Thing 16 Student 2.0 Tools

If there is one thing I know about students that come into the library with work to do it is this : They are in a hurry! Usually the parents are in a hurry too. Or we see the parent or grandparent here to get materials for the child's project. How can we best help? We can ask the right questions, understand the scope of the assignment and put the right materials in the patron's hand. Understanding how assignments are structured, what research is expected, and the given timeline is very helpful to guide us to filling the patron's request. This assignment calculator is amazing in its depth and helpfulness but it is definately a planning tool for planners. This isn't going to help a second grader with two days left to do a report on an insect found only in the Belize rainforest. Hmmm. When I worked as a K-8 Media Specialist I had a special place in my heart for the Big Six. It has K-2, 3-6 and 7-12 strategies for almost any kind of a task -- from how to buy a present for someone to doing a research paper. It asks questions that all ages of student understand -- parents too, it can really be helpful to ask questions in such a way that we assist in the process of learning. These planners empower the learner and organize the process and the materials. Do not underestimate the empathy and helpfulness we exhibit to students simply by understanding their questions and giving them materials that will be most helpful to them. In this way we encourage and support learning. In this way we will give patron's satisfactory service.