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Maine Samplers Part III

BELIEFS ABOUT EDUCATION
6. We believe that "process" should be measured as well as products or "outcomes." Stress should be placed on application of skills and strategies rather than on specific knowledge.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR LIBRARIANS

6. Again, the necessity of examining "process" makes evaluation more difficult. The application and use of specific skills is more important than being able to regurgitate specific knowledge. Stress higher level thinking skills (see Bloom's taxonomy in The Maine Sampler II). Sometimes it's handy to give students a copy of Bloom's taxonomy with corresponding verbs. (One spring, the second grade at Asa Adams School was knowingly, effectively, and articulately working with Bloom's in literature packets! Each student worked on a question or activity, or made up her own, from each level after reading a book.) Just because a student can give an answer to the question, "What is a key word?" it doesn't mean that he will use the concept when searching a data base.

WHAT ASSESSMENT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN THE LIBRARY

Note: One type of assessment has been matched with a specific trend only as example . Please remember that there is much overlap and these methods may apply to other situations!

6. Choose a mid-point in an assignment to check certain skills and general progress. Expect students to reflect upon these questions while in the middle of researching:
1. Where am I?
2. What problems am I having?
3. What will I do differently next time?
It may be beneficial for you to model the process as you are working with a group of students. Verbalize your strategies, share your successes and frustrations with students. Expect the student to verbalize his success and frustrations in a group, with a supervisor, and even with himself. This monitoring of projects-in-process provides much more feedback to the students and usually results in a better product.

This mid-point check may be handled by an informal conference with the student, teacher or librarian. This also serves the purpose of confronting errors in method or pursuit of red herrings. (e.g. One high school student had used much valuable time and was frustrated when she couldn't find anything on the Bhutan Death March, because she had been pursuing material on Vietnam!)
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