Be sure to read all of the following pages within the Models section:
5As, Big 6 & Super 3, DIALOGUE, FLIP IT, Information Search Process, InfoZone, Irving's Study of Information Skills, Noodle Tools, Pre-Search Process, REACTS, Research Assistant, Research Process Helper, WebQuest, 8Ws, I-Search, Pathways to Knowledge, Research Cycle, Composition, Scientific Method

Read BLUE BOOK: p. 36-68, 584-596, 574-578

Optional Reading: CC - Chapter 7

Once you've read about the wide range of information search and inquiry models available to guide the inquiry experiences of young people. As I've watched young people going through this process, I was frustrated that the models weren't written in the language of kids. As a result, I invented the NEW 8Ws to complement the Ws kids already know (Who What When Where Why How). This model isn't intended as a step-by-step process. Instead, I see it as an ongoing recursive cycle with young people spending more or less time at each stage depending on their needs. As they proceed they may revisit steps before moving on.

DETAILS ON PROJECT 1
After completing the first set of activities, you'll be completing an information inquiry project on a topic of your choice. Read through the project guidelines and start thinking about your topic now. I'm happy to have an e-conversation about your topic idea. Or, use your sharing area in Oncourse to brainstorm ideas with your peers.

This project is like a "play within a play" your mission is to conduct a personal inquiry on the topic of your choosing... however at the same time, I'm MOST interested in your reflections related to the information inquiry process as you move through each stage in the process. You'll be using a BLOG (online journal or web log) to write about your experiences, connect your experience to literature in the information inquiry field, and think about implications for teaching and learning in the K12 environment.

People last semester suggested that I tell people not to procrastinate with the first project... so here's their suggestion to you. At the beginning of the semester when things are quiet, get started on this project. In addition, I've made notes in the "Assignments Due" area of the calendar to be sure that you're making progress. I won't be grading them until the due date for the project, but I want to be sure that you're making progress and not waiting until the last minute.

BLOG PREVIEW
Your first project involves following the information inquiry process through a personal inquiry topic of your choice. Rather than a boring, old fashioned term paper, your project will be a BLOG recording your experiences moving through the process.

You don't need to know anything about technology to create a Blog. You simply follow the directions at a free website. Google's Blogger and Wordpress are the most popular choices. However if you currently work as a K-12 building, I'd suggest using edublogs.org because it's not blocked in most schools.

If you have NO CLUE what a blog is about. Check out the Blogger tutorial at http://www.blogger.com/tour_start.g

There is a blog element built into Oncourse, but it's NOT great. I'd use it as a LAST rather than first option if the others I discuss below don't work well for you.

Here's the information to set it up:
Personal Inquiry Guidelines - http://virtualinquiry.com/course/guide1.html#pr1

Wordpress - http://www.wordpress.com/
Wordpress Directions at http://support.wordpress.com/

Google's Blogger - http://www.blogger.com/
Blogger Directions at http://www.google.com/support/blogger/

You can use any blogging service you wish.

If you'd like to create both a webpage and a blog. Try Weebly at http://www.weebly.com/. It's very easy to use and a great place to get started.

When you've created your blog, be sure to share the address in the Project 1 SCOUT area. I'll create a master list that I'll share in the email archives.

If you want to see some ideas from previous semesters, go to http://virtualinquiry.com/course/archivesblogs.html

FIRST BLOG POSTINGS
Begin with a posting about all the possible topics you might explore. Keep your eyes open. We want to hear about all the possibilities, NOT just what you decided.

ONCOURSE SPEED
Oncourse is VERY SLOOOW right now. This is typical at the beginning of the semester. With many more courses using Oncourse, it is particularly slow this year.

Here are some suggestions.

First -
I find that some students have more success using Mozilla Firefox rather than Internet Explorer.
You can download it at http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

You can also try Google Chrome.

Second -
Consider off-peak times such as early morning or late evening.

Third -
You can do ALL your readings without entering Oncourse. Go directly to the course website.
http://virtualinquiry.com/
http://virtualinquiry.com/course/

Class Update: Let's Go!

It's the first day of class tomorrow Monday January 9. Let's go!

DUE

Go to Oncourse and find the FORUM marked Introduce Yourself. Then, share a little about yourself with the class. Read the requirements at http://www.virtualinquiry.com/course/require.html#introduce
This is due... Monday January 9... but it's okay if you need a couple extra days. We still have a few people joining our class.

YOUR JOB IN THIS COURSE

You have three tasks:

1 - Follow the course calendar and complete your assignments on time. As a matter of fact, getting things in early is a good idea. For example, you'll often have multiple assignments due on the same day. Rather than waiting until the last minute, start a couple weeks early. For example, you might set your own schedule and complete one assignment per week.

Read my class email updates for a review of what's happening. If you think you may have missed one, just check the class archives which is also the entry page for our Oncourse materials at http://www.virtualinquiry.com/course/archives.html

2 - Let me know if you run into trouble. Don't fret and worry about your problem. Instead, email me and let's discuss it. If you're not sure about a topic for an assignment or have trouble with a due date, just let me know. I'm flexible and happy to help.

3 - Have fun. Learning is about opening a new world of information, skills, and understandings. Many assignments encourage you to explore resources and brainstorm ideas. Don't think of the class discussions as painful homework. Think of them as a chance to interact with your colleagues about issues and ideas important to our profession.

MY JOB
My job is to help you successfully complete this course and expand your skills in information inquiry. I "live" on the Internet, so I'm happy to hold personal email discussions whenever you feel the need to talk. Feel free to email any time. I'll get back to you ASAP.

Class Update: Get Set!

Classes start Monday, so you can really get started any time. From now on, my emails will generally provide an overview of the required readings and assignments as well as suggestions and tips. Although I know these emails can get long, please read them. They will really help direct your activities for the week.

We've got a small class this semester, so it will be nice and easy for everyone to keep up on postings. :-)

COURSEGUIDE

Use the Course Guide to guide you through the course. The course centers around three guides. Each Guide contains an introduction, readings and Trailblazer assignments, and a project. When you've worked your way through all three Guides you're done! We'll spend the first month of the course concentrating on Guide 1 focusing on personal information inquiry and the information process.

Go to Guide 1 - http://virtualinquiry.com/course/guide1.html
Begin working your way through the readings, exercises, and assignments (Trailblazers).

The Guide links to the course readings and provides the guidelines for all the requirements.

Keep in mind that the course reading assignments can be found in two places: the course calendar and the Guide pages.

READINGS
At first, people are overwhelmed by all of the readings and links. You don't need to read everything... it's not possible. Instead use the icons and directions for guidance. Notice that it will tell you to explore, skim, or read the pages. The LEARN MORE links at the end of web pages are designed for reference as needed.

An EYE icon is used to identify essential readings. For more information on this idea of what to read versus what to skim, go to the bottom of the Requirements page - http://virtualinquiry.com/course/require.html#7

Remember, there are course books in addition to the website, there's also optional readings that you'll find useful.

Here are your first set of readings. You should read them sometime between now and the middle of next week. The readings will be useful in addressing your first assignments.

Also BE SURE TO explore a dozen inquiries at the Exploratorium http://www.virtualinquiry.com/exploratorium/

Required Print Reading - BLUE BOOK: p. 1-35, 395-400

Optional Readings - CC (Curriculum Connections by Stripling: Chapter 1 and Information Power: Chapter 1

If you purchased the optional Kuhlthau, Maniotes & Caspari book. This is a good time to dive in. It's a quick, practical book.

You can find an overview of the assignments in the Course Requirement page at http://virtualinquiry.com/course/require.html

DISCUSSION AREA - INTRODUCE YOURSELF ASSIGNMENT
Your first assignment is to enter Oncourse. Update your Oncourse Profile. Consider adding a photograph of yourself.

Also, go to the FORUM section and find the Introduce Yourself discussion. A complete description of this assignment can be found on the Course Requirement page at http://virtualinquiry.com/course/require.html#introduce

You should introduce yourself by Monday January 9.

TRAILBLAZER ASSIGNMENTS
As you move through the Course Guide, you'll notice the Trailblazer activities. You're free to post these activities in Oncourse whenever you wish. It's a good idea to get ahead in case you get busy in other courses or at work! Generally you have 2-5 choices for posting your activity. You ONLY need to complete ONE of these assignments for EACH Trailblazer. Look for the matching Trailblazer activity in the FORUM area of Oncourse such as Trailblazer 1.1. You'll also need to respond to another student's posting for each activity. You do not need to reply in the same Trailblazer in which you posted. For example, you might post your assignment in Trailblazer 1.1: Transforming Assignments, but you might reply in Trailblazer 1.2: Levels of Inquiry.

Don't worry if you don't have experience as a teacher or librarian. Do your best making use of the readings and your life experiences to address the Trailblazers.

Your POSTING for the Trailblazer 1 assignment is due on Monday Tuesday 17. If you wish, you can take up to an additional week to make your REPLY. So, your reply is due by Monday January 23.

Trailblazer 1 - http://virtualinquiry.com/course/guide1.html#tb1

Next, you will be working on:
Work on Trailblazer 2 (due Monday January 23) - http://virtualinquiry.com/course/guide1.html#tb2

FONTS
If the fonts are too small to read in the the course materials or Oncourse, remember that you can enlarge the font in your browser.
In Firefox, go to the View menu and choose Text. In Explorer, choose Page and Zoom.

EMAIL UPDATES
The periodic emails will keep you up-to-date on things you should be doing for class and due dates. I'll also throw in some personal stuff to keep it interesting. I lead a pretty unique, strange, and interesting life. Feel free to share your life with me too. It makes some students feel more "connected".

I've already sent out one preliminary class email. Let me know if you missed it. Or, check out the class email archives at http://virtualinquiry.com/course/archives.html

I use my personal email for class activities and my Oncourse mail is forward to this email. My personal email is on almost "24/7" so I'll usually get back to you immediately. I often only check Oncourse once per day. However you're free to use the Oncourse mail with classmates if you prefer.

If you need me right away email me or become my Facebook friend and we can use Facebook chat.

You can also catch me at Oncourse Chat, although there's not a formal schedule for Chat use. I found that when I set up a schedule, I spent most of my time talking to myself.

NO SYNCHRONOUS MEETINGS
There are no required face-to-face or scheduled chat sessions for this course. Many students enjoy taking an online course because they don't have to be in a particular place at a particular time. HOWEVER, this means that you're responsible for making your own personal schedule in order to meet the course requirements on time. Some people find that this the most difficult part of the course. You need self-discipline to be successful in distance learning.

Have a great week!

Class Update: Get Ready!

I think we're going to have an exciting semester! Since classes start in another week, I thought I'd send out another preliminary email.

For people who've never taken an online course before, this will be a new, exciting, and occasionally confusing or frustrating experience. For those who've taken a course before, I hope your experiences with online courses have been positive.

Each of you comes to the course with a unique set of experiences. As you move through the course materials, be sure to email me if you find yourself lost or confused. It's my pleasure (as well as my job) to help. :-)

Regardless of whether you're interested in libraries, teaching, or simply life-long learning, we're going to have a great time!

The following materials will provide an overview to the framework for the course.

ONCOURSE
We use the university's Oncourse system to share ideas and post assignments. Go to http://oncourse.iu.edu, choose the LOGIN and enter your network username and password to enter the system. Then, choose this course.

There are many elements to OnCourse, but we're only going to use a few of the features:
The SYLLABUS links to all of the course materials.
The ROSTER shows the class list. You may wish to include a personal profile and photo so we can learn a little more about you.
The GRADEBOOK is a place where you can track your progress. If you lose a point, I'll provide a comment indicating the problem.
The MESSAGE CENTER contains a place to send and receive mail messages. You might want to check the settings. You can have these messages sent to your personal email if you wish.
The FORUM area where we'll be holding our TRAILBLAZER discussions. This area will also be used for posting general information and class introductions. We'll also use this area for our SCOUT postings and discussions. This is where you'll share your projects with peers in your interest area. You can choose whether you'd like to share with the Pre-K to Middle School group or the Middle School to Adult group. I've created separate areas so the discussion areas doesn't get so full.
The CHAT area can be used by anyone who would like to share in "real time" with anyone in the class. There are no required course chats.

COURSE MATERIALS
Here's a list of some of the most important course resources and links. It's also available under the Syllabus section in Oncourse. Oncourse can be SLOW much of the time. My suggestion is to open the course readings directly from your web browser. Only go to Oncourse when you want to interact with the forums.

Use the following links to complete the course requirements.

The Course Website. This page contains many online materials for the course. The course has both onsite and offsite reading assignments. A link to the Course Materials is in the upper right hand corner of this page.
http://virtualinquiry.com/

Course Materials. This section of the website takes you to all the course materials. A list of the materials can be found in the navigation bar on the left side of the screen.
http://virtualinquiry.com/course/index.htm

Syllabus. This page provides the course syllabus including the course materials, goals, requirements, grading policy, and special needs information.
http://virtualinquiry.com/course/syllabus.html

Calendar. This page provides the course calendar including the assignments and due pages. Notice that the calendar has three columns. The first column provides dates. The second column discusses the things you should be doing such as things to work on and read. The third column states the projects that are due.
http://virtualinquiry.com/course/calendar.html

Requirements. This page highlights the course assignments and activities.
http://virtualinquiry.com/course/require.html

Course Checklist. Contains a checklist of requirements.
http://virtualinquiry.com/course/checklist.html

Email Archives. This page contains the archives of the course announcements and email updates. This is also the class entry page for Oncourse.
http://virtualinquiry.com/course/archives.html

Course Guide. The course is divided into three sections. This guide will take you through the course readings, assignments, and projects.
http://virtualinquiry.com/course/courseguide.html

LET'S START
soo... what now? If I were you, I'd read the syllabus and requirement pages first.

The requirement page contains information about a few introductory activities you need to complete. These activities will be posted in Oncourse. Then, print out the course checklist. Next, I'd go to the main Course Guide to get a feel for how the course materials are organized.

Finally, take a deep breath and relax. Once you get a handle on the materials, you can start rolling!

Check the Calendar and you'll notice that the first assignment is to go to Oncourse and Introduce Yourself.

COURSE READINGS
This is an exciting time to take this course. I've spent the past year combining materials from various sources and integrating the Callison and Preddy book readings. The downside is that you may find a few incomplete sections along the way. Over the next couple years, I plan to continue expanding the course materials. If you have suggestions, let me know!

JUST FOR FUN
Do you need something fun and constructive to do during the break before we get started with class on next week?

1 - Learn something new. One of the themes for this semester is the idea of life long learning. Spend some time exploring the love of learning that brought you to education and libraries! Go to Google and spend some time searching for topics you never have time to explore. For example, I've also been exploring a historical diary from my GGGGGGreat Grandfather who fought under Benedict Arnold in The Battle of Quebec in the American Revolution. I've been building a house and trying to eating organic foods. I've also been learning more about earthquakes and yoga. Are you interested in fly fishing, gardening, baking, or travel? Use this as your excuse to do some learning on your own.

2 - Set up an online tool for exploring the world around you. For example, go to iGoogle (http://www.google.com/ig) and set up a free account where you can set up your own favorite news and information resources. There are many of these services for news and bookmarks. Or, if you read blogs, try Google Reader for organizing RSS feeds.

3 - Skim the Indiana's Academic Standards for English/Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science (available online at http://www.doe.state.in.us/standards/). Okay, so this won't be much fun. ;-)

4 - Read the Standards for 21st Century Learner athttp://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_Learning_Standards_2007.pdf

INSTRUCTOR INTRODUCTION
In the past, I've been a school library media specialist, computer teacher, and college professor in Iowa, Ohio, and Indiana. I know that we have a wide variety of students in this course. Some have teaching experience and/or library experience, while others are new to the library and/or education field. I look forward to learning more about you!

I love teaching online courses and exploring the world around us. I'm a new kind of professor. I teach full-time at IUPUI, but I don't live in Indiana. We live all over North America, traveling in our motorhome. We just finished building a "home base" in southern Utah, so we'll probably hang out here for the semester. Don't worry about trying to find me, I'm online, all-day, everyday, most days.

In the past, I included photos in my email updates, but some people had trouble downloading them. As a result, I'll just include a link to my website with fun personal and professional updates. I try to keep it up to date. If you want to keep up with our adventures or learn more about me, check out http://www.eduscapes.com/lamb or my recent activities on Facebook.

I look forward to having you in e-class. Be sure to email me if you have questions. I'm online all the time, so I can normally get right back to you with an answer.

Class Update: Preliminary Message

Welcome to S574 Information Inquiry for Teachers!

Some of you are on a holiday break and others are hard at work. I thought I'd send a quick overview of the course for people who would like a little head start. In particular, you might want to order the books, so they are ready when class start in a couple weeks.

Although I've already been in contact with many of you, I haven't gotten email from a few of you. If you haven't emailed me with the email address you'd like to use for this course, please reply to this email. Thanks! :-)

I'll be sending a few emails over the next couple weeks before classes get started with some preliminary course materials. Here's some course information that will get you started.

NO MEETINGS
There are NO required face-to-face or virtual meetings. However we'll all get started working together online as a class around Monday January 9. :-)

ONCOURSE DISCUSSIONS
We'll be using the Oncourse system for class discussions and posting class projects. You'll need an IU or IUPUI account to access the Oncourse materials for class discussions at http://oncourse.iu.edu/

The Oncourse materials are ready.

COURSE UPDATES
In addition to using Oncourse, I like to keep in touch by email. I'll be sending email updates regularly. If you'd prefer to receive them at a different email address, please let me know.

THE COURSE TEXTBOOKS
There are lots of readings for this course. Although many of the readings are online, there are four REQUIRED textbooks for class. There are also four OPTIONAL books.

I'd suggest that you order the books for class right away. I recommend purchasing the Callison book through Libraries Unlimited online. You'll get them MUCH faster and probably cheaper than using Amazon.

Callison, Daniel & Preddy, Leslie (2006). The Blue Book on Information Age Inquiry, Instruction, & Literacy.
Order Information
1) Go to the IUPUI bookstore.
2) You can order directly from Libraries Unlimited, 1-800-225-5800 or http://lu.com/
3) Go to Amazon

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner In Action (2009). Chicago: American Association of School Librarians. 978-0-8389-8507-6

Order Information
There are three ways to get the book:
1) Go to the IUPUI bookstore.
2) You can order directly from ALA online. http://www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=2601
3) Go to Amazon.

Standards for the 21st Century Learner (2007). Chicago: American Library Association.
Download this high resolution PDF or low resolution PDF document from the AASL website.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_Learning_Standards_2007.pdf

OPTIONAL TEXTBOOKS
There are no required readings in these books:

Harada, Violet H. & Yoshina, Joan M. (2004). Inquiry Learning through Librarian -Teacher Partnerships. Worthington, Ohio: Linworth Publishing. ISBN 1-58683-134-8
Order Information
There are two ways to get the book:
1) Go to the IUPUI bookstore.
2) You can order directly from Linworth (http://www.linworth.com/), 800.786.5017.
3) Go to Amazon (can be slow)

Information Power: Building Partnership for Learning (1998). Chicago: American Library Association. ISBN: 0-8389-3470-6
Many of you may own this from other SLIS courses. We will be concentrating on Part One focusing on Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning.
Order Information
There are four ways to get the book
1) Go to the IUPUI bookstore.
2) Order from ALA online at http://www.alastore.ala.org/ or by phone at 1-866-746-7252
3) Order from AECT online at http://aect.org
4) Go to Amazon (can be slow)

Curriculum Connections through the Library (2003). Barbara K. Stripling & Sandra Hughes-Hassell (Eds.). Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited ISBN 1-56308-973-4

Order Information
There are three ways to get the book:
1) Go to the IUPUI bookstore.
2) You can order directly from Libraries Unlimited, 1-800-225-5800 or http://lu.com/
3) Go to Amazon

Kuhlthau, Carol, Maniotes, Leslie K., and Caspari, Ann K. Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited. 2007.

COURSE INSTRUCTOR
I love teaching online courses and exploring the world around us. If you'd like to learn more about me, go to http://eduscapes.com/lamb

THE COURSE
If you're feeling excited, frustrated, confused, anxious, enthusiastic, happy, or any other emotion about this course, you're normal. Online courses are a great alternative to traditional, face-to-face courses, but it takes a little time to get comfortable.

If you have questions, be sure to e-ask (as in email me). I'm happy to help!

I'll be sending another update in a few days, so I'll e-see you again soon.