... In Literature & Language
How might I know if it doesn't say?
Students will often get stuck on the surface: "It says in the book that all he cared about was hunting. It doesn't say anything about authority, or wanting to usurp authority through violence...how do I know it means authority and violence if it doesn't say?"
How might I repeat without plagiarizing?
Students say it themselves: "I didn't copy the answer. I read the website, then remembered what it said and wrote it down. So it's really in my words."
My typical response: "Remembering text verbatim and typing it is the same as copy and paste. Please rewrite it."
Students will often get stuck on the surface: "It says in the book that all he cared about was hunting. It doesn't say anything about authority, or wanting to usurp authority through violence...how do I know it means authority and violence if it doesn't say?"
- The "deeper" meanings of novels are often shielded from students by the nature of their cognitive, emotional, social development; they just haven't experienced or know the aspects of live necessary to sympathize with characters or visualize what they read. They are stuck on the surface of the novel, enjoying it for plot and little else. Explicitly teaching students to recognize this confusion as the starting place for learning can have powerful impacts on their ability to "fail forward" in reading and writing. Taking guesses, making connections, and voicing opinions using the text as evidence is the foundation of so many classrooms, so I think building metacognition, "how might I know," into frustrating moments can naturally strengthen a student's resiliency.
How might I repeat without plagiarizing?
Students say it themselves: "I didn't copy the answer. I read the website, then remembered what it said and wrote it down. So it's really in my words."
My typical response: "Remembering text verbatim and typing it is the same as copy and paste. Please rewrite it."
- Teaching the reading and writing skills needed to unpack a complex paragraph is tough. Our 'copy & paste' culture is not helping students understand the complexities of sharing other people's work, and teaching explicit note-taking, paraphrasing, and brainstorming strategies is critical to avoiding an abundance of plagiarized assignments.
...In Law, Civics, and Careers
How did the Case of R. v. Oakes affect the development Canadian law?
How can I better understand law's impact on me and my community?
- Source: OJEN,. "Handout: Section 1 of the Charter & the Oakes Test." Ontario Justice Education Network. OJEN, 2010. Web. 21 Mar 2011. <http://www.ojen.ca/resource/980>.
- CASE STUDIES SUITABLE FOR DEBATE: 1. The Case of R. v. Morgentaler, 1988; 2. The Case of R. v. Keegstra, 1990; 3. The Case of Vriend v. Alberta, 1998. S.C.R. 493; 4. The Case of Sue Rodriguez v. British Columbia (Attorney General)
How can I better understand law's impact on me and my community?
- Becoming aware of the injustices and appeals to those injustices in your community is a great way to start building your legal awareness. Use this Education Without Boarders Mock Trial resource blog to get you started.
...In World Studies and Social Sciences
**forthcoming**
