At one time search skills involved utilizing a dictionary and understanding how to locate words and their specific definitions. It might have even involved developing a familiarity with the Dewey Decimal System and how to utilize the card catalog at the local library. Now, we have the opportunity to use so many online search engines, not to mention online databases, and retrieve loads of information in a matter of seconds. We may take it for granted that the search skills we developed through the years assisted us in the way we utilize and scrutinize the information. We were not born with these skills. Although today’s students have grown up with the internet, they still lack many of the necessary skills for searching and identifying valuable resources to use in research and learning.
“Current standards require students to research and respond analytically to literature and informational texts, but simply assigning a research paper may not provide students with the information and skills needed for them to effectively find information on the web, evaluate it, and put it to use. By modeling and providing both direct instruction and hands-on opportunities to develop strategies for conducting online research in the classroom, teachers can help develop these critical 21st-century skills and prepare students for college and future careers” ICTI-140.
So how does one begin this process? In our ICTI-140 course, Search Skills and Strategies for Research and Learning, we guide you through week-by-week in developing a project perfectly designed for your classroom.
- Identifying a learning goal/standard
- Introducing a focus question for the lesson
- Student resources to assist your students in conducting research
- A variety of primary, secondary, video and other sources of information
- A scope and sequence of the lesson
- The use of an online tool for saving/sharing resources
At iTeach Professional Learning, we recognize the importance of relevant professional development that encourages you to integrate what you are learning directly into your classroom. With the flexibility of the project to form fit to your classroom objectives, the course helps you develop a pattern of integrating search skill strategies into your classroom.
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