Resources/ Process
iPads:
We just got our class set of iPads - we can not wait to use these right from the start next year! They have been a popular format for presenting and explaining information using iMovie, Stop Motion Cafe, Explain Everything and so much more! A class set of IPADs would be beneficial to student researchers. Often it was difficult to find books to answer some of the student's questions.
Internet
We created an archive of the student websites we sent them to this year. These will be used for future inquiry groups. In addition, we will add more websites for future inquiry topics. A website with recommended sites for the students to visit is a great way to help ensure they are accessing quality information.
Library / Books:
A Library Block to look at books in order to think of their questions and look for resources. Books are still one of the BEST sources of reliable, easy to read information.
Student Feedback:
Through out the process, we asked the students to provide feedback to each other and and to us. This was done through iThought Books, Reflection sheets and assignments. Near the end we also had them complete a student survey. See the survey here and the results as well! We also made two Taxgedo word clouds to represent the words they used during survey feedback. Near the very end, we interviewed 3 groups. Watch their responses!
Mini-lessons that should be taught to help support resources and process:
Note-Taking - The Grade 7's are taught to use Cornell Notes the first week of school. It was great to watch them teach this style of note-taking to their Grade 4 and 5 buddies. The Grade 2's and 3's used
Reputable Websites - Students need to be taught which sites are reputable and how to distinguish between good information, facts and opinions.
Effective Web Searching - Students also need to understand how to effectively complete web searches. They need to understand how to avoid endless surfing.
Recording Sources and Citing Pictures - They need to be taught how to properly record sources. They also need to understand that if they use images off the internet, they need to cite the source of the picture.
Additional Findings:
Also check out the references we used to support our findings.