For this particular assignment, I read the article "Where Do You Want To Go Today? Inquiry-Based Learning and Technology Integration." The article described two programs that were designed to help struggling students improve their reading and comprehension skills through the use of inquiry learning and technology. The students merely had to be interested in any topic, which they chose with teacher guidance, and then research and present their findings on that particular topic. This kind of program could be incredibly useful in the social studies classroom, even for kids who are reading and comprehending just fine. The great thing about this project is that it can be beneficial to struggling readers, as well as those reading at or above grade level, because it focuses on skills that aid in comprehension, as well as investigative skills that are neccessary for success in the social studies classroom. Since my practicum placement is 8th grade U.S. History, I could use this inquiry based research project to introduce students to primary source documents and their use in the History field. For example, students could chose their own topic, under the theme of maybe the Civil War and present a war-era letter, speech, or diary entry. Students could discuss issues like slavery, the cause and effect of the division of the Union, the effect of the war on the country and its population, or even the effect of the increasing immigration that occured during that period. Students would chose a topic, find a primary source relating to it using the internet, and then present to the class what that source tells us about that time period and their topic. With this approach, students are free to examine a range of issues, which in turn exposes the class to more than just civil war battles and helps students become familiar with how to use primary sources to learn about the past. Based on this summary of my proposed project, do you think it will be outside the academic range of 8th graders? In what other ways could this project fall apart? Could students find it too vague or difficult?
Owens, R.F., Hester , J.L., & Teale, W.H. (2002). Where do you want to go today? inquiry-based learning and technology integration. Reading Teacher, 55(7)
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I think 8th graders who had a lot of experience searching and knew of great resources could totally do it. Without a really strong background though, I think they might struggle. I've been trying to find a lot of great primary sources for our unit plan on voting rights and there's a TON of info to weed through. I think it's fine for students to come up with their own questions so they are interested in their research, but I would make sure they were approved by the teacher and tweaked if necessary. With the right guidance I think the students would really enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI think teachers would respond well to this. It's a good idea to have them select their own topics pertaining to the Civil War because then they will have more initial interest when starting the project. Students also will probably like the opportunity to use the web in school. One idea that could help make sure that the project doesn't fall apart is to have them research in school where they can ask the teacher for help and you can monitor what they are finding. If you have the option of using a computer lab for the whole class, this could be a good way to guide their learning and make sure it doesn't become too difficult for them.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of exposing children to primary sources and letting have some freedom when selecting a topic. Once students get to college, they usually need to write something original. If they do not learn the process of selecting and researching a topic, their college experience will be more difficult. I always LOVED being able to research something I was interested in especially if I had to present it in front of the class. Nothing is worse than standing in front of your peers talking about something you don't fully understand or care about. Students who like their research topic will probably do a much better job on their assignments.
ReplyDeleteI think inquiry learning is appropriate for students of all ages, and awesome for 8th grade students. At this level they are usually expected to take more responsibility for their learning and their work; inquiry learning is a great way to motivate them to do this. When students get to select their own topic for research they are more motivated because learning becomes interesting. Depending on the grade level, the teacher would have to provide a certain level of guidance (more for younger students, less for older). It is easy for students to feel overwhelmed if their inquiry question is too broad or too narrow, but teachers can easily guide students in the right direction, facilitating meaningful learning.
ReplyDeleteIt is extremely important to make sure students have enough guidance to be productive; otherwise, they will have difficulty finding and presenting information.
ReplyDeleteGood ways of providing guidance would include helping to lead students to the primary documents they would be using, along with helping them find information related to that document. Like Megan Wallis mentioned, having access to a computer lab would be very useful for this assignment.
Motivated students would probably have a really fun time presenting their work. The only problem is having enough motivated students.
I believe that at times it could be a bit overwhelming for some students. With such freedom, I feel like they could get lost in a sea of information if they are not guided as to where and what to look for. I also agree with Adam, it is important to make sure there is enough guidance to keep them productive. It is also important to be very available for them to be able to ask questions and come to for help.
ReplyDeleteI think that this would be useful though for students in secondary education. I feel like with enough guidance it can really help them explore a new way of learning. And it is important to introduce this thinking at a younger age, so they can start getting a better feel for it by high school and college.
The aspect of one of the lessons I enjoyed was giving the students an era such as a Civil War and presenting a primary document, such as a journal or letter to the class. I think this is useful and educational for the students because it gives them firsthand experience with primary sources. Primary sources are essential aspects of the social studies curriculum, and in my experience a thousand times more thought provoking than the text book. When the students present such sources first hand, I think it will engage other students equally well because they will see the work and effort they have put into their analysis. Anything using primary documents is the way to go!
ReplyDeleteI too find that accompanying primary sources in the classroom is essential to social studies. Unfortunately my experience with primary documents in my middle and secondary social studies classes was ridiculous. As Josh said, actually sources written by the primary actors within the time period you're studying is way more interesting than some bland textbook. As to your proposed idea, I think its great! Show them an example of what you're expecting and they will respond! -Jeremy C
ReplyDeleteAnother way they could present the above assignment is by making a podcast of their civil war era speech. They could be more creative with it and not have to preform it in front of the whole class. It gives them the opportunity to be more expressive. That is a great historical inquiry assignment, though.
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