From the "Wow-didn't-even-know-things-like-this-exist" category, there are web applications that enable students to plan out research papers step by step: Research Project Calculator and the Assignment Calendar from the University of Minnesota libraries. The latter is geared towards undergraduate students and enables them to create a step by step map of when they should be doing what in their papers or assignments. Very useful if the student thrives on meeting small deadlines and is intent on doing his or her best. Unfortunately, many college students wait until the last minute before even thinking about the assignment.
The Research Project Calculator is for secondary students. The site contains resources for teachers to aid them in describing and educating students about the RPC. Additionally, there are resources to aid school library media specialists to do the same. The resources are offered in PDF and MS Word formats and cover everything a teacher or library media specialist would need to introduce RPC to students (graphic organizers, search techniques, writing transitions, etc).
While I currently work in a public library and plan to do so in the future, I probably won't get to use or educate students about the wonderfulness of the RPC. But, if the occasion arises, I can point area teachers in the direction of the RPC resource.
I wish there were things like the RPC when I was in high school. We did two research papers and both existed of lots of index cards and miscellaneous notes all over the place. Not very efficient.
No comments:
Post a Comment