Following from our “Learn to Read : Read to Learn” session with Sarah McDonald from Charles Sturt University, I have found some good sites with graphic organisers that will be very helpful. As Sarah said, research has shown that summarising and use of graphic organisers are among strategies that improve comprehension.

In our information abundant world, these tools are also used frequently in our Information Skills process, especially in the Select, Organise and Present  steps.

Look at the sites listed below, especially the edhelper site, which has visually attractive organisers that are still very practical. There are lots to choose from, but as Sarah reminded us, choose only 1 or 2 at a time to introduce so that the children can master them without confusion.

Houghton Mifflin

http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/  

S.C.O.R.E.

http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/actbank/torganiz.htm  

More attractive visuals may appeal to younger students http://edhelper.com/teachers/graphic_organizers.htm  

Enchanted Learning http://www.enchantedlearning.com/graphicorganizers/

A further resource to support our discussion around HSIE and Information Skills has just come by my way the day before our next staff meeting on HSIE.

Chris Betcher’s regular podcast The Virtual Staffroom has a new episode that went up yesterday all about Information Literacy.  He interviews a teacher librarian on the subject, raising and discussing some of the challenges of learning in the 21st Century and how to locate, select and critique information.

It is long for those not used to listening to podcasts, but it is good (in fact, I’m listening to it as I type).  I recommend you listen to it.  The link to the podcast is below, or if you’re an iTunes user, you can access/subscribe to the Virtual Staffroom through the iTunes store.  I’ve also added a link to the podcast in our staff del.icio.us account.

The Virtual Staffroom Episode 14: Questions are the Answer

Last week in our staff meeting we looked more closely at the pedagogy underpinning the teaching and learning in the HSIE curriculum, particularly the Information Skills process.  Here are just a few resources to continue the PD and keep the conversation going.

Firstly, here’s the NSWDET site on the newly updated information skills process.

Secondly, if you’d like to see your children use search engines more effectively and critically, you can download these posters and cards for display in your classroom, courtesy of Google.

Finally, if you’re still not convinced about the need to develop students’ information literacy, then you must watch this video from teachers.tv.

Of course, this week’s staff meeting is CENet part II.  We’ll get back to the HSIE conversation and journey next week.