I guess I am really blessed. We do a lot of papers here in all disciplines. The
biggest paper is for Seniors and is a requirement for graduation. The Senior
English classes move into the library for about 5-6 weeks - and the teacher and I
co-teach the process. The paper is a literary analysis of a novel they have read
and we spend one week with silent reading in the library. I then teach the process
- and the teacher gives each student a packet of guidelines including the rubrics.
For the remainder of the weeks we both work one-on-one with the process. The
rubrics give various deadlines (outline, note cards, works cited page, etc. with
due dates). For each deadline missed an extra page is added to the paper. The
excellent student usually has about a 10 page paper - the lazy student may end up
with quite a few more --- so the pressure is on to meet the deadlines. They are
given total class time to do the paper however - and we are on 75 min blocks - so
there is no reason for anyone to fail along the way. Saying that, we had 3 students
not walk the stage last June because of failure to complete the paper - even after
we gave them the chance to do another paper (but based on a different novel).
It is fun to see the process in action and be involved every step of the way.
Students return from their Freshman year in college and tell us their professors
are amazed as to their knowledge with the research process.
Every student has a lap top so the typing can occur in the library as well although
most students type at home. All papers are submitted to turnitin.com as well.
Allan
This year the students read everything from Dante to Alice Walker -- it is the
student's decision as to the title - after consultation with the teacher and me.
Dr. Allan O'Grady Cuseo, MGC
Director of Library Services
Bishop Kearney High School | A Golisano Education Partner
125 Kings Highway South
Rochester, New York 14617
585.342.4000 x231
585.342.4694 (fax)
acuseo@bkhs.org
www.bkhs.org
College Prep. Plus.
-----Original Message-----
From: "Kay Goss" [goss.kay@GMAIL.COM]
Date: 03/24/2009 04:42 PM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: [LM_NET] VENT: Term Papers and Why Don't Teachers?
Dear Great, Wise, and Patient Ones:
Term papers drive me crazy. First of all, teachers give students way too
much time to complete papers--especially the research phase. And they do not
guide the research. They do not have me present the research process and
they just turn the kids loose to Google their topics.
I do have a research lesson on using print resources, the reader's guide,
ebscohost, and the best websites for various subjects and topics. I have a
planning your library project handout for teachers. I have a research
rubric. But only one teacher takes advantage of these.
And the assigned paper is usually all that is being done in those classes. I
remember when I taught term papers to seniors, we went ahead with our
literature, grammar, spelling, and writing in class. Very little time was
given to research or typing during class time.
They send the same kids day after day to goof off. And those are the kids
who have 10 overdue items. Why are the teachers not asking to see copies of
their research materials or what they wrote/typed that day?
Ugh!
--
Kay Goss
Mansfield Secondary Library
316 West Ohio Ave.
Mansfield, Mo. 65704
417-924-3236 Ext. 311
goss.kay@gmail.com
"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel,
must be intolerably stupid."
Jane Austen
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