2.+Primping

toc =Primping and Preparing=

//"You see, I don't believe that libraries should be drab places where people sit in silence, and that's been the main reason for our policy of employing wild animals as librarians...."// (Monty Python)

"To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information" (ALA). Information literacy is critically important due to the availability of information in all formats and varying levels of authority, currency, and reliability. Inquiry involves investigating a question for which no answer is readily available.

Inquiry
“Inquiry is the dynamic process of being open to wonder and puzzlements and coming to know and understand the world” (Galileo Educational Network, 2004). There are many levels of inquiry that students can progress through as they move toward deeper scientific thinking. [|Branchi and Bell (2008)] have developed a four-level continuum for classifying the levels of inquiry in an activity. The continuum foucses on how much information is provided to students and the level of guidance provided by the teacher.
 * **Confirmation Inquiry** - Students confim a principle or concept through prescribed activity, where the results are known in advance. Confirmation Inquiry is useful for an introduction to the conduction of investigations, to reinforce a studied concept, or to practice an inquiry skill (such as collecting data)
 * **Structured Inquiry** - Students investigate a teacher-presented question through a prescribed procedure. Students generate an explanation supported by the evidence they have collected. Structured Inquiry is useful for enabling students to gradually develop open-ended inquiry skills.
 * **Guided Inquiry -** Students investigate a teacher-presented research question, and the students must design the procedure (method) to test their questions and the resulting explanations.
 * **Open Inquiry** - Students derive questions, design and carry out investigations, and communicate their results.

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Building A Culture of Inquiry
(Fullan, 1991; Kuhlthau, 2001)
 * Administrator Support
 * The vision for inquiry is carried forward despite competing pressures
 * Two or more champioins promote the vision for inquiry.
 * Resources and space for inquiry are readily available
 * Teachers collborate and support each other
 * Teachers, students, and parents trust each other
 * Small, interdisciplinary teams of teachers work together
 * Problem-solving and investigative skills are valued throughout the school/school system

**Build Prior Knowledge**
For those students with little or no background knowledge of a topic, teachers must provide information and background that motivate students. Students need past experience and knowledge of a topic in order to do productive inquiry (Jonassen, 2000).
 * Reference Sources - Print and Online
 * Human Resources - Guest Speaker, Online Interview
 * Field Trip - Virtual or Real
 * Multimedia - YouTube, Video Streaming
 * Small excerpt of text (encyclopedia)
 * Discussion to probe inquiry
 * News article (usually shock value)
 * Simulation
 * Visuals (photographs, artwork)
 * Saskatchewan libraries, coordinated by Provincial Library, cooperatively purchase province-wide access to several [|online information databases]. Tutorials, created by Donna DesRoches, help understand how to use the databases and how to use their unique features to bookmark and link to individual databases and articles.

Select A Suitable Topic
What do you want to know about a topic?

Developing A Question
Developing a question from a broad topic can be done in many ways, such as concept mapping. Concept mapping is a visual graphic that represents and organizes the students' thinking and knowledge about a subject or topic. Sample online concept mapping tools include:
 * [|Webspiration]
 * [|Bubbl.us]
 * [|Gliffy] Create and share diagrams on the Web
 * [|Mindomo] Concept mapping that allows images to be uploaded

Defining Your Question
Ensuring your question is generative - not too narrow nor too broad.

"Internet Security" || || Since 1990? This year? In the future? || Current Internet security initiatives. || || Local social norms & values, economic & political systems, or languages. || Internet security initiatives in the U.S || || Gender, age, occupation, ethnicity, nationality, educational attainment, species, etc. || Filtering software and childrens' access to Internet pornography || || Social, legal, medical, ethical, biological, psychological, economic, political, philosophical? A viewpoint allows you to focus on a single aspect. || The constitutionality of Internet filtering technology || [|Source - University of Idaho]
 * Strategy || Explanation || EXAMPLE TOPIC:
 * Time
 * Place
 * Population
 * Viewpoint

Readings
[|A Library Advocate's Guide to Building Information Literate Communities] (ALA, 2003) - This excellent guide defines information literacy as well as providing ideas for building an information literate community.