Leveraging Your Leveraging Your Library:Library:

Collaborating with Your Collaborating with Your Library Staff Library Staff

to Teach Science to Teach Science ResearchResearch

Leveraging Your Leveraging Your Library:Library:

Collaborating with Your Collaborating with Your Library Staff Library Staff

to Teach Science to Teach Science ResearchResearchAndy Spinks, Lead

LibrarianCenter for Advanced

Studies at Wheeler High

SchoolCobb County, GA

Andy Spinks, Lead Librarian

Center for Advanced Studies

at Wheeler High School

Cobb County, GA

OverviewOverview•Why librarians and science teachers make such natural collaborative partners

•Examples of science-library collaborations at Wheeler High School’s Magnet Program

•Tips for collaborating with your library staff

Common Common Instructional GoalsInstructional Goals

•Science teachers Science literacy•Librarians Information literacy

–Accessing, Evaluating, and Using Information

•Many overlapping elements, including:–Using analytical/critical/higher-level thinking

–Using evidence to solve problems– Identifying and avoiding bias–Communicating using data

Common Common Instructional Instructional

MethodsMethods•Inquiry Learning is the ideal method for both–Student-centered, student-driven

–Active & experiential–Constructivist–Process-oriented

Why Not Just Use Why Not Just Use Google?Google?

• Students and teachers routinely overestimate the students’ level of information literacy.

• Technology literacy ≠ Information literacy• Students must learn to use the web

effectively, but they must also learn to use more authoritative sources

• Using a search engine is not “authentic” learning because it is not what scientists and academics use for a “review of the literature.”

Examples of Examples of CollaborationCollaboration•AP Environmental Science (biome

brochure)•AP Biology (peer-reviewed articles)•Biochemistry (Clinical Pharmacology

database)•12th Grade Magnet Research/Internship

Course–Peer-Reviewed Articles–Advanced Reference Articles (online & print)

–APA Documentation–Using Other Libraries (Georgia Tech, etc.)

Examples of Examples of CollaborationCollaboration•9th Grade “Semester-Long”

Research Project–Choose topic–Conduct background research*–Write a hypothesis–Design and conduct the experiment

–Present findings in a written report and an oral presentation

–Enter in science fair competition

Background Background Research for ProjectResearch for Project•Independent & Dependent Variables–What makes each one tick?–How is each one measured?

•What research has been done before?

•How does your research relate?

How to Get How to Get StartedStarted•Discuss the materials available for

your course•Brainstorm ideas for a research project

•Plan the details of the project •Plan the details of the library visit

–Including who will teach what & when•Extra Credit: Plan for joint assessment

Thanks for Thanks for Coming!Coming!

•“Handouts” Available Online:–http://andyspinks.com/conferences

–References & additional resources on following slides

•Contact Information:–Andy.Spinks@cobbk12.org

•Questions or Comments?

ResourcesResourcesFilson, R. (2005). In Search Of….Real Science. Access

Excellence. Retrieved July 16, 2005, from the National Health Museum Web site: http://www.accessexcellence.org/LC/TL/filson/

Kuhlthau, C. C. (2004). Seeking meaning: A process approach to library and information services (2nd ed.). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Kuhlthau, C. C. (n.d.). Information Search Process: A Search for Meaning Rather Than Answers. Retrieved July 15, 2005, from the Rutgers University, Department of Library and Information Science Web site: http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kuhlthau/Search%20Process.htm

Spinks, A. (2005). The Scientific Method: A Research Process. Retrieved March 17, 2006, from http://andyspinks.com/scientificmethod/

Woods, M. (2005). Science. In The New Book of Knowledge: Scholastic Library Publishing. Retrieved July 13, 2005 from the Grolier Online database.