I really appreciate how the Big6 helps break the research process down and enables students to determine a focus for their research before they ever go to Destiny (our online catalog) to look for a book or to Cobb Digital Library to search for online resources. I have learned in the past that many students are quite capable of searching for sources for their research without very much assistance. The problems seem to arise when they have found their sources and they are attempting to find the information that will address their research topics. This is Step 4 of the Big6, and this is the step that I am concentrating on with our students right now. As we focus on Step 4, we will work on skimming and scanning, determining important information, taking notes, and citing sources.
I am thrilled that we have started our research lessons, and I am eager to see what our students produce as a result of their research.