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K-12 Lessons,
Sources
& the Internet
by
Gina Otto
Teacher Instructions
for Creating/Using
Lessons on Line
Rule
One:
Think the project through. Are the project's
objectives
clear? What do you want the students to learn from the
project.
Will students use class time or out of class time to complete the
project.
Is the equipment available? Are there alternate assignments to
choose
from. Is this independent work or group work? How much of
the
grade will the project account for? How will it be graded?
Some on-line projects already address these criteria.
Rule
Two:
Plan what you want the students to know.
When giving the assignment for research, it is important to either have
a list of questions to be answered or have the kids generate the
questions
they need to research. If they have certain questions to research
rather than just a "report on" scenario, they're less likely to copy
word
for word. And even if they do copy word for word, it's a sentence
from here and a sentence from there, not an entire encyclopedia entry.
Examples: Fifth graders research animals from
certain
habitats. They generate certain questions: Where does
the animal live? What does the animal eat? What does
the animal look like?
Rule
Three:
Give Instruction on how to record the
information.
Use a graphic organizer of some type, like a web, to record the
specific
information that answers the questions. Students should not be
allowed
to write whole sentences while taking notes - this will force them to
use
their own words later. Progress is checked along the way and
credit
should be given for note taking as well as the final product. If
you allow the students to copy and paste text or graphics, they should
be able to take notes from the information onto note cards or a graphic
organizer. This will help them put the ideas together to complete
the project. (See the Student Instruction Sheet)
Example: The seventh graders research
women
scientists, but the focus is a cause/effect essay not just a "report
on"
so-and-so. The kids must answer the question: What impact has
this
scientist had on the world or her field of science.
Rule
Four:
Create/use an Internet project where:
- The topic is specific/narrow - with guiding
questions (never
write a report on---)
- There are eight or ten questions your students
can
answer
using data located on a specific web site (brainstorm or teacher
generated)
- The internet sources are kept to a
minimum. One
Web site or Home Page is sufficient
- Note taking strategies can be taught.
(Notecards, sheets
of paper with the questions written on the top, an answer sheet to be
completed
or other graphic organizers will be used)
- Only information that answers the question(s)
to be
recorded
on a note card is allowed
- Students take notes only on information that
answers the
essential questions.
- Where notes should not be whole sentences.
Rule
Five
Understand what Problem Based Learning is before using
one already written on the Internet.
- Problem Based Learning is a curriculum
development
and delivery
system that recognizes: 1) the need to develop problem solving
skills;
2) the necessity of helping students to acquire necessary knowledge and
skills.
- It is in the process of struggling with actual
problems that
students learn both content and critical thinking skills.
- Problem based learning has several distinct
characteristics
which may be identified and utilized in designing such curriculum.
- Problems drive the curriculum - the problems do not test
skills; they
assist
in development of the skills themselves.
- Problems are truly open-structured - there is not meant to be
one
solution.
- Students solve the problems - teachers are coaches and
facilitators.
- Students are only given guidelines for how to approach
problems - there
is no one formula for student approaches to the problem.
- Authentic, performance based assessment - is a seamless part
and end of
the instruction.
(Adapted from Stepien, W.J. and Gallagher, S.A. 1993. "Problem-based
Learning:
As Authentic as it Gets." Educational Leadership. 50(7) 25-8 and
Barrows,
H. (1985) Designing a Problem Based Curriculum for the Pre-Clinical
Years.
Getting Started: Research or Problem Based?
1. In a Problem Based Learning Activity a
problem
is stated.
2. Students are directed to come up with a
solution
to the problem based upon research.
3. Each student in the class may be assigned
the
same or a different segment of the problem to research and all research
is reported on to the class for final discussion and analysis.
4. The questions needing to be answered may be
different
for each student or group, but the final outcome needs to be a
suggested
solution to the original problem.
5. The way the problem is stated
dictates
how the assignment is done.
Example: A regular research project,
with
problem solving, would look like this:
A seventh grade class, studying the history of Islam,
is asked to pretend to be Muslims and plan a trip to Mecca as part of
the
Hajj, or Fifth Pillar of Islam.
- The teacher may create the questions to
research
and write
a question sheet, or chart -- (How much will it cost? Where will
you stay? How will you get there? Where will you
leave
from? Where do you arrive? What should you bring with
you?
Do you need a visa? Shots? What is Saudi Arabia like?
How does the culture of Saudi Arabia differ from California
life-style?
What is the weather like? Why are you going? What will you do
when
you get there? How long will you stay? Who will go with
you?)
- The students may create (brainstorm) the
questions
(they
probably would come up with much the same questions)
- The class can be divided up into groups and/or
1. Everyone researches all the questions
individually
and puts the best answers together for the group.
2. Different groups research different
questions,
then the groups put all the information together into a class packet
3. Groups divide into individual jobs and
look
at different web sites to answer the same questions
- However the questions are created and whatever
way
the class
researches (all the questions, some of the questions), note taking is
the
same. Only the answer to the question being researched is
written,
not in sentence form.
Example: In A Problem-Based Learning
project,
the class is the same and the information to be found is the
same.
But, to make the lesson truly problem based, the directions and the
outcome
change (but what is learned does not):
- The class is told that each group is a travel
agency being
asked to plan a Hajj to Mecca for a large group. Since a limited
amount of money is available and ease of getting to Mecca is very
important
to the group, as well as the need to know what to do, what to take, how
to prepare, etc., the group with the best price and best information
for
the traveler will get the order (and profit). (An outside
teacher(s)
or invited parents should hear the final reports and make a decision
based
upon the information presented.)
- Now the questions are still generated (by
teacher
or students),
but the final outcome is not to answer the questions but to come up
with
a proposal to sell the travel agency's plan for the trip.
- If the problem is not to research about the
Hajj,
but who
can get there the cheapest, safest and most prepared, then a contest as
to which group has the best information spurs the class on. Each
group would then own its information (not share it with a friend in
another
group, etc.) and present it to the judge(s) to convince the travelers
that
it should get the order to plan and arrange the trip.
UNSW
CITATION
PAGE - https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/how-do-i-cite-electronic-sources
How to Cite Web Resources. Be a team player and give credit where
credit is due by creating a reference for every online resource you
use.
Teachers, check this page out, it is color coded for ease of use.
Then teach your students what you've learned.
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October, 2022