[CASL-L] Reading online vs. reading on paper vis a vis the students we see in the library

[IRENE KWIDZINSKI]

Strategies, an action plan.  I like that.  We have definite, needed objectives 
here!!!



________________________________
From: Cathy Andronik <cathyandronik at yahoo.com>
To: CASL_L <casl-l at mylist.net>; IRENE KWIDZINSKI <kwidz at sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Fri, March 8, 2013 3:01:10 PM
Subject: Re: [CASL-L] Reading online vs. reading on paper vis a vis the students 
we see in the library


I see the same thing in my library.  And of course we're assuming the kids 
actually read what they print.  A few years ago I had a case-in-point experience 
while manning the reference desk at the local public library where I moonlight. 
 A middle school student came in with her dad, looking for information on the 
youth of a president--did he have siblings, etc. I found a reliable article and 
printed it.  The student, with dad watching, then said to me, "Now what do I do? 
 Did he have brothers and sisters?"  While I was taking a deep breath, dad said, 
very forcefully, exactly what I was thinking about how to put tactfully:  "YOU 
HAVE TO READ IT!!!!"  

My school requires research papers each year.  Again, we show students how to 
use databases to find information.  I know they print and save  articles.  We 
show students how to do a works cited page.  But both the teachers and I agree 
that the piece that's missing is how to extract information from the articles 
and synthesize it in their papers.  In some of the co-taught classes, the 
teacher and special ed teacher do sit down with individual students, talk about 
key points, highlighting, taking notes, etc., but by no means is this done with 
every student.

I think all this relates to their reliance on the "images" tab even when looking 
for information. They can handle captions.  They don't want to read long pieces. 
 Much as I love the Eyewitness books for browsing, I blame them for this 
attention deficit when it comes to researching.  Kids have become accustomed to 
believing they can find all the info they need in a sound or print bite.

What does this mean for testing online when it involves reading long passages?  
 To be honest, I'm not sure it makes a difference whether the text is online or 
on a piece of paper; students seem to have difficulty with any form of extended 
reading.  

--- On Fri, 3/8/13, IRENE KWIDZINSKI <kwidz at sbcglobal.net> wrote:


>From: IRENE KWIDZINSKI <kwidz at sbcglobal.net>
>Subject: [CASL-L] Reading online vs. reading on paper vis a vis the students we 
>see in the library
>To: "CASL_L" <casl-l at mylist.net>
>Date: Friday, March 8, 2013, 6:59 PM
>
>
>Interesting point?!
>
>
>----- Forwarded Message ----
>From: Sarles Patricia  (18K500) <PSarles at schools.nyc.gov>
>To: "aaslforum at ala.org" <aaslforum at ala.org>
>Sent: Fri, March 8, 2013 1:40:38 PM
>Subject: [aaslforum] Reading online vs. reading on paper vis a vis the students 
>we see in the library
>
>
>My experience has been that my students skip step 4 (use of information) in the 
>Big Six Skills when they immediately print out what they find online without 
>even reading it first to see if it is truly relevant. I see this also when I 
>work one-on-one with my students. They ask ME what the article is about and I 
>have to break the news to them that they will actually have to read it to find 
>out for themselves what the article is about.
>
>The new Common Core assessments in 46 states and the District of Columbia will 
>all be computer-based. According to a memo from the NY State Education 
>Department to all principals and superintendents, “The transition to 
>computer-based testing will place New York at the forefront of innovative, 21st 
>-century assessment design and delivery. For students, the benefits include 
>using technology to better demonstrate what they know and are able to do” 
>(http://www.p12.nysed.gov/nonpub/documents/transition_strategy_to_computer_based_testing.pdf).
>
>
>This is my concern about Computer Based Testing: If you look at Smarter 
>Balanced’s (one of the testing consortia designing the new CC assesments) sample 
>test items, for example at: 
>http://sampleitems.smarterbalanced.org/itempreview/sbac/ELA.htm, you will see 
>that students will have to read a longish 9-paragraph text and then answer 
>questions based on the text. (The sample for Grade 3 is pretty longish as well). 
>I’m not sure our students have the stamina to read that much text online because 
>this is not what I see in the library. Students nearly always prefer to print 
>out online text to read later.
>
>Do you see the same thing in your  library and do you think your students will 
>sit through and read so much text online? The test for High Schoolers for 
>example will be 140 minutes long. Will students truly benefit from Computer 
>Based Testing and be able to “better demonstrate what they know and are able to 
>do?” for if this is the case, we need to disable printing in the library to 
>force students to take notes on what they read on the screen NOW so that they 
>are prepared to do this in 2014-2015.
>
>Does anybody else see this as a potential issue?
>
>
>____________________________________________
>Patricia Sarles, MA, MLS
>Librarian
>Jerome Parker Campus Library
>100 Essex Drive
>Staten Island, NY 10314
>718-370-6900 x1322
>psarles at schools.nyc.gov
>http://www.scoop.it/t/help-with-the-common-core-state-standards/
>http://paper.li/psarles/1332609247
>
>The new power is not money in the hands of a few, but information in the hands 
>of the many. - John Naisbitt, Megatrends
>
>The Internet may be the world's greatest library, but let's face it - all the 
>books are scattered on the floor.  - D.C. Denison, Boston Globe
>
>Getting information off the Internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant. 
>- Mitchell Kapor
>
>To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief 
>aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to 
>discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from 
>the fiction ... The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think  
>intensively and to think critically. - Martin Luther King, Jr. The Purpose  of 
>Education
>
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>
>
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