Dr. Carol Gordon Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries

1. So, What’s the Problem?Session 1 Part 1Literacy and School SuccessAction Research Minicourse, Phase III Dr. Carol Gordon Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries cgordon@scils.rutgers.edu September 23, 2008 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

2. Agenda Objectives: At the end of this session participants will be able to: • Define 21st century literacies • Define the role of the school library media specialist in literacy • Define action research as a reflective and recursive activity. • Reflect to identify problems in their practice related to literacy • Develop a deep understanding of the problem through the theoretical foundations and research results in scholarly literature. • Articulate the problem and formulate researchable questions. • Design and implement authentic learning tasks and assessments for Guided Inquiry that generate evidence.

3. Part 1: What is Action Research?

4. Action Research is Looking at a problem in our practice Reading the research about the problem Reflecting on the problem Creating a plan to find solutions using action research methods Action Research needs a Context

5. What are 21st Century Literacies? • Reading literacy • Language literacy • Mathematical, Historical, Scientific literacies • Information literacy • Media and Visual literacy • Technological literacy • Spatial literacy • Multicultural literacy Source: http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/21stcent /gradelevel.html

6. Partnership for 21st Century Skills Source: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/ index.php?Itemid=120&id=254&option=com_ content&task=view

7. AASL’s Standards for 21st Century Learners:Information Skills are Thinking Skills The Standards describe how learners use skills, resources, and tools to: inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge; draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge; share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society; pursue personal and aesthetic growth. Information skills are thinking skills Source: http://www.ala.org/ala/ aasl/aaslproftools/learningstandards/standards.cfm

8. Reading Skills are Thinking Skills Source: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/ index.php?Itemid=120&id=254&option= com_content&task=view Remembering: Recall or remember information, define, duplicate, list, memorize, recall, repeat, reproduce state Understanding: Explain ideas or concepts, classify, describe, discuss, explain, identify, locate, recognize, report, select, translate, paraphrase Applying: Use the information in a new way, choose, demonstrate, dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret, operate, schedule, sketch, solve, use, write. Analysing: Distinguish between the different parts, appraise, compare, contrast, criticize, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test. Evaluating: Justify a stand or decision, appraise, argue, defend, judge, select, support, value, evaluate Creating: Create new product or point of view, assemble, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, write.

9. 20th Century: Recreational Reading Library collection centered Recreational reading (fiction) Passive activities (Book Talks, Author visits, Displays Fiction oriented Reading motivation Broadening reading interests Free Voluntary Reading Summer Reading 21st Century: Reading for Understanding Unmediated reading materials Digital reading environments Reading for learning; reading in content areas Standards for 21st century learning ISP & Strategic Reading Literature Circles School Librarians’ Changing Role in Reading 1

10. How do we help learners to be 21st Century Literate? Action and Reflection Learners • Gain knowledge through active engagement with their environment • Take responsibility for their own learning • Experience connects learning and challenges learners through continuity and interaction • Teachers create learning experiences through inquiry and questioning • Reflection helps learners to make sense of experience and identify routes for future action – experience without reflection does not produce real learning.

11. Questions: The Keys to Inquiry • Inference questions – the learner has to go beyond immediately available information. It could involve pupils being asked to look at a holiday photograph and make suggestions about what type of holiday it suggests to them • Interpretation questions – these seek to explore pupils’ understanding of information or ideas, such as ‘What sort of life did Goldilocks have at home?’ or ‘Why did her mother not want her to go into the woods?’, in the three bears story  • Transfer questions – pupils are prompted to apply their knowledge in new contexts. One example might ask pupils to reflect on how sniffer dogs are used to help find earthquake victims and in what other situations they might be used • Predictive questions –  what can be predicted and tested helps pupils construct hypotheses or ideas to test. For example, pupils could be given data about the heights and shoe sizes of girls and boys in years 8 in a school and then asked leading questions such as ‘What sorts of patterns would you expect to see in Year 10 pupils’ heights and shoe sizes?’ ‘How could you set about testing your idea?’

12. Action Research is Reflection, InquiryAction… Start here New action Question Reflect Reflect Analyse Fieldwork Observation, reflection, Problem identification, Collecting evidence New action Question Fieldwork Analyse The Purpose: To improve the transaction between student and teacher

13. What is Action Research? “I am on the outside looking in.” “The research is a portrait of ourselves.” “My research is an invention created by me.” “My research is a unique expression of my classroom story. In many ways, it has a life of its own.”

14. Why Action research? • Acknowledges the teacher is knowledgeable • Is ongoing • Gives teachers the power to make decisions • Is collaborative • Gives teachers the responsibility for professional growth Wood, P. (1988, April). Action research: A field perspective. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.

15. Action Research needs Context • Reading and literacy themes for problem identification • What the lilterature says about literacy • What the literature says about solutions • A design model for creating experiential learning

16. Experiential LearningThe Diary of Anne Frank… In Search of Truth You are an Investigative Reporter for YTN (Youth Television Network). You have been assigned the job of research- ing and writing a news story about holocaust survivals. Your arch rival, Mat Fritzlinger, from YBC (Youth Broadcasting Company) recently made a public statement denying events recorded in The Diary of Anne Frank. According to him the diary is a hoax. He, along with many others, believe none of these events, or any events like them have ever taken place. Your job is to gather and publish data that will persuade Mat and his followers to seriously question their beliefs. http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/lewis/annefrank/t-index.htm 4 Literature, Technology and Reading

17. Authentic Learning Tasks Authentic Research Experiential Learning Action Plan Data Data Data Action Research

18. What are the elements of action research? Generic Research Question: How can I do it better next time? and survey Proposal 1 Reflection Your Question: ???? Theoretical Framework Proposal 2 Your Action Research Plan Collecting the Evidence Analyzing the Evidence Action Plan Sharing the Plan Reflection

19. Survey: How can I do it better next time? Measurement: Likert Scale (Strongly agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly disagree Examples of closed-ended questions • I could get help when I needed it • Explanations of the reading strategies were clear • I was able to use the strategies with little or no help • The reading strategies helped me to understand what I was reading • The library has books and magazines that I can read and understand • I will use these strategies when I read on my own. • I had enough practice with the strategies to be able to use them on my own.

20. Survey: How can I do it better next time? (2) Examples of open-ended questions • The easiest thing I was asked to do was… • The most difficult thing I was asked to do was… • My favorite reading strategy is… • My least favorite strategy is… • The source I found most helpful for this inquiry unit was… • The source I found most difficult to read was… • I think I can read better now because…

21. Proposal Part 1: What’s the Problem? Write your answers to the following questions. Try to establish why this problem bothers you and what you know about it. • Describe a problem related to literacy as you observe it in your practice • What do you think causes the problem? • Why is this problem significant? • List sources you have read and ideas that inform this problem and that suggest possible remedies. • What theories relate to this problem? • How can you state this problem in the form of a question? • What ideas do you have for a plan to get evidence?

22. Theoretical Framework Examples from Constructivism • Bloom’s Taxonomy • Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences • Vygotsky’s Zone of proximal development/intervention/metacognition • Sternberg’s Learning Styles • Krashen’s Free Voluntary Reading • Pearsons’ Gradual Release of Responsibility; reading compehension strategies • Piaget and knowledge construction • Dewey: Experiential learning • Ausubel: Prior knowledge; rote and discovery learning Why is learning theory important? • Teaching is a decision-making process. • The way we teach reflects our mental models of how our students learn • Theory can lead us to a way to collect evidence

23. Four Principles of Learning Prior Knowledge: What we know, or think we know, affects what we learn Social Interaction: Learning is enhanced when learners talk to each other Particular Situations: Learning is situational and not readily transferred to other situations Use of Strategies: Successful learning involves the use of numerous strategies

24. Proposal 2a: The Plan What is you timeline? (Start and finish dates) With whom are you collaborating? Describe your action plan.

25. Proposal 2b: Where is the Evidence? Think about the best ways to collect evidence that will help you answer your question. Check off the collection method or methods that you think will give you the best evidence. Everyone will create a survey to collect evidence on the unit of inquiry or action research project they designed. _____ How can I do it better next time? Survey _____ 1. Interviews _____ 6. Surveys _____ 2. Focus groups _____ 7. Observation/journaling _____ 3. Student journals _____ 8. Rubrics/Checklists _____ 4. Photographs _____ 9. Authentic learning tasks _____ 5. Content analysis _____ 10. Student work _____ 11. Case studies _____ 12. Shadow study _____13. Correspondance _____ 14. Primary sources _____15. Formative assessments _____ 16. Debriefings Other:

26. Analyzing the Evidence • Color coding verbal data • Descriptive statistics (averaging)

27. How do I analyze information and data? Look for… How can I… • How it works • Chronological order • Procedures/steps • Causes/effects • Problems/solutions • Similarities/differences • Relationships (human/spacial) • Themes (literary/artistic) • Pro’s/con’s • Main ideas/supporting evidence • Patterns, trends • Perspectives • Best-worst/Most-least • Connections • Defining characteristics • represent/display data? • classify/categorize? • generalize? • find exceptions? • predict what is next? • imagine what if...? • determine what’s wrong?

28. How do I display information and data?

29. Sharing and ReflectionPeer Evaluation: PQP • Directions: Discuss your project with your partner. Allow your partner to use your proposal to give you feedback. • PRAISE (What are the strengths of the project? Be specific) • QUESTIONS (What helpful questions would you like to ask about the project? What problems do you see with the project?) • POLISH (What suggestions do you have to solve the problems or improve the project?) Reviewed for: Reviewed by:

30. The Action Plan Report Exemplars

31. “It is not enough that teachers’ work should be studied; they need to study it themselves.” L.Stenhouse, L. OR Even if you are on the right track, you’ll jut get run over if you sit there. Will Rogers OR If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, You don’t know what you’re doing” W. Edwards Denning

32. Reflective thinking is always more or less troublesome because it involves overcoming the inertia that inclines one to accept suggestions at their face value; it involves willingness to endure a condition of mental unrest and disturbance. Reflective thinking … means judgment suspended during further inquiry; and suspense is likely to be somewhat painful… To maintain the state of doubt and to carry on systematic and protracted inquiry-these are the essentials of thinking. John Dewey