I was surprised to learn that the tutors are so important as a second level of information literacy support after the librarians. I knew the tutors work with students on their synthesis of information in essay drafts, but I took for granted that students also seek out help in the writing center for finding or managing their sources.
I learned that I can ask my students to make tutoring appointments to discuss the best ways to find or use their research sources, not just their essay drafts.
table arrangement - English library SDEV tutors
the continuity between library and tutors
amazing job the English writing tutors
consistency between knowing acceptable resources for students
a good feeling that students who utilize the library and tutors will be successful with their assignments
some of the language of questions we were asked were confusing
Surprised me how quickly we were able to function as a team. Dynamic, respectful, fun, interesting.
Learned a couple of things that I plan to incorporate into my classes.
Getting out of our silos is very helpful so that students are getting the same info reinforced by the tutors, librarians, instructors who work with them.
Process was very well organized. Great facilitators! Thank you Ernie, Celita!
Great to meet our colleagues.
Working with others is not always a pleasant or productive experience. Human beings are varied so it logically follows that human interaction is as well.
Our group worked well together. All members interacted and the interaction produced/created dialogue and thought that probably would not have been produced or created individually. That is why we continue to try to work together.
We ultimately realized how interconnected and far reaching information literacy is. If the brave new world is now digital, then discussing and analyzing it together is imperative.
Today, we spent time determining the ways in which tutors and librarians share common tasks in helping students to complete research essays. We examined a listing of six broad categories of tasks: interactions in which authority is constructed, the process of information creation, the assessment of the value of information, the role of inquiry in research, the role of scholarship, and the use of information strategies.
As a writing instructor, I find the need for improved information search strategies for students. Students have problems finding enough information to write. Tutors and instructors can ask students questions to prompt the students to seek further information. The librarians can, in turn, help the students find useful sources in support of the information.
We must cope with larger processes in a deadline-driven process. Tutors and librarian must find a Socratic process to help the students meet their deadlines.
Other disciplines have a simplistic view of the writing process. Perhaps more disciplines need to be engaged in today's conversation about information literacy.
Combine 50 sources and stir them. But will they know what they are writing about? We must help the student devise a coherent statement of what they are doing. How do we fill in the blanks in the students' minds?
Framework has a progression of increasingly sophisticated abilities.
The three groups "layer well" to help the students but all of the departments need to work more together.
The librarians and tutors have learned more of what they both do, but where is the crossover? What are the gaps? Tutors are peer tutors. They are not designed as an authority source.
We must be deliberate in meeting the goals of the QEP process.
As a faculty member, it was interesting to hear what the Writing Center and Library each do to help students. We had interesting discussions about where collaboration and cross-training could be beneficial and some gaps that don't seem to be consistently covered by any area.
It was enjoyable to interact with folks who are passionate about what they do!
I was surprised to see an overall happy roomful of thinkers whose goals for students are in concert.
We have discovered we teach the conductor, the writer, who labors to arrange themes, notes, and movements in a text.
We share confidence building processes which expand the conductor's repertoire, hopefully leading to greater efforts in composing.
Some days we share strategies for restringing, and other we listen to the treble and bass, discovering missing notes on stops.
We strategize together with our students and today with each other to draw out the curious creative means of expressing ideas.
I have learned that students are getting the best of both worlds when working in conjunction with the librarians and then the tutors.
I learned that tutors use techniques to make students feel at ease when frustrated with topics by changing focus to a more personal discussion about their lives. This gives students the opportunity to let go of some of the stress and refocus.
I learned that tutors are helping in many ways with topics similar to librarians.
Today provided a better understanding of the Information Literacy Framework. Reviewing goals/sections allowed for insightful and reflective conversation. Each department plays a valuable role in the student's development of IL. There seems to be a continuum of skill development, and it will be crucial for students to have multiple touches or a variety of interactions with IL.
Together tutors, librarians, and faculty can create a strong curriculum for students to increase their understanding of IL and create ways to apply it in their future careers.
I gained a better sense of the Framework and how it is structured around a ladder of more complex strategies and understandings. I also gained an appreciation -- a deeper appreciation -- of the shared mission both the librarians and the tutors (and faculty) have in promoting these skills and understandings. Few of the Frames are the sole purview of any single group, but librarians, tutors, and faculty may play different roles and adopt different approaches to helping students gain proficiency with these literacy skills.
I learned more about what the tutors in the INRW lab do. There is much overlap between what they do and what librarians do. Between the tutoring services offered at the writing lab and with the sources provided by the library I feel that every student should be able to succeed with any research and writing assignment that they are given.
I learned a lot about the tutoring process. The tutors at my table spend just as much time discussing the students ideas and resource sources as they do editing a paper.
I learned that much of the wording and vocabulary of the "framework" is forced, confusing, and annoying -- specifically the category "Information Creation as a Process."
I learned more about the INRW courses and most importantly I'm happy to learn that instructors, tutors, and librarians are continually reinforcing the same concepts, ideas, and strategies for research and writing.
What surprised me? Realizing that tutors cover a LOT more "librarian territory" that I realized. The strategies they used were so similar to what we do and wow! I can't wait to work with them (hopefully) on a daily basis. They understand students, understand how to work with them. I also think we haven't realized just how much we -- in our efforts to simplify research and writing -- have actually harmed student ability to develop information literacy skills. It has to be messy and complicated. It has to be a real process. And measure student progress on improvement from where they start not just give a final grade.
Unsurprisingly, there was quite a bit of "preaching to the choir" within our group. Many of the questions we easily drew similarities and had both tutors and librarians in agreement on the issues.
However, I was surprised to find how much pre-writing assistance the tutors give to students in advising on research, topic selection, and idea development.
Overall I feel that the session was very successful and would highly encourage similar in the future.
I was surprised at how often the librarians and tutors crossed paths in our efforts to help students with projects.
In our group a large majority of interactions, 80 percent or more, involved both.
I enjoyed listening to Carlos, Melanie, and Cristal as they explained their specific strategies and stories while tutoring at the WC. It was illuminating.
I enjoyed hearing more about how the writing center approached many of the same learning barriers and challenges that are seen with the library scope and the classroom environment. I am reminded that the one on one instruction is a great beginning but never enough time to build the necessary tools. We need more student interaction and skill building activities built into our curriculum that progresses students toward information literacy.
There is bound to be some cross-pollination between professions that deal so closely with assisting students. The degree of similarity between tutors and librarians was very surprising, however; some skills and strategies that I previously thought were exclusively the realm of tutors are actually fairly common for librarians.
Today, I've learned that both the tutor and the librarian have several responsibilities that affect their performance and the student. Though, the librarian and the tutor are different jobs, they share similar traits, which are helping the student with information they need for their assignments, their resources, and to make sure their information is correct.
The complexity of the questions provided was an aspect I did not expect. At times we had to read over a section multiple times to grasp it's meaning. Together we came to an understanding. During this process, we learned more about what one another does, (job descriptions). We found that several of the questions/instances were communally addressed by tutors and librarians. One thing that unites us both, is our passion for the academic community and students.
I found today's session beneficial, as a tutor, for the fact that I was able to listen to the ideas and thoughts of librarians and teachers. The variety of perspectives was quite interesting and much appreciated. Overall, we found that many of the session's concerns apply to both librarians and tutors, and I think that both groups having a better understanding of each other's experiences will ultimately be of benefit to the students we help. I learned a bit more about the types of services librarians provide and what their one-on-one interactions with students are like.
From the short time that I was here I learned the struggles between the librarian and tutors are similar.
Both the librarian and us tutors try to figure out what the student needs and understands, that way we know how to help them gain more knowledge.
I believe that the librarian deals with the logistical aspect of what the students are looking for especially when dealing with research and source help. Then us tutors help the students connect the information (research) into the assignments.
At first I was surprised at how much crossover there was between the duties and responsibilities of librarians and tutors. Next I found it interesting that we identified some areas that were really the responsibility of neither. This may be more for practical reasons and pragmatic constraints on our interactions with students more than anything else.
It was also interesting to see the different strategies used by librarians and tutors to approach specific topics. Furthermore, it was good to have the chance to ask about topics I was unsure how to best address.
The wording of certain sections (B, primarily) was, however, rather difficult to satisfactorily interpret. This slowed discussion and was unnecessarily frustrating.
Something the process brought out to a great extent is how much the librarians and tutors work along parallel paths to achieve the same goal.
Something notable in the explication of the process of research and synthesis is how much isn't done due to time constraints or the assumption (right or wrong) that the student already understands the process.
Approaching these "blank areas" requires of course time and also commitment by librarians and tutors to broaden the definition of their function.
Students here at SAC need more support for their assignments than I orginally thought. Having been a person that not really used the library, I gained insight as to what the librarians do to aid the students in their research and writing process.
Furthermore, the roles of tutors and librarian coincide in many areas. However, our most important common goal is the development of the students.
Having both the centers and library at hand, we adapt and challenge students with various methods in order to expand their own ideas.
This morning we gathered with faculty, library staff, and WC to describe the responsibilities we have in our work for students. Interestingly, there were no students present -- students without any affiliation. I am not sure if faculty from non-ENG departments were present either, which is a major contributor to the discrepancy and frustration found in the gaps between services and learning outcomes. But, I digress. During this session I have confirmed that there are responsibilities all stakeholders share regardless of institution and training and there are important differences. A responsibility I thought I had as an educator may have been relegated to "no time for that" at a different institution. It is vital that we create and follow a guideline of responsibilities, not only for our sanity but for that of our students.
I was surprised today to see that the library and the writing center have a lot of similarities. For example, I didn't know that the library does one on one learning/research like the tutoring center does.
On the cream colored sheet you can see that we both do similar things. It's sad that a lot of people don't know about the library's one on one sessions because from what Johnathan was saying it could be really helpful to most students.
Something surprising and new is how much our practices and beliefs align. It is as if we are two of the same. Dingman said "one of us leads the student to water," and the other shows her how to drink. We are a team, and together we are creating a safe and creative space for fearless learning.
Today I met new, intelligent people that taught me more about how we collaborate, even if we've never met. We all work together for student and college success and promote one another on a day-to-day basis. I feel honored to attend SAC but also to work with such smart and magnificent people.
I believe that it is vital to have a knowledge of professors and introduce yourself to them. They may not know entirely what we do. Getting to help out professors will benefit both parties.
I learned how much our duties overlap with the librarians. Also, some of the strategies we use are very similar. For example, tutors and librarians both use the same methods for finding sources. Librarians also get frustrated when they don't get results on the first try. Additionally, we both help students evaluate and understand their sources. We challenge their arguments, and question their sources. I also realize how much more in depth tutors can get into discussing topics with students. I also learned that students can schedule research appointments.
Hearing all of the different points of view on these subjects helped me have a deeper understanding of where everyone is coming from. Talking about how to get each student to the highest level was interesting because there are so many different starting points. These points aren't just for students either, the professors, librarians, and tutors, like myself, all expect and understand things differently. Yet, we all have the common goal of wanting our students to do well. I had some level of understanding what each group expected but there was far more to each type than I thought.
Information handling and processing as a personal behavior/skill is developed only over a lifetime of use and starts, never stops. Depending on who you ask -- depending on that person's level of progression -- minimum proficiency may look like drastically different capabilities. Discrete learning session may impact some familiarity or even the framework of a practice, but in most cases these sessions have about the same lasting imprint of taking a day of foreign language instruction. If asked to converse a week later, the results may not replicate the learning that supposedly occurred earlier.
Information literacy is a life in its own that runs parallel to the life of the user -- this becomes more and more true as humans become less creatures of physical nature than beings of information. With this yardstick ahead of us, we must be prepared to implement -- whatever they may be -- education efforts that run the whole life of the learner.
I'm still learning about our librarian's job duties to be honest. I think this roundtable helps to unite us tutors with professors and librarians, so we can discuss how we could better work together. Working together would definitely positively impact the students.Juliet mentioned that some students she has tutored sometimes come in not knowing much about a topic they are supposed to be writing about, and after hearing Juliet's experience, everyone at our table agreed that having librarians that can help these students, with research strategies before they write their papers and visit us at the WC, would make a smoother process overall for everyone involved.
I also learned that I should suggest to the students I tutor that they seek help from our librarians when starting on research, since I really have not yet.