For my goals project, I am conducting a short MLA instruction. I have designed this lesson to encourage students to research and access information independently, which is something collaborating teachers have told me is a huge area for improvement. Finally, I have been able to meet with the collaborating teacher to place the finishing touches on the Goals Project.
The Junior-level students are required to write a research paper on a career of interest to them. This research paper acts as the first component of their Senior Project, and before now, they have never been instructed on educational research and have only touched on writing in MLA format. When I met with Mrs. Young, she was highly concerned about these research papers. The essays she’d assigned previously this semester were written poorly, and she assessed that all three of her classes were behind regarding writing in MLA. In the process of planning my goals project, I knew I would be teaching MLA, basic research skills, and information access, but meeting with Mrs. Young allowed me to highlight areas where there was additional need.
To the instructional lesson we added evaluating resources, choosing appropriate websites, and quoting/paraphrasing. I curated materials on Pinterest, naming the board [School] Resources, and also included my assessment survey for the students to complete at the end of the lesson. Finally, Mrs. Young added the board to her class website, where the students could access it at anytime throughout the project process. We hope this will encourage students to access information on their own, use technology tools, and become independent researchers.
I’m still waiting on the results of the survey. The students have until the end of May to complete their projects, and they can access the Pinterest Board as often as needed. Hopefully, I will understand the overall effectiveness and impact of my goal’s project by the close of the semester.
My First Experiences in a School Media Center 