Shared Foundation IV: Curate

IV: Curate 

Researching the word "curate", I learned that it could be used as a noun or a verb.  I learned that when used as a noun, it may be a reference to a clergy member.  When I think of the word curate, I think about a person collecting precious items, and carefully organizing and arranging the items, for possible display.  Could a person on the hit tv show Hoarders, be considered a curator of items?  I would think that even though they have a large collection of items, that may or may not be similar, the items are not arranged or properly taken care of.  This is definitely not true when thinking of how a school librarian curates resources and models curation for his/her students.  Curation is a process in which items are carefully and painstakingly brought together for optimal effectiveness by its users.  Let us take a look at how Ms. Kerri Price, implements the shared foundation curate, in her middle school library.   

When our 6th grade scholars began to study the black death in their English Language Arts curriculum, Ms. Price collaborated with our teachers to not only model for the students how to find appropriate sources of information but also presented them with various tools to help them explore the information sources that are available to them via Clever.  Students were constantly reflecting.  For example, when Ms. Price presented the available databases, they came across Gale in Context: U.S. History.  One student pointed out that their study on the Black Death would not be found in that database because the topic would be listed under World History (because it did not happen in the United States).  

Additionally, Ms. Price has compiled a list of resources, in a digital format, about the black death and the Inca and Mayan histories for students. In these curated digital pathfinders, she linked resources like Brain Pop videos and book titles (with call numbers), using a Google Docs.  The creation of a topical pathfinder, organizes and displays information in a way that makes it easier for our younger, novice researchers to find, analyze, and share pertinent information.

Though this process may seem like an easy feat for an outsider, Ms. Price reflects on the most pressing challenge that she has with curation.  That obstacle is getting teachers to participate.  She cannot effectively curate materials for teachers and students if she cannot get them to communicate with her what they are teaching in their classrooms.  She mentioned that in order to combat this, she must effectively advocate for her library and the valuable services that she provides.  Ms. Price mentions that once teachers collaborate with her, they will spread the word and more teachers will be more receptive to integrating her library skills/services into their lessons more often.  

Reference

GIPHY. (n.d.). Curate [GIF]. GIPHY. https://media.giphy.com/media/pHZctAxdRXmK6FKPXb/giphy.gif