Active-learning Potions
Information Literacy in Today’s
Magical Libraries

What have you learned (about) at this
year’s ILA Annual Conference?
• Divide into groups
• Use Post-It notes
• Answer the question above
and post your answer to the
poster with the Post-It notes.
• Can you post more answers
than the other teams?

Name that definition
• Stabilizing through repeated use, certain
appropriate and desirable synapses in the brain
-- See Robert Leamnson’s Thinking About
Teaching and Learning (53).

Name that definition II
• What would you call a collection of electronic
records that provide information about articles,
book reviews, or books? Individuals may search
on specific parts of the records, called fields.

The Good News
• “While the growth of axons is profligate during
early development, it never completely stops
until extreme old age—perhaps only at death”
(Leamnson 21).
• Everyone can learn.

How would you define learning?
• Think-pair-share
• Write down an answer, turn to
your neighbor, and share your
ideas.
• Discuss all together

Active Learning
• “Learning is a developmental process rather
than only a question of acquisition.”
-- What the Best College Teachers Do
by Ken Bain (153).
• “When learning is active, students do most of the
work. They use their brains . . . Studying ideas,
solving problems, and applying what they learn.
Active learning is fast-paced, fun, supportive,
and personally engaging.”
-- Active Learning by Mel Silberman

Active-learning Ideas
• Listening Teams
• Visual Quiz
• Handouts
• Lecture
• Think-Pair-Share
• Applying the CRAAP Test  Do it!
Research question: “How does active
learning improve a student’s education?
Does it?”

Teaching
• “The great irony here is that
the best teaching draws
attention away from the
teacher. The very best
teaching, like the very best
writing, is often transparent”
(Leamnson 18).

Challenges
• “Learning new things, in short, is strenuous.
Students will avoid it if they can” (Leamnson
20).
• Time constraints
• Knowing the students. Derek Bok believes the
best teachers always work to learn more about
their students.

Wrap up
• What can we conclude from this workshop?
• What have you learned in this workshop?
• What will you take back to your library?
-- Name three things.