Simmons Workshop: Teaching Information Findability to Kids

Hedden Information Management

Simmons College
Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS)
Continuing Education Workshops

Teaching Information Findability to Kids

Saturday, March 24, 2007
1:30 - 5:00 pm
Simmons College: One Palace Road Building, Room P213-L
300 The Fenway, Boston, MA
directions

Workshop Description
Workshop Outline
Readings
Registration
Continuing Education/Professional Development
Simmons GSLIS Workshops site (external link)

Workshop Description

“Why can't kids find the information they want/need when I give them an appropriate book or website?” Even where tools such as indexes exist, many kids don’t fully understand all their features. The ultimate goal of this workshop is to help kids learn how to find what they're looking for. To achieve this, librarians, teachers, parents, etc., need to understand how information is "findable" and how to effectively demonstrate tips for kids wherever they search for information, whether in books, magazines, online database, or in web sites.

The session will provide both a brief review of index features that need emphasis in instruction along with suggested instructional techniques and exercises for finding information within each the following: nonfiction books, encyclopedias, magazines, subscription databases of magazine articles, and web sites. Examples will be provided from different age appropriate (elementary, middle school, high school) materials. Specific databases covered will include those subscribed to by most Massachusetts libraries: EBSCOHost, InfoTrac, eLibrary, and Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia . Handouts and lists of suggestions to use with children will also be provided.

This workshop is aimed at librarians, media specialists, and educators who work with children and youth in grades 3-12.

Workshop Outline

1. Using Book Indexes
    a. Review of book index features and use
    b. Approaches to teaching book index use
         i. Book oriented: parts of the book
       ii. Research topic oriented
    c. Methods to teaching book index use
         i. Group exercise
       ii. Lecture

2. Using Article Indexes (Periodicals and online reference works)
    a. Print periodical indexes
    b. Online databases of periodicals
        i. Subject indexes
       ii. Taxonomies (subject categories)

3. Using Web Site Indexes, Site Maps, and Taxonomies
    a. Alphabetical indexes
    b. Site maps
    c. Taxonomies (subject categories)
         i. Examples
        ii. Understanding the categorization/discipline terms
       iii. Categorization exercises
    d. Different purposes for each method

Readings

Copies of readings for which links are not available will be distributed in the session.

Coughlin, Maria, and Dina Dineva “Annapolis Middle School Project,” presentation on May 15, 1998, at the 1998 American Society for Indexing (ASI) Annual Conference in Seattle, Washington.

Minkel, Walter. “Chat Room: They Can't Always Find What They Want: Kids' online behaviors have researchers scratching their heads,” School Library Journal, August 1, 2004.

Rossi, Jane. “Don’t Gloss Over the Glossary: Some nifty tools make it easier for kids to navigate nonfiction books.” School Library Journal, October 1, 2005.

Williams, Paula L., and K.G.B. Bakewell, “Children and Indexes,” New Library World Volume 100, Issue 5, 1999, pp. 201-207.

Registration

Download the registration form (pdf) for Simmons GSLIS Continuing Education workshops, fill it out, and mail it with your payment (checks or cash only) for $160 made out to “Simmons College” to:

Jody Walker, Program Manager
Graduate School of Library and Information Science
The Office of Continuing Education
Simmons College
300 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115-5898
P: 617-521-2803
F: 617-521-3192
gslisce@simmons.edu

If your employer is paying for the workshop, please send in (or fax) your completed registration form with a notation “employer to send payment.”

Continuing Education/Professional Development

All enrolled attendees will receive a Certificate of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for one unit, which will be mailed to them after the workshop.

Simmons College provides Professional Development Points (PDPs) according to the Massachusetts Department of Education requirements for certification revised as of 7/1/00. Attendees who request PDPs for (re)certification will earn 3.5 PDPs for this half-day workshop.