4.4+Project+Pathfinders

PATHFINDER PROJECT - 30 points

We all know that students do not start their research process with published material that has gone through an editorial process (e.g. a subscription database) and we know that some students never move beyond the free Web for their research. We also know that some teachers are quite willing to let students wander the free Web in search of information for a project without requiring any library media center resources. A potential logical outgrowth of this would be the increasing marginalization of the media center and the services that it offers.

Can’t you just hear it: “Why bother going to the library? The Internet has everything I need.” (Even more horrifying is to hear that sentence from your administrator!) As I hope you have heard mentioned numerous times, the media specialist must **lead** in the information gathering process and part of this process is to make the media center resources **fundamental** to the research process. One way to do this is to make media center home page and media specialist-created pathfinders an important portal to successful completion of an assignment.

Almost every media center has a home page and if there isn’t one there should be. No media center can truly call itself responsive to the needs of its patrons if it does not provide access to electronic resources outside of the school building. Electronic pathfinders are increasingly a part of this research process. At the simplest level, a pathfinder is a collection of digital resources targeted to a specific assignment or unit of study. At a higher level, a pathfinder combines into one portal free Web sources with media center holdings (books, videos, microfiche (does anyone have microfiche any longer?), etc.) as the means for accessing a wide variety of information to complete a project.

How is all of this related to a selection class? So glad you asked. The selection of free Web resources adds additional value to the media center home page is an important addition to our selection responsibilities. Aside from utilizing the media specialist’s skills in evaluation of Web resources, the development of pathfinders is an important opportunity to continue a collaborative relationship with teachers. If teachers are coming to you to help in the development of a research unit, you are integrated into (and thus necessary to) the successful completion of the project.

(10 points)
 * PART I** – **REVIEWING THE REVIEWERS:** Where to find Web sites that have already been reviewed? Obviously as a diligent librarian you can go out and select Web sites and put together a comprehensive list for a class project. However, there are lots of professionals who have already spent a great deal of time reviewing Web sites for their excellence. You are going to keep a list of these sites as a first place to look for selecting Web sites. Just as you have done with other reviewing sites.
 * As you are reviewing sites, look for topics that might be controversial and see if there are advertisements that might interfere with using the site as a student resource. I think inappropriate advertising can be a problem with using free sites for class research.
 * In order to get a feeling for the similarities and differences of the different tools, search for the same topic in each of the sites.

1. Go to your wiki/Web page and create a new page: Reviews-Web Sites 2. Create a review page for the "Tools that Review Web Sites" list below and indicate for each:
 * Subscription cost, if there is one. You may not be able to find this, but give it a try.
 * What business or group is responsible for the publication of the reviews?
 * Are the reviews written by professionals in the field or anyone write the review?
 * Mention any peculiar or particular qualities that should be noted about this reviewing source.
 * Copy an example of a review -- or even better -- make a screen grab and insert it into your project (PicMonkey is a great free site for cropping if you need a source: @http://www.picmonkey.com/).


 * Tools that Review Web Sites**
 * eThemes http://ethemes.missouri.edu
 * (//in response to a question about how links for eThemes are selected, I got this reply from MU, "We have graduate student (sic) in Library Science (most are former classroom teachers) who locate online resources that are age appropriate, educational, and safe for the topics requested. Twice a month we update broken links as needed.")//
 * netTrekker d.i. (JCKL database)
 * edshelf @https://edshelf.com/
 * Sweet Search @http://www.sweetsearch.com/ or Sweet Search 4 Me (for elementary students) @http://4me.sweetsearch.com/
 * findingDulcenea @http://www.findingdulcinea.com/
 * Select **one** of the following to review and to use for the second part of this assignment:
 * Virtual Learning Resources Center @http://www.virtuallrc.com/
 * TeacherTopia @http://www.teachertopia.info/
 * Infotopia @http://www.infotopia.info/
 * Academic Index @http://www.academicindex.net/
 * Kidtopia @http://www.kidtopia.info/

**PART II** **CREATING A PATHFINDER USING TOOLS FROM THE WEB SITES TO REVIEW** (20 points) Go to your wiki and create a new page and title it: Project-Pathfinder. On this page of your wiki you will create a pathfinder for a unit of study. Construct a pathfinder page just as if you were using the project for your students next week. Make it look like a finished product.


 * Here is an example of a pathfinder on Lewis and Clark: @http://nb.wsd.wednet.edu/lmc/pathfinders/lewis_clark_pathfinder.htm. NOTE: There is more than just books from the library's collection that are noted and books are identified with their Dewey number so the students can go right to the shelf for them.
 * IPL2 (Internet Public Library and Librarians’ Internet Index) @http://www.ipl.org/div/pf/ (Unfortunately, IPL2 is no longer updated, but I have included it because you might be interested in seeing some of the pathfinders which will remain on the Web for a while).

http://www.findingdulcinea.com/
 * 1) Describe a unit project that one of your teachers is undertaking. As part of the library process you are going to put together some resources for this project.
 * 2) List the Common Core standards or Missouri GLE(s) or CLE(s) this assignment addresses and insert hyperlink(s) to the standards OR you can do a print screen of the standards and include the image in your project.
 * 3) Give a sentence description of what I as a student would find on this site. (There is nothing so intimidating as finding a list of URLs with no explanation.)
 * 4) In order to get a feel for the content of the Web reviewing sources above, select at least 10 Web sites from a minimum of three of the "Tools that Review Web Sites" above that support the general topic of your pathfinder, like the Lewis and Clark example above. You may have to stretch a little, but try to find Web sites that students would lead students to some aspect of the pathfinder topic. ** Be sure I know which links came from which tool. **
 * 5) In addition to the 10 minimum Web sites I want you to include information from your library -- books, videos, etc. It doesn't have to be a lot but I believe that pathfinders should not only include digital information but also direct students to information you have purchased for your collection.
 * 6) Briefly reflect and summarize your evaluation of ** each of the Web selection tools you used ** in creating this specific pathfinder. Spend some time reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of each of the tools that you used. How well did it work for you in creating your pathfinder? How does the source differ from others. Analyze them for t heir value as you would do if you were writing a review for your blog, for instance.