Access to the ever-expanding World Wide Web has changed the face of education forever. Along with immediate access to a sea of information resources, this new tool brings fresh challenges. Surfing the Web can enable a typical sixth-grader’s scattered thinking and short attention span by enticing them to catch every stray wave that hooks their attention. This unproductive practice leaves students with little and shallow research to show for their time and effort. It can also too easily tempt them to dismiss traditional, authoritative resources in favor of quick, unreliable answers. Integrating the still-emerging technology of electronic resources must be guided by a process that focuses student research, yet still allows students to explore many avenues and conduct a comprehensive search of a topic using both traditional and electronic services.
The pathfinders above are examples of an effective strategy I used to focus the research for two sixth-grade Integrated Studies research units. Integrated Studies is a required course involving an introduction to the many types of resources and how to conduct research. The course teacher chose the topics and prepared research units around those topics, while I planned the reference services.
- With the pathfinders I created, students were able to locate, evaluate, and use accurate information in a variety of formats.
- Using the resources on these pathfinders assured that the students were effectively using current and relevant information.
- Middle school students are not allowed to freely “surf the web,” so providing a list of safe links to web pages in this manner is an effective way to control their access to quality content.
- Both pathfinders are also designed to be interactive, complete with hyperlinks not only to internet sites, but also to locations within the pathfinder itself.
- The books and databases referenced provide information on many different reading levels.
- Video references and interactive web sites containing links to educational video clips not only grab students’ attention, but are also a key way for visual learners to access the information.
- The pathfinders also model the strategy of listing keywords to search in databases and online catalogs.
- And finally, each pathfinder contains resources to extend research further by listing local community resources and national associations.
Using the ocean of resources the Web provides does not have to be a sea of never-ending white caps. The strategy of using pathfinders can model focusing research to navigate to calm waters where students can safely and effectively dive deeper and harvest the treasure trove of information that lies beneath the waves. |
Pathfinder for Integrated Studies on Postage Stamps