Melissa, In listening to your thoughts about what is read in MS and HS Biology, I had the following question come up? How do you think we as teachers ensure that students are selecting reading level appropriate sources when they are tasked with independent research projects? Sometimes I think students go out to the internet, which has a vast amount of research sources available, and actually attempt to read articles that are so complex and above their reading capabilities, that they then become "turned off" of their interest in the topic. I know I have seen this with my own daughter in her first high school science research paper. She found so many complex articles that she couldn't fluently read due to the rich vocabulary that she got frustrated and kept procrastinating on her project. She kept changing topics until she had no time left and ended up with a D on the paper, this from a straight A student. So how do we facilitate reading on these types of individualized projects so we don't "lose" readers?
Good point Jody. We, as teachers, definitely have to support our students through the research process. We can't just assign the project and assume they can do it without lots of support each step of the way.
I feel that in this case Jody, the teacher failed your student. We have been learning that teachers must be very involved. We can't just assign something then sit on the sidelines, observe, and then expect high quality work. Could a soccer coach show up to practice, tell the team to pass the ball and run laps, then on game day just sit on the sidelines and watch his/her team play well and win the game? We should be making ourselves available, asking questions and borderline forcing our help on students. Because, some students just don't know how to ask for help or just don't want to. Hopefully, as time moves on we can slowly back away and watch the student "take-off"
I had almost exactly the same experience in high school biology Jody! I picked a subject for my research paper which I thought was interesting, but I couldn't focus to a specific hypothesis and was overwhelmed with the research abstracts I was reading. This was a turning point for me as I had been an A/B student in middle school and after this point, I slipped to a D student and dropped out 2 weeks into my senior year. Interesting that I now want to teach biology. I think my instructor, though a good teacher failed me in not guiding me as well as he could have to find the answers I needed. I'm sure your daughter won't go down the path I did, but it's really important that she doesn't see giving up as an option. Once I started throwing my hands up, the bad grades didn't feel so bad any more and I accepted them, which was my downfall as a student.
Why do you think we ask students to read such "boring" material in classes? Why, if teachers know its boring, do we continue to do this? Do you think that as a biology teacher you will be able to find interesting resources for them to read? you will probably have to use a textbook, but hopefully you can find supplemental material that will bring the content to life.
I replied on my own blog how Gallagher noted in Readicide that teaching to the test is not a bad way of teaching and that he says teaching to the test is a good foundation to good teaching. The problem is the tests are too shallow. We need to construct our tests to produce higher levels of thinking BEFORE we start a lesson. Would you agree that telling the students what will be on the test can help the students be more focused on the reading?
I absolutely agree with you Scott, we do need to ask the questions first as that will naturally lead the students to hone in on what is important and will give them cues to guide them along in the reading. I notice how most text books now have pre-learning questions at the beginning of each chapter, and I know those have helped me focus.
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteIn listening to your thoughts about what is read in MS and HS Biology, I had the following question come up? How do you think we as teachers ensure that students are selecting reading level appropriate sources when they are tasked with independent research projects? Sometimes I think students go out to the internet, which has a vast amount of research sources available, and actually attempt to read articles that are so complex and above their reading capabilities, that they then become "turned off" of their interest in the topic. I know I have seen this with my own daughter in her first high school science research paper. She found so many complex articles that she couldn't fluently read due to the rich vocabulary that she got frustrated and kept procrastinating on her project. She kept changing topics until she had no time left and ended up with a D on the paper, this from a straight A student. So how do we facilitate reading on these types of individualized projects so we don't "lose" readers?
Good point Jody. We, as teachers, definitely have to support our students through the research process. We can't just assign the project and assume they can do it without lots of support each step of the way.
DeleteI feel that in this case Jody, the teacher failed your student. We have been learning that teachers must be very involved. We can't just assign something then sit on the sidelines, observe, and then expect high quality work. Could a soccer coach show up to practice, tell the team to pass the ball and run laps, then on game day just sit on the sidelines and watch his/her team play well and win the game? We should be making ourselves available, asking questions and borderline forcing our help on students. Because, some students just don't know how to ask for help or just don't want to. Hopefully, as time moves on we can slowly back away and watch the student "take-off"
DeleteI had almost exactly the same experience in high school biology Jody! I picked a subject for my research paper which I thought was interesting, but I couldn't focus to a specific hypothesis and was overwhelmed with the research abstracts I was reading. This was a turning point for me as I had been an A/B student in middle school and after this point, I slipped to a D student and dropped out 2 weeks into my senior year. Interesting that I now want to teach biology. I think my instructor, though a good teacher failed me in not guiding me as well as he could have to find the answers I needed. I'm sure your daughter won't go down the path I did, but it's really important that she doesn't see giving up as an option. Once I started throwing my hands up, the bad grades didn't feel so bad any more and I accepted them, which was my downfall as a student.
DeleteWhy do you think we ask students to read such "boring" material in classes? Why, if teachers know its boring, do we continue to do this? Do you think that as a biology teacher you will be able to find interesting resources for them to read? you will probably have to use a textbook, but hopefully you can find supplemental material that will bring the content to life.
ReplyDeleteI replied on my own blog how Gallagher noted in Readicide that teaching to the test is not a bad way of teaching and that he says teaching to the test is a good foundation to good teaching. The problem is the tests are too shallow. We need to construct our tests to produce higher levels of thinking BEFORE we start a lesson. Would you agree that telling the students what will be on the test can help the students be more focused on the reading?
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with you Scott, we do need to ask the questions first as that will naturally lead the students to hone in on what is important and will give them cues to guide them along in the reading. I notice how most text books now have pre-learning questions at the beginning of each chapter, and I know those have helped me focus.
ReplyDelete