"Even when students get to select their own research topics, they are frequently not invested in the research. Too regularly the students’ finished research papers are simply rewordings of facts and statements they have found in various sources. This can cause students to feel disconnected from the process and unable to see research as an opportunity to make a contribution with their own ideas and findings" (Herrmann, 2012).
I chose this quote because it made me giggle. This is exactly how I felt when I had to write research papers in my undergrad. I have never been a fan of writing, reading, or researching. I am more of a math/science person. I like to do things and be hands on. However, it is inevitable, I will have to read, write, and research my whole life. So, while reading this article, I realized that I can incorporate so many research projects that would be so much more engaging than anything I could imagine. Our students have so many questions that they want to know more about - they do not realize that when they are using Google, Bing, or Yahoo, to answer the questions they have - they are actually conducting research. So, if our questions are meaningful to our students - they will want to do the work.
Retrieved from: http://educationalstar.com/writing-research-papers-very-easily/
I chose this image because it comes from a website that helps one through a research paper. This also made me giggle - as did the quote I chose - because I have seen this face on myself an many of my peers when we have to write, read, and research something that we do not understand or even care about. Therefore, we should make research projects engaging for our students - making them motivating.
Source:
Herrmann, B. (2012, Fall). Writing as an Exploration: Rethinking the Research Paper. Wisconsin English Journal, 54(2), 49-51. Retrieved June 25, 2013, from http://journals.library.wisc.edu/index.php/wej/article/viewFile/538/579Reading #2:
1. What is the difference between writing a report and "doing research"?
According to the article - the author says that when students have a "report" all they think about is the way that the paper needs structured, the grammatical correctness, and must have an answer to the question. However, the research process is rarely looked upon. When "doing research" one should be looking everywhere they have access to - magazines, newspapers, internet sources, books, etc. They need to realize the research portion of the paper.
2. How might doing authentic research better prepare students for the 21st century work place? Give specific examples from the "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" reading.
In "Between a Rock and a Hard Place", they discuss research in the workplace. By students doing authentic research - this will better prepare them not only for the work place - but it will help them to become better researchers in general in the 21st century. Also, authentic research pertains to what the students actually want to know, as opposed to a teacher given assignment.
3.Why might Constructivist type type learning better prepare students for the 21st century work place than Behavioral approaches?
As stated in the article "Constructivist type of learning is transferable to situations in the real world. Students learn to think through issues that do not have prescribed responses or preset solutions" (Gordon). Also, " Behavioral approaches, with step-by-step directions, do not accommodate the complex thinking processes required for doing research" (Gordon).
4. How does authentic research su pport new media literacies?
Authentic Research supports new media literacies by increasing the motivation and interests of our students. Also, it supports the way students look up information by allowing them to participate in the new literacies that they are living among. The students need to be guided into the 21st century in the right way; therefore, they need to use authentic research as opposed to research that may not interest them.
Source:
Gordon, C. (2013). "Students As Authentic Researchers: A New Prescription for the High School Research Assignment" Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/slmrcontents/volume21999/vol2gordon
I also found your quote to be so true. I had my students to a research topic, and write a paer and it was just yaddayadda stuff until I decided to make them present their findings in a public forum. The attitude changed from drugery to engagement.It was nice transformation. Love your picturew!
ReplyDeleteI also find myself disconnected when conducting research that does not interest me, but if it is a question about which product works the best and worth spending my money, I'm all in. Just like my students will research their own topics for hours, but not have time or patience for class research. So I agree with you on creating a research assignment that students might find more worth their time.
ReplyDeleteI love the image you chose! I have felt that way many times when asked to research a topic that I had no interest in. Allowing students to research topics that interest them or matter to them will limit boredom and motivate them. When I am researching something that interests or matters to me I could read about it for hours; I believe students will feel the same way.
ReplyDeleteI really like you point about how students are doing research when they are using Google or Bing. I don't think they are aware of it on those terms. When they are doing research, they should be searching for answers to meaningful questions.
ReplyDeleteI like that you recognize that students have many issues that they want to know more about. Young people have questions, and it is our job as educators to teach them how to find and evaluate the answers. "It's on the internet" is not acceptable.
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