I have been following this thread with interest, since it branched off the
"research and plagiarism" thread I started a couple of weeks ago. Seeing Shonda
Brisco's post about using Dewey ("We don't teach children to remember the DDC, we
teach them to take notes, to use those notes (the call number) to physically locate
the book on the shelves...") , prompted me to add this thought: I don't think the
goal is to teach kids to write a citation from memory. The goal is to teach them
that
1. they need to HAVE citations
2. there are prescribed formats for citations, and
3. there are books or websites that will help them create the proper format.
At this school, this starts in 4th grade, where reports end with a "Thank You
Page," which is a list of books used, by author (last name, first name) and title.
As they progress to middle and high school, the Thank You Page (one hopes)
progresses to a correctly styled Works Cited page. 'Tis true that we also hear "no
one showed me" or "Just tell me how to do it, I'm in a rush!" and we are working on
that. But I don't have as my goal that they will write citations unaided (I
certainly can't.) I have as a goal that they will realize they must cite what they
have not themselves created, and they must be able to get the citation into the
correct format. (If using a citation machine, they means they must be able to
check that "machine-created" citation format against the most current manual.)
Most of our English teachers have a current copy of the style manual in their
rooms. We have several in the library. I am not above suggesting a student go to
Barnes&Noble and check their citations over a frappachino if they don't have other
access to a style manual and the libraries are closed.
Some students will play the "I don't understand/no one told me" card, and I would
buy that as an excuse if I was asking them to know where every colon and period
went from memory. But I won't buy that no one has ever told them that they need to
cite their sources and that there are books/websites to consult to see how to do
that properly. Maggie K.
Ms. Maggie Knapp, Librarian
Middle School/Upper School Library
Trinity Valley School
7500 Dutch Branch Rd.
Fort Worth, Texas 76132
tel: 817-321-0100 ext. 410
fax: 817-321-0105
knappm@trinityvalleyschool.org
________________________________
From: School Library Media & Network Communications on behalf of Patricia A. Hartye
Sent: Wed 5/30/2007 8:38 AM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: Research and plagiarism policies
Every year all of my middle school students act like no one has ever taught them
anything. This is not just a library problem. One of our math teachers recently
asked me, "Aren't these kids supposed to master their multiplication facts in third
grade? Why can't they solve the simplest problem?" Also, the problem doesn't stop
with us! There are college professors asking why high schools are graduating kids
who can't write a research paper, and employers lament that every year colleges
send forth graduates who can't write a coherent memo. Until everyone in the
process collaborates (where have I heard THAT word before?!), we're going to keep
wondering.
Patricia Hartye, Librarian
J. S. Russell Middle School
patricia.hartye@burn.k12.va.us
________________________________
Lisa Hunt
"Why don't the (younger grade teachers) teach (vital skills) so my (older grade
students) are prepared?" The answer to this is, "They do."
Gail Smith
I would feel that I had not done my job if I sent
8th grade graduates out of here without a good grasp of researching,
writing, and citing sources.
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