session+2


 * 2.1 21st Century Classroom**

I wasn't surprised by this information. Technology and media are growing exponentially - some days I feel like my head is going to explode. In the 21st century classroom we need to prepare students for this new world, help them develop the thinking skills to process all the information (2 billion google searches a day!), to become thoughtful consumers of media, and to use technology communicate effectively and responsibly.

In the article on teaching for the "Net Generation" Tapscott said that young people are "lapping their parents in digital acquisition". They may be spending a lot of time online - blogging, googling, emailing, texting, etc but a lot of that is purely social. In the 21st century classroom, I feel it my responsibility to teach students how to use technology in a more formal way in school and in the workplace.

For example, I'm sure we have all received cute, funny emails from students. They are writing me an email asking about an assignment using the same informal language that they use to email or text their friends. They don't know how to write a professional email. We may say to ourselves, well, they are fifteen years old, they will learn over time. But I have participated in search committees for the English Dept and received thank you emails from recent graduates in all lower case letters! And these are young people who want to be English teachers! I hope I don't sound like I am bashing young people. My point is that I don't think we can assume that just because a student spends hours and hours using technology that they know how to use it in school or the workplace. The newsweek article points out that the use of technology is growing. As a teacher in the 21st century classroom, I think I need to incorporate explicit lessons about using technology in more formal environments.


 * 2.3 Website Analysis**

The layout of the tree octopus site looks professional. The information is well-organized and "factual". It includes a "rare photo", a map of where they live, informational text with scientific vocabulary, references to reputable organizations, etc. I could definitely see students falling for this. Of course, the main reason I know this is a hoax is because of my prior knowledge as an educated adult. I know that the tree octopus and one of its main predators sasquatch do not exist. Also even though the first few paragraphs of the first tab are pretty factual, as I read more the information gets more and more ridiculous and I am able to pick up on the tone of the writing. Supporters are encourage to donate directly to the tree octopus - to go to the Pacific Northwest and "bring lots of singles"! The url-zapatopia?

I don't think the male pregnancy website looks as credible. The dominant image of the pregnant guy makes it seem like National Enquirer or some other crazy tabloid. Some things that the website has to make it seem legitimate - the RYT hospital logo (with a cross), the EKG animation (makes it seem medical), links to credible news sources like US News, CNN, the three different perspectives (trying to make it seem unbiased and open to criticism).

I think we need to teach students to read critically and use multiple sources (internet and print). Everything students read in my class is of course legitimate. I think I need to give them some non-legitimate sources to practice differentiating between the two. I think I could teach this when doing mini-research projects. I think it might also be interesting to connect this to the unreliable narrator in fiction - Holden in __Catcher in the Rye__.

evaluating web pages

This one-page checklist is very useful. Hopefully over time students will internalize the process and do it automatically when looking at any web site. They will need a lot of practice with it.


 * 2.3 Inquiry Based Learning Websites**


 * 1

media type="youtube" key="3x-pTBZw8mg" height="349" width="560"

In this brief youtube video, Jeffrey Wilhelm introduces inquiry based learning in the English classroom with a specific example of how a teacher might take a typical English unit - teaching Romeo and Juliet - and turn it into an inquiry based unit starting with the question: what makes or breaks relationships? He explains how the inquiry unit worked well for some of his ELL students and how the the work they did added to the learning of the other students in the class. I know this information is reliable because I know Jeffrey Wilhelm. I read a great book by him a couple of years ago called __You Gotta Be the Book__. Also the video was produced by scholastic, the publisher of many books for teachers. Although he doesn't mention it in the video, I assume he has written a book about inquiry based learning. I think I might look for it. This is the first source I went to and even though it is not a comprehensive resource, it was a perfect introduction to the topic. It gave me a good idea of what inquiry based learning might look like in the English classroom and got me excited about the possibilities!

I see this video as a source for me. I actually got a copy of his book Engaging Readers & Writers with Inquiry and have started reading it. I don't think I would show this clip to students. I wonder if there are video clips of high school students reflecting on an inquiry based learning project. That is something I would love to incorporate into my IBL unit somehow. It would be great to have students reflect, but a clip of students reflecting would also be a good resource for the class the following year.


 * 2

[|youthlearn]

This website contains an overview of inquiry based learning. I found the information very general. Some of the specific examples they provided made me question the value of the source. I think the information is reliable, but not really valuable.

I looked at this website again and it does actually have some good information. It has two relevant sections - Intro to Inquiry Based Learning and How to Create an Inquiry Based Project. The first section includes: background info on IBL, key principles of IBL, advantages of IBL, and guidelines for asking questions in IBL. In this section there is a link to information about helping kids to develop the skill of asking questions. The second section includes:step by step guide - posing real questions, finding resources, interpreting information, and reporting findings. I think I would come back to this site as a resource when I working on helping kids ask questions.


 * 3

Northeastern Illinois University Inquiry Based Learning

This seems like a pretty comprehensive site put together by a reputable university that is involved in the Chicago Public Schools.

The page on IBL contains: an explanation of what IBL is the benefits of IBL the criteria for a successful IBL unit, the key parts - step-by-step how to set up IBL unit

This page was helpful in giving me a clear idea of Inquiry Based Learning. As I start to plan my unit step-by-step, I will come back to this page as a resource with a lot of practical information.


 * 2.4 Three-Minute Pause**

summary, thoughts, questions on inquiry based learning

Inquiry based learning is student-centered, question-driven learning. As I read about the topic, I realized that I have actually read about this before (Dewey and the sheep) and even have done inquiry based learning unit (the i-search paper) before. I am wondering how to integrate inquiry based learning into my existing curriculum and how to use technology to facilitate inquiry based learning.

summary Inquiry based learning is student-centered, question-driven learning. The teacher acts as facilitator who sets up the learning experience, gives it structure, and then guides and suppors students through the process. It taps into young people's natural curiosity and helps to develop the skills students need to be life-long learners.

thoughts As I read about the topic, I realized that I have actually read about this before, one of the websites mentioned John Dewey. I read one of his books in grad school. I have done an inquiry based unit (the i-search paper) before.

questions How do I integrate inquiry based learning into my existing curriculum? What is the best time of year to do an IBL unit? How long will it take? How do I use technology to facilitate IBL?


 * 2.5 Essential Readings**

2 Questions/2 Comments

Site #1 This is one of the websites that I found in my search. It may be that I am just exhausted and tired of looking at websites, but the graphic at the top is annoying and confusing! I wish in the intro section it was clearer. I know this information is coming from some kind of collaboration between NEIU and the Chicago Public Schools but I would like a clearer rationale for the entire website. I found the information in the "Inquiry Based Learning" section to be really great. I realized that a lot of it is based on the work of Jeffrey Wilhelm - the guy in the youtube video I found. I'm wondering how much time it is going to take me to plan and to actually teach an inquiry based learning unit? How many times a year do teachers do inquiry based learning units? How do teachers manage to help kids "refine their thinking and guide their research" if students are going off in all different directions?

Site #2 I like the graphic. I am excited about the possibility that this kind of learning can address the "inertia" that I sometimes see in my classroom. It really does seem that inquiry based learning combined with technology can empower people and bring about social change. Years ago, I was the advisor to Project 540 and this essentially was the process. Seeing what kids can do is pretty amazing!

The Project 540 program is essentially an inquiry based project. The leaders of the group meet with small groups of students to brainstorm their concerns about their school and their community. After those meetings, the leaders come up with a list of two or three issues they want to work on. One issue the students worked on was trying to improve the school bathrooms. The first year, the Project 540 students worked with NHS students to clean and paint the bathrooms themselves. They came up with these elaborate design and color schemes. I remember the girls' bathroom by the cafe was supposed to be like an aquarium - the walls were aqua green and were decorated with fish. The results though were mixed (some of the bathrooms looked great and some looked pretty awful) and the painting job unfortunately did not look very professional. The following year, the students developed and presented a proposal for the school committee requesting funding to remodel the student bathrooms that were used the most. They got the money, met with professional designers/architects over the summer to pick the colors, and the bathrooms were professionally redone over the summer. We had ribbon cutting ceremony (we had a toilet paper bow!) with the Mayor. The students were concerned that the bathrooms would be trashed by the students and neglected by janitors so they set up a system to check the bathrooms daily to report vandalism, uncleanliness, etc. This was all inquiry based learning. They started with a real question - what can we do to improve our school or our community? - and worked from there. They brainstormed, they did research, they collaborated, they wrote proposals, they set up and conducted meetings with the principal, members of city council, the mayor, etc. The students were so motivated and I attribute their motivation to the inquiry process itself.


 * 2.6 Reflections on Student Work**

It is difficult to evaluate the work when I am not really sure what the teacher's objectives were. I thought all of projects were engaging. I liked the multimedia approach. My concern is that even though they were communicating their thinking and learning in an interesting way, the thinking and learning seemed superficial. In the transcript of their conversation (I'm not sure at what point in the project the conversation took place), there were some comments that to me showed a serious lack of understanding about the role of mental illness in violent crime. In discussing the teenager Jonathan who killed his mother, one student commented, "He's a nutter. Who would kill their own mother?" Four days isn't really a long time to develop a deep understanding of a topic. Sorry if I seem overly critical.

So now that I understand that the projects were more a display of the learning process, not a finished product, they make much more sense to me. I agree kids need the freedom and space to learn, but if kids aren't going deep enough teachers need to know when to step in and offer some guidance - pose a question, suggest they do some research. For example, if the teacher read that "nutter" comment, he or she might suggest that students do some research on very serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia that often cause people to do unbelievably irrational things like kill their own mother. This of course would take time - more than four days!

Just like freedom and guidance, the teacher needs to find the right balance between process and product. I'm totally okay with the product being rough as long as the students go through the process in a meaningful way. I also think if the teacher can find the time it is worth it to help students go through the process and create a finished polished product that they can be proud of. How many inquiry based units do you do a year? I originally was thinking I would try to do one, but it might make sense to do two - one in the first half of the year where you are really just teaching the process and one later in the year where you are working with students on the process but have higher expectations for the product.