Yet another take on the teaching of research:
In my k-8 school, I have an advantage of seeing the benefits of teaching the
research process starting in kindergarten and following it through until the
students graduate from 8th grade. Yes, we have many students who come and go, but
their classmates and I quickly get them "up to speed" on the expectations at each
grade level.
I started the curriculum a few years ago, using the standards of Information Power
and applying them within the existing curricula at each grade level. I worked with
the grade level teachers to create a set of essential outcomes including a common
vocabulary for the research process at each grade level. For example, a
kindergartener knows how to "retell", by third grade "retell" evolves through "put
in your own words" and becomes "paraphrase". This way, it is our hope that the
research process spirals through the grades, and we minimize the need to "unteach"
bad habits (for both students and teachers!)and avoid the tendency to plagiarize.
I was surprised at how little time the whole collaboration process took to get
teachers on board. Really more of a mutual respect and communication type thing.
Donna Trenda
St. Anne School
Barrington, Il
dctrenda@comcast.net
-------------- Original message --------------
From: Lisa Hunt <lisa3moon@YAHOO.COM>
> I think we all just deal with the abilities that come through the door. My
> school has the discussion every year or two about "Why don't the (younger grade
> teachers) teach (vital skills) so my (older grade students) are prepared?" The
> answer to this is, "They do."
>
> Writing and research are taught in the elementary grades in my district, but
> students consistently show up in JH and behave as though they have no idea what
> to do. Then, the HS students act with the same confusion after JH is completed.
>
> It seems like we have to reteach all the time.
>
> Gail Smith wrote:
> Not to be pointing a finger at anyone, but I am just wondering why
> 9th and 10th graders would just be starting to learn the research
> process at that age. Similarly, why would they just now be learning
> the writing process. From your position, if they have not learned
> how to do either of these things, you are doing well to teach them
> research and writing, but I would suggest that their elementary and
> middle school experience should have them prepared so they would be
> refining skills at your level, to which they were already introduced
> in prior years. I don't know the curriculum in the lower schools of
> your area, but our students begin research skills in 3rd grade, that
> include a source list with title and author of any materials they
> used. We don't teach any formal citation style until later, but
> writing process and research skills are taught, starting in the
> elementary grades. I would feel that I had not done my job if I sent
> 8th grade graduates out of here without a good grasp of researching,
> writing, and citing sources. By then they do know the how and why of
> bibliographic citations.
>
> Gail Smith, NBCT
> Librarian & Tech Facilitator
> Edison Regional Gifted Center - Chicago, Illinois
> gsmith@edison.cps.k12.il.us
>
> On May 29, 2007, at 9:26 AM, Karl Dowell wrote:
>
> > Ken Umbach's comments make me want to restate my position more
> > clearly.
> > I agree wholeheartedly that people entering a professional arena
> > should
> > possess compentence in the associated skills. On the other hand, 9th
> > and 10th graders really do have their hands full. They are
> > beginning to
> > learn the basic research process at the same time they are learning
> > the
> > writing process! Each is quite difficult in its own right. Adding
> > full
> > MLA citation instruction simply overloads most of these students.
> > I do
> > think students graduating high school should have a grasp of not only
> > proper format but the reasons why it is done and be able to document
> > their research according to the standard reasonably well. That's my
> > goal.
> >
> > And I think David Lininger's suggested citation style is an even
> > better
> > answer than the automated citation websites.
> >
> >
> >
> > Karl Dowell
> > Media Director
> > Mustang High School
> > Mustang OK
> > dowellk@mustangps.org
> >
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>
> Lisa Hunt
> School Library Media Specialist, elementary
> National Board Certified Teacher
> Moore, OK
> lisa3moon@yahoo.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
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