Home Search
Search results for

"Claim Evidence Reasoning"

Social StudiesWeb 2.0 Tool

Make History Interactive with HistoryMaps

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Historians and K-12 students use historical maps for a similar purpose. Maps provide a window into the past. They enable us to see what people knew or understood at a particular time in history. You can find paper maps and digital maps in great plenty online, but one outlet for digital maps is the free, interactive site HistoryMaps.

Learn, Interact, Explore with HistoryMaps

HistoryMaps, available online or via the Android or iOS app, makes it easy to access historical maps. Additionally, the interface is available in multiple languages, including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

The founder of HistoryMaps, Nono Umasy, describes his goal in this way:

Once upon a time…I loved reading stories about far-off lands from picture books at the local library. Much of that same sense of wonderment still remains with me today. I still love History. I’m still curious about stories from remote places that happened a long time ago. So, when I decided to study again, I wanted to create something to help me. This was how HistoryMaps started.

About HistoryMaps

Explore HistoryMaps, and you’ll find a different aspect of history represented with each period offering interactive stories, images, and videos, like this one:

Periods Shared

HistoryMaps offers insights into various periods in history, including:

  • Ancient History
  • Medieval Period
  • Early Modern Period
  • Late Modern Period

As you find your way through each story, images of maps and various people from the time period appear.

Screenshot by author

For example, when you search for United States History, you’ll see this:

Screenshot by author

The videos that accompany each HistoryMaps are about twelve minutes long. There are embedded video advertisements that would appeal to student viewers. You will want to review these sponsored videos for relevance and appropriateness.

Mobile Apps Available

You might want to use the mobile app version of HistoryMaps website. Each HistoryMap on mobile features an opening page with content, characters, and text. The text source for characters is Wikipedia, so critical examination is a must.

Screenshot by author

In examining The History of California, you will find the mobile version. The images and maps are stunning, as is the cover art.

Screenshot by author

Critical Examination of Content

Watching The Colonial History of the United States, you will see references made to Paleo-Americans. More information appears to address concerns of Indigenous Peoples. You might want to pair student use of HistoryMaps with critical tools that look for bias in history.

Here are four blog entries that offer approaches that may assist you:

You will find Black History included as part of the Civil Rights Movement HistoryMaps.

Screenshot by author

Powerful content is available to fuel learning in the classroom. Be sure to learn, interact, and explore.

Feature Image Source

Screenshot by author, HistoryMaps website

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
CommunicationDigital LiteracyGood TeachingScience

One Strategy for Combatting Pseudoscience

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Are you a critical thinker? I am not…yet. The gap between knowing what’s possible and where I’m at spurs me to learn more. It happens whenever a close friend or family member suggests a course of action that is concerning. What should I do? How do I proceed? Making better decisions is one goal of critical thinking. Deepening one’s knowledge of critical thinking strategies and adopting a skeptical attitude can help. Doing so can also assist during encounters with pseudoscience or other “sketchy” ideas. Let’s take a look at some of my findings in exploring critical thinking. And, wow, what an amazing set of resources I have found!

“If we teach only the findings and products of science – no matter how useful and even inspiring they may be – without communicating its critical method, how can the average person possibly distinguish science from pseudoscience?”

— Carl Sagan

What’s At Stake?

Distinguishing real science from pseudoscience is a critical life skill. If we don’t model it for others and teach it to our children, we are setting them up for failure. The failure? An inability to think critically and identify pseudoscience when we encounter it. Let’s dig into that some more.

Three Essential Cognitive Styles

Believing is easier than knowing. Pseudoscience relies on beliefs that sound scientific but are not. That’s because we seek to affirm what we believe or our worldview. Why do people do that? In studying the psychology of pseudoscience, a researcher found three cognitive styles are essential for evaluating, and conspiracy theories result from a lack of one or more of these three cognitive styles.

  1. Analytic thinking. This involves breaking complex tasks down into manageable parts to reach a working solution. Think of computational thinking or George Polya’s approach, featured in this TCEA blog entry.
  2. Critical thinking. A mode of thinking that involves raising questions and problems, gathering relevant data, interpreting that information to reach a well-reasoned conclusion and solution, then testing that solution in an iterative process. You might enjoy TCEA’s blog entry on Design Thinking or Engineering Design Process.
  3. Scientific reasoning. This involves observing something, developing an explanation of what is happening, and creating an experiment to test your explanation. Read TCEA’s blog entry on Interactive Science: Labs to Master the Scientific Method.

How Does Psuedoscience Spread?

Read Melanie Trecek-King’s article, 11 Characteristics of Pseudoscience

What’s more, pseudoscience gets shared from one person to another. That sharing happens when one or more characteristics of pseudoscience are present and you…

  • trust the source (e.g. a family member, close friend, colleague)
  • are convinced by the reasons offered (e.g. you accept reasons without critically analyzing them)
  • are helped by these beliefs (e.g. you feel relief or better because of them)

The other poster child? Science denial. Pseudoscience is believing ideas that sound scientific but are not. Science denial is denying facts because they contradict what we want to believe.

How to Teach Critical Thinking

“Why don’t kids know critical thinking or scientific reasoning before taking my class?” That’s a question many educators have asked. Melanie Trecek-King, a professor of biology, offers a solution. Before expanding on it, she encourages teachers and students to engage in scientific skepticism. She describes it in this way, albeit with some minor edits:

Insist on evidence before accepting a claim. Then, match the strength of our belief to the strength and quality of the evidence. She describes matching the strength of your belief to evidence quality as “proportioning.”

You can listen to her explanation in a podcast recorded by Thinking Clearly. And her article, “A Life Preserver for Staying Afloat in a Sea of Misinformation,” expands on key elements of her “FLOATER” rules. Trecek-King points out that pseudoscience violates the rule of objectivity. Consider the image below as a way to help jog your memory after you learn the seven rules.

Read Melanie Trecek-King’s article, “A Life Preserver for Staying Afloat in a Sea of Misinformation”

Learn More about FLOATER

Wondering how to teach this to your students? Trecek-King has done a wonderful job making these heuristics easy to share. She provides an amazing website for educators, Thinking Is Power, where she offers assignments and activities such as:

To her credit, these activities are available at no cost as a part of her nonprofit organization. You can choose to offer compensation, though. 

Screenshot by author

Fill out an email form to get these Critical Thinking Cards, Fallacies and Biases wall posters, and more, from School of Thought. Shared under Creative Commons.

More Resources for Your Consideration

Here are some resources to expand your thinking and add to your reserve of instructional strategies, activities, and materials.

I hope you’ve found these helpful and useful for teaching critical thinking to combat misinformation and pseudoscience. How will you incorporate them in your classroom?

Feature Image Source

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

2 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
License: CC0 Public Domain Sam Kal has released this “Flat Earth Map” image under Public Domain license.
Good TeachingScienceSocial Studies

TCEA Responds: Science Denial, Flat Earth, and the Power of Questioning

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Dear TCEA Responds:

I wanted to do a demo today to clarify misconceptions about why the Earth has seasons. What I ended up with was kids arguing with me in many classes that the Earth is flat and what I’m teaching is wrong. I couldn’t even finish my lesson because they would not stop interrupting me. 

Thanks in advance for your ideas,

Jim

flat earth
Screenshot of meme by author

Dear Jim:

As a high school senior, the crowning assignment of my English class involved writing a paper. The research paper assignment, which you may be familiar with, had to address an important topic. No topic is more important than the story of human evolution. So that was the topic I wrote about. At my Catholic High School in Texas, it wasn’t controversial at all to share the fact, but the theory was another matter. There is no such thing as a casual reading of evolution when considered in the context of society. Though the facts seemed incontrovertible, the theory of how they got to be facts caused endless debate. 

Evolution remains a controversial topic and an untruth for many. Even among professionals, it is a belief rather than a fact.

flat earth
Screenshot of meme by author

The Power of Culture

One of my favorite episodes of “Friends” pits Ross against Phoebe over evolution. Like some in the listening audience, I marvel at Ross’ approach. He bungles a clear elucidation of the facts of evolution, the scientific theory, and more.

Phoebe takes a gleeful approach to demolishing Ross’ argument. For many of us who recognize evolution as a theory that explains incontrovertible facts, the argument isn’t worth the effort. What does Ross gain in this argument with Phoebe? It doesn’t matter because it’s comedy.

In your classroom, Jim, you can’t leave well enough alone. This isn’t Sunday school where beliefs are taught, but rather, the scientific method and the observation of phenomena. At Ecology for the Masses, freshwater ecologist Sam Perrin writes:

There are two reasons why we shouldn’t take the “there’s no point even trying with these people” approach. There is a chance they will understand the basis of an important scientific concept. And even if that doesn’t work, talking about evolution is a great chance to tell scientific stories. Talk about how whales or horses started, how human pubic lice evolved, why ducks and geese are…evil. They might go away with a few fun stories to spread around. (edited for readability)

Reading Johnjoe McFadden’s book, “Life is Simple: How Occam’s Razor Set Science Free and Shapes the Universe,” highlights a simple fact. Science denial has been around for a long time. Let’s explore five reasons why dealing with disinformation is hard.

“You have to disentangle the details. You have to hold up every one independently, and ask, “How do we know *this* detail?” Where are all these details coming from? Where did *that specific* detail come from?”
― Eliezer Yudkowsky as cited in “Life is Simple: How Occam’s Razor Set Science Free and Shapes the Universe”

Dealing with Disinformation

Science denial often presents as a problem of disinformation. You can see it in this chart by Wendy Cook in the 2020 Debunking Handbook:

dealing with disinformation chart can be applied to science denial

In Wendy’s approach, a simple formula is suggested. The “truth sandwich” formula has one presenting each component below:

  • Fact. Lead with clear facts that are easy to remember (“sticky”).
  • Myth. Share what was false.
  • Fallacy. Explain what was false is wrong, and how it differs from facts. 
  • Fact. Share the facts again in a clear, easy-to-remember approach. (source: Journalist Field Guide via CAAD)

As Sam Perrin points out, the fun stories help convey the facts in a memorable way. Why is science denial, accepting and promoting disinformation, so easy?

Source: News Literacy Project

Five Reasons for Science Denial 

Why is it so hard to handle societal-based claims that are contrarian or deny science? Here are five reasons why from Beth Daley:

  • Social identity. What we believe and what we share flows from whom we identify with. If those we identify with disagree with an aspect of science, we do as well.
  • Mental shortcuts. Thinking is hard. It’s easier to assume something is true because it’s what we want, and we don’t have to think about it, even if it is false.
  • Beliefs about what you know. We all have beliefs that are certain. It’s that certainty that is the problem. Scientists are more tentative about what is held to be true since new evidence can change that truth.
  • Unconscious bias. If you have a bias, failing to identify it can skew your reasoning when examing evidence. That means your bias can lead you to the conclusion you want rather than the conclusion the facts point to.
Screenshot of meme by author

How to Face Science Denial

What does one do in the face of science denial? How can you transform your didactic class into one focused on critical thinking? Some ways to deal with these reasons include:

  • Listen and find common ground.
  • Ask yourself, “How do I know this is true?” and check into facts.
  • Avoid acceptance of information you believe to be true. Adopt a scientific attitude that relies on evidence-based science.
  • Inventory your biases and assess information sources in light of those biases.

Give students a way of considering how their thinking and biases interact.

System 1 thinking is a near-instantaneous process. It is automatic, intuitive, and with little effort. It’s driven by instinct and our experiences. System 2 thinking is slower and requires more effort. It is conscious and logical.

Even when we think that we are being rational in our decisions, our System 1 beliefs and biases drive many of our choices. Understanding the interplay of these two systems in our daily lives can help us become more aware of the bias in our decisions – and how we can avoid it. (source)

A complementary approach involves modeling critical thinking. You can have students inventory their biases, beliefs, and taboos. Then ask how those may limit their openness to evidence-based facts. 

Back Pocket Questions

Consider taking an approach that spurs conversation rather than shuts it down. One way is to use Back Pocket Questions, discussed in the video above. One document worth encouraging students to keep in mind is a back pocket questions chart. 

Here’s one version shared with me (source unknown):

flat earth
Screenshot by author

Most importantly, build a relationship with students. Often, students’ lack of critical thinking reflects a low level of trust in the classroom in general.

Many people don’t trust the society around them, most notably the representatives of that society. That trust often falls even further when it comes to elite representatives of that society, which include government officials, members of academia, and scientists like me.

By claiming that Earth is flat, people are really expressing a deep distrust of scientists and science itself.

So if you find yourself talking to a flat-Earther, skip the evidence and arguments and ask yourself how you can build trust. (source)

A final proof that the Earth is round via Twitter’s Ayna Lile

More Reading

Learn more about open-ended and back-pocket questions.

As shared on Twitter by Eric Alper

Feature Image Source

Flat Earth Map (Public Domain)

0 comment
2 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
Vintage envelope
Content AreasPodcasts

Read Dead People’s Mail: 25 Fun History Podcasts

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“That’s what historians do, they read dead people’s mail,” says Professor Joanne Freeman in her 2011 lecture on The American Revolution. Your students and you can join historians, and journalists exploring dead people’s mail through this collection of podcasts that will enlighten and educate you about how society works.

“Those who tell the stories rule society.”― Plato

history podcasts
Fort Wagner, South Carolina , 18 July 1863
The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment 

I’m an XYZ Teacher. Why History Podcasts?

Familiar with CER? That is Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning, a critical thinking framework. It “encourages students to analyze evidence and draw conclusions.”

Image Source: Think like a Scientist: Using Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning, Science Lessons That Rock

However, applying critical thinking approaches like CER may not make the transition to learning history. A better approach may be the one I encountered in this EdCircuit podcast.

Introducing the Four Question Method

In the podcast, the authors of Four Question Method assert:

Form lessons around historical stories. Stories define the “what.” They also add the motivations behind the “characters” at a particular time and place. This encourages students to draw their personal interpretations and connections. This inquiry method leaves a lasting impression on students. It leads to deeper understanding of historical events and the associated social context (source: Four Questions That Transform History Teaching).

History must serve as our laboratory. Data from the past must serve as our most vital evidence in the unavoidable quest to figure out why. The goal is to discover why our complex species behaves as it does in societal settings. It offers the only evidence for the analysis of how societies function (source: Stearns, P. N. 1998. Why Study History?).

Podcasts provide access to the evidence you need to teach with authority. History, like science, facts continue to be unearthed and their appearance changes the conclusions we draw.

Their Voices Speak History

Challenge the stories that describe what happened. To do that, you have to keep learning, unearthing what happened. And you have to apply critical thinking skills. Do so, and you may be like these history educators who listen to these podcasts and have committed to learning more to teach their students.

Where do these intrepid historians journey to learn history? Below you will find a list of podcasts you can listen to that will have you sitting up and taking notice. Taken from each podcast website, I have edited the descriptions for readability. At the end, you’ll find an RSS feed you can import into your favorite pod catcher to listen.

history podcastsAmerican History Podcasts

  1. American Elections: Wicked Game: On February 10, 1796, Vice President John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail. The election was nearing and he lamented the state of discourse in the country. Newspapers screamed, factions warred. A dismayed John Adams described it as  “the wicked Game.”
  2. American History Tellers: The Cold War, Prohibition, the Gold Rush, the Space Race. You can trace every part of your life (the words you speak, the ideas you share) to our history. How well do you know the stories that made America? We’ll take you to the events, the times and the people that shaped our nation. And we’ll show you how our history affected them and their families and still impacts you today.
  3. Backstory: An innovative public radio program and podcast produced from 2008-2020. Historian-hosts Ed Ayers, Brian Balogh, and Peter Onuf, among others, picked a topic from the news and then explored its roots through the American past.
  4. History That Doesn’t Suck: Professor Greg Jackson hosts a bi-weekly podcast that delivers a researched, hard-hitting survey of American history through entertaining stories.
  5. Studying the American Revolution: Professor Joanne Freeman offers a course introduction and summarizes the readings.
  6. Very Presidential: Join host Ashley Flowers as she shines a light on the darker side of the American presidency. She exposes controversies you never knew existed.
  7. U.S. History Repeated: History Repeated discusses important historical and political concepts that are essential to understanding and discussing U.S. history and politics. These are topics and concepts that you should have learned in school, but weren’t interested in at the time.

Human History Podcasts

  1. Age of Napoleon: The Age of Napoleon is about the life and career of Napoleon Bonaparte. It also includes background information about Europe from the early 18th to early 19th century.
  2. A Moment in Time: This podcast  makes history come alive with brief segments on all the important events of human history.
  3. Hardcore History: Access commentary from Dan Carlin on history. Free episodes include The Destroyer of Worlds, King of Kings, Supernova in the East, parts 1-3. Other titles include The Celtic Holocaust and Painfotainment.
  4. History Hit: Dan Snow offers reports from the weird and wonderful places around the world where history happens. It includes interviews with the world’s leading historians, academics, actors, and politicians.
history podcasts
Spanish Conquest of the Inca Empire

History Chicks: Get introduced to female characters in history, both factual and fictional. You get an introduction, an overview and a little push to explore and learn more on your own.

  • History from Room 213: This is a five-minute podcast for students inside and outside the classroom recorded by a high school history teacher. Listen to her short trailer.
  • In the Thick: This podcast covers all the topics that intersect with history from a fresh perspective.
  • The Latin American History Podcast: The Latin American History Podcast shares the story of Spanish and Portuguese America. It starts with its beginnings and continues until the present day.
  • Our Fake History: This is a podcast about historical myths, awesome stories that may, or not, have happened.
  • Now and Then: How can the past help inform today’s most pressing challenges? Every Tuesday, award-winning historians Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman explain. They use their encyclopedic knowledge of U. S. history to bring the past to life. Together, they make sense of the week in news by discussing the people, ideas, and events that got us here today.
  • Professor Buzzkill: The Professor Buzzkill podcast explores history myths embedded in our culture.
  • Remedial HERstory: The Remedial HERstory podcast (RHP) develops and provides free inquiry-based learning materials that focus on women’s history.
  • Revisionist History: This podcast is Malcolm Gladwell’s journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood. Every episode re-examines something from the past and asks whether we got it right the first time because sometimes the past deserves a second chance.
  • The History of Rome: A weekly podcast tracing the history of the Roman Empire. It begins with with Aeneas’s arrival in Italy and ends with the exile of Romulus Augustulus.
  • Stuff You Missed in History Class: Seeks out history you may have missed out on. The podcasters consider a wide variety of topics.
  • Teacher’s History of the United States: In this podcast, podcasters re-examine United States history one lesson at a time.
  • Throughline: The past is never past. Every headline has a history. Join us every week as we go back in time to understand the present. These are stories you can feel and sounds you can see from the moments that shaped our world.
  • You’re Wrong About: Every week, this podcast reconsiders a person or event that’s been miscast in the public imagination. You will find a variety of current topics.

    • My Top Three

    If you’re like me, life events and priorities have you buried. Where should you start with this powerful list of podcasts? My top three podcasts aligned to my own interests include:

    • American History Tellers. This includes American history that I never learned about in high school.
    • In the Thick with NPR’s Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela. This has current topics that are exciting, relevant, and grounded in history.
    • The Latin American History Podcast. This podcast provides history of Latin America. Since that is my heritage, I am delighted to learn more.

    I bet you are wondering what’s the least technical way to get and listen to these podcasts about history. Let’s find out.

    How to Get Podcasts

    You can listen to all these podcasts online via your browser. If you are like me, you may want to listen to them on the go while you are in your car or at the grocery store. Try one of these pod catcher apps, including AntennaPod (Android), Overcast (iOS), or PocketCasts (iOS).

    Feature Image Source

    Free public domain CC0 image via Raw Pixel.

    0 comment
    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
    JoinPressto.com website Screenshot by author
    Digital LiteracyEnglish Language ArtsWriting

    Pressto! Critical Thinking and Writing in a ‘Zine Format

    by Miguel Guhlin
    written by Miguel Guhlin

    Creating critical thinkers could be as simple as empowering young writers. Can writing improve critical thinking? In this blog entry, we’ll explore that idea and a new tool empowering young writers.

    pressto Screenshot by author.
    Screenshot by author.

    Source: Screenshot by author. An introduction to critical thinking – 

    Clarifying What Critical Thinking Is

    Like any writer, I often think through ideas while writing about them. That can include exploring my thinking through a simple critical interrogation.

    pressto
    Adapted from source (Wikimedia) by author

    Adapted from Source by author | View in CMAP Cloud

    That interrogation of self involves asking questions such as:

    • What evidence is there for an idea or assertion encountered?
    • Is that evidence trustworthy, relevant, and valuable?
    • How can I apply that evidence to the current situation and create an intervention?
    • How effective is that evidence-based intervention or strategy?

    Some might suggest more complex critical thinking heuristics. Others may find a simpler approach worthwhile. For example, the RED Model suggests three key ideas:

    • Recognize assumptions. Understand what is going on, figure out the veracity of the information, and find evidence. This step involves identifying assumptions. (Are they true? False?)
    • Evaluate arguments. A systematic analysis of the evidence and arguments presented.
    • Draw conclusions. Pull together a range of information. Then arrive at a logical conclusion given the evidence.

    Each of the key areas of the RED Model involves lots of questions.

    When thinking about what level of critical thinking you want your students to practice, you may want to gauge your audience and ask yourself, “What’s age-appropriate?” You might find this periodic table of critical thinking interesting for adult learners.

    pressto
    Screenshot by author

    Scientific reasoning and critical thinking are processes we use to solve problems, to identify solutions. How we do that depends on finding evidence and determining the quality of that evidence. Then we have to decide what’s next. Whether it’s the Big 6, the RED Model (diagram), or another process, each involves assessing consequences. Doing so in writing means going through this process countless times. These approaches can result in open-ended writing explorations suitable for generating blog entries and “newspaper” articles.

    Critical Thinking and Writing

    “Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly,” says David McCullough. A critical thinker writes clear prose. That idea has been around a long time. For some writers, it’s often seen a different way. Trying to write clear prose results in critical thinking. The reason why is that writers may start out with a fuzzy concept. Then they work through a series of questions that the act of writing demands.

    Did You Know?

    TCEA and Book Creator have partnered to create an online, self-paced course on how to use Book Creator in K-12 classrooms. You can earn twelve hours of CPE credit, a digital badge, and certificate. Register now for this amazing course.

    Here are a few (not all) of the questions writers struggle with:

    • Why am I writing the document?
    • What does the reader know versus what new information does the reader need?
    • What change do I want to catalyze and/or what action do I want to drive?
    • What information and details should be included?
    • What information sources should I consult?
    • What points or message do I need to communicate?

    David McCullough has won the Pulitzer Prize for writing, twice. What hooked him on writing and publishing?

    “From a young age, I wanted to be a writer. I wrote for what passed as a little newspaper in grade school,” he said, “and I was the editor of the high school yearbook, the editor for our school literary magazine, and I wrote for the school newspaper.”

    You can also read up on how writing improves critical thinking. How might we engage our children, our students in the same way?

    Introducing Pressto

    Need a way to motivate students to write and learn media literacy? Pressto seeks to do that. The goal, according to Daniel Stedman (CEO), is to create a micro-journalism platform for kindergarten through middle school students across the globe.

    pressto
    Screenshot by author

    Watch a walkthrough of Pressto below:

    Pressto Features

    You can find several features that make Pressto attractive to students:

    • Simple template-based design
    • Educational skills sidebar. This sidebar provides insight into title length, image choice, reading level, and positivity. You can also find passive verbs identifier.
    • Copyright-friendly images (via Unsplash) to illustrate students’ texts

    Once children publish their creation, they get an email with a printable version. They also receive instructions on how to create the newspaper.

    pressto
    Screenshot by author

    Image: Email sent to students

    Students have the option to share their publication with their friends. They also get a few more options, such as, a “Pay what you want,” see newspaper, and/or create another. Students can download their newspaper and the mini-journalists can print and fold their creation.

    A user dashboard allows mini-journalists to access their user “zines:”

    pressto
    Screenshot by author

    One of the disappointments of Presstois is the inability to adjust fit text to space available. This can result in truncated text in the print publication. You will also need scissors to make the print version of the “zine” or newspaper work.

    pressto
    Screenshot by author

    View Pressto zine online

    A Few Takeaways

    Students often include sensitive information in their writing. Does Pressto protect student privacy? I saw that Pressto is a signatory on the Student Privacy Pledge. If you’re wondering about the Pay what you want, this is Pressto’s way of subtly asking for a donation of any amount.

    pressto
    Screenshot by author

    Who Should Use Pressto?

    pressto
    Screenshot by author

    Anyone who wants to publish a print newspaper could choose to use Pressto. You would need to have a printer or create content for online viewing only. Given the size of each panel, the zine lends itself well to mobile viewing.

    Whether an individual, a homeschool environments, or classroom, Pressto offers a simple tool. To publish is to make known, and Pressto offers a resource easy enough for children to learn. For school districts, pricing starts at $999/year for schools.

    The question is, in the presence of tools like Book Creator, Zigazoo, and Instagram Stories, will print and pictures suffice to keep student interest?

    Feature Image Source

    Screenshot by author, JoinPressto.com

    0 comment
    1 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
    writing
    English Language ArtsSTEM/STEAMWriting

    STEM + ELA: The Eight Building Blocks of Argument Writing

    by Erik Murray and Casey Siagel
    written by Erik Murray and Casey Siagel

    When they’ve been swirling around in my head, words never seem to come out the way I intend them to. Writing and getting ideas down on paper has always been a struggle for me. Even for this article, I’ve spent so much time thinking about what to write instead of just writing it all down! The prewriting process can be a challenge for adults, so it must also be for some of our students.

    An ELA and STEM Collaboration

    I’ve always been a good builder and engineer. And the idea of being able to physically “build” an essay before writing it appealed to me. I could see this as a way to help students get their ideas organized before diving into the task. So after a teacher-led “unconference” about merging engineering and other content areas, I met with an intrigued English teacher who wanted to approach writing differently in her class.  

    After a lot of brainstorming, drawing, erasing, sketching, lego construction, and laughter, we landed on a way to make students’ thinking and planning for argumentative writing visible and tangible in English class: 3D-printed blocks.

    Organizing Writing Through Building

    Students were learning about the foundational elements of argumentative writing, but they were struggling to understand the correct way to structure an argument. As a result, it was difficult for them to see how all the “parts” of the argumentative piece worked together to form a cohesive presentation. 

    To bolster student comprehension and confidence, we wanted to create an opportunity for them to literally construct their argument and then get feedback from the teacher before writing the first draft. We were determined to create an engaging, hands-on learning experience for students to help them plan and revise their writing.

    We broke down argumentative writing structure into the following parts: 

    • Central Idea 
    • Thesis 
    • Claim 
    • Context
    • Evidence 
    • Zoom In/Out Analysis
    • Conclusion 

    We knew that to help make students’ thinking visible, we had to be deliberate with our design and color choices. So we made our decisions based on the different parts of an argument, their purpose, and their relationship within the argumentative writing structure. 

    Colors were intentionally chosen to both highlight function and relationship to other parts of the argument. For example, the thesis was built to only fit into a claim piece because they are dependent on one another within the argument. The transition was designed as a smaller, red block because it should be a noticeable, short phrase that links two ideas together. The context was designed to fit between the claim and evidence. The central idea became a spindle since it is “the core” of the argument. 

    blocks for writing
    Students working together to analyze text structure using the blocks

    The STEM and Writing Mini-Unit

    We planned for our two-week, co-taught, mini-unit to be broken down into eight lessons. 

    First, students were exposed to the argumentative writing vocabulary and how the parts of an argumentative essay worked in relationship to each other. After becoming familiar with the vocabulary and parts, they were given the blocks and an argumentative mentor text. They were asked to “build” the argument based on how the author structured it on the page. After building, students compared their argumentative “towers” with their peers while we circulated and gave feedback on their structures. 

    After getting teacher feedback and practicing with mentor texts, students began writing their own drafts, using the blocks for support. Then, with a partner, they participated in a peer review activity using their rough drafts. They were asked to build their partner’s essay using the blocks. From there, they gave each other feedback on their text structure about what was strong, missing, unnecessary, or out of order.  

    We then, as teachers, shared our design process for the blocks with the students, explained our reasoning behind the design decisions, and asked students for feedback on our designs.

    new writing block design
    Students redesigning and creating their own 3d model of the argumentative model

    The result? They gave great feedback, encouraging us to:

    • Modify the blocks to allow for a notecard with writing to be inserted
    • Create different shapes
    • Ensure better fitting pieces
    • Reconsider color choices. 

    We tasked them with designing a better version. Afterwards, students used the upgraded design to work on constructing their final drafts. 

    new writing block design
    Students using the latest edition of the model with their feedback incorporated

    Reflections on the Unit  

    We observed that students were invested in the lesson in a way they hadn’t been with writing before. They enjoyed having the ability to physically manipulate objects to assist them in the writing process. The color choices and block fittings also helped them interact with the writing differently. They truly internalized the function of various parts of a written argument. We heard things like, “You can’t have a thesis there because the blocks don’t fit together,” and “The central idea is missing. See, your argument is just falling apart!”.

    There were several light bulb moments from the kids, and they began to speak confidently about the connection between the blocks and their writing. We heard, “That makes sense. Transitions should be short because their job is to take you to the next part!” and “The conclusion should have a little bit of everything in it, because it’s white, and white has a little bit of every color in it.” 

    Perhaps the most valuable part of the lesson for us was when we described our planning process, and decision making to the students and then handed them an opportunity to design their own, better model. Partnering with the students to bring their writing to life not only helped them deeply internalize argumentative writing but also forged an invaluable learning partnership between us teachers and the kids. It opened a critical dialogue about how students learn best and deepened students’ confidence and trust in themselves and their teachers.

    About the Authors:

    Erik Murray (left) is a Middle School STEM teacher in Lexington, Massachusetts. His focus has been on making simple, hands-on activities. You can follow him on Twitter at @mrstemurray.

    Casey Siagel (right) is a middle school English department head and ELA teacher in Lexington, Massachusetts. She is passionate about making reading and writing accessible and meaningful for all students.

    2 comments
    2 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
    online discussions
    Educational TrendsGood Teaching

    Making Online Discussions Meaningful

    by Elaine Plybon, Guest Author
    written by Elaine Plybon, Guest Author

    As the education world continues to plan for digital learning options, online discussions may be one of the most important elements for maintaining a meaningful classroom environment through dialogue. Yet it is most often overlooked.

    This is because, as generations of teachers who have taken online classes where the standard for discussions includes a “post your response and then reply to two of your peers” protocol, ineffective discussion practices continue to be perpetuated. The result is a group of students who believe that discussions are intended as “make-work” and a group of teachers who think discussions are not a valuable part of their online classroom.

    Thinking Differently

    This does not have to be the case. Studies have shown that online discussions can be extremely valuable as an instructional tool, but more importantly, as a way to even the playing field for English language learners, students with verbal processing disorders, and students who traditionally do not participate in a traditional classroom discussion due to anxiety or reluctance to speak in front of a group.

    It can be difficult for an educator to make the transition from traditional classroom discussions to online class discussions. Fortunately, several online discussion protocols have been developed that can encourage quality online discussions. 

    The Crux of the Matter

    To keep discussion protocols from becoming mundane or irrelevant, it is important for an instructor to use a protocol that fits the objective for the discussion. For example, if an English teacher has asked her students to do a first read of a text, the teacher might use the Crux of the Matter protocol.

    This protocol uses four threads where students post significant sentences, phrases, words, and insights from the reading including why they think it is significant. Student posts must be unique, so it encourages early reading and posting. During a second read of the same text, a teacher might use the Final Word Protocol, having students post a single phrase they believe is the most significant in the text without saying why.

    All students discuss why the original poster may have believed that phrase was significant, whether they agree or disagree, and why. After a designated amount of time has passed to give all students an opportunity to respond, the original poster posts a reply to their own thread revealing why they originally thought the phrase was significant and how their thinking has changed or remained the same as a result of reading the posts from their peers. In this post, the student would be required to use evidence from their peers’ feedback.

    When using more than one protocol in this way, students can see the logical transition of learning. They can view their original discussion as the beginning of their learning journey, then watch their own understanding progress to mastery.

    Teachers may develop summative reflections which are driven by the student learning in the discussions of the course to determine whether students have achieved mastery of the desired objectives. In this manner, discussions become an integral part of the learning process, as well as having the possibility of being used for assessment.

    The What If Protocol

    In the interests of both valuable discussion and differentiation, another valuable protocol is the What If protocol. This harkens back to a time when our students were assigned to be the line leader in kindergarten.

    For each discussion in an online class, one student is assigned to be the What If. This student is exempt from all the other requirements of that discussion. Their job is to read every post and add a “what if” or “yes, but” question or statement to each one. The original poster is required to respond to this prompt. Even though the What If student has been exempted from the requirements of the discussion prompt, they will get the benefit of learning as they read and think about each prompt. This can be especially empowering to students for whom the original discussion prompt may have been overwhelming, or who need fewer instructions to be successful.

    Discussion protocols can be adapted from tried and true, familiar classroom protocols. When this happens, the benefits of longstanding best practices can be realized in the online classroom. As educators adjust to the increasing demand for digital learning, the first step toward being effective is to understand how many practices can be translated from the traditional classroom into the digital classroom. Discussion protocols are easy to plan, but reap great benefits when used effectively.

    Getting Adjusted

    It may take students some time to adjust to the new protocols. Being consistent and holding students to the standards required in the protocol is important. For example, if the Timely Discussion protocol is used and a student claims to be finished with it in one day, they obviously have not complied with the expectations of the protocol, which requires students to wait a period of time between posts so that their thinking can deepen their understanding of the content before they post their responses.

    Next time you see “post your response, then thoughtfully respond to two of your peers,” think about a protocol that will work best for your objective and change the prompt. As you work with discussion protocols, you will find your own mastery of meaningful online discussions increasing as you think of new protocols on your own!

    Do you use a valuable discussion protocol in your online class? Share it with us!

    Resources

    Discussion Protocols mentioned in this article:

    Crux of the Matter

    This protocol is a great way to introduce a new concept and activate prior knowledge. Because students are asked to choose unique concepts, larger classes may need to be divided into smaller groups and given their own group discussion board. If this is done, the Insights discussion thread should be a whole-group thread.

    1. Instructor sets up four new threads: Sentences, Phrases, Words, and Insights.
    2. Each student posts a sentence from the reading that they feel is significant. Each post has to be unique, so students are encouraged to post early.
    3. Each student posts a phrase that they feel is significant. Again, these should be unique.
    4. Each student posts the word they feel is significant. As with the other posts, these should be unique.
    5. The students all go to the Insights thread and post what they understand about the reading based on what everyone else in their group posted.

    Final Word

    With this protocol, students are able to explore their own thinking. It also helps students to feel more connected to the conversation. It shifts ownership of the discussion to the students involved, rather than the instructor. It encourages critical thinking skills as students develop the ability to consider feedback and develop strong, evidence-based arguments.

    1. Each student identifies what they think is a significant idea from a reading without saying why they think it is significant.
    2. Each student starts a new thread by posting the quote or excerpt from the text that represents the point.
    3. Other students in the class reply to the thread with their thoughts on the quote and why they might find it significant or not.
    4. The original student then posts a comment to reveal their initial thoughts on why the quote was significant and how their thoughts have been validated or changed because of the comments of their peers. The original student is not allowed to add their thoughts until after the commenting period has ended.

    What If

    This protocol should weave through the body of discussions throughout a course. In this protocol, a teacher assigns a specific student to be the “what-if” for a particular discussion. That student is exempt from the rest of the assigned protocol for that discussion and is solely tasked with commenting frequently with thought-provoking “what if” statements or “yes, but” statements.

    Timely Discussion

    Use of this protocol is best when approaching a topic that students may have initial thoughts about then develop different or deeper ideas after time/learning. It is similar to the Final Word Protocol, with a stronger emphasis on evidence and reasoning. This protocol strengthens student understanding of how to state a position and use evidence to support and defend it, as well as introducing the idea of changing one’s mind because of evidence provided by others. In some cases, this could result in new assignments or discussions about the quality and reliability of evidence.

    1. The instructor prepares a prompt for students to think about. 
    2. Students create a thread with their initial thoughts, including their reasoning and evidence to support their reasoning. In a science class, this may be an opportunity for students to make predictions.
    3. Students do not respond to any peers for a period of time (usually two-three days). It is important that the instructor have a deadline for everyone to post their initial post.
    4. After the initial posts are due, students return to the discussion and read ALL the posts of their peers.
    5. Students post a response to the peers they disagree with, including evidence and reasoning. (If the class size is large, determine a number of students they will need to post to. This may get tricky because what if there are not that many who they disagree with?) Again, the teacher needs to establish a deadline to get this step done.
    6. After the responses are due, students return to the discussion and read the posts that disagree with their position.
    7. Students post a new comment on their own, original post, that restates their position or introduces their new position, citing evidence from the comments they read on theirs (and other’s posts). Use of informal citation, such as “As George stated on Lucy’s post, “quote quote quote,” is encouraged.

    For a curated list which includes these and others, download the Discussion Protocols document.

    Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash

    0 comment
    1 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
    research tools
    Good TeachingGoogle Tips and TricksLibraries

    Research Tools for Young Learners

    by Miguel Guhlin
    written by Miguel Guhlin

    In a connected world, there are ample research tools available. Helping students learn how to use them grows more important with ubiquitous access. In this blog entry, we explore several online research tools that can facilitate student research.

    Setting Up Class Debates

    In the Hyperdoc The Great Milk Debate, fifth grade students find themselves facing a challenge: Their principal, Mrs. Hilcher, has banned chocolate milk. Here’s one possible scenario to present students with:

    Students: To improve your health, after consulting with school nutritionists, we have decided to no longer allow chocolate milk to be served during breakfast and lunch. Sugar and sweets present one of the greatest threats to human beings ever. “One carton of chocolate milk includes about 40 percent of the recommended daily allowance of sugar in a child’s diet,” said Mr. LK.

    Students are encouraged to explore both sides of the debate. Learners are tasked with examining:

    • Claim: For example, “Flavored milk gets kids to drink more milk.”
    • Evidence: “Research shows that flavored milk, which delivers nine essential nutrients, contributes just 3% of added sugars to kids’ diets versus sodas and fruit drinks.”
    • Reasoning: “Studies show that school-aged children who drink flavored milk actually drink more milk overall, have better quality diets, and do not have higher intakes of added sugar or total fat.”

    The Hyperdoc provides students with a means to discover this information. The teacher who creates the Hyperdoc provides the resources students can explore. It may be advantageous for students to do their own research.

    research tools

    Five Online Research Tools for Children

    1. KidRex – Powered by Google Custom Search, Alarm.org’s KidRex is a search engine designed by kids for kids. Check our their page for Parents. Compare it to Searchquarium.
    2. KidzSearch – Easy-to-use search engine.
    3. Kidtopia – Provides access to a wide variety of topics, but also allows for keyword searches.
    4. Sweet Search – A search engine that provides filtered search capabilities.
    5. Fact Monster -Easily explore and learn new facts at Fact Monster by using their well-organized categories.

    What’s Next

    In the Hyperdoc, students take their research and use it to craft a persuasive letter attempting to convince others.

    Test your preparation and your public speaking skills in The Great Milk Debate. You will be assigned to a debate team. Together you will go through each of your letters together and develop an argument defending your side against another debate team who will defend the opposite side. Each side will get two minutes to present their arguments. The winning debate team will be voted on by the audience.

    Kid-friendly search engines can introduce students to search strategies, alleviating educators’ fears of encountering inappropriate content. Give them a try in your classroom.

     

    0 comment
    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
    Newer Posts
    Older Posts