Notes

Outline

Be Research Ready-- Preparing for Successful Research Projects Barb Witkowski January 19, 2004

Workshop Objectives To give you tips on planning successful research projects To make you aware of online research tools To introduce quality online resources To teach you how to make a hotlist using Microsoft Word

Steps to Research Success Start with the Standards Ask “essential” questions Provide a scaffold Big 6 Project planning table Hotlist Data organizer Citation Machine Develop a rubric

1. Start with the Standards What should the students learn? Cite the PA Standards Subject area Technology List curricular objectives Work backwards!

2. Ask “Essential” Questions “Asking questions is a very good way to find out about something.” Kermit the Frog

What is an “Essential” Question? Forces students to use information meaningfully Is thought-provoking Falls in higher end of Bloom’s Taxonomy Analysis, synthesis, evaluation Requires decision making or planning a course of action

“Essential” Questions How? Which one? What if? Should? Why? Avoid “What?” Not too specific Can’t be answered in a sentence No right answer

“Essential” Questions Provide organizer Which city is the best place to live?

STOP! Think about the unit you are now teaching or one that you will be teaching soon. Write two essential questions that students could research.

3. Provide Scaffolds Help organize students Break project into smaller, more manageable steps Ascertain that students understand assignment Provide quality resources

Scaffolds Big 6 Information problem-solving process Task definition Information seeking strategies Location and access Use of information Synthesis Evaluation Assignment Organizer

Scaffolds Project Planning Table Shows sequence of tasks to be accomplished Includes milestones for intermediate assessment

Scaffolds Hotlist List of teacher-selected and teacher-evaluated web sites In html format; students click on links Word document or web page Helps students focus on quality resources Power Library databases Invisible Web No more aimless searching and wasting time Example 1 Example 2

STOP Open a Word document. Open Internet Explorer. Resize so the two programs are side by side. Using Power Library or an “invisible web” search engine, create a hotlist for an upcoming lesson or unit.

Scaffolds Data organizer for note taking Note cards Table in Word or Excel Example 1 Example 2 PowerPoint slides Other form

Scaffolds Citation Machine Students type information about resource Web site automatically creates bibliographic citation in MLA or APA style Paste citations on “Works Cited” page

STOP Using Citation Machine, create a citation in MLA format using information from one of the web sites on your hotlist. Paste the citation into a Word document.

4. Develop a Rubric Give to students at start of project Students will know exactly what’s expected Shows tasks to be completed Shows points assigned to each step Many samples available online

Works Cited Eisenberg, Mike. "The Big 6: Information Literacy for the Information Age." Big 6 Associates, LLC. 18 Jan. 2004 <http://www.big6.com/> Hopkins, Gary. "Graphic Organizer: Research Note Taking Made Easy." Education World . (2003). Retrieved 17 January 2004 <http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/03/lp322-04.shtml>. McKenzie, Jamie. "Scaffolding for Success." From Now On 9.4 (1999). Retrieved 17 January 2004 <http://www.fno.org/dec99/scaffold.html>.

Works Cited (continued) Moursund, David. Project-based Learning. Eugene: International Society for Technology in Education, 2003. "Transforming Standards to a Big Idea and Essential Questions." Enrollment Options San Diego Public Schools. 17 Jan. 2004 <http://magnet.sandi.net/workshops/informationquest Valenza, Joyce. "For the Best Answers, Ask Tough Questions." The Philadelphia Inquirer. 20 April 2000. Retrieved 17 January 2004 <http://www.joycevalenza.com/questions.html>.

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