Information Literacy and Family Research
Real, or Not Real? 8/5/2014
Family history researchers, United States history buffs, students...they all are faced with discerning fact from fiction, truth from conjecture, data from assumptions. Many assume that this is a problem only appearing since the advent of the amazing glut of digital information. Actually, with the digitization of original, primary documents by FamilySearch.org and affiliate organization and service genealogists, digital information is becoming much less inaccurate due to the specificity of the original primary sources, and meticulous transcribers. Nonetheless, the reader must beware of digital and print sources and their realities or fantasies.
Finding factual information has always had its perils. Professionally trained librarians still are the front line troops to ensure "real." Their evaluation and selection of materials training is invaluable in helping all of us access the information that we need in family history research and in primary sources research. It is even more important when librarians select secondary or tertiary sources, which are produced by a writer interpreting primary sources, or by editors compiling information.
My favorite true story: It happened to me in my librarianship training. A professor wanted us to experience reading five general encyclopedia articles for a topic we knew well. One of my five encyclopedias was spot-on. Three were mostly correct in their raw data, but seemed a trifle skewed in their objectivity. The fifth encyclopedia article was full of errors, flagrantly prejudicial, and, the authenticity reviewer name was person who had been dead for twenty years, who would never have endorsed the article. What if that encyclopedia was the only source a researcher ever used to learn about the topic? By the way, that company no longer produces print or digital encyclopedias. I am grateful.
A researcher can use four tests on information to test its "real." First, who is the author and what is his or her credibility? Second, how current is the source? (Keep in mind that when dealing with primary sources, records by the person in his time period are the magnum opus of sources). Third, what is the depth of the information in the source? A website authored by a sixth grader but constructed by his website whiz of a father may look amazing, but may contain only cursory information. Fourth, information should be balanced if there is any conflicting information exists. Watch for signs of bias in the language used and analyze the "About Me" link on the website, if provided.
Here is a link to a great article shared on the AASL (American Association of School Librarians) website from an excellent librarian, Debbie Abilock. The article is called "True-- or Not True." Though the article is written for librarians to educate their students, are we not all wanting real information in our family history research?
True--or Not True by Debbi Abilock
Family history researchers, United States history buffs, students...they all are faced with discerning fact from fiction, truth from conjecture, data from assumptions. Many assume that this is a problem only appearing since the advent of the amazing glut of digital information. Actually, with the digitization of original, primary documents by FamilySearch.org and affiliate organization and service genealogists, digital information is becoming much less inaccurate due to the specificity of the original primary sources, and meticulous transcribers. Nonetheless, the reader must beware of digital and print sources and their realities or fantasies.
Finding factual information has always had its perils. Professionally trained librarians still are the front line troops to ensure "real." Their evaluation and selection of materials training is invaluable in helping all of us access the information that we need in family history research and in primary sources research. It is even more important when librarians select secondary or tertiary sources, which are produced by a writer interpreting primary sources, or by editors compiling information.
My favorite true story: It happened to me in my librarianship training. A professor wanted us to experience reading five general encyclopedia articles for a topic we knew well. One of my five encyclopedias was spot-on. Three were mostly correct in their raw data, but seemed a trifle skewed in their objectivity. The fifth encyclopedia article was full of errors, flagrantly prejudicial, and, the authenticity reviewer name was person who had been dead for twenty years, who would never have endorsed the article. What if that encyclopedia was the only source a researcher ever used to learn about the topic? By the way, that company no longer produces print or digital encyclopedias. I am grateful.
A researcher can use four tests on information to test its "real." First, who is the author and what is his or her credibility? Second, how current is the source? (Keep in mind that when dealing with primary sources, records by the person in his time period are the magnum opus of sources). Third, what is the depth of the information in the source? A website authored by a sixth grader but constructed by his website whiz of a father may look amazing, but may contain only cursory information. Fourth, information should be balanced if there is any conflicting information exists. Watch for signs of bias in the language used and analyze the "About Me" link on the website, if provided.
Here is a link to a great article shared on the AASL (American Association of School Librarians) website from an excellent librarian, Debbie Abilock. The article is called "True-- or Not True." Though the article is written for librarians to educate their students, are we not all wanting real information in our family history research?
True--or Not True by Debbi Abilock
5 Ways to Jumpstart Learning 8/13/2014
Take a look at the following graphic.
http://gettingsmart.com/2012/10/5-instructional-shifts-to-promote-deep-learning/
Teaching for 28 years in the public school system, and for 35 years in organizations has proven something to me. We can prepare materials, pracitce a speech to a class, hand out materials for students to read aloud, give tests, but all of it will be forgotten by the time they migrate to the halls or foyer; unless they are in charge of their learning. Teachers must manipulate and facilitate the learning environment so that the students can lfacilitate the learning. Without that symbiotic relationship, no learning happens.
Let's consider each of the five factors of the "Teacher Facilitated Learning Experiences in the graphic above.
YELLOW Circle: No longer be the "sage on the stage." It doesn't work except with diligent left-brainer learners with their pencils, keyboards or recorders poised. To accomplish this, the teacher must :front-load" the learning experiences. Front-loading can take a little amount of time or a large amount of time, depending on the length of the learning. Will the experience be 10 minutes, or one class time, or a week? You may want to front-load for a small learning experience first to build your enthusiasm for most extensive commitments to this importance task. Remember the old joke about Martians flying to earth and watching classrooms? Their report back to the mother ship was that students sit and do nothing while a teacher works. Consider that. Evaluate your teaching experiences and learner experiences. Sadly it is more true than we wish ti admit. So, ADMIT IT! MOVE ON! Front-load learning experiences and disappear from the front of the class.
Let's consider each of the five factors of the "Teacher Facilitated Learning Experiences in the graphic above.
YELLOW Circle: No longer be the "sage on the stage." It doesn't work except with diligent left-brainer learners with their pencils, keyboards or recorders poised. To accomplish this, the teacher must :front-load" the learning experiences. Front-loading can take a little amount of time or a large amount of time, depending on the length of the learning. Will the experience be 10 minutes, or one class time, or a week? You may want to front-load for a small learning experience first to build your enthusiasm for most extensive commitments to this importance task. Remember the old joke about Martians flying to earth and watching classrooms? Their report back to the mother ship was that students sit and do nothing while a teacher works. Consider that. Evaluate your teaching experiences and learner experiences. Sadly it is more true than we wish ti admit. So, ADMIT IT! MOVE ON! Front-load learning experiences and disappear from the front of the class.
