I think you have two skill sets mixed up. Responses in line.

Deb ms/IA

On 6/04/09, Amy wrote:
> Wonderful! You're the first person who has gotten my point.
>
> Those of you who thought I was complaining that there weren't enough
> available tests sure missed the boat!!!!! I am not making a point
> about TESTING at all. I am making a point about the ability of a
> child to SELECT based on personal need, reading ability and interest.
>
> An information literate person is capable of selecting a source based
> on need or interest, and evaluating that source based on a variety of
> criteria which I hope all of you know well.

BUT...Have these sixth graders been taught their library skills?

>
> My point: THE AR PROGRAM DOES NOT PRODUCE INFORMATION LITERATE
> CHILDREN.

Information literacy is not the goal of AR. AR helps students practice
their reading skills they have learned by simply reading and taking a
short comprehension quiz. It is not a library skills program.
>
> Proof: At the end of this school year (a little over two weeks ago) I
> gave a sixth grade class that visited our public library a "scavenger
> hunt" (eg test). 32 kids were in the class.

Do the students know this public library? Where they introduced to how
that library works/functions compared to their school library (if they
have a school library, many schools are cutting the school librarians and
maintain simple classroom libraries)?
>
> Kids worked in pairs. Each pair was given a question testing their
> ability to find and evaluate sources. They were given 15 minutes to
> accomplish this task. All of the answers to the questions could be
> found in multiple sources in our library. Both electronic and print
> sources were acceptable.
>
> 2 Sample questions:
>
> Find an information source about spiders. In the space below write
> down WHY you selected this source and HOW you found it in the library.
>
>
> Find a fiction book by a favorite author. In the space below write
> down WHY this is your favorite author and HOW you found the book in
> the library.
>
> Results:
>
> Observation:
> Kids fought over the 12 computers available to them for this task. I
> did not observe any of them using the catalog to find sources, instead
> they used general search engine searches to find information. Other
> kids wandered the stacks pulling books aimlessly off the shelves. Many
> got frustrated and angry.

Many library card catalogs are online in school and public libraries so
its no surprise they hit the computers first. Now have the students been
trained in using an online card catalog? Again that has nothing to do
with AR. It is also most likely not a classroom teacher goal to teach
this skill. But with no librarians manning the library or able to teach
library skills this is a lost art. Many teachers may not even know how
to use the online catalog so they won't teach it either (won't give up
classroom time for yet one more thing there is no time to teach).

As for the pulling things off the shelf randomly again the students have
no clue how to use the library (Dewey decimal, card catalog, how the
library is organized...). This is a library skills lesson not an AR
skill.
>
> Quantification of responses:
> 60% of the students were able to find an information source, whether
> on-line or in print. ONLY 60 PERCENT, TEACHERS!!!

So that means they need to be taught library skills not necessarily
reading skills.
>
> 7% had an answer for WHY they chose that source (an acceptable answer
> being other than "I liked it.") ONLY SEVEN PERCENT, TEACHERS!!!!!

This may be a normal response because they only did the minimal amount of
work to sort of get by. Apathy in completing assignments is very common
in school. Again not an AR skill.
>
> 73% of those who found an information source had an answer for HOW
> THEY FOUND the source(this is a less reliable measure, as the
> answer "on the computer" was accepted even though it is probable this
> did not mean a catalog or database search.)
>
They found a source they did do the activity but it is not an AR skill.
> So, what does this show me?
>
> At the very least, that students in our local schools are not learning
> useful information search and evaluation techniques. At the most?
> That THE AR PROGRAM IS AN INEFFECTIVE TOOL FOR PRODUCING LITERATE
> HUMAN BEINGS.

You are tying library skills to AR practice reading these do not correlate
into usable facts.
>
> The only thing I'll grant you is that it forces children who wouldn't
> normally choose to read anything to read something. Is that really
> enough for you???

With most children averaging 44 hours per week on multimedia
gaming/videos/computers/ipods is it any wonder kids don't read? Asking a
child to read 30 minutes a day wth any book of his or her choosing is
better than no reading at all.
>
> As long as I'm here, I'll continue to try to supplement the apalling
> illiteracy produced by the AR program in our community. But I'm
> beginning to look for other jobs - and you can be sure that the first
> question I'll ask the interview committee is: Is this an AR community?

Instead of fighting AR so much why not research the best practices of AR,
call the company and ask for research and for answers to better
understand the purpose of the program?
>
> One more thing. A few months ago I attended a regional conference
> which brings in children's authors to speak. The conference was
> attended by public librarians, school media specialists and teachers.
> AR was not discussed at all. However, in a general discussion, one
> teacher stood up and actually said the following: (this is a
> paraphrase) "I make all of my students read at the 4 point level even
> though some might want to read at higher levels, because they can
> learn more in-depth if they are forced to read at grade level."

This person does not have a good understanding of the best practices of AR
nor do they implement the program correctly.
>
> I literally almost threw up. So sad.

Instead of throwing up get educated on AR and what it is and what it is
not. It is not a library science or skills course. Why aren't you
sharing your research about those sixth grade students with their school
librarian?

Deb ms/IA

>
>
>
> On 6/03/09, reading teacher wrote:
>> On 5/05/09, D wrote:
>>
>> If you give a mouse a
>>> cookie...
>>
>>
>> If you give a child a book (without a test attached), see the child
>> ask for another book!
>>
>> The librarian has stated the effects of AR and it's point-driven
>> agenda. I've experienced numerous students searching for a book in
>> the library and the only selection criteria they are interested in
>> is the AR level and point value. Their own reading interests or
>> preferences aren't even condsiderations. That is sad. And we wonder
>> why many students aren't passionate, critical readers. AR has
>> transformed them into robotic, surface level readers.

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