Starr Sackstein, MJE, NBCT

Students work in class to outline for their research papers, setting up a plan to adequately prepare for writing

Back in the classroom, the students sit with piles of research, a list of electronic resources and a giant question mark as to what comes next; it’s time to teach students about outlining to help organize the journey forward.

Organization is a key part to a successful outcome in research.  Teaching students how to plan their research and then how to place the research into their paper is a skill that can easily be taught and practiced. Giving students this skill will provide them a replicable process once they are in college to alleviate last minute work and procrastination. Read more »

Students worked in groups exploring book sources, something I fear they aren’t very familiar with.

The dining hall is near empty and my students probably haven’t even left their houses yet. Me, however, I’m at Queens College bright and early settling into to day 2 of our research process. My mind is laser focused on how to serve them as they embark on what can be an excruciatingly frustrating process unforgiving to our patience.

Topics have ascended upon my inbox and I realize that most of my students’ papers will not resemble these preliminary ideas. The few lucky ones may have a genetic connection through the literature, but the likelihood of exact topics this early on are slim.

Students today don’t deal with complete freedom as well as you would think. They are comfortable and reliant on our choice of questions or proscribed expectation. College won’t offer them the detail. Read more »

Queens College has collaborated with us for three years offering my AP students the chance to learn and practice using the college library.

Seniors aren’t known for their diligence come May. As fully inflamed cases of senioritis flare, my students will be charging headlong into the college experience. Once the AP exam is over, we embark on our final journey together: the academic research paper.

Over the past few years I have developed a relationship with 2 local college. At the beginning of the year, we go to a community college and get a lesson in the library as a primer for what is to come now. Today is our first day at the Queens College library. The librarians have generously prepared a program for students to ready them for their research: SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM-1.DAY’S OUTLINE

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Students work independently to fulfill the requirements of their individual projects. One student researches from a book while others research online.

Most of the assignments have been submitted and the rubrics created. Students have sufficiently invested themselves in projects of their choosing with the side benefit of realizing the challenges of creating meaningful learning experiences. Now you must be asking, what is the teacher to do if not controlling the room with a proscribed task?

Today, we started with a pep talk. Acknowledging that students work at different paces, we addressed the need to keep to the timeline. Students who haven’t completed their assignment sheets and/or rubrics can’t go on to working on their projects until we have met. Read more »