When the goal is to practice college-level research, build entrepreneurial skills and prepare students for collaborative careers, one Chicago school recognizes the need to incorporate information science into its curriculum — and the results bring technology, critical thinking, teamwork and project-based learning together in a whole new way.
At Francis W. Parker School, an independent PreK-12 school in Chicago, students experience Integrated Learning and Information Science (ILIS) as part of their overall curriculum. Through the lens of ILIS, students apply skills to project-based learning created in collaboration with classroom and departmental teachers in every grade.
The focus on the ILIS curriculum, says Mary Catherine Coleman, Lower and Intermediate School Library and Information Services Specialist, is to weave traditional library-based learning with research and information science, which students can apply to real-world projects that are immersive and engaging.
Coleman, who created the ILIS curriculum, says that students use the information they collect from research to gain different perspectives and develop a mindset and skills they can use to positively impact their school, community and world.
Building real-world skills with information science
The program begins by teaching students to organize information using technology, work together as a group and share new knowledge based on what they’ve learned from the information they have curated. Students also learn how to express themselves and make choices when sharing their research.
“One of the ways this program benefits students,” Coleman says, “is that it introduces them to different technologies and shows them how to use those technologies to share their voice.”
The school uses various tools including apps, iPads and scratch coding, and by middle school they move up to Python, a programming language they use to create websites. They also dig deep into virtual reality, robotics, circuits and physical computing boards.
While the projects cultivate student knowledge in technology and information science know-how, they also offer rich opportunities to practice important collaboration and teamwork skills that are critical for future careers, says Coleman.
A fifth-grade class at Parker is currently designing and building a game system with computer coding. One student is building a board with conductive materials, and another is designing code — but what makes the project successful is that students have to talk to one another to get the job done.
“If something isn’t working, students have to ask each other, ‘How are we going to fix it?’” Coleman says. “When starting a project, sometimes kids go in with one idea, but at the end, they may have an entirely different process.”
Another collaborative project has first grade students working together on an art robot — or Artbot. They read books on various topics, like trying and not giving up. Then they take on the challenge of creating a working robot that can move and draw. But because they must work in teams, they learn valuable skills for operating as a community.
“Students will get into their groups and create their group norms,” says Coleman. “That way they can discuss how they are going to make sure everyone’s voices are heard and involved in the project. If they can’t agree on something, they will also discuss their process for coming to an agreement.”
Deepening understanding through collaborative learning
Developed by Francis W. Parker School staff in 2014, ILIS provides a framework for project-based learning and focuses on design thinking, as well as information science, technology and maker empowerment. The school’s recently renovated library made way for a collaborative space in which to implement ILIS as part of the curriculum.
“One of the unique ways we implement the curriculum at Parker is that the ILIS department faculty members work very closely with the classroom teachers,” Coleman says. “We find out what books they’re reading, what they’re researching, and we help to develop a curriculum that is hands-on, collaborative and integrated based on what they’re doing in their classrooms.”
By the time students get into high school, they can participate in social entrepreneurship and a “Project Invent” class that involves working individually or as a group to solve problems through project design.
“Some students studied entrepreneurship, coding and engineering in college, based on their exposure here,” Coleman says, adding that some put their entrepreneurial skills to work and built on the connections made at Parker to design social media outreach campaigns for growing companies.
Coleman says she hopes students use the skills they’ve gained through ILIS to springboard to successful college and career experiences.
“My hopes are for students to build on the skills and projects they do each year to expand their knowledge of technology and share their learning,” she says. “And also focus on collaboration and how they can work and learn from each other to design solutions, especially as they grow as students and move on to college and their chosen careers.”
Learn more about Integrated Learning and Information Science at Francis W. Parker School here.
