Five Hundred Miles

  We collect information for a purpose. We expect that information will "shed light" upon important questions or will lead toward insight and understanding. We must seek out authentic audiences for our students and opportunities to share what they have learned.
6. Responding to inquiries

The student has a chance to demonstrate expertise by responding to questions from peers and others either personally or through e-mail. One might take advantage of a school Web site, for example, to offer information regarding a topic, or students might exchange questions with keypals identified through one of the many partnerships available at lists such as the one provided by Judy Harris. http://www.lclark.edu/~krauss/usia/harriswebarticle/Body.html

Open your word processor and brainstorm with your partner to identify opportunities and strategies for your students to share their expertise.

7. Creating a product

The student shares insight by developing a product of some kind related to the subject. The product should require original thought, data compression and synthesis.

Open your word processor and brainstorm with your partner to identify opportunities and strategies for your students to build some kind of product demonstrating understanding and insight. What are the possibilities here?

Learning

to go the distance

 

This workshop was designed to show how you might develop an inclination toward persistence by engaging students in "tracking" a person, a subject, an issue, or a a question for an entire school year.

If you try these strategies with your students, please send me stories describing their experiences. I would love to hear from you . . .

Best wishes for success,


Credits: The drawings, photographs and graphics are by Jamie McKenzie.


© 2006, Jamie McKenzie, all rights reserved.
Copyright Policy: These pages may not be duplicated, distributed, redistributed or republished in any manner without express permission.