I just got back from the 2007 CSLA (California School Library Association) annual conference http://www.csla.net/conf2007/.
1. The original project:
Before going I knew I wanted to use the conference to gather ideas for my major project of developing a four-year research curriculum for the school (Downtown Magnets High School in Los Angeles). This is part of a schoolwide commitment to raise the level of rigor in our academic environment.
2. The technology dimension:
What I didn't realize until I had been at the conference a while was that most of the sessions I was drawn to were on the subject of Web 2.0, or School Library Learning 2.0, or closely related cutting edge internet application topics (wikis, blogs, RSS feeds, deli.cio.us, image & video sharing, etc.). I soon realized the connection between my research curriculum project and the new web applications I was learning -- as a result my goal coming out of the conference now includes utilizing these technologies in the curriculum.
3. Student empowerment:
Beginning to reflect on the conference one day after it ended, I realize that the two sessions that made the strongest impression on me emphasized student empowerment. David Loertscher (based on his work with Robin Williams) and Doug Achterman showed how to use iGoogle to give each student control over their own online academic workspace. Tom Holmes' metaphor of "The Hero's Journey Inquiry/Research Model" showed me that you can give students access to an empowering point of view as part of their research/exploration.
4. Deep learning:
A fourth strand came from the sessions of Rosemarie Bernier and, once again, David Loertscher, the dimension and importance of deep learning. Dr. Loertscher said "the product (of the research process) is the beginning of the learning experience, not the end". He says we should shift our emphasis to the stuff that happens after you find the information, the knowledge construction. The conclusion students reach in their research becomes the self-developed knowledge base for their next level of comprehension.
I will continue to work on developing a four-year research curriculum for our school. But because of the conference, it has been taken to another level. The first indicator is that one day after the conference, here I am sharing via a blog. There's space for you to comment and collaborate.
At the end of Dr. Loertscher's session, three of us decided that we needed to work together to capture and digest the vision we had been exposed to, and find a way to share it with the other LMT's in LAUSD, and with the staffs at our schools. I want to create a wiki asap so that we can begin a pilot project which we can use to articulate the future that we saw.
And I think I'll send an e-mail to the teachers in my school with a link to this blog.
