This year, I wanted to insert a research component to an essay in my classroom. Considering that this has not been a part of the 9th grade curriculum in the past, this type of assignment was long overdue. All I asked of my students was to find two outside sources that commented on some of the literature we read throughout the course of the year. They had already created a thesis, written an outline, and had feedback on both those stages. The next stage was to add to the outline with a little bit of research connecting to some of the claims of their body paragraphs. In order to give students ample time to complete the research component, I decided to take my class to the library for 3 days this week and walk them through the process.
This being the first time that they have completed research of this type, many students expressed frustration and confusion over where to start. I spent every minute in the library answering questions and helping students find appropriate resources. They learned how to use some Internet databases and use an index to find appropriate passages in print literature. It was an overwhelming experience, and with their annotated outline due on Tuesday, I am concerned about the product I will get. A lot of the questions my students asked could have been addressed on the front end of the research process, a valuable learning experience for refining the process next year.
What I learned:
1. I need to spend more time on the front end teaching students how to research. Some started to narrow, others too broad, and some were just too lazy to look very hard for relevant information. Had I addressed some research strategies on the front end, I think I could have alleviated some of the research angst from my students.
2. I need to give students better information about correctly citing sources on the front end. A lot of students were confused about which citation information to record, and I fear that when it comes time to create a works cited page, students will not have all the information they need.
3. I need to give students more examples of what I'm looking for from each stage of the essay. Because this is my first year teaching research, I will collect good student examples from this group and use them as models next year.
Overall, this part of the assignment has been challenging, but one that I want to continue doing and refining. I also want to do it during a different part of the year next year. I will be able to give the assignment more attention during the winter quarter and will make the adjustment next year.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
A Stroll Down Memory Lane
I recently had students take a day in class to put aside whatever stress they had from school, take a deep breath, and focus on there writing. We were in the midst of a difficult Odyssey unit and needed a break from the intensive literary study. A day to focus on creative writing provided the relief necessary. Though I told them it was for their mental health, I also had the objective in mind to work on developing more descriptive writing. When it comes to descriptive writing, what better place to start than with memories?
To generate ideas on what to write, I had students recall three separate memories: their earliest, their most vivid, and their most painful (either physical or emotional). They were then to write a story based on one of those memories. The only guideline to their writing was that they were to fill it with sensory detail; this was in an effort to make their writing more engaging and descriptive as opposed to solely plot-driven. As students began writing, I wrote alongside them and was able to share my piece with each successive class. I loved completing the assignment and was able to model what I wanted for my other classes in addition to connecting with them by sharing a memory from my past.
The results from this assignment were astounding. I had multiple students ask if they could take their writing home to finish it and later turned in 3-4 page stories. Some stories were full of wonderful descriptive language; others contained an emotional depth that was surprising coming from 15 year old students. Some wrote about deaths in the family, others about memories connected to traumatic experiences, one even wrote about her attempted suicide. For those that were particularly difficult to read, I was able to follow up with students and connect with them in a deeper way. Overall, this assignment allowed me to, yes, teach them about descriptive writing, but, more importantly, opened my eyes to some students who needed extra attention, encouragement, or relationship. It's amazing what students will tell you when you give them the forum and opportunity!
To generate ideas on what to write, I had students recall three separate memories: their earliest, their most vivid, and their most painful (either physical or emotional). They were then to write a story based on one of those memories. The only guideline to their writing was that they were to fill it with sensory detail; this was in an effort to make their writing more engaging and descriptive as opposed to solely plot-driven. As students began writing, I wrote alongside them and was able to share my piece with each successive class. I loved completing the assignment and was able to model what I wanted for my other classes in addition to connecting with them by sharing a memory from my past.
The results from this assignment were astounding. I had multiple students ask if they could take their writing home to finish it and later turned in 3-4 page stories. Some stories were full of wonderful descriptive language; others contained an emotional depth that was surprising coming from 15 year old students. Some wrote about deaths in the family, others about memories connected to traumatic experiences, one even wrote about her attempted suicide. For those that were particularly difficult to read, I was able to follow up with students and connect with them in a deeper way. Overall, this assignment allowed me to, yes, teach them about descriptive writing, but, more importantly, opened my eyes to some students who needed extra attention, encouragement, or relationship. It's amazing what students will tell you when you give them the forum and opportunity!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Favorite Writing Resources
1. For every writing need, a teacher need not look further than Purdue's OWL. It is an Online Writing Lab which has information ranging from how to format essays according to different guidelines (MLA v APA) to giving examples of how to properly use in-text citations. I have used this resource in my own writing and have used it to look up questions about how to evaluate student writing, as well. This is a resource that can answer just about every question when it comes to writing. Students could use this resource in much the same way I have: to clear up any questions a student may have when going through the writing process without their teacher readily available to help them.
2. Another website I enjoy using for lesson plans is the Web English Teacher. When it comes to generating ideas for writing topics and activities, I frequently turn to this website for help. This site includes many postings from teachers around the country. These postings are grade-specific and at times include entire unit plans. It is easy to search for subject-specific lessons and even easier to find ideas for creative writing assignments. Though I usually tweak the lessons to fit my classroom plans, this website has been a consistently-used resource for planning and implementation.
3. I have heard of other teachers speak of using EasyBib, a website that creates easy bibliographies for research papers. These teachers have encouraged students to use the resource so that they create works cited pages that are accurate and neat. I have never encouraged students to use it, but I can see how it might save them some time from having to go through the tedious process. All the students need is the book/resource information and they are good to go with generating a citation.
4. A resource I have begun using this year is a website called Turn It In. With this resource, students have a location to file their papers online. They submit an electronic version of their papers which then gets sent to the teacher with a report attached to it. The whole point of the website is to prevent plagiarism, and it does this by comparing the student essay to the millions of online essays available to try and detect any copied material. Students essays will also be compared with other essays being turned in for the same class to ensure that students are not copying off of one another. I have used the resource once this year, and it has helped me detect academic dishonesty that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. I would highly recommend this resource as a way of promoting academic integrity in your class. It also has some grading resources that, though I have not used, look like they could be helpful.
2. Another website I enjoy using for lesson plans is the Web English Teacher. When it comes to generating ideas for writing topics and activities, I frequently turn to this website for help. This site includes many postings from teachers around the country. These postings are grade-specific and at times include entire unit plans. It is easy to search for subject-specific lessons and even easier to find ideas for creative writing assignments. Though I usually tweak the lessons to fit my classroom plans, this website has been a consistently-used resource for planning and implementation.
3. I have heard of other teachers speak of using EasyBib, a website that creates easy bibliographies for research papers. These teachers have encouraged students to use the resource so that they create works cited pages that are accurate and neat. I have never encouraged students to use it, but I can see how it might save them some time from having to go through the tedious process. All the students need is the book/resource information and they are good to go with generating a citation.
4. A resource I have begun using this year is a website called Turn It In. With this resource, students have a location to file their papers online. They submit an electronic version of their papers which then gets sent to the teacher with a report attached to it. The whole point of the website is to prevent plagiarism, and it does this by comparing the student essay to the millions of online essays available to try and detect any copied material. Students essays will also be compared with other essays being turned in for the same class to ensure that students are not copying off of one another. I have used the resource once this year, and it has helped me detect academic dishonesty that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. I would highly recommend this resource as a way of promoting academic integrity in your class. It also has some grading resources that, though I have not used, look like they could be helpful.
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