Instruction Adventures

At this past week’s meeting, the rest of the interns and I presented our SCOUT demos to Alex, Brett and Michael.  I had prepared a demo that I thought was about 5 minutes long but ended up being much longer.  Time management, it seems, is going to be a problem I need to work on for the next couple of weeks.  My lesson plan was rather detailed, but I have a tendency to elaborate unnecessarily and stumble over my words (hello nerves).  Other than that, I believe that the overall reception of my demo was positive.  I covered what Scout is (a discovery search tool), how to get into Scout, how to search in Scout using the advanced search tool, and what a record looks like.  Looking back, this was a bit ambitious.

This week, I am working on presenting an active learning activity for choosing keywords.  I have done quite a bit of researching, and I think I have found an activity that would really appeal to the sensibilities of incoming students.  I got the idea from UWM’s library’s website (http://www4.uwm.edu/libraries/ris/instruction/ip/terms.pdf).  Basically, the objective is to get students to use encyclopedias to generate a list of keywords/synonyms/related words to use when searching for materials for their topic.  I think it will work nicely because A) students are typically familiar with using online encyclopedias for research, both wikipedia and otherwise and B) it creates and nice teaching moment for letting students know that encyclopedias, while informational, are not appropriate to cite in a college level paper; HOWEVER, they are great for brainstorming paper topics and for choosing ways in which to narrow or broaden a thesis.  I plan to hand out a notecard to each group that includes an encyclopedia and a keyword (ex. Capital Punishment, Facebook, Autism).  The goal is to find as many broader, narrower, and related terms using the encyclopedia as a guide.  After a few minutes, I will ask to students to share their findings with the class, making a point to ask them if they found any terms that surprised them.

Thoughts?

Lizzie

Rereading “The Courage to Teach” was really helpful. It is always helpful to remember that there are others, even well-established and experienced professionals, who struggle with the insecurities that arise during teaching. The fear that arises during teaching seems insurmountable–what if the students openly rebelled, and left all at once? What if they don’t even respond when you ask them a simple question? These sorts of fears lead teachers to lecture, to avoid those risky moments. They certainly lead me to avoid taking chances in the classroom. 

To supplement this reading I chose an article entitled “Good Teaching” by Parker Palmer. Though published in 1990, the themes in this article are still pertinent. In fact, the last section of the article is titled “The Courage to Teach,” and includes this incredibly insightful passage: “Fear is a driving force behind objectivism, that mode of knowing that tries to distance us from life’s awesome energies and put us in control. Fear is a driving force behind the kind of teaching that makes students into spectators, that pedagogy that tries to protect both teacher and subject from the give-and-take of community, from its rough-and-tumble. When our fears as teachers mingle and multiply with the fears inside our students, teaching and learning become mechanical, manipulative, lifeless. Fear, not ignorance, is the great enemy of education.”

I must try to acknowledge and then conquer this fear. I have to find a way to put myself out there. Otherwise, my sessions will be boring and un-engaging. 

    My first blog post for this instruction internship is about nerves (a subject, I am sure, many other interns have written about). I did not think that I would have this specific internship opportunity because I am heading down the public libraries path, but luckily I have been welcomed and encouraged. My previous experience has not been unbelievably formal. I have reflected on these experiences to develop some of my ideas and goals for this internship and the corresponding course (User Instruction).

I taught ESL courses in Seoul, Korea for 8 and a half months in 2010 through 2011.When I started work the first day, I was just tossed into the classroom with no training and little to no experience. I was able to observe some classes for two days, but I was on my own after. I quickly realized that I needed some guidance, and I borrowed a book on teaching English as a foreign language. I learned some basic techniques, but my teaching style and techniques were something I just developed independently. After having taught for several months, I realized that I was able to survive my classes with little to no anxiety with moderate success. However, I had to move past merely covering the content. Eighty percent of my students were comprehending, but I had to reach the other 20% . I did some research in some ESL forums, through some teacher’s supplemental texts, and by observing and collaborating with other teachers. I was able to increase my success and saw my students exceed the goals set for them by the school’s administration. My students comprehended more and were eager to be involved in class. Working with the students was less like pulling teeth.

While my time in Korea was in no way an example of exceptional teaching, or even good teaching, I was and still am, very proud of what I accomplished. I suppose that I am aware of what I need to improve, and this is what I am most self-conscious about. I am still quite nervous about how rusty my teaching is, how teaching English speaking students compares to ESL students, and if my teacher mentality will come back; but I guess the only way to find out is to try? Hopefully my nerves will calm down.

Today I re-read our first article, “How Do They Conduct Class?” I was struck by this article even more than last semester, and spent a long time considering its implications. I was struck by how daring and innovative the professors in the article appear to be. They risk total silence, student abandonment and confusion, and more. They risk all this because they are not overly concerned with their “performance,” though they do give consideration to how they behave in front of a class. They risk all this because they are student-focused. What will engage the students? What creates curiosity or even basic attentiveness?

What I found, when re-reading this article, is that I am very attached to playing it safe. I explain the topics to my own satisfaction, rarely considering whether the student is interested in what I have to say. This semester, I want to make my students critically think about research. What makes searching the online catalog so difficult? I would like to explain this is terms of everyday activities to the students. I want to explain the concepts we are teaching in terms the students can understand, then build on that simple knowledge base to construct something more complex. I want to create a narrative that is engaging. These are tall tasks, but I feel it is time to risk more in the classroom.

So, this is my first blog entry for my new instruction internship with Gorgas Information Services!  Is there a word that encompasses both a sense of overwhelming terror AND mounting excitement?  Hysterical, I think would be the word, but in a totally good way.  I’ve met with my internship coordinator, Sara Whitver, and I’ve mapped out my semester so as to keep myself on track with all my “duties” as a newly minted instruction intern.  Lesson plans, tutorials and instruction sessions, OH MY!  And while I’m a little bit overwhelmed (make that “quite”) I have found that the assigned readings given to us by Sara have been extraordinarily comforting in their own way.  For example, our reading this week, “How Do They Conduct Class?” made sure to note that good teachers/lecturers/instructors are not made by their ability to speak publicly (something I struggle with) but by their shared concern for the learner.  “Their focus is on the nature and processes of learning rather than on the performance of the instructor” (134).  So, while I may be nervous as can be, I know that if I make the focus of my internship the potential “learner” and treat my planning processes with care, then I should be prepared enough to pass on a rewarding instruction experience.  (Or so I tell myself.)

Lizzie

Wow! I can’t believe today is the last day of my internship. It has really flown by. I feel like I just started! Looking back, this internship has been a great experience. Through the internship, I gained experience and learned a lot. The biggest project I worked on this summer was the Keys to the Capstone Podcast Series. While working on this project, I learned how to use new software programs such as Garageband and Audacity, which I think will serve me well in my future career. I also learned skills such as tailoring your instruction to the specific needs of the students you are serving. This was key when I was developing the podcasts. I also worked on the University Library’s booklet for the Week of Welcome in August. This gave me a lot of experience with library outreach. I learned the importance of outreach programs that get the students in the library doors, and once they are inside they can see what all the library has to offer and will hopefully come back and become a frequent library user. Working on the Week of Welcome booklet, I also collaborated with others from the different library branches on campus. I feel this will be valuable experience to have in my career because collaboration with others is common. The other aspect of my internship was assisting with instruction for student groups that came to the library. I got to observe some instruction sessions which was really helpful, and I used this blogging site to share a couple lesson plans so I could get hands-on experience planning for an instruction session. I also gave tours of the library to multiple student groups. This was one of my favorite aspects of the internship. I loved taking the students around and showing them what all the library has to offer, and I enjoyed interacting with them. It was really gratifying when a student showed genuine interest and was really excited to be there. I also read some research articles on pedagogy and instruction, which I found really interesting and will definitley be helpful since it is very likely that I will be in some sort of instruction position at some point in my career. Overall, the internship this summer was a beneficial and enjoyable experience. I learned about the instruction side of academic librarianship and learned some valuable skills along the way!

Jennifer

This week I got to give a tour of Gorgas Library to a group visiting campus, called College for Every Student. I really enjoyed this group. It was a large group, with students from a variety of backgrounds. It was really exciting for me to share the library with this group of students who are about to enter their college years and show them what a college library has to offer, no matter where they end up going to college. I started the tour with them at the Sanford Media Center, which as usual was a big hit. They were interested in seeing the recording studio, but it was unfortunately being used at the time. However, they got the experience of what all the SMC has to offer. We then visited the circulation desk, and they really liked how you can check out laptops to use. Next we visited the third floor. In the art history section I explained how call numbers work and then we did a call number activity where the students worked in pairs to find the book with the call number that I gave them. Once they had all found their books, we discussed the experience as a group with each pair sharing the title and author of the book they found followed by a discussion of the experience as a whole. We discussed any challenges they faced finding the books, or if they thought overall it was a pretty easy task. I had a really smart group, so they found their books easily! We then visited the Williams Collection, which was also a popular stop on the tour. They really enjoyed the paintings in the collection. We then went down to the lower level of the library. I told them the story of how the basement is supposedly haunted, and they all found it really exciting. We talked about favorite scary movies and most of the girls were like me and didn’t have a favorite movie because they didn’t like being scared! AFter that we toured the first floor and talked about all the services provided on that floor. We visited the information desk, the printing station, the music library, as well as the coffee shop Java City. They also loved the cell phone charging station there on the first floor. As they were leaving, the students even made a point to thank us for showing them the library. Overall, it was a really great group and I hope the students got as much out of it as I did!

Jennifer

Today I had the opportunity to give a tour of the library to the high school group, NSORO. There were 37 students total and 9 students were in my group. I took them on a tour of each floor of the library, and they had a worksheet with a few basic questions about what was on each floor and the services they provided. The group also had an ipad to take around so they could take pictures of something that they were surprised to find on each floor. Not surprisingly, my group loved the Sanford Media Center on the second floor, as well as the Williams Collection on the third floor. Those are always popular stops along the tour. My group had a really fun time taking pictures around the library with the ipad. We had to rotate the ipad around the group so everyone got a turn! After the tour, the entire group gathered together again in the instruction room to talk about what they saw on their tour. By hooking up the ipads to a projector, each group was able to share their pictures they took with the entire group. The group really enjoyed sharing what they saw and getting to see everyone’s pictures. Overall, it was a great experience. I feel like I am becoming more comfortable with sharing the library and what all we have to offer with student groups that are visiting. I also think the students benefitted from the tour. No matter where they end up going to college, they will be familiar with the basic resources and services an academic library has to offer. While learning these things, they hopefully had a fun time along the way!

Jennifer

This reading was a selected chapter from a book, and I thought it was a very interesting read. The author is a professor who has had a long career teaching in higher education. He talks about identity and integrity, and defines the terms within the context of teaching. I was intrigued by the section where the author told the stories of two different scholars who both came from similar challenging backgrounds, but each had a very different experience upon entering the world of academia and these experiences shaped them into who they were as teachers. The author also talked about mentors and even shared about one of his most memorable mentors from his past. He talked about mentoring in the context of a cycle, how at each important stage of his academic and teaching careers a mentor had come along to help guide him. Then the point came when he was expecting the next one to come along, but they never did. He realized then that it was now his turn to be a mentor for someone else. I thought this was interesting because having a mentor plays a huge role in a person’s educational and professional development, and the cycle of first being mentored by others and then becoming the mentor put it in a perspective I had never thought of before. I myself have had teachers in the past that have greatly impacted me and I still think back on to this day. The author also discussed how many are called to teach not only through their mentors, but also through a particular field of study. Whatever the reason, the author emphasizes the importance of being passionate about what you are doing. Whether your passion is teaching or something else entirely, I think that having passion for what you are doing is an important part of living a fulfilled life.

Jennifer

Here is a lesson plan that teaches students about determining a source’s currency.

LESSON PLAN
Objectives:
1. Students will know to always check the date the information they are using was produced.
2. Students will understand that subjects or fields of inquiry that are rapidly changing require the most current information.

Set-Up:
-Write the following questions (or others the teacher may choose) on sentence strips:
1.Who was the first president of the United States?
2.What is one of NASA’s most current projects?
3.What are the latest developments in brain research?
4.Why did the American colonies declare their independence from England?
5.What were the major influences on the French Impressionist movement?
-Have projection screen set up.
-Have computer set up and internet connectivity established.
-On the board, write the word “Currency” and the following questions:
1.Does up to date information make a difference to my project/research?
2.How up to date is this information?
3.How recent are the facts and figures?
4.Where can I look to find the date the information was produced in my source?

Procedure:
-Ask students what they think is the definition of the word currency. Have students discuss the first question: Does up to date information make a difference to my project/research?
-Discuss the difference between subjects or fields of study which are developing rapidly and others which are relatively stable. For example, biology is a field that is rapidly changing. The
subject of the United States Civil War, on the other hand, is relatively stable.
-The teacher holds up each of the above question strips and asks students to consider the following:
1.Which questions require the more current sources?
2.For which topics or questions would the currency of the information be important?
3.For which topics or questions would the currency of the information not affect the usefulness of the information?
4.Using the students’ answers, create two lists on the board– Current Information (Important) and Current Information (Less Important). Ask students to consider why the date of the
information is essential for the one group of topics and not as important for the other.
-Have students answer the following question: What is the weather forecast for tomorrow in your local area? Look at the following web site. http://www.weather.com/common/home/localweather.html
-Have students consider the following:
1.Does up to date information make a difference to my project/research?
2.How up to date is this information?
3.How recent are the facts and figures?
4.Where can I look to find the date the information was produced in my source?
-Now have students answer the following question: What is the average temperature for your local area? Look at the following web site: http://www.weather.com/common/home/climatology.html
-Again have students consider the following:
1.Does up to date information make a difference to my project/research?
2.How up to date is this information?
3.How recent are the facts and figures?
4.Where can I look to find the date the information was produced in my source?

Assessment:
Have students check the dates of books and other resources they are using in their class. Have them create a chart that lists the subject, the title of the source, the date the information was created and a determination (yes or no) on whether each subject requires the most current information.

Hope this lesson plan was helpful!

Jennifer