What is the role of the teacher in helping students to make meaning of primary source material?
It begins with helping them understand what the meaning of the words ‘primary’ and ‘source’ are, and -while the average student will have some idea what a primary source is - taking the time to really define and discuss the meaning of primary source documents is well worthwhile.
Next – we need to teach them how to find primary source documents. Learning to conduct a key word search through general search engines and specialized databases is a critical skill for secondary students. Having some experience and having read the discussion of this topic in November’s text, I’ve come to the conclusion that the most effective strategy will allow students to experiment, experience a little success and failure, and receive instruction for the learning opportunities that present. There’s not much sense in teaching them interpretive and evaluative skills until they develop the skills to locate a source to interpret.
And this interpretation skill is easily taken for granted in our students. Its easy to assume that all students will look at a document like a birth record or a photograph and immediately interpret the information provided in the light we had expected. This is not always the case. For students that struggle to interpret the implicit messages of a primary source, we must help them develop a set of strategies to do so. Without some specific problem solving strategies to help them approach the task, interpreting primary sources can be an overwhelming activity. In my classroom, we begin my making a list of something called givens – a basic brainstorm of all the information ‘given’ in the document. From there we can begin to ponder the meaning of each detail and the overall document in light of our research objectives.
It is equally important to teach students to evaluate primary documents. We often teach students to evaluate textbooks and articles. In fact, I often use primary source documents to put together the fuller picture needed to do so. My high school level Current Issues class recently undertook a study of Rosa Parks, easily using primary source documents to find contradictions existing in the textbook. What was interesting was the contrast between their ability to evaluate the textbook and their ability to recognize bias inherent in the documents studied. Something about the label ‘primary source’ led them to take the documents at face value. This is where the teacher also needs to step in to lead students to look for bias and consider the ‘why’s’ behind a document’s creation.
Explain the differences between blogs, wikis, and web-based word processors (e.g. Google Docs). Briefly identify one classroom activity for each type of tool.
Blogs are great, they allow for a sort of ever- expanding, on- line discussion of class content. And, as I’m learning, you can include important classroom links. In this respect they are great for posting assignments, sharing student reflections on course activities, and keeping parents connected.
Wikis have many of the same features, however they seem better designed for the collection and editing of information versus the posting of responses to it. I think they will be my new favorite tool. With a wiki site, course information / documents can be collected and edited in a way that produces an actual work product. And while I still have some reservations about the long-term effects of collaborative knowledge building in the real world, I have zero reservations about the collaborative process in my classroom. I am one of those teachers that adjusts my curriculum according to student interest and academic needs as they present themselves. I rarely end up where I had envisioned at the end of the year in terms of the content I use to cover the strategies and processes I teach. I loved some of the ideas in the November text for creating a classroom textbook that includes student contributions. At present, I teach 3 courses with no textbook or curriculum, and I am constantly revising and looking for new material. I would love to use a wiki site to collect the curriculum we develop and allow students to contribute. I also love the idea of using a wiki site to collect content / background research on topics covered in literary works. One big push in my social studies classes this year has been for me to use literature as an enrichment activity for differentiated instruction. Having a wiki site would definitely facilitate the effort…no more worksheets!
Google Docs in another great program I have already started to use for sharing documents. It seems slightly more limited, in that it creates single documents to edit, but it does allow you to publish them online for access and editing. One way I can already imagine using the program is for students that have no printer access at home. They can connect to my document via its web link, edit or complete the activity, and save. In fact, I like the idea simply in terms of reducing the amount of paper produced (not to mention avoiding lost assignments).
After completing the treasure hunt, use specific examples (web sites) to briefly discuss some of the ways the internet can enhance instruction beyond simply facts for essays and book reports.
I found many great instructional websites through the treasure hunt, and its pretty clear to me now that the internet has a lot to offer in this respect. The first sites that I visited provided virtual worlds through video games that focused on learning activities in varied subjects. I especially liked the Whyville site that provided games in multiple subjects AND created an account that allowed students to track their progress. Quest Atlantis and River City were also pretty neat. Each had ecologically minded lessons and problems to solve.
I’ve already got plans for LiveMocha for my 2 youngest boys. They are currently using the Rosetta Stone Program to learn Spanish. Rosetta Stone has some great aspects, it is very intuitive and conversational in its approach. It does not provide explicit direction in grammar, however, and the syntax differences between Spanish and English allow some concepts to get lost in translation. Though I have, so far, been able to bridge the gap, the experience can be somewhat frustrating for a student. Though I believe cognitive dissonance is a generally useful tool, for some students (particularly those that have experienced failure), that 1 piece of confusing information in a language based activity can overwhelm, and the intended message can be lost. Adding an online program like LiveMocha can supply some variety in instruction (not to mention a break for one’s wallet). Even more important, LiveMocha offers the opportunity for communication practice with others their age the way gaming systems like Xbox Live allow them to compete against one another. This is a familiar format for kids, but, in this case, one that provides useful communication and collaboration skills through an authentic audience.
There were also some really great links through the UCONN literacy program. I found a pretty extensive list of online games, webquests, and activities for a variety of classroom situations. This site linked to resources in every subject from reading to geography. These are great resources, as kids find them fun, while gaining valuable skills practice.
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