As a California community college educator, 
I aim to develop students’ understanding of the information economy and help them visualize research as a process of asking questions, then finding, evaluating and synthesizing evidence and finally formulating explanations based on their research experience.
To help my students in Library 004 succeed in these goals, I ask them to share their pre-existing knowledge, life experiences and career interests in a pre-assessment. This helps me to mentor and encourage them to pursue a research topic relevant to their lives.
I’ll share an example of that collaboration process: One of my students, studying to be a preschool teacher, was interested in researching sustainable living as her topic for the class. After a few online discussions with me, she decided to research sustainability education in early childhood curriculum. This new topic melded her passion for sustainability with her desire to teach preschool. As she researched this topic, she was building the expertise that will help her excel in college and pursue a lifelong goal.
I want to enable and empower all students to become scholars in their field of research. Whether you are a student in my class or we meet in the library, I’m there to help you navigate the world of research.