After using blogs with my classes for almost four years now, it is a little disturbing to think that soon the format I use will be gone. My school has made it clear that they are not committed to maintaining the Manila system we use, but has also reassured me that they won't leave teachers in the lurch even though they have had some security issues recently.
So after coming to this realization, I spent part of an in-service day learning about Moodle. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hopes I had for it, but it did get me thinking about what I would want in an ideal online class site.
Here's the list I came up with:
The ease of use, and hyperlinking capabilities of a blog.
Testing, polling and quiz applications.
Chat room capability.
Discussion capability like a blog that can be open to the public.
The flexibility to determine what is public.
Social networking for teachers like Facebook (with groups that bring together content areas).
The ability to turn on focused social networking for students.
Ability to upload content (including video) for both students and teachers.
The capability for a group to create a document and track changes like a Wiki.
Ability to import quizzes from textbook companies.
A system like this would empower both teachers and students to interact and share their knowledge far beyond the classroom walls in a much more effective way. Is any of this currently out there?
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Citizen Journalism - Massaro Update
I must admit that spending two days in Bloomsbury talking to residents and writing about Monica Massaro's murder made me obsessed with this unsolved murder. I spent a lot of time searching the Internet and even set up Google Alerts on the topic. And although there has yet to be anything released officially from the State Police, it looks like they have a suspect - a truck driver from North Carolina who was caught during a home invasion in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.
The mayor of Bloomsbury is announcing it on the town's website (although some of the details originally posted have been removed), and it has been reported in the news in both The Chelmsford Independent. and in the Star Ledger. The Democrat is planning a major update this week as well. I've passed along some of the information I received through this blog from an anonymous commenter. He or she was obsessed with the case as well and found an amazing amount of information through the Internet and a friend who lives in the town.
So I guess in a sense we are both citizen journalists. We are interested and informed about a specific topic, and through posting on this blog and e-mailing the paper, we are adding to the articles (and type of articles) that will appear in the paper. Of course, I could take this a step further and go to Bloomsbury, talk to people and post an original article here or on another online space, this would be closer to what generally considered citizen (or grassroots) journalism, but I've begun my transition to the classroom, so I'll let the professionals handle this.
I do think this situation illustrates the variety of roles citizens can play in the gathering of news, and it will be another lesson from my internship that I will bring to my students.
Apparently the lessons just keep on coming!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Internship - Last: My Reflection Column
This summer I’ve had the opportunity to practice what I teach.
During my four week internship, I traded in my identity as Mr. McHale, English teacher and newspaper adviser at Hunterdon Central Regional High School, for Tom McHale, reporter at the Hunterdon County Democrat. I was able to make this transformation through the New Jersey Press Foundation’s Teachers at Newspapers Program.
As a reporter, I’ve written news and feature stories, worked on obituaries and re-written press releases. I’ve also had the opportunity to cover a land use meeting, interview interesting people, and even cover a murder. In addition to all of this, I’ve worked with Shirley Sasor to try and develop a stronger connection between the county’s five high schools and the newspaper.
My work with Newspapers in Education and the development of a teen section for the Democrat is something I hope to continue into the future.
After all that, what can I take back to my students and newspaper staff?
A new appreciation for the role of the news media in society. In covering the murder of Monica Massaro in Bloomsbury, I got the chance to see a close-knit small town yearning for information. The day after her body was discovered, officials wouldn’t confirm her name, address, or even how she was killed. We worked hard to publish what we could find out through a variety of sources and illustrate how residents were reacting to the lack of information. I participated in discussions with editors on what we could say and what we should or shouldn’t say. Contrary to prevalent public perception, I have been part of a newsroom that cares deeply about the accuracy and ethics of what they print. I’ve even witnessed heated discussions over the choice of a single word.
The importance of knowing and serving your readers. As I’ve worked with editors, I’ve learned the importance of not just telling a good, concise story, but also making the local connection. I’ve come to understand that the Democrat is in the business of telling the story of Hunterdon. In that context all of the decisions that are made make sense: From the collection of stories that make it on the front page, to the printing of almost every letter to the editor, to the history photos and columns, to the use of Mr. and Mrs. in front of names. All of it revolves around a projection of Hunterdon county's identity and a respect for the reader. The Democrat takes its role as a community newspaper into account with every decision it makes. I hope the staff of The Lamp works to serve the Hunterdon Central community in the same way.
A new knowledge of the community in which I teach. For nine years I’ve known little about Hunterdon county beyond the highways I travel to commute from my home in Pa. Yes, as one of the editors likes to tell me, I’m a carpetbagger who lines my pockets with local tax revenues. In reporting on local meetings, attending the Farmers and Businessmen's Picnic, talking to local officials and citizens alike, and just being a part of the gathering of news, I’ve come to know the county’s people and places much better.
Everybody has a story to tell. In my few weeks here I’ve had the opportunity to learn the stories of a variety of current and former Hunterdon residents. I’ve talked to the Red Cross National Volunteer of the Year, a former resident who is certified to fly the world’s largest passenger aircraft, a world-class master rower, a former resident who is an online business whiz kid, and a master auto technician who will compete for a world championship. I’ve come to discover that in telling their stories, I’m telling the story of this community. And that being a good reporter involves being curious and taking a general interest in those around you. My students would do well to reach out to some of the more than 3,000 people who walk through the doors of Central each day.
So as I begin the transition back to “Mr. McHale,” I’d like to thank everyone in the Democrat’s newsroom for sharing their knowledge, craft, and friendship; all the people who shared their thoughts and stories; Tom Engleman and the NJPF which provided this opportunity; and all those who read my stories as well.
I return to Central a better writer, teacher, and adviser.
During my four week internship, I traded in my identity as Mr. McHale, English teacher and newspaper adviser at Hunterdon Central Regional High School, for Tom McHale, reporter at the Hunterdon County Democrat. I was able to make this transformation through the New Jersey Press Foundation’s Teachers at Newspapers Program.
As a reporter, I’ve written news and feature stories, worked on obituaries and re-written press releases. I’ve also had the opportunity to cover a land use meeting, interview interesting people, and even cover a murder. In addition to all of this, I’ve worked with Shirley Sasor to try and develop a stronger connection between the county’s five high schools and the newspaper.
My work with Newspapers in Education and the development of a teen section for the Democrat is something I hope to continue into the future.
After all that, what can I take back to my students and newspaper staff?
A new appreciation for the role of the news media in society. In covering the murder of Monica Massaro in Bloomsbury, I got the chance to see a close-knit small town yearning for information. The day after her body was discovered, officials wouldn’t confirm her name, address, or even how she was killed. We worked hard to publish what we could find out through a variety of sources and illustrate how residents were reacting to the lack of information. I participated in discussions with editors on what we could say and what we should or shouldn’t say. Contrary to prevalent public perception, I have been part of a newsroom that cares deeply about the accuracy and ethics of what they print. I’ve even witnessed heated discussions over the choice of a single word.
The importance of knowing and serving your readers. As I’ve worked with editors, I’ve learned the importance of not just telling a good, concise story, but also making the local connection. I’ve come to understand that the Democrat is in the business of telling the story of Hunterdon. In that context all of the decisions that are made make sense: From the collection of stories that make it on the front page, to the printing of almost every letter to the editor, to the history photos and columns, to the use of Mr. and Mrs. in front of names. All of it revolves around a projection of Hunterdon county's identity and a respect for the reader. The Democrat takes its role as a community newspaper into account with every decision it makes. I hope the staff of The Lamp works to serve the Hunterdon Central community in the same way.
A new knowledge of the community in which I teach. For nine years I’ve known little about Hunterdon county beyond the highways I travel to commute from my home in Pa. Yes, as one of the editors likes to tell me, I’m a carpetbagger who lines my pockets with local tax revenues. In reporting on local meetings, attending the Farmers and Businessmen's Picnic, talking to local officials and citizens alike, and just being a part of the gathering of news, I’ve come to know the county’s people and places much better.
Everybody has a story to tell. In my few weeks here I’ve had the opportunity to learn the stories of a variety of current and former Hunterdon residents. I’ve talked to the Red Cross National Volunteer of the Year, a former resident who is certified to fly the world’s largest passenger aircraft, a world-class master rower, a former resident who is an online business whiz kid, and a master auto technician who will compete for a world championship. I’ve come to discover that in telling their stories, I’m telling the story of this community. And that being a good reporter involves being curious and taking a general interest in those around you. My students would do well to reach out to some of the more than 3,000 people who walk through the doors of Central each day.
So as I begin the transition back to “Mr. McHale,” I’d like to thank everyone in the Democrat’s newsroom for sharing their knowledge, craft, and friendship; all the people who shared their thoughts and stories; Tom Engleman and the NJPF which provided this opportunity; and all those who read my stories as well.
I return to Central a better writer, teacher, and adviser.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Internship Pt. 4: More Murder Story
Once the article appeared on Thursday (August 9), we began to receive feedback. Letters to the editor complained that Monica was much more than the "rocker chick" she was described as in the press. This was certainly true, but as we were putting the story together for deadline, all we (and other papers) had to go on was her myspace page.The letters to the editor provided a glimpse into another side of her and also gave me sources to call for additional information. I felt that we needed to do more, even though a week after the murder, no new information had been released. I was glad that the editors decided to send me back to Bloomsbury.
My return was exactly one week after my first visit and much had changed. The street was no longer blockaded and there was no visible police presence. Some potted plants were left on Monica's front porch, but other than yellow crime scene tape across a side door, there was no sign a murder had occurred. Children laughed and yelled across the street from the scene at a church's vacation bible school. I wanted to try and find out more information and depict how the town was reacting to the unsolved crime. I talked to the director of the bible school and the pastor of the church. I went to borough hall, but unfortunately it was closed for the week. I talked to a few people on the street and went to the general store again for lunch. I didn't come away with any new information, but I did find that although daily activities were returning to normal, people were scared and frustrated. And that became the story.
When I returned to the newsroom, I called members of the town's Celebration Committee who had sent in a letter to the editor that we were running. This led to a long conversation that really gave readers a new view into who Monica was and how this small town was reacting to her death.
I was proud that we were able to bring attention to this woman and this small town that had been affected by this tragedy. My story ran along with an editorial that criticized the lack of information from public officials. This angered the state police, but really illustrates the role of the press in society. Public officials have a duty to provide citizens with the information they need to live their lives. I know this is an ongoing investigation and the police's first responsibility is to solve the murder and ensure the safety of everyone, but by not telling anyone anything other than "they do not believe anyone in Bloomsbury is in any immediate danger," leads to rumor, fear, and frustration.
It was this environment that I tried to describe in my story. The police weren't happy about it, but I hope the residents of Bloomsbury felt it accurately portrayed what they are going through.
It's now over four weeks since Monica Massaro's body was found. No one has been arrested, and no new information has been released.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Internship Pt. 3: Reporting on a Murder
On Tuesday, July 29, our assignment editor came in with a tip that there was a murder in the small town of Bloomsbury in the northwest corner of the county. In Hunterdon County this is big news. The last murder was two years ago, and Bloomsbury is a small borough of less than 900 people – that was characterized by one reporter as Mayberry RFD.
A buzz of excitement went through the room as reporters tried to get information about it. State police confirmed the crime, but wouldn’t say anything else. The reporter that usually covers this town was on vacation, and most everyone else was working on stories for deadline. The Democrat is a weekly paper which is printed off site on Wednesday, so Tuesdays are very busy.
It was decided that I should take a camera, drive to Bloomsbury and see what I could dig up. I have to admit, I was really excited. This was big news for the paper, and I really wanted to come back with something we could write a story about.
When I got there, state police had barricades set up at each end of the block. With the murder scene in the middle of the block, I knew I wasn’t going to get a usable picture or even be able to see the address. So I parked my car, and walked around the block to see what I could find.
The first person I talked to was getting out of his car after a trip to the store. His house was directly across from the barricade and he didn’t even know what had happened. I had more luck as I walked up to the street behind the murder victim’s house. A woman was going up the steps into a local business. I asked if she would talk to me and she reluctantly agreed telling me that she was the one who called the police. Apparently, guys who worked in the shop found identification material and makeup from the victim behind their building which borders on a NJ Transit high-speed rail line. They turned in the materials to this woman who called the house several times and then knocked on the door before going home for the day. She called police when no one answered.
The next person I talked to was a former state trooper who surprisingly had no misgivings about talking to me. He lives very close to the victim and gave me some great quotes and some information that the state police told him. I was on a roll and spent the next couple of hours knocking on doors, observing police behavior (a helicopter buzzed the neighborhood) and visiting borough hall and the general store where many locals come for lunch.
In the end, I had details that no one else was able to get. Another reporter, Curtis Leeds, worked his contacts with the state police and prosecutor’s office to complete the story. Of course, the officials were giving out very little information and weren’t happy with the information that we printed.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Internship Pt. 2
A good deal of my internship has been spent living the life of a new reporter. This meant writing obituaries and press releases. These could grow tiresome, but it also gave me a glimpse of one of the Democrat’s strengths – the awareness the editors have of their reader’s needs.
In obituaries this means always putting the local connection up front - whether it be family that lives in the area, a local business they owned, former resident, etc. For press releases it means appealing to the interests of readers in the most concise way possible.
After I got my feet wet covering meetings and writing releases and obits, I moved on to a variety of feature stories which were mostly profiles. My stories ranged from the Red Cross Volunteer of the Year, to a world class female rower in the 50-55 age grouping, to a young online millionaire, to a former Hunterdon resident who is certified to fly the world’s largest passenger plane. The last one even got on the front page!
Writing these profiles was something I really enjoyed. I tell my students that everyone has a story and I’d love to see more profiles in the school newspaper. The profiles that I was assigned came from a number of sources – public relations e-mails, other articles, and even other readers.
Of course, even in these stories the local angle is paramount. If they no longer live in the area, the connection needs to be made upfront. And even if they do live in the county, adding other residents that are relevant to the story offers “circles of connectivity,” as one editor put it.
The way front page stories are chosen also gave me a glimpse into the way the newspaper serves their readers. They try to constantly focus what is of interest to their readers and give them something other papers can’t – a local angle that is informative, entertaining, and even quant. They represent Hunterdon’s rural, small town, nature in the corner of the most populated state in the country.
This awareness and dedication to readers is something that I’d like to encourage the school newspaper’s staff to focus on as well: What is the student body interested in? What do they need to know? How can you represent the identity of the school to readers?
In obituaries this means always putting the local connection up front - whether it be family that lives in the area, a local business they owned, former resident, etc. For press releases it means appealing to the interests of readers in the most concise way possible.
After I got my feet wet covering meetings and writing releases and obits, I moved on to a variety of feature stories which were mostly profiles. My stories ranged from the Red Cross Volunteer of the Year, to a world class female rower in the 50-55 age grouping, to a young online millionaire, to a former Hunterdon resident who is certified to fly the world’s largest passenger plane. The last one even got on the front page!
Writing these profiles was something I really enjoyed. I tell my students that everyone has a story and I’d love to see more profiles in the school newspaper. The profiles that I was assigned came from a number of sources – public relations e-mails, other articles, and even other readers.
Of course, even in these stories the local angle is paramount. If they no longer live in the area, the connection needs to be made upfront. And even if they do live in the county, adding other residents that are relevant to the story offers “circles of connectivity,” as one editor put it.
The way front page stories are chosen also gave me a glimpse into the way the newspaper serves their readers. They try to constantly focus what is of interest to their readers and give them something other papers can’t – a local angle that is informative, entertaining, and even quant. They represent Hunterdon’s rural, small town, nature in the corner of the most populated state in the country.
This awareness and dedication to readers is something that I’d like to encourage the school newspaper’s staff to focus on as well: What is the student body interested in? What do they need to know? How can you represent the identity of the school to readers?
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Internship Halftime
I’ve now completed two weeks of my internship made possible through the New Jersey Press Foundation and taking place at the Hunterdon County Democrat. In this time I’ve learned what it’s like to be a new reporter at a community newspaper, and have developed a much more thorough understanding of the history and culture of the community I teach in.
I live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and for the last nine years have crossed the river to neighboring Hunterdon County in my commute to my job teaching at Hunterdon Central Regional High School. I travel almost the entire way on interstates, and other than field trips and a few homeschooling assignments, I really don’t know my way around the district no less the entire county. This internship helped change that a bit.
In covering the Franklin Township Land Use Planning Board, I got to experience the northern end of the county. One that is very rural (outside of Clinton) and determined to keep it that way. Just the experience of trying to cover a meeting where it was difficult to hear and contained language that I sometimes barely understood was an experience. It took effort to follow all that was going on during the five hour meeting. Still I was able to get the hang of it and I found it interesting how the board attorney basically ran the show as he had the expertise to understand what was going on, interpret it for the board members, and then offer them options based on the law. Sometimes the smallest details could sidetrack the panel, but it is at these meetings that a lot of what affects people in their daily lives happen. So I voraciously took notes.
What was most interesting was the people who come out for these meetings. Almost everyone in attendance is there to present their case, but there are a few exceptions. One person that caught my eye looked like he had just emerged from the woods. He sported a long, scraggly red beard streaked with gray. His long hair was pulled back in a pony tail. He wore a beat up blue cotton button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and filthy cut off jeans. But the most striking piece of apparel was the black rubber boots that came up to just below his knees. Peeking out of the top of the boots were what looked like woolen hunting socks. This character walked up to the board table after the paper work was distributed by the clerk, put on a pair of gold rim glasses, and skimmed the contents before taking a seat on the floor. This didn’t seem to disturb the board members as they filed in.
The rest of the meeting itself went fairly smoothly until the last presentation of the night which I had little interest in. It seemed like a simple land division case that would be quickly resolved, but apparently it touched off an old feud involving a former law suit, a former mayor, and divisions within a family. At the end of the evening I was wondering whether some of the participants were going to come to blows.
As I stumbled out of the meeting at 12:30 a.m. I watched in my rear view mirror as angry residents stood in the dark discussing the case which the board decided to postponed for two months. And boy was it dark! I guess Franklin Township doesn’t believe in lighting the parking lot of their offices because I couldn’t even find my car at first. I went up to the wrong vehicle and then had to feel for the dents a suicidal deer made to positively identify my van before inserting the key in the door.
I live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and for the last nine years have crossed the river to neighboring Hunterdon County in my commute to my job teaching at Hunterdon Central Regional High School. I travel almost the entire way on interstates, and other than field trips and a few homeschooling assignments, I really don’t know my way around the district no less the entire county. This internship helped change that a bit.
In covering the Franklin Township Land Use Planning Board, I got to experience the northern end of the county. One that is very rural (outside of Clinton) and determined to keep it that way. Just the experience of trying to cover a meeting where it was difficult to hear and contained language that I sometimes barely understood was an experience. It took effort to follow all that was going on during the five hour meeting. Still I was able to get the hang of it and I found it interesting how the board attorney basically ran the show as he had the expertise to understand what was going on, interpret it for the board members, and then offer them options based on the law. Sometimes the smallest details could sidetrack the panel, but it is at these meetings that a lot of what affects people in their daily lives happen. So I voraciously took notes.
What was most interesting was the people who come out for these meetings. Almost everyone in attendance is there to present their case, but there are a few exceptions. One person that caught my eye looked like he had just emerged from the woods. He sported a long, scraggly red beard streaked with gray. His long hair was pulled back in a pony tail. He wore a beat up blue cotton button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and filthy cut off jeans. But the most striking piece of apparel was the black rubber boots that came up to just below his knees. Peeking out of the top of the boots were what looked like woolen hunting socks. This character walked up to the board table after the paper work was distributed by the clerk, put on a pair of gold rim glasses, and skimmed the contents before taking a seat on the floor. This didn’t seem to disturb the board members as they filed in.
The rest of the meeting itself went fairly smoothly until the last presentation of the night which I had little interest in. It seemed like a simple land division case that would be quickly resolved, but apparently it touched off an old feud involving a former law suit, a former mayor, and divisions within a family. At the end of the evening I was wondering whether some of the participants were going to come to blows.
As I stumbled out of the meeting at 12:30 a.m. I watched in my rear view mirror as angry residents stood in the dark discussing the case which the board decided to postponed for two months. And boy was it dark! I guess Franklin Township doesn’t believe in lighting the parking lot of their offices because I couldn’t even find my car at first. I went up to the wrong vehicle and then had to feel for the dents a suicidal deer made to positively identify my van before inserting the key in the door.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
My Summer Vacation
I’m beginning the second week of an intensive journalistic experience. I am completing a four week + internship with the Hunterdon County Democrat provided through the New Jersey Press Foundation, and I am enrolled in an online course entitled Boot Camp for Scholastic Journalism Advisers offered through NewsU which is a project of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies.
Week one was a lot of work, but I am learning a lot, and most exciting of all, I am gathering material and sources that I can bring to my journalism students and newspaper staff. I hope to use this blog as a document of my experiences and as a place to reflect on what I have learned. Look for regular posting for the next few weeks as I attempt to grow as a reporter, writer, and teacher. Please feel free to add your comments and experiences to the mix.
Week one was a lot of work, but I am learning a lot, and most exciting of all, I am gathering material and sources that I can bring to my journalism students and newspaper staff. I hope to use this blog as a document of my experiences and as a place to reflect on what I have learned. Look for regular posting for the next few weeks as I attempt to grow as a reporter, writer, and teacher. Please feel free to add your comments and experiences to the mix.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Dealing with the Distraction Factor
One of the things I struggle with, in classes taught in computer labs, is the distraction factor. My Journalism 2 course is structured so that students work independently and function for much of the course as freelance writers. Now I know in the real world, freelance writers work from home much of the time. They might multitask among any number of activities including reporting, writing, reading, checking e-mail, eating, and talking on their cell phones. Unfortunately, in a classroom setting that is governed by school rules much of this is impossible. In addition, watching students get done “just what they need to do” for the day to spend much of the 82 minute block playing games, commenting on Facebook, or playing videos on YouTube drives me crazy.
So the question I’d like to pose is how do you set up an environment that functions as a writers' workshop where students are productive without being distracting or breaking school rules?
So the question I’d like to pose is how do you set up an environment that functions as a writers' workshop where students are productive without being distracting or breaking school rules?
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Only with a weblog
One of the things I love about using weblogs with my students is the flexibility it can build into the curriculum.
Case in point: In the last couple of years, the Philadelphia Inquirer has been having financial difficulties like many other big city dailies (To read more about the Inky’s most recent problems click here). Ten months ago Amanda Bennett, the editor-in-chief of the paper, wrote about plans she had to serve readers better given the prevalence of 24-hour news. Since then I’ve had each new section of journalism students read this article and respond to it.
On Sunday morning, I was reading the paper and read Ms. Bennett’s last column as editor of the paper. She is being forced out by the new owners, but her column is a positive piece about how journalism and newspapers will survive changes in society, technology, and economics. I went to the Inquirer’s online site, and created a link to the article in a post on my class weblog. By 9:30 the next morning my students were reading and responding to the column through the discuss feature of the blog. Their comments were honest and well thought out.
After class was over, I e-mailed Ms. Bennett and told her about our weblog and by 11:45 AM she had read my students comments and responded to them.
The next day when I told my students that Ms. Bennett had responded they actually seemed impressed (at least some of them), and they quickly logged on to see what she had to say.
Case in point: In the last couple of years, the Philadelphia Inquirer has been having financial difficulties like many other big city dailies (To read more about the Inky’s most recent problems click here). Ten months ago Amanda Bennett, the editor-in-chief of the paper, wrote about plans she had to serve readers better given the prevalence of 24-hour news. Since then I’ve had each new section of journalism students read this article and respond to it.
On Sunday morning, I was reading the paper and read Ms. Bennett’s last column as editor of the paper. She is being forced out by the new owners, but her column is a positive piece about how journalism and newspapers will survive changes in society, technology, and economics. I went to the Inquirer’s online site, and created a link to the article in a post on my class weblog. By 9:30 the next morning my students were reading and responding to the column through the discuss feature of the blog. Their comments were honest and well thought out.
After class was over, I e-mailed Ms. Bennett and told her about our weblog and by 11:45 AM she had read my students comments and responded to them.
The next day when I told my students that Ms. Bennett had responded they actually seemed impressed (at least some of them), and they quickly logged on to see what she had to say.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Reflections on Disapointments and Near Misses - Part 1
In the past few months many of the projects and goals that I have excitedly written about have taken some unexpected turns or have become the victims of scheduling or student apathy. In many cases I’ve assumed an interest in collaboration, interacting with professionals, doing real research, and connecting history to one’s own life that either wasn’t there or wasn’t present in enough abundance to motivate students to do something they weren’t required to do. What follows are a few of these tragic tales. Please be forewarned, if you are looking for a happy story of students transformed and entranced by technology you would be much better served by perusing the ramblings of almost any other Edublogger (my apologies to Lemony Snicket).
Probably the one project I spent the most time preparing for and which I thought would most benefit my 10th grade American Studies students now seems dead (or at least on life support). I have written about this project several times (click here, here, and here for a quick review). It involved researching something important and personal to them or their families or analyzing an aspect of where they live. As a class we got as far as choosing topics and doing some preliminary internet research. We even had the social studies supervisor come in and teach a class on conducting oral history since this was a component of the project. But unfortunately, I could never convey my excitement for the project to the kids. Where I saw an opportunity to do real research that actually connected to their lives, they saw more work with no easy answers. When the time came for them to do their formal research paper (which is required by the social studies department), all but one student chose a topic off a list rather than the personal topic they had chosen. This effectively delayed everything for weeks, and now with nine weeks of school left, reviving this project (while completing the curriculum) seems futile.
Monday, February 13, 2006
I'm Back.....
It’s been quite a while since I last posted. I’ve found myself trying to do too much and as a result not producing anything (blogwise) at all. I’ve been immersed in all that goes on in the classroom and advising a student newspaper, and have found myself falling behind on reading my Bloglines subscriptions. Now that a new semester has started, I feel it’s time to refocus my attentions with this blog.
First and foremost, this means that my posts will primarily be reflections on what is going on in my classroom, within my school, and with my kids producing our student newspaper. I’ve cut down my Bloglines subscriptions (for now) to reflect this as well. Anything that doesn’t directly relate to the subjects I’m teaching (journalism and American Studies) will have to wait until the summer. I’m hoping this will translate into regular posts once again. I think the reflections are important and the discussions and connections invaluable.
And now that I’ve found a new focus, I’ve got to come up with a new name especially since The Open Classroom was apparently already taken when I chose it. Any ideas?
First and foremost, this means that my posts will primarily be reflections on what is going on in my classroom, within my school, and with my kids producing our student newspaper. I’ve cut down my Bloglines subscriptions (for now) to reflect this as well. Anything that doesn’t directly relate to the subjects I’m teaching (journalism and American Studies) will have to wait until the summer. I’m hoping this will translate into regular posts once again. I think the reflections are important and the discussions and connections invaluable.
And now that I’ve found a new focus, I’ve got to come up with a new name especially since The Open Classroom was apparently already taken when I chose it. Any ideas?
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Feedback from the Researchers
Right before the holiday break I collected research papers from my 11th and 12th grade students. I’ve blogged about the process we used in earlier posts here, here, and here. As our students munched on doughnuts on the last day of class, I asked them to respond to the research process. Here are some of their comments:
On Using RSS Feeds and Furl to keep up with News Articles:
“I felt like the furl was a critical tool for my research paper. Normally, if I were to try to save a link from one of the electronic resources provided by the school, it would not work when I would try to visit it at a later date. When that happens I have to start all over again, which is very frustrating. Furl not only saved my link and kept it working; it also gave the option for me to rate my source and leave a mental note about it.”
“If I was taking notes on books then it would be hard for me to go back to the book and find more information. With the links I could go right back to the article and get all the information I could out of my sources.”
“Let it be known that I despise research papers in every way, shape, and form, so my opinion is fairly slanted. However, compared to other research papers, this one wasn't so bad. I liked using Furl and Bloglines to collect and catalogue the information; it was much better than reading through tons of really boring books.”
“I thought that researching through bloglines and furl was a new but better and easier way to research. I especially liked using furl because it was better to save the information and have access to it later without having to look for it again. I thought that the whole process of learning how to do this was kind of fun in its own way. This method was very easy to learn and use you should definitely continue to use this.”
“I think Furl and Bloglines were both very useful to me. It was easy to find new information with Bloglines then save it to the list with Furl.”
“Finding information on bloglines and furl was amazing. It made it so much easier to do it that way. With bloglines you could just type something in and it would find articles for you. Furl was great too, all you did was "furl it" by clicking the furl button, and it saved the web address, and let you label it, it was so much more organized and easier to do than any another method.”
On Using Blog Posts Rather Than Note Cards:
“I used blog posts instead of note cards, as much as I didn't like doing this in the end it was worth it because it helped me organize my outline which helped me organize my paper.”
“I really liked the blog posts. It was a good way to get your ideas together and it forced you to write instead of just putting down quotes. For my final draft I pretty much used all my blog posts and revised my paper and wrote an intro and conclusion. It took me no more than an hour. It made writing the paper really easy because all the work was broken up in the course of a week.”
“At first, I really wasn't sure how we were supposed to write the blogs, so that was a bit frustrating, but other than that, it wasn't too bad. It also helped later on because I was able to just copy and paste a few sections from the blogs directly into the paper.”
“The blog posts were very easy to use once you were ready to actually write the paper. Since they were categorized into five categories that covered what the paper should contain all you really had to do was transfer the information from the blog posts and put it in the paper.”
“Blog posting was excellent. I practically had my whole paper written by the 5th post. It was a lot more effective for me to do this kind of note taking rather than write on notecards, which I have always hated to do. Plus, blogging made it easier to express my opinion and write out exactly what I wanted to say than write a summary of the article I was reading.”
“I had never done something like a blog post before as a form of research. I thought it worked well. It was better than taking notes on note cards that seemed kind of pointless and boring to me.”
“I found the blog post to be easier and more convenient, with blog post you don’t have to worry about losing it because its posted and its always there if you need to reference to it or change it. You can access it form home and you don’t have to wait for a teacher to give it back to you.”
On Getting Feedback During the Drafting Process through the Weblog:
“The feedback was very useful, it is better when feedback is given during the writing process rather than after. By being given feedback during the writing process I was able to fix the paper as I went along, rather then go back to it after I was finished.”
“The only thing I would change is to not schedule it during the last week before break. This was possible the worst week ever in terms of free time.”
“I didn’t receive much feedback through the weblog at all, so I prefer to make a rough draft and have feedback written all over my paper instead. There is usually more feedback on a rough draft than the weblog and more feedback helps me write a better research paper.”
“I think that the feedback through the weblogs was much more effective than the other method of handing in rough drafts. I am glad that we used this instead that way you don't have to look at more papers.”
“I like being able to post then get the feedback online. It's easier to read for one, and it’s usually instant so we know how to improve it/what to change right away.”
“I like using the weblogs and posting. Feedback is crucial for me to complete a paper properly. By gradually getting feedback my papers can be even better. I can make changes easily and get feedback quickly too. Having the weblog was definitely the most helpful tool for writing the research paper.”
“The feedback was good, especially on the blog post; I could access it anytime and see what people or teachers had to say. I got some good advice as to what I should do to make my paper better.”
And General Advice:
“I enjoyed the paper but thought that it may have been more useful if we concentrated a little more on the first blog about the topic. Students should be aware that the blog should be taken seriously because if they find that they are not passionate about a topic early on, they will be able to change it which will make the process a lot easier. “
Summary and Reflection: Generally, students seem to find using Furl and the RSS Box on their individual weblogs to be an extremely useful tool. The use of a news aggregator (we used Bloglines) seemed to be more of a mixed bag. I think it was more useful for students who had topics that were very current and generating news updates almost daily (for instance this one and this one). Not all of the students chose to use blog posts as a form of note taking, but those that did were very pleased with the results. Next time, I’ll spend a little more time having everyone practice doing blog posts by getting them familiar with reading them, writing them, and using the rubric.
A couple of students weren’t happy with getting feedback via the weblog as opposed to a full printed rough draft, but overall students seemed to find this method more useful and I certainly found that I had a better handle on what they were writing about and that I could more easily address problems as they occurred.
Finally, I learned that outlines for research papers are a waste of time for both me and the students and I will no longer require them. By giving them feedback as they write, I can identify organizational problems as they occur.
On Using RSS Feeds and Furl to keep up with News Articles:
“I felt like the furl was a critical tool for my research paper. Normally, if I were to try to save a link from one of the electronic resources provided by the school, it would not work when I would try to visit it at a later date. When that happens I have to start all over again, which is very frustrating. Furl not only saved my link and kept it working; it also gave the option for me to rate my source and leave a mental note about it.”
“If I was taking notes on books then it would be hard for me to go back to the book and find more information. With the links I could go right back to the article and get all the information I could out of my sources.”
“Let it be known that I despise research papers in every way, shape, and form, so my opinion is fairly slanted. However, compared to other research papers, this one wasn't so bad. I liked using Furl and Bloglines to collect and catalogue the information; it was much better than reading through tons of really boring books.”
“I thought that researching through bloglines and furl was a new but better and easier way to research. I especially liked using furl because it was better to save the information and have access to it later without having to look for it again. I thought that the whole process of learning how to do this was kind of fun in its own way. This method was very easy to learn and use you should definitely continue to use this.”
“I think Furl and Bloglines were both very useful to me. It was easy to find new information with Bloglines then save it to the list with Furl.”
“Finding information on bloglines and furl was amazing. It made it so much easier to do it that way. With bloglines you could just type something in and it would find articles for you. Furl was great too, all you did was "furl it" by clicking the furl button, and it saved the web address, and let you label it, it was so much more organized and easier to do than any another method.”
On Using Blog Posts Rather Than Note Cards:
“I used blog posts instead of note cards, as much as I didn't like doing this in the end it was worth it because it helped me organize my outline which helped me organize my paper.”
“I really liked the blog posts. It was a good way to get your ideas together and it forced you to write instead of just putting down quotes. For my final draft I pretty much used all my blog posts and revised my paper and wrote an intro and conclusion. It took me no more than an hour. It made writing the paper really easy because all the work was broken up in the course of a week.”
“At first, I really wasn't sure how we were supposed to write the blogs, so that was a bit frustrating, but other than that, it wasn't too bad. It also helped later on because I was able to just copy and paste a few sections from the blogs directly into the paper.”
“The blog posts were very easy to use once you were ready to actually write the paper. Since they were categorized into five categories that covered what the paper should contain all you really had to do was transfer the information from the blog posts and put it in the paper.”
“Blog posting was excellent. I practically had my whole paper written by the 5th post. It was a lot more effective for me to do this kind of note taking rather than write on notecards, which I have always hated to do. Plus, blogging made it easier to express my opinion and write out exactly what I wanted to say than write a summary of the article I was reading.”
“I had never done something like a blog post before as a form of research. I thought it worked well. It was better than taking notes on note cards that seemed kind of pointless and boring to me.”
“I found the blog post to be easier and more convenient, with blog post you don’t have to worry about losing it because its posted and its always there if you need to reference to it or change it. You can access it form home and you don’t have to wait for a teacher to give it back to you.”
On Getting Feedback During the Drafting Process through the Weblog:
“The feedback was very useful, it is better when feedback is given during the writing process rather than after. By being given feedback during the writing process I was able to fix the paper as I went along, rather then go back to it after I was finished.”
“The only thing I would change is to not schedule it during the last week before break. This was possible the worst week ever in terms of free time.”
“I didn’t receive much feedback through the weblog at all, so I prefer to make a rough draft and have feedback written all over my paper instead. There is usually more feedback on a rough draft than the weblog and more feedback helps me write a better research paper.”
“I think that the feedback through the weblogs was much more effective than the other method of handing in rough drafts. I am glad that we used this instead that way you don't have to look at more papers.”
“I like being able to post then get the feedback online. It's easier to read for one, and it’s usually instant so we know how to improve it/what to change right away.”
“I like using the weblogs and posting. Feedback is crucial for me to complete a paper properly. By gradually getting feedback my papers can be even better. I can make changes easily and get feedback quickly too. Having the weblog was definitely the most helpful tool for writing the research paper.”
“The feedback was good, especially on the blog post; I could access it anytime and see what people or teachers had to say. I got some good advice as to what I should do to make my paper better.”
And General Advice:
“I enjoyed the paper but thought that it may have been more useful if we concentrated a little more on the first blog about the topic. Students should be aware that the blog should be taken seriously because if they find that they are not passionate about a topic early on, they will be able to change it which will make the process a lot easier. “
Summary and Reflection: Generally, students seem to find using Furl and the RSS Box on their individual weblogs to be an extremely useful tool. The use of a news aggregator (we used Bloglines) seemed to be more of a mixed bag. I think it was more useful for students who had topics that were very current and generating news updates almost daily (for instance this one and this one). Not all of the students chose to use blog posts as a form of note taking, but those that did were very pleased with the results. Next time, I’ll spend a little more time having everyone practice doing blog posts by getting them familiar with reading them, writing them, and using the rubric.
A couple of students weren’t happy with getting feedback via the weblog as opposed to a full printed rough draft, but overall students seemed to find this method more useful and I certainly found that I had a better handle on what they were writing about and that I could more easily address problems as they occurred.
Finally, I learned that outlines for research papers are a waste of time for both me and the students and I will no longer require them. By giving them feedback as they write, I can identify organizational problems as they occur.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Research Blogging-The Early Returns are In
About two thirds of my students opted to complete blog posts rather than note cards for the research process. The results of these posts were uneven as I expected. Grading the first posts even caused me to make a couple of revisions to the rubric which can be viewed here. Unfortunately, too many didn’t include much of an opinion or analysis of the material they were presenting. This is understandable since they are used to doing academic writing where the source material and not their own voice is usually emphasized.
What excites me is when I read a first post like this one which I highlighted as a model for the class. I’m hoping my students are going to be able to maintain this passion and that it translates into research papers with voice and character.
What excites me is when I read a first post like this one which I highlighted as a model for the class. I’m hoping my students are going to be able to maintain this passion and that it translates into research papers with voice and character.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Blogging the Research Process: A Blog Post Rubric
As mentioned in an earlier post, I'm trying to incorporate blogging in the research process in the hope that it will result in a better final product. I'm thinking that by requiring students to invest more in the note taking process through blogging, that they will be better informed and feel more confident when writing their drafts.My students spent last week gathering articles on a topic of their choosing that deals with a problem in society. They displayed these articles on their individual weblogs through an RSS box. This week they are being given the choice between using traditional note cards, or incorporating their research into five blogs. I have given them a sample article to blog about, but the directions are coming from me on this and not them.
For the next step, they will have to choose the direction their blog posts will take. This will obviously be based on the articles they have gathered. I will also be presenting a rubric to them that I hope I can use in other situations as well. You are welcome to use and adapt this rubric (I've adapted some of the language from the New Jersey HSPA Language Arts Rubric). All I ask is that you give me some feedback on what worked and what didn't so that we all can develop an evaluation instrument that might prove useful in the classroom.
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