OLA Conference 2018

Discover ways to assist high school and college students to avoid the binaries of search-and-find and pick-and-plug in, which they can mistakenly rely upon to finish research projects quickly. Through small group work and reflection, participants will experience how surfacing students’ previous knowledge and their personal experiences ensures their ability to better engage in the process of inquiry. The focus on inquiry can engender frustration for students because it requires gaining comfort with ambiguity, plus constant questioning, a difficult developmental stage in critical thinking and academic achievement.

Using concepts and practices from frameworks which emphasize metacognition, such as the Reading Apprenticeship Framework, the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, and the learning goals (in draft) from the Oregon School Library Standards, participants will practice various ways to use reading routines and metacognitive practices to support topic exploration as a process— which requires reflection, sharing and discussion—and leads to making new connections and discoveries. This workshop will apply to all discipline areas, not just composition or writing, and has application for librarians where independent research projects are required (including high school through college).