The amount of information available to students now through the use of technology and the Internet has led to a revision of thinking in how we teach students to access, collect, and convert information for their use. While we still teach our students how to use resources such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other resource materials, we now must not only include electronic resources, but also provide a framework for the research process.
Prince William School Librarians spent over a year reviewing current theories and practices and developed the Information Management Process (IMP). This process, while included as part of the Language Arts curriculum, is applied in all curricular areas and at all grade levels. Drawing on the basic structure of how we make daily decisions, the IMP provides a guide for applying that structure to the research process. The IMP contains five steps for students to follow for successful completion of classroom assignments. The complexity of the steps varies depending on the grade level.
CLARIFY INFORMATION NEEDED:
Understand the specific requirements of the assignment
Review what is already known about the subject
Create a search plan and possible resources for use
ACCESS AND RETRIEVE RESOURCES:
Identify appropriate kinds of resources
Use knowledge of how information is organized to locate resources
Use various means to locate resources such as print and electronic indexes, keyword searching, electronic menu systems
EVALUATE RESOURCES:
Review resources using indexes, tables of content, chapter headings to determine usefulness for assignment
Evaluate timeliness and appropriateness of information
ANALYZE INFORMATION:
Reads for information
Checks for accuracy and missing information
Records information in own words
Organizes the information gathered
Uses appropriate bibliographic format to cite sources
SYNTHESIZE INFORMATION:
Combines information from variety of sources
Checks against prior knowledge
Draws conclusions from information
Checks for completion of all elements of assignment
Demonstrates knowledge gained
Evaluates own learning
This is an I.M.P. grid that shows
the proficiency levels for K-12 students
I made this into 2"x3" posters of the I.M.P. steps and hung them in the library
