Emphasizing the Positive

Ms. BC and I are busy preparing for our upcoming presentations to DRMS staff and a concurrent session at the NCTIES conference held the first week of March. Going Google-Free: Providing Quality Student Research Tools is the title of our session. In preparation, it came to me that we aren't focusing on what students CAN'T use, but emphasizing what they CAN. Focusing on the quality, age-appropriate sources for research, such as those found on the NCWISEOwl databases, sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Instruction; highlighting quality organization websites, such as National Geographic, PBS, and Library of Congress; and using tools that organize information in an effective way for students to follow and gain new insights about their topic and curriculum they're learning in the classroom. THIS is what we are presenting about. The "Providing Quality Student Research Tools" portion of our presentation title is what the school library media center should be about. Ms. BC and I, as your school library media specialists, are our students' guide through the abundant resources available online. We want our students to use "the good stuff" when they research. Emphasize the positive!

-Ms. Z