Description

When you stand alone in front of the class, being in command of your content is only the first step. Knowing how to engage students’ participation in ways that foster “ownership” ensures that learning is both active and lasting. In this guide, Oehrli shares tried and tested techniques honed from 20 years of practice in both traditional and nontraditional settings. Drawing from educational research, she applies these techniques to the learner-centered teaching of information literacy topics. In this book, which is organized for quick access to techniques at your point of need, you will learn

how to use guiding principles to shape your personal philosophy of teaching;

ways to address the uneven power dynamics of a classroom;

5 basic questions to guide your preparation for a class;

pointers for communicating with students in the language of the ACRL Framework;

simple and subtle ways to build rapport with students;

real-world applications of education research concepts such as Keller’s ARCS theory of motivation;

metacognitive techniques that foster student ownership of learning;

other tips for asking good discussion questions and how to use the think/pair/share method to encourage discussion;

techniques for defusing distraction in the classroom through proximity, pivoting, and pausing; and

interactive methods to uncover students’ prior knowledge in research.

Busy academic librarians looking for reliable, research-supported techniques that they can put into practice immediately will find them in this hands-on guide for information literacy instruction.

Jo Angela Oehrli is a learning librarian at the University of Michigan Libraries‒Ann Arbor, where she delivers instruction in one-on-one, small group, and large class environments. A former high school and middle school teacher, she has been an adjunct lecturer at the University of Michigan’s School of Information and for undergraduate courses in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. In 2017, she won ALA’s Library Instruction Round Table’s Librarian Recognition Award and the University of Michigan’s University Librarian Recognition Award. Oehrli is serving as president of the LOEX board from 2021 to 2023. She holds an MSI degree from the University of Michigan’s School of Information. Acknowledgments
IntroductionPart I         The Basics Chapter 1    Words Matter
Defining Learning, Library Instruction, and Motivation
Chapter 2    Guiding Principles
Part II     The Beginning: The Starting Point of Class Chapter 3    Preparing for Class
Intentional Teaching and Lesson Planning
Chapter 4    Starting Class
Setting the Stage for Learning
Part III    The Middle of Class Chapter 5    Prior Knowledge
Chapter 6    Thinking about Thinking
Metacognition, Guided Reflection, and Formative Assessment
Chapter 7    Talking and Listening in Class
Classroom Discussion and the Importance of Listening
Chapter 8    Active Learning
Applying Knowledge as Reinforcement
Chapter 9    Problem-Solving Instructional Dilemmas
Common Overall Challenges while Teaching
Part IV    The End: Looking Back and Forward on Your Library Instruction Chapter 10    The End of Class
Chapter 11    Looking Back on Your Teaching
Reflective Practice
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index