Intentional Reference: Implementing Formative Assessment through Reflective Peer Facilitation

1
Intentional Reference Implementing Formative
Assessment through Reflective Peer Facilitation

• Dale Vidmar
• Information Literacy and Instruction Coordinator/
• Education, Communication, Health, Phys. Ed.
  Leadership Librarian
• Southern Oregon University Library
• http//www.sou.edu/library/dale
• vidmar_at_sou.edu
• http//www.sou.edu/vidmar/reference_renaissance/v
  idmar.ppt

Reference Renaissance Conference 2008 Denver,
Colorado August 4-5, 2008
2
Speaking of Intentions

• Reference is teaching
• Overview of reflective teaching in the context
  of reference
• Reflective peer facilitation collegial
  conversationsas a formative assessment process
• Intrinsic improvement of our craft
• Questioning strategies for planning and
  reflective conversations

3
The Death of Reference
Reference statistics are down dramatically! Refer
ence transactions are less frequent, but
questions are more complicated and take place in
random environments.
4
The Big Question
Do people know more today than about accessing
and using information effectively and efficiently
than they did ten years ago? . . . Twenty years
ago?
5
Cant we just Google it? or Yahoo! it? or Blog
or Wiki it?
6
Librarians Teach!!!
Central to our mission as librarians is our role
to promote, facilitate, and cultivate information
literacy.

• We must consider our approach to reference with
  the same diligence we consider our classroom
  teaching.

7
Teaching and Learning
The quality of student learning is directly,
although not exclusively, related to the quality
of teaching.

• Therefore, one of the most promising ways to
  improve learning is to improve teaching.

- Thomas Angelo from Classroom Assessment
Techniques
8
The Intentional Teacher
A primary characteristic of an outstanding
teacher is intentionality Having a purpose with
which to cultivate informed reflection.
9
Why Reflection?
Experience itself is actually the greatest
teacher, . . .
10
What Does Our Experience Say?
11
Why Reflection?
Experience itself is actually the greatest
teacher, . . .
not
we do not learn as much from experience as we
learn from reflecting on that experience.
- Thomas S.C. Farrell from Reflective Practice
in Action 80 Reflection Breaks for Busy Teachers
12
Collegial Conversations
Do you ever talk with colleagues after a
reference or teaching session? How does this
affect your future sessions? Do you ever talk
with someone after providing assistance?
13
Collegial Conversations
Think Pair Share
Think about your next reference session. What do
you intend to do to make the session more
productive and meaningful as a teacher?
14
Intentional Reference Reflective Peer
Facilitation
Collegial conversations that compliment the
actual teaching experience before and after a
reference session.
15
Intentional Reference Reflective Peer
Facilitation
A formative process that facilitates
introspection and self-awareness prior to,
during, and after reference as teaching.
16
Reflective Peer Facilitation Collaborative
Conversations
Intention Planning conference
Reflection Reflective Conference
Reference Experience
Critical Incidents Transformative Events
17
Reflective Peer FacilitationCollaborative
Conversations
Teacher Introspection
Facilitator Elicits critical reflection
Observer Moderates the process and takes notes
Trust Collegiality
18
Intentional Reference and The Craft of Teaching

• Significant, meaningful, and long-term positive
  change will be achieved only when it comes as a
  decision from within the individual . . . based
  on self-evaluation

- Lapp, N., Lascher, T., Matthews, T., Papalewis,
R., Stoner, M. from A Proposal
for Formative Assessment Teaching
19
References and Resources

• Angelo, T. (1993), Classroom assessment
  techniques A handbook for teachers,
  Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.
• Brookfield, S. D. (1995). Becoming a critically
  reflective teacher. San Francisco Jossey-Bass.
• Costa, A. Garmston, R. (1994). Cognitive
  coaching a foundation for renaissance schools.
  Norwood, MA Christopher Gordon.
• Farrell, T. S. (2004). Reflective practice in
  action 80 reflection breaks for busy teachers.
  Thousand Oaks, CA Corwin Press.
• Slavin, R. E. (2006). Educational psychology
  Theory and practice. Boston Pearson/Allyn and
  Bacon.

20
References and Resources

• Vidmar, D. J. (2006). Reflective peer coaching
  Crafting
• collaborative self-assessment in teaching.
  Research Strategies. 20 (3), 135-148.
• Vidmar, D. J. (2008, May). Reflective peer
  coaching
• Crafting collaborative self-assessment in the
  classroom. Retrieved May 22, 2008, from
  http//www.sou.edu/vidmar/reflective_peer_coachin
  g/
• index.htm.
• Vidmar, D. J. (2008, May). Collaborative Peer
  Conversation
• Reference Questioning Strategies. Retrieved
  August 1, 2008 from http//www.sou.edu/vidmar/ref
  erence_renaissance/
• collaborative_peer_conversation_questions.doc.
• Vidmar, D. J. (2008, May). Collaborative Peer
  Conversation
• Reference Questioning Strategies. Retrieved
  August 1, 2008 from http//www.sou.edu/vidmar/ref
  erence_renaissance/facilitator_and_observer_roles.
  doc.

21
Final Thought
Our best intentions will not improve statistics .
. . Reference is about relationships . .
. crafting an association with individuals that
extends beyond desks and classrooms and walls.
22
Intentional Reference Implementing Formative
Assessment through Reflective Peer Facilitation

• Dale Vidmar
• Information Literacy and Instruction Coordinator/
• Education, Communication, Health, Phys. Ed.
  Leadership Librarian
• Southern Oregon University Library
• http//www.sou.edu/library/dale
• vidmar_at_sou.edu
• http//www.sou.edu/vidmar/reference_renaissance/v
  idmar.ppt

Reference Renaissance Conference 2008 Denver,
Colorado August 4-5, 2008