Journal #4 Curriculum Plan

Site Title:

Information Literacy and research using Primary sources: a website for K-12 (add "students" for all-inclusive site), elementary school teachers and interested researchers

Developer
Natalie (Zagami) Lopez

Rational or focus

The purpose of this site is to introduce elementary school students to the information life cycle, information literacy and the process of doing research at an early age to accommodate lifelong learning skills in early childhood.  Using primary sources and historical documents as examples, students will begin to understand research and the value of information literacy skills thinking outside of the box and outside of their assigned textbooks.  With the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), these critical thinking skills will help them discover sources and appreciate the research process to become creative producers of research by the time they enter high school.Main features outline - List the main features of the site. 

Main Features Outline

Title page with links to very few subpages 

Limited Subpages with external links to helpful websites or local history sites

Comments area where teachers can communicate

Questions area where teachers can crowdsource information or inspire ideas for lesson plans and resources

Content

No more than 5 webpages (sizable; not overwhelming).  

Information Lifecycle chart with illustrative examples

Information Literacy:  definitions simplified for target audience of K-12

Research:  introducing students to how they can develop research skills with proposed plan to include lots of pictorial images (for students who have not yet mastered the ability to read)

Primary sources:  discussing local history (where students live in their cities), primary sources defined using language to be understood at their reading/vocabulary/comprehension level

Videos (closed captioned) for students who are unable to read

Possibly distinctive sections:  For students (age groups vary by grade/reading level)  and For teachers

Ideas Brainstorm

Differentiation of age groups with content appropriate for each age group:  example:

   Kindergarten:  Imagery and videos (or cartoon) Online video or possible inclusion of online game?  Possible early assessment activity?

 Grades 1-3 (3rd graders usually the grade where CCSS assign the local history project) will contain content appropriate for reading level with catchy words and imagery

 Possible inclusion of online game/activity?  Some form of assessment? 

 introduction to information literacy (critical thinking)

 Grades 4-6:  a more advanced reading level with content that continues from previous grade levels to review what they have already learned and build more critical thinking skills and introduce new material with new questions about historical documents and primary sources (possible virtual tours and tutorials of museum pieces)

 Early writing (paragraphs)

 Introduction of reading various primary sources of the same historical event with different pionts of view represented

 inclusion of online game/activity.  Some form of assessment

 Information literacy (review and repetition)

 History written by the victors?

 http://prizedwriting.ucdavis.edu/past/1994-1995/a-history-student2019s-reflections-on-history

 (creating activity centered around this quote.  The idea was inspired by a history class I took while enrolled in undergraduate studies at a community college.  One student commented that our readings were not “light” about the treatment of a certain ethnic group in the United States and how elementary school textbooks sugar-coated the facts.  I later had a conversation with an historian who wrote a more detailed perspective using primary sources to get the facts straight about what really happened).

 Grades 7-8 (middle school):  Introduce an activity “The 6 C’s of primary sources” created by UC Irvine:  http://www.humanities.uci.edu/history/ucihp/wh/6cs_Primary_Source.pdf

 Exercises on how to write a rough draft for a paper

 Introduction of literature reviews with questions “What has been talked about in terms of this subject?” “What have we learned?”  “What is something new that you would add to the conversation?”

 Introduction to the 6 frames of Information literacy (6 frames worksheet to be added)

 Online activity/game AND assessment

 Rough draft writing and early research paper writing.

 Grades 9-12:  (high school):  “The 6 C’s of primary sources” 

 More in-depth look at primary sources:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDXTlkbT-lo

 writing a research paper

 More in-depth look at information literacy framework: 

1. “Authority Is Constructed and Contextual
2. Information Creation as a Process
3. Information Has Value
4. Research as Inquiry
5. Scholarship as Conversation
6. Searching as Strategic Exploration

” (http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework)

Target audience

Teachers of K-12 classrooms

Student K-12

Interested researchers/educators

Design considerations

User-friendly site that is easy to navigate with easy-to-understand terms; less jargon

Imagery that is user-friendly for children who can point/click on pictures and receive 

Limiting factors

List the technical or audience factors that could limit the design goals of the site.

  (Audience) Because the site will contain lots of information, activities, materials and how-to’s at different levels of learning, I can foresee a student in Kindergarten accidentally clicking on the high school subpages and getting very lost.  

 (Technical) Because I will be referring to the updated “Information literacy framework,” the “6 C’s of primary sources,” the site may always need to be updated to reflect new research, updates and surfacing additional trends.

 A Site Map is a visual representation of the various pages in your website and how they are linked together.

 My site Map will be interactive and organized with subpages linking additional content by grade-level and a subpage in addition to each grade-level that will be for teachers to choose assignments for their classes or get involved in the conversations on the blog.

 I will also include breadcrumbs to link viewers back to the original page(s) they came from (so nobody will get lost!)

 Similar to PBS Kids site:  http://pbskids.org/), the front and center will be a rotating banner that will occupy most of the website real estate.  I like the way the “Videos” and “Games” options are placed.  

 Wire frame

 Header>The ABC’s of information, information literacy, research and Primary sources

 Website Footer Design> Social media presence, links to contact information, links to additional sites, contacts, etc.

 Columns< no more than two.  Simplified, but catchy to draw the viewer’s eyes to the content they seek.  

Journal #3

Kessler, S. (2010). The Case for Social Media in Schools. Mashable. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2010/09/29/social-media-in-school/#cXxuBXB_1GqE


Social media, when used responsibly, can be an effective learning tool.  Libraries in particular have embraced social media channels for advertising their services, programs, resources, workshops and research ideas.  For instance, marketing workshops and resources such as databases have been effective for providing results that students have been made aware of these services through these effective communication channels.

When used irresponsibly, social media can be a hindrance and distraction in the classroom if students are not focusing on the curriculum, the class activity or the lecture.   There are some surfacing issues regarding social media and misuse in a new emerging study :  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/teens-social-media-addiction/

Referring back to our discussion a couple of sessions ago about expanding our networks in social media and those “weak ties,” how would we obtain those weak ties without social media?

Simply banning it from the classroom can actually lead to a level of ignorance on the part of the instructor leading to poor teacher-student interaction.  As is quoted in the article as a “lock down” on social media and the internet, ignoring a daily habit on the part of the students and not weaving social media into the curriculum or by means of communication is neglecting to become technologically literate which is required to effectively communicate with teenagers (the age group for which the article addresses).   

With more personal experience as my daughters are in Kindergarten and preschool, text messaging and social media have been the most effective communication means for me and my husband as working parents.  I find I receive information rapidly more so than having to wait for a printed flyer arriving by post or in my daughter’s backpack among a sea of papers and in-class work, not to mention how it reduces the amount of clutter and is less likely to get lost. Kindergarten and even preschool are embracing not only social media, but also apps that educate the kids as well as the parents. These apps are a luxury for information and calendaring purposes.

Drawing attention to #2 in the article and the blog writing, I think that would be an integral part of keeping students current in producing information rather than simply consuming it.  Like social media outlets, students can consume information and creatively produce it.  The problem question that would arise is are they producing information responsibly?  Good social media etiquette and habits should be enforced as this will be training for their future online networks such as LinkedIN.  This should be something weaved into the curriculum for elementary schools and high school students in order to engage them in their daily social media usage.  For students who don’t use social media, this would be a good assignment to introduce them to social media and the benefits of networking.  

I think the elephant in the room is not the issue the article addresses about embracing social media, but making it an integral part of the elementary curriculum, albeit, with other avenues for learning. Not simply focusing on social media for hours on end.  This is addressed with the Nielsen statistic of increased internet usage by children in #4.  There should be a balance between online time and offline time.  Spending hours on the internet for educational purposes should allow time for rewarding time spent on the internet (gaming), but should also incorporate offline time to exercise and focus on offline activities.  Children introduced to social media at an early age will better position them for their future careers with networking opportunities and make them better informed.    

Q1: How can social media effectively be integrated into the elementary curriculum?
Possible Answer: With the inclusion of computing in early childhood education as early as Kindergarten and pre-school. Introducing computer literacy to children and teaching them software such as Drawing or painting to create images can be a starting point to showing them how to post their work on social media to share with their parents and siblings. Finding ways to teach them keyboarding is a start and will also better engage them with the alphabet and numbers.

Q2: How early should students be introduced to social media and blogging?
Possible Answer: With the Common Core State Standards, it should be introduced in stages. Introduction to the computer with letters and numbers should be the starting point that leads to creating blogs to enhance their writing skills in later grades/middle school.

JOURNAL 1

Robbins, J.N.  (2012).  Learning Web Design:  A Beginner’s Guide to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Web Graphics (4th ed.).  Sebastopol, CA:  O’Reilly Media.

1.     For each journal entry:Include a 200-250 word summary/analysis/reflection of the article. Then, ask two relevant questions and attempt to answer your own questions that pertain to the article.

Summary of Chapters 1-3

The terminology, acronyms and fundamentals of web design are explored at the introductory level.  Differentiating between coding and some misuses of terms such as web and internet, these chapters provide a user-friendly approach to terminology, HTML coding at the basic level, layouts of web pages and the differences between web designing, scripting and programming.  

Q1:  In the beginning, the author mentions web designers as wearing multiple hats.  One of the hats the author didn’t mention was marketing.  Why?

POSSIBLE ANSWER:  Although this textbook is designed for education in grades K-12, there is a set of marketing eyes that have to be behind the web designers side of things to make the content engaging for any audience.  

Q2:  On pg. 33, Robbins (2012) states:  the heart of the matter is that as web designers, we never know exactly how the pages we create will be viewed (Robbins, 2012, p. 33).”  How can web designers assess their websites for effectiveness?

POSSIBLE ANSWER:  I am curious to further explore this as a thesis or project and gather information on how this can actually happen.  I see it as an opportunity to organize my website with helpful links so even the savviest of searchers will not be lost when they try to find information.  I want my website to be for an audience of everyone:  all-inclusive, easy to find information, easy to navigate if someone is exploring for curiosity, and intriguing enough so they will return.  

Affinity Group joined

I joined “The Educator's PLN” online community (affinity group).  Here is the link:  http://edupln.ning.com/

Based on the tagline “the personal learning network for educators,” I am hoping to network with other teachers at varying grade levels to share curriculum ideas and best practices for assessments.  I am also curious how teachers address at-risk students for the sake of retention.