On hooding and babies and bathwater

August 14, 2007 in 2.0, About learning, About libraries, Doctoral stuff, School culture, Search Tools, databases

I am back from Texas, from the UNT hooding ceremony and from visiting family in Houston. (Those of you who are already groaning, please keep reading, this post moves beyond the personal.)

First, let me say that I am grateful to the UNT SLIS faculty for offering me a precious gift–the chance to pursue the degree that eluded me through so many years of kids and work. I was able to graduate with two members of my wonderful cohort: Michael Stephens and Stacy Creel. And I am grateful to my committee: Carol Simpson, Brian O’Connor, Sam Hastings, and Marjorie Pappas for guiding me through an arduous process.

As I sat in the audience watching 72 doctoral candidates get hooded before it was my turn, I considered that arduous process.

I considered it in light of my recent post on databases in SLJ, the argument I’ve been following in Chronicle of Higher Education, Britannica’s Web 2.0 Forum, Prensky’s motto: “Engage me or enrage me,” our/my very honest passion for all things 2.0. And then Chris Sessums pointed to YouTube video based on an Alan Watts talk: Music and Life, fairly scornful of the arduous (empty) process.

I suspect the truth lies somewhere in between a scorn for the worn and the thrill of the new. Can we engage our learners without throwing out some of the 1.0 bathwater?

I grew up “paper trained.” But nearly every time I opened the bag I received (see that video), though I had to wait a bit, it actually did contain riches that allowed me to do the things I wanted to do and to grow as I did them. No one ever told me to sell insurance or wear a gray suit. Along the way there was time for music and dance and wine and friends.

Back in high school, I wrote carefully scrutinized papers, that were scanned for the quality of my argument and the quality of my evidence. I also worked on authentic projects; I tried to save the world; I created media (albeit primitive).

I am so impressed with Marco Torres’ students’ work. I want my students to create work like that, work is powerful and relevant and intelligent. I truly get the problems Marco’s students describe in Digital Students @ Analog Schools. I want my students to encounter university programs that allow them to continue to learn, to create in multiple media, to contribute.

But I want them also to learn to write a formal paper. I want them to develop the patience required to read serious nonfiction and journal articles. I want them to be able to carefully evaluate media and sources in any format. I want them to be ready and able to write an academic argument, an annual report, a carefully considered business plan.

As I work to engage them, as I look for projects that allow them to explore the power of media, to communicate effectively with expanded audiences, I want want them also to strive for quality. I want them to develop some more traditional skills.

I want them to have some level of academic patience. This work might take energy.

Though I want to make those databases I love way easier to find and use, I also don’t think asking students to go one more click beyond Google is too much to ask.

Create a free edublog to get your own comment avatar (and more!)

6 Replies

Marcia
August 14, 2007 at 4:07 pm

Dr. Joyce ! - sincere congrats!

I love your comments about academic patience and careful consideration. In our “instant info” “whatever is found is ‘good enough’ society” we need to continue to strive for excellence. The achievement of that is a challenge for sure.
Katie
August 15, 2007 at 2:04 am

First … congrats - what an accomplishment!

I have re-read this post throughout the day … it really has resonated with me. I am a middle school library media specialist and just spent the day in training as we prepare for the 1 to 1 laptop initiative we are starting this year. I am so excited about the possibilities that this will bring for my students. But as you put so well … “I want them to develop some more traditional skills. I want them to have some level of academic patience. This work might take energy.” Thanks for putting in writing what I have been struggling with in my head as I went through my day today.
ken rodoff
August 15, 2007 at 2:51 am

A famous quote from a famous movie goes something like this:
“Doctor.”
“Doctor.”
“Doctor”
“Doctor”

Congrats on the hooding, although that sounds quite sinister and fills me with a bit of fear.

I thoroughly enjoyed the latter portion of your post. It reads like an academic Christmas wish list.

I recommend putting it on a poster and then distributing to teachers.

I’m serious.
Sandy Miller
August 17, 2007 at 9:43 pm

I read your post and I viewed the Digital Students video. I love technology and I love new media. I have my students use all types of media and I help teachers develop assessments that rely upon presentation. However I agree with you. Students need to demonstrate patience, learn basic foundations of their given academic programs, and communicate efficiently with a given audience. I was laughing when the students in the video suggested that they should be able to create videos instead of writing papers. Can you imagine a professor who has about a week to review about 150 videos…. These students are going to hit the real world head on and not prepared. Creativity is not going to make up for a lack of general knowledge. Can you imagine a nurse or a doctor applying creativity to human anatomy and pharmacology. Not all staff meetings are going to be stimulating to the senses. The boss will not want a video of a memo that would take him a moment to read. The over reliance of creativity over production lead to the dot bombs. (I admit that it was my generations fault for that!) Right now all those creative mortgage programs are causing havoc. All those boring people who talked - I should say wrote about the real estate bubble were right!

Anyway, great blog!
Carolyn Logan
August 21, 2007 at 4:12 pm

Congrats on the Hooding!

Over the years I have enjoyed your insightful articles and workshops.
This article for me reads like a lament that we were taught how to learn, explore and question and today students are not. When I consider the skill set needed to meet each infomation literacy standard, I become overwhelmed with an understanding of why my students consider me working them too hard: that thinking is not expected, acquiring understanding and knowledge is not expected or taught by their other teachers(more like too few other teachers).

The traditional skills associated with thinking and questioning will serve our students and our community well. This school year I am going to every chance I get to develop these skills with my students before they engage in “research”.