I'm at a K - 9 junior day and boarding school. Having worked at both the high school level and at a community college before coming to Rumsey, I saw the result of (some/many?) teachers saying something like "just copy and paste the URL" for citations. I frequently taught a remedial writing course (two levels below where they would actually earn credits for the course) at a community college. Do you have any idea how difficult it was to undo years of, perhaps, hearing "just copy/paste the URL"! I suspect you do.
At Rumsey, I actually start teaching copyright "super basically" with even kindergarteners. Our 3rd graders start using NoodleTools. Teachers and I do not expect perfect citations, we want them to instead "practice the process" of properly citing, instead of "practicing plagiarism," or practicing really poor "research" skills of copying/pasting URLs.
In our Upper School, we do our best to get students practicing good research skills in English, social studies, Language Skills, foreign language, math, ESL, and science departments. I also encourage the arts classes. Some departments are better at requiring proper research than others. I think all teachers know that all students should be practicing good research skills using NoodleTools. Most do this with their students. I know some don't. Our students are at all different levels, though, since some have been learning with me since 3rd grade; others arrive in 8th or even 9th grade.
We do the best we can so that students have a foundation when they leave Rumsey to go off to secondary schools. Teachers know that they can always bring their students in to work with me. I try my best to let students know that I'm happy to work with them individually too. I often use the analogy that learning how to research is like learning to play a sport. We practice the basics over and over and over again until we get better.
Teaching research is not an easy task! I know it requires buy-in of most, if not all teachers.
Cheers,
~Val
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