Writing Commons Helping Students Learn to Cite Their Sources A MiddleWeb Blog By Jody Passanisi When I first started teaching writing in history class a number of years ago, I was totally focused on the students just getting their ideas out and being able to write on historical themes. I wanted them to be able to internalize the basic structure of an argumentative essay, make an argument, and back it up. So I provided the sources. I was already asking them to do so many things – create an argument, find details to back it up, and write in a structured essay format. “Just back up your ideas” This approach to historical writing worked quite well for a few years. But I was still a long way from requiring both in-text and end-of-text citations. “Wait…Do you know which ideas are yours?” Then I had an epiphany. I had previously required students, if they DID use the Internet at all, to cite their sources, but no one really ever resorted to online investigation. So for this new essay assignment I was getting weak paraphrasing, with or without citations.
10 Infographics for Learning - Getting Smart by Getting Smart Staff - blended learning, Infographics, Online Learning, social media We all love infographics. Why? Well, they help us grasp information in a quick and fun way that appeals to our visual senses. 1. Knewton published an infographic on “Blended Learning: A Disruptive Innovation” that explores K-12 blended learning models by Innosight Institute and Charter School Growth Fund. 2. Voxy Blog published an infographic titled “Are We Wired for Mobile Learning?” 3. Rick Man posted an infographic, “Why infographics accelerate decision making,” that identifies the ways we traditionally present information versus the visual way we can present information through infographics. 4. Matthew Bloch and Bill Marsh published an interactive map, “Mapping the Nation’s Well-Being,” on the New York Times this March. 5. Rasmussen College published an infographic titled “The Evolution of Online Education Technologies” that explores the evolution of learning from the 1700s through the Millenium. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. So, which infographic did you like best?
Teaching Adolescents How to Evaluate the Quality of Online Information An essential part of online research is the ability to critically evaluate information. This includes the ability to assess its level of accuracy, reliability, and bias. In 2012, my colleagues and I assessed 770 seventh graders in two states to study these areas, and the results definitely got our attention. Unfortunately, over 70 percent of the students’ responses suggested that: Middle school students are more concerned with content relevance than with credibility They rarely attend to source features such as author, venue, or publication type to evaluate reliability and author perspective When they do refer to source features in their explanations, their judgments are often vague, superficial, and lacking in reasoned justification Other studies highlight similar shortcomings of high school and college students in these areas (see, for example, a 2016 study from Stanford). Start of newsletter promotion. Subscribe now End of newsletter promotion. Dimensions of Critical Evaluation Prompting
Write About This Blog About Infographics and Data Visualization - Cool Infographics Bring Reading Rainbow Back for Every Child, Everywhere. LeVar Burton has a fantastic Kickstarter project running to bring back Reading Rainbow to make it available on multiple internet connected platforms and free to classrooms in need. The team is using multiple infographics to help explain the project and the support the funding campaign goal of raising $5,000,000. Hi. LeVar Burton here. You may know me as Kunta Kinte, from ROOTS, or Geordi La Forge, from Star Trek: The Next Generation. The infographic design above could be improved with the knowledge that people may share the infographic image without the rest of the text and information from the kickstarter page. The visualizations help make a huge amount of information about the project easily accessible and understandable to the audience. I think this is an incredibly worthy project, and I hope you join me in contributing:
21st-Century Libraries: The Learning Commons Libraries have existed since approximately 2600 BCE as an archive of recorded knowledge. From tablets and scrolls to bound books, they have cataloged resources and served as a locus of knowledge. Today, with the digitization of content and the ubiquity of the internet, information is no longer confined to printed materials accessible only in a single, physical location. Consider this: Project Gutenberg and its affiliates make over 100,000 public domain works available digitally, and Google has scanned over 30 million books through its library project. Libraries are reinventing themselves as content becomes more accessible online and their role becomes less about housing tomes and more about connecting learners and constructing knowledge. From Library to Learning Commons Printed books still play a critical role in supporting learners, but digital technologies offer additional pathways to learning and content acquisition. Photo credit: Francis W. Transparent Learning Hubs
We All Teach Reading and Writing Sponsored By If you teach algebra, you may not think of yourself as a reading teacher. But you do know that comprehension, fluency and good communication are key to success in math as well as other subject areas. And the writers of the Common Core agree—the new standards greatly emphasize reading and writing across the curriculum. Writing Across the Content Areas Creative ways that every teacher can foster communication skills.Explore Now » Teaching Fact vs. Why Grammar Rules See why the humble comma is oh-so-important to getting your point across.View Now » How Audiobooks Can Help Explore how audiobooks can support readers and writers.Find Out » Reading in Photos Check out the great reading ideas we’ve shared on our Pinterest page. Go Now » Talking With Struggling Readers Dos and don'ts for supporting a student who's struggling with reading.Read More » Setting the Stage for Deep Thinking How you can promote a learning environment that encourages discussion. Read More »
Eliterate Librarian: Infographics Update We have been steadily working on infographics with my 7th graders. They are amazing me with their creativity and talent. Several students are finished so I wanted to share more of their work. You can see examples on my Flickr photostream here and I've embedded a slideshow of the set below. This project has been an excellent way to teach citation (and you can see from some of the examples we still have work to do), Creative Commons images, design elements, and research skills. How Can Your Librarian Help Bolster Brain-Based Teaching Practices? Flickr/Kevin Harber Inquiry-based learning has been around in education circles for a long time, but many teachers and schools gradually moved away from it during the heyday of No Child Left Behind. The pendulum is beginning to swing back towards an inquiry-based approach to instruction thanks to standards such as Common Core State Standards for math and English Language Arts, the Next Generation Science Standards and the College, Career and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards. Transitioning to this style of teaching requires students to take a more active role and asks teachers to step back into a supportive position. “This is so new for teachers, whereas librarians have been doing this for ten years,” said Paige Jaeger, a school librarian turned administrator and co-author of Think Tank Library: Brain-Based Learning Plans for New Standards. “If your brain could talk it would say, ‘I’m lazy and I delete what’s not important,’” Ratzen said. Related
Literature Circles for High School Students | Simply Novel Teachers Blog Today’s strategy spotlight is on literature circles. I’ve used this technique in my 9th grade English classes to differentiate lessons in order to meet the needs of students struggling to keep up and those needing an extra challenge. There are many ways to implement literature circles to accommodate for a range of reading levels, class size issues, English learners, and other common classroom needs. I’m going to share the way it works in my classroom based on my needs, but I’d love for you to leave a question or comment at the end of this post to continue the conversation as it relates to classrooms across the board! What are literature circles? Students select a book of choice from a controlled range of options. Why I use literature circles: I teach 9th grade English in a school that has an average of 50 feeder middle schools. How I use literature circles: Step 1: Lay the groundwork. Are you using literature circles in your classroom or considering them for next year? Like this:
Piktochart Many Reasons You Need Your HELP... often this is the only safe haven some students have Strong Libraries Build Strong Students! Great ideas for research and good books Databases and facts from sources that are crediclble Information for the Information Age! Juxtapose position papers = you can get both sides to the story @ your library Kindles? Digital Divide is dead with the library - all can connect @ your library Lifelong Learners Love the Library Many students don't have books at home Plenty of non-fiction for the CCSS! Questions answered @ your library one on one help available! Connections at home to your information resources Reading recommendation for print & electronics Unemployment costs may run your district $24K annually. The research says: Strong school libraries contribute to achievement During this Information Age, your students need an information professional helping students more than ever. Librarians help ALL students! Students collaborate @ your library Contact your local cybrarian
Teaching Information/Research Skills in Elementary School | Langwitches Blog This post title is “Teaching Information/Research Skills in Elementary School”, but this post is as much for adults and older students. Many adults are overwhelmed with the quantity and new kind of media that is available and accessible through technology. Older students in High School and College might not feel overwhelmed, but have never been taught how to navigate, evaluate, save and retrieve the information that they are seeking. How and what kind of information skills do we need to start teaching in elementary school, that will grow and expand with our students as their grow older? What do teachers need to know in order to introduce and guide their students in a criticalefficienteffectivelysafeethical way as they navigating through the sea of information available? We need to help students develop these kind of information skills: locating informationevaluating informationlearning from informationusing (remix) information All About Explorers is well thought through. Reactions tend to vary.