Wanderings…

I have a brilliant student in my school. You will be hearing from him someday. A very fine mind - one that is constantly working, turning information upside down and sideways to understand it completely, constantly asking questions. Fascinating to watch him in action.

I am always after my students to “question their sources”. Why is it a good source? What makes the author an expert? What make the organization reliable? So….. today this student comes to me with a web source. GLOBAL ISSUES. He says, “I used this web site in my term paper. It is written by only 1 guy - but he seems to really know what he is talking about. Is the source reliable enough to put in my paper?”

He is right. It certainly looks like a great website. The author runs it by himself, and he apparently has devoted much time and attention to the site for the past 10 years. He lists “awards” from other websites - but those websites also seem to be run by single authors. His “about” section really does not give me much evidence of personal expertise. But - is it absolutely necessary for an author to have a degree in the topic in order to write a good opinion or news piece? The author writes:

My background is a degree in computer science—not exactly a degree in global issues! The point is that you don’t need to have qualifications to be concerned and want to do something, although you do need the time to sift through a lot of information to understand what is happening!

My aim here is to raise awareness and provide links to more information for people wanting to look deeper into these issues. Most of the links on a given page are to external web sites that provide more detail to the points I raise. There are some 7,000 external links to news articles, research papers and so on, from charity and non-government organizations like Oxfam, Amnesty International, etc. to multinational bodies like the United Nations. Furthermore, as I read more and more books, I am sourcing those as well.

I have looked over the specific article my student used. It does appear to be quite well sourced. I did a Google link search to find out who links to the site. Many of those sites are blogs and other personal websites.

Bottom line… My student does have 4 or 5 other sources that easily meet the traditional reliability test. So, I told him that I would consider it acceptable as one of many sources, as long as he was not using it for more than a small percentage of his paper.

Still - I don’t feel that I have a really good answer for evaluating sites such as this.

Blogs…wikis….forums….bulletin boards…. The information landscape has become much more complex. I understand the concept of the “age of the amateur” and the “wisdom of crowds”. But I am not working in a theoretical world. I am living right here in high school - where the rubber meets the road. How do I guide students? Do I perpetuate the “old guard” - insisting that no one is an expert unless they have a degree in the topic - or at least have been hired by a reputable organization? Do I let them use any blog out there that matches the thesis they are attempting to prove? Where is the happy medium?

Help me out here folks!!

In Have To or Get To,  Doug Johnson challenges us to create a “short list” of what makes us happy in our jobs.  I think he and Seth Godin are definitely onto something.

The higher the percentage of things you “get to do” as opposed to “have to do,” the greater the likelihood of happiness and success.

“If you won the lottery tomorrow and never HAD to work again, what things do you do at work that you would continue to do?”

Here’s my list:

• I’d still want to talk about books with teenagers.  Don’t know exactly how to do that if I didn’t work in a school anymore.  Hanging out on MySpace makes we worry that someone from Dateline might pop out at me with a video camera.  Still - maybe public libraries would be open to book discussion groups with guest adult facilitators.
• I’d still want to work with new books - I’d miss that wonderful smell.  Maybe I could find an understanding librarian somewhere who would call me when there were boxes of new books to open.
• I’d still study library trends.
• I’d still want to work on a library related website.
• I’d still blog about libraries.
• I’d still want to do workshops that would help busy school librarians make new technologies work for their students and teachers.

Doug goes on to ask:

How do we encourage those poor people who seem to live an entire work-life of “have to’s” to find a more fitting position?

I’m afraid I have no answers for that right at the moment.

Instead I’d like to ask a related question…. How can we redesign school so kids can “get to” do stuff they like at least part of the day - and not just lunch or recess.?

If we could figure out a way to answer that question - maybe we’d be more help to our students who don’t fit easily into the school mold.

I went shopping today after school and ran into a former student.  He was always one of my many favorite students. This student - I’ll call him Oliver - was not the kind of ideal student our education system seems driven to produce.  I have a real soft spot for students like him.

Oliver was a student who struggled in a school where every student was expected to be above average…. Where every student was expected to finish with a Regents diploma…. Where every student was expected to go on to college.  School discouraged him.  But somehow he soldiered on so he would meet our above average graduation requirements.  At several points in his career, I really thought he would lose hope and give up altogether.   I tried to be a cheerleader for Oliver over the years.  And yet - every time I saw him, he seemed a little more discouraged.

Let me tell you - meeting Oliver today was truly a joy.  Not only am I thrilled that he got that diploma - but I realize that he has found his niche.  He greeted me with great enthusiasm and told me how much he loves his job.  He is now working full time in a retail store.  He told me how the time just flies by and he never feels exhausted like he did in school.  He is already in line for promotion, and it is no wonder given the enthusiasm he has for his work.  Way to go Oliver!

I can’t help but wish we had been able to do more for him at school.  Why was school an almost insurmountable hurdle for him to get over?  A meaningless exercise…  Surely we could design a curriculum for the Olivers of the world.  A curriculum that would provide some practical math, business communication, basic science, etc.   New York used to have a curriculum that was supposed to meet those needs.  It was called Non-Regents.  Nothing like being defined by what you are not

Hey, I’ve got a news flash.  Not everyone should go to college.  Why don’t we value other career paths?   Why are we such educational snobs?  Why can’t we recognize that the happiest people are those who get to work at something they love.  Surely we can find a way to provide an education that will fit many different career paths!

Anyway - I am so happy for Oliver.  I hope he bears us all no ill will.  We really intended to help him…..

I enjoyed reading Doug Johnson’s recent blog post - Your Source For Humor

I’ve been thinking about my own source for humor for a couple of days. I am not sure entirely - but I just find life hilariously funny. I think I got my sense of the absurd from the grandmother who raised me. She was an imposing Irish woman who faced many hardships in her life - not the least of which was the death of her daughter and son-in-law (my parents) and the subsequent inheritance of a 2-year old granddaughter to raise. Just when most folks are contemplating retirement, my grandparents were starting all over again with potty-training, first days of school, girl scouts, teenage trauma and on and on. Bless them!

My grandmother’s letters were always a source of hilarity to my college roommates. How I wish I had saved them! She always signed the letters T.O.B. - The Old Bag. I remember one letter vividly. As if raising me was not enough - she also took in another granddaughter whose parents split up. Merrie was about 10 when I went to college. In her letter, Grandma wrote: “You won’t believe the latest. Merrie wants a bra. You may as well put a bra on a WORM!!” That image has always stayed with me.

My grandfather had his funny moments as well. While home from college one weekend, I lost an earring. My grandmother thought perhaps it had fallen inside my bra. Having rather the figure of a worm myself at the time, I joked that it had probably fallen straight through onto the ground. Both grandparents laughed. Then we went back to school where we joined up with my boyfriend (future husband). While out to dinner, they asked Bob if he liked his dorm room. To which Bob replied - “It’s great. My closet is so big - I have nothing in my drawers.” Silly us - neither of us noticed the humor potential of that particular statement. But the next thing you knew - my grandfather whispered something in my grandmother’s ear, rendering them both helpless with laughter. Being young, and evidently humor challenged at the moment, Bob and I had no idea why they were laughing and my grandmother would not tell me till later. Evidently, when Bob had commented on the contents (or lack thereof) of his drawers, Grandpa had whispered: “SHE’s got nothing in her bra. HE’s got nothing in his drawers. WHAT do they do for entertainment?”

One of their greatest gifts to me was a sense of humor. All my file cabinets - real and virtual - have folders titled “Humor & Inspiration”. Humor is truly the gift of a life worth living. I am grateful to those 2 special people for so many things - and I miss their laughter and love every day.

Much as I hate September - especially the first week - eventually we get rolling.  Things are changing in our school.  There have been some shifts in who is teaching what - which means changes to research projects.

My first reaction to change is to whine to myself. Once I start planning, I find myself energized.

Right now one of our English teachers and I are working on a new project for the seniors.  They need to choose a research topic they are passionate about.  I have some preliminary notes on this post - 12th Grade English Research Project Ideas (“What Will You Do To Change The World?”)

Below are some miscellaneous ideas that are floating though my head.  I need to get them down before they float out of my head.  I can expand on the ideas later.  right now - I need to write down the bare bones as a reminder…

Kids browse CQ & other resources (databases AND print versions) for topic ideas they are passionate about

Need to create an iceberg image for research - teach kids to scan the surface and then delve deeper.  Encyclopedia is the tip of the iceberg.  Just below the surface are more detailed reference books.  Diving further down we find periodicals (especially academic journals).  Putting on our scuba gear - we find the most detailed resources - books.

Research needs to be presented to someone other than the teacher.  Could have everyone present to the class.  Are there other possibilities?  EX: Students could find another venue to present their ideas - a video posted to YouTube, a presentation made to PTSA, a presentation to another class - e.g. science or global etc, present to a local community group.  Other ideas?

Would have to find a way of making the kids accountable for the presentation.  Perhaps require that the presentation be video taped?  Create a rubric or other form for listeners to respond to/evaluate their presentation?