Program Design
Locating Information
p.223
Gathering Information
At this stage of the process, students access appropriate learning resources
(print, non-print, information technology, human, community).
They locate the resource, and find the information within the
resource. Students need gradual structured opportunities to learn and
practise several important skills:
• select an appropriate resource from a display, centre, or station
• use organizational features within a resource (e.g., table of
contents, index, glossary, captions)
• skim, scan, view, and listen to information to determine
whether the content is relevant to the topic questions
• search (with assistance) a card catalogue or electronic catalogue
to find titles and call numbers for resources, and locate resources
by call number
• use, with assistance, electronic sources such as CD-ROM or the
Internet
Until students are more independent, teachers usually preselect resources
to ensure that they are readable, interesting, and have organizational
features that are helpful to students in locating appropriate
information.
Students also need to see strategies demonstrated for gathering
information (e.g., using print and electronic catalogue, magazines,
and computer software; using organizational features such as table of
contents, indexes, captions, and headings to find information within
the resource). Students also need help to realize that fewer appropriate
resources are better than a multitude of inappropriate resources.
Volunteers and/or library monitors can be trained by teachers and
library professionals to provide assistance with information gathering to
individual students. It is helpful to involve students in discussion about
their successes and difficulties in locating appropriate information/
resources.
Gathering Information
At this stage of the process, students access appropriate learning resources
(print, non-print, information technology, human, community).
They locate the resource, and find the information within the
resource. Students need gradual structured opportunities to learn and
practise several important skills:
• select an appropriate resource from a display, centre, or station
• use organizational features within a resource (e.g., table of
contents, index, glossary, captions)
• skim, scan, view, and listen to information to determine
whether the content is relevant to the topic questions
• search (with assistance) a card catalogue or electronic catalogue
to find titles and call numbers for resources, and locate resources
by call number
• use, with assistance, electronic sources such as CD-ROM or the
Internet
Until students are more independent, teachers usually preselect resources
to ensure that they are readable, interesting, and have organizational
features that are helpful to students in locating appropriate
information.
Students also need to see strategies demonstrated for gathering
information (e.g., using print and electronic catalogue, magazines,
and computer software; using organizational features such as table of
contents, indexes, captions, and headings to find information within
the resource). Students also need help to realize that fewer appropriate
resources are better than a multitude of inappropriate resources.
Volunteers and/or library monitors can be trained by teachers and
library professionals to provide assistance with information gathering to
individual students. It is helpful to involve students in discussion about
their successes and difficulties in locating appropriate information/
resources.