Facilitating Student Research

 Table of Contents

Description:  Participants will explore resources and strategies for facilitating student research to build and present knowledge, including implementing BCPS Online Research Models and Slam Dunks and using the BCPS Research Guides for grades K-4, 5-8, or 9-12.

Outcome:  Participants will be prepared to facilitate student research to build and present knowledge in the content areas.  
Indicator:  Participants will use BCPS resources to facilitate student research to build and present knowledge in the content areas.

Resources: 

 Tiny URL for this Workshop wiki page: http://tinyurl.com/bcpsorm     Session PowerPoint     NOTES: ORM/Slam Dunk Exploration & Analysis

AGENDA & RESOURCES

Learning Standards

Increased emphasis on student research/inquiry and associated skills in K-12 learning standards across content areas:

• AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner (2007) and AASL-CCSS Crosswalk (2009) - AASL Standard 1 

• Shift in practice from teaching "research skills" in isolation to integrating information literacy/21st century skills with content learning. 

• Common Core State Standards (2009)

• "Research—both short, focused projects (such as those commonly required in the workplace) and longer term in-depth research—is emphasized throughout the standards but most prominently in the writing strand since a written analysis and presentation of findings is so often critical." Standards for "Research to Build & Present Knowledge" at all grade levels.

• ISTE Standards for Students (2016) - National educational technology standards. 

• P21 Framework for 21st Century Learning (2007) - Adopted by BCPS in 2013.  

• Content learning standards for major academic subjects now include standards for student research, inquiry, or investigation:

• Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) (2009) | College, Career and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies Standards (2013)

The BCPS Online Research Models and Slam Dunk lessons also support the S.T.A.T. initiative (Students and Teachers Accessing Tomorrow), the multi-year transformation of BCPS into a complete 21st century learning environment to prepare globally-competitive graduates, including redesigning curriculum for blended learning using digital resources and a stronger emphasis on 21st century skills.  

Collaboration with School Library Media Specialist

Whether it's called Research to Build and Present Knowledge, Inquiry, Investigation, or Project-based Learning ...
research shows that Librarians are essential instructional partners for facilitating students' development of research skills.

• “School librarians provide the blueprint for teaching students research skills, digital citizenship, safety online, and information communication skills.” (AASL) 

• “Students learn how to evaluate and use information—not just how to find and access it —from school librarians.”  (ALA)

• “Students value the library media specialist’s help in teaching unique skills not covered in the classroom —especially information, communication, and technology skills essential for students in the 21st century.” (Scholastic)

• "The more often students receive information literacy instruction from library media specialists, the higher their test scores.” (Scholastic) 

Issues & Challenges

BCPS Online Research Models (ORMs) and Slam Dunk digital lessons are designed to address a variety of issues which have made implementing K-12 student research challenging for school library media specialists, teachers and students.

Critical Issue: Low-level Student Research 

Over a decade ago, Dr. David Loertscher addressed the critical issue of inadequate, low level,  and misguided instruction with regard to student research his book and action research project Ban Those Bird Units. Unfortunately, this problem remains an issue in some classrooms and school libraries:

"Too many of the learning activities in school libraries are low-level cut and paste activities, such as transferring
facts from library resources on to worksheets or just cutting information off the Internet to pass in for a report.
Little learning results and plagiarism dominates. Such activities are termed "bird units" after the ubiquitous
4th grade bird reports, but they can be on any topic: explorers, state reports, old famous dead men, or other common K–12 topics and across all disciplines.  Many teachers, feeling pressured to have their students achieve, have stopped all interaction with library research reports, because they understand that the time invested in these reports will not produce any positive results. Library media specialists are reluctant to have such activities continue because the potential of the library media center and its resources are being ignored."

View the video Research Shift.  Does the addition of technology & digital resources increase real-world relevance or rigor?

Reflect & Connect: What are some issues that have made implementing student research challenging for you?

• Turn and talk to share your perspective with a colleague. 

Development & Implementation

Development:

Development of BCPS Online Research Models (since 1998) and Slam Dunk digital lessons (since 2004) have been informed by our study of information literacy process models and research-based pedagogy, and we worked directly with these experts at workshops and institutes:

• Dr. Jamie McKenzie's Research Cycle (1998) and Online Research Modules (2000) inspired our original ORM structure for extended, in-depth research, and our use of essential questions requiring analysis and synthesis of information from multiple sources. 

• We later adopted Dr. McKenzie's Slam Dunk digital lesson model (2002) for brief, focused research. For background see: The Slam-dunk Digital Lesson (2002)  |  Five Kinds of Slam-dunk Digital Lessons (2004)  |  "Nothing but Net" - Creating Slam-dunk Lesson Plans  

• Dr. Carol Kuhlthau, et. al. @ CiSSL/Rutgers University: Evolution of our research models since 1998 to the present has been inspired by Dr. Kuhlthau's research-based Information Search Process (Kuhlthau, 1985) and Guided Inquiry Design (Kuhthau, Maniotes & Caspari, 2012).

Library media staff participates in annual BCPS summer Curriculum Writing Workshops to integrate ORMs/Slam Dunks across the curriculum.

• Our team of library media specialists collaborates with content area curriculum writers to design ORMs/Slam Dunks for specific grade level content curriculum units.

• ORMs/Slam Dunks are linked in BCPS One Course Maps/Curriculum Units and aligned to content learning objectives.

• Teachers are encouraged to collaborate with their library media specialists for planning and facilitating information literacy/21st skills instruction at identified "zones of intervention" (skills needed by students given the research task and their prior learning). 

Implementation:

• Online access to models from school and home.
• All student and teacher resources are linked.
• Teachers are encouraged (in curriculum guides) to collaborate with their library media specialist for planning & teaching/co-teaching.
• Face-to-face information literacy instruction provided at identified “zones of intervention” based on research task and students' prior learning.
• Independent access to support resources at time of need (e.g. skill-builders and tools from K-12 Research Guides)
• Best Practices:

• Plan ahead! Familiarize yourself with research process steps and resources in the lesson BEFORE you begin with students!

• Consult with your school Library Media Specialist for collaborative planning, co-teaching, integration of information literacy instruction.

• Broken links or other issues?  Notify your Library Media Specialist or Kelly Ray, Resource Teacher - Office of Digital Learning  

Accessing the ORM/Slam Dunk Portal:

• From BCPS One (before logging in), select the ACADEMICS tile.
• Select the LIBRARY MEDIA tile 
• Under STUDENT RESEARCH, select Online Research Models & Slam Dunks

Online Research Models for In-Depth Research

Structure and Evolution of BCPS Online Research Models:

• Three page structure: 

• Home page:  Research Process steps

• Student Resource page:  Links to digital content, targeted Websites, databases for searching, school & public library resources 

• Teacher Resources page:  Time frame, Curriculum Standards alignment, Notes to the teacher, supplemental resources 

• 1998-2010: Seven process steps in our own model - Scenario, Task & Product, Assessments, Questions, Gather & Sort, Organize, Conclusion

• 2012: Guided Inquiry Design phases merged with our existing process steps.

• Eight Guided Inquiry Design steps: Open, Immerse, Explore, Identify, Gather, Create, Share, Evaluate

• Consideration of "Third Space" - the intersection between curricular content and students' own lives and real world. 

• 2013-present:  ORMs designed with Guided Inquiry Design process steps exclusively.

ORM Design:

• Elements that reflect UDL (Universal Design for Learning), including:
• An engaging research scenario with real-world relevance 
•  Some resources for activating prior learning and building background knowledge 
• Information resources/digital content in a variety of media formats (multiple means of representation)
• Student choice of topic, process, and/or product (multiple means of expression)
• Text at a range of independent reading levels 

• An Inquiry Question requiring analysis & synthesis of information from multiple sources.

• Opportunities for students to engage in the P21 4Cs -  critical thinking, communication, collaboration & creativity 

• Digital tools for organizing information and creating content to demonstrate and share their learning

• Opportunities for library media specialist to provide instruction for information literacy/21st century skills at identified "zones of intervention" 

• Support for developing & applying 21st century/information literacy skills at time of need (e.g. skill-builders and tools from K-12 Research Guides)

• Formative and summative assessments & scoring tools

• Opportunities for student reflection & extension of learning

ORM Examples:

• Elementary:   Act Now, Supplies Limited (Gr 5 Library Media) 
• Middle School:  Native Dreams: Contemporary Native American Music (Gr 8 American Music)
• High School:  I Declare! Founding Fathers Sound Off on Contemporary Issues (Gr 11 ELA)   

Slam Dunk Digital Lessons for Brief, Focused Research

View the video below: What are the characteristics of a slam dunk basketball shot? Share adjectives/descriptive phrases.

Slam Dunk Design:

• Six-slide PowerPoint structure: Question & Research Task, Information Sources, Student Activity, Assessment, Enrichment, Teacher Resources  

• Brief, focused research: Typically completed in 1-2 class periods

• Aligned with learning standards

• Learner-centered: Real-world relevance, "third space" connection between students/curriculum, student choice of information sources

• Inquiry Question requiring critical thinking, analysis, synthesis of information from multiple sources

• Targeted information sources in various media formats

• Variety of assessment formats; students do not necessarily create a product.

• All resources included: Note-taking organizers, direct links to digital content and tools, scoring tools, etc.

Slam Dunk Examples:

• Elementary: From Cute Caterpillars to Beautiful Butterflies  (Kindergarten Science) 

• Middle School: What's in a Label?  (Gr 6-8 Health) 

• High School: Head-On Collision  (HS CTE/Engineering) 

BCPS K-12 Research Guides

Structured online guides with links to skill-builders and tools for each step in an inquiry-based process.

• K-12 Research Guides portal
• Grades K-4 Research Guide - Become an information explorer!
• Grades 5-8 Research Guide - Inquiring minds want to grow!
• Grades 9-12 Research Guide - Become information literate for life! 

Exploration & Planning

Explore ORMs & Slam Dunk lessons created for your own grade level/content area:

• Access the ORM/Slam Dunk Index from the ODL Library Media Webpage @ http://www.bcps.org/digitallearning/librarymedia 
• Search for ORMs/Slam Dunk lessons for your grade level/content area.
• Use ORM/Slam Dunk Exploration & Analysis   to make notes
• Use one of these organizers to begin thinking about how you might implement this research task in collaboration with your school librarian:  
• Collaborative Planning for ORM Implementation
• Collaborative Planning for Slam Dunk Implementation
• Note to Elementary teachers: While Elementary LMSs have their own Library Media curriculum, they have the flexibility to deviate from that curriculum in order to partner with classroom teachers for implementation of ORMs/Slam Dunks in content curriculum. 
• No ORMs/Slam Dunks for your grade level/content area?  Use one of these organizers and collaborate with your library media specialist to design a research task using one of our process models:
• Design a Research Model for Extended, In-depth Research:  Grades K-4  |   Grades 5-8 (or 9-12)  |  Grades 9-12
• Design a Slam Dunk Lesson for Brief, Focused Research:  Slam Dunk Template in PPT 

Reflect, Act, Wonder

Reflect, Act & Wonder about this learning using the questions below. Then share your responses with the group:

• REFLECT:  How does implementing student research support a learner-centered environment? How does student research support development of 21st century skills including the 4 C's (critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity)?

• ACT:  Which Online Research Model(s) and/or Slam Dunk Lesson(s) do you plan to implement in your classroom? How will you use resources in the Online Research Guide for your grade level to facilitate research/inquiry-based learning included in your curriculum?

• WONDER:  Do you have any questions about facilitating student research?  (Consult with your school library media specialist for help at school.)
  Would you like to see a new ORM or Slam Dunk developed to support your curriculum? (Suggest a topic; instructor can share with C & I Office.) 

DLU Workshop Reflection

DLU Reflection: Required for DLU CPD course credit

• BCPS teachers must register for the Digital Learning University CPD course in order to earn one CPD credit for 5 DLU Workshop Modules.

• Digital Learning University CPD course registrants are required to complete one Reflection for each DLU workshop module attended.
  This reflection is to be sent as an attachment or link to DLU@bcps.org within 10 working days after the workshop module. 
  The reflection is expected to take 1 hour in order to meet the 15 hour CPD requirement.