Multigenre Research & Composition: AASL 2011

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Multigenre Research and CompositionBeth Friese and Gretchen HazlinAASL National Conference, October 2011

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A bit about Beth@librarybeth

PhD Candidate, Language and Literacy Education

MEd, Instructional Technology

University of Georgia

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And, a bit about all of you!

A bit about Gretchen

@libraryms

Librarian,

Kilmer Middle School

+Visit Our Wiki

Slides (soon!)

Additional Readings and Resources

Multigenre Texts To Use With Students

Google Form to collect ideas and contact info

Questions (or tweet us)

www.multigenreresearchandcomposition.wikispaces.com

+Take a few minutes to think about research projects you’ve done in your school (and jot a few down).

+What is multigenre research and composition?(First, what is a genre?)

+Many similarities with familiar inquiry process

Developing questions

Locating and evaluating sources

Synthesizing information

Writing (one way or another)

Information ethics

Citations

+Multigenre Research: Why?

Creatively Speaking, Part Two: Sir Ken Robinson on the Power of the Imaginative Mind (From Edutopia.org)

Cultivating the researcher’s imagination - research and imagination are not opposites (Tom Romano)

Moving past (or adding to) the traditional research paper

Incorporating different perspectives on a topic

+Choice and imagination in how research is presented

What are interesting, compelling, creative, novel ways to show what I have learned?

The importance of purpose and audience: Who am I trying to communicate those ideas and insights with?

Focusing on the often taken-for-granted “product” of research as an opportunity for choice and agency for young researchers

+AASL Standards for 21st Century Learner

2.1.1 Continue an inquiry-based research process by applying critical- thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, organization) to information and knowledge in order to construct new understandings, draw conclusions, and create new knowledge.

2.1.6 Use the writing process, media and visual literacy, and technology skills to create products that express new understandings.

2.2.4 Demonstrate personal productivity by completing products to express learning.

3.1.3 Use writing and speaking skills to communicate new understandings effectively.

4.1.8 Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning.

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Gretchen’s Projects

Multigenre Research Projects and the Middle School Classroom

Traditionalboringresearchproject

7th grade English

Novel study + multigenre

Supporting Grade 7 ELA Standards

Project StructureFive week project, lessons interspersed with research days and novel discussions:• Project intro/modeling• Questioning• Print resources• eResources• Keywords/Searching• Notetaking• Citing Sources

cc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesclay/1205035422/c

U.S. Marshalls

Witness Protection Program

Cognitive RehabilitationBicycles

Free Range KidsTrauma

Robert Cormier

Importance of Stuffed Animals

Alcatraz

Prison guards

EntrepreneurshipPrison escapes

MafiaAl Capone

San Francisco

Autism

Genres

Group 1: Print Media

Newspaper/Magazine ArticleObituaryEditorialLetter to the EditorRecipeApplication – job, school, etc.Wanted posterHeadlines/Front pageMission statement

cc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/62693815@N03/6277209256/in/photostream

Group 2: Visual with Words

InvitationAdvertisementTravel brochureGreeting cardCartoonBumper stickerBusiness cards

Cc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/crossettlibrary/4541063275/in/photostream/

Group 3: Visual Display

Picture/photographGraph/chartMapCertificate – award, death, degreeStoryboardPostcardMenuScrapbook pageMagazine cover

cc images: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatguyinalittlecoat/5707005110/in/photostream/

Group 4: Informational

InterviewTimelineDirectionsCampaign speechAssignment sheetResumeEncyclopedia entry

MemoLab reportCalendar agendaMembership cardsWillPolice report

Cc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/koalazymonkey/3861185525/

Group 5: Creative Writing

Diary entrySongPoemShort storyPersonal narrativeConversationPledge

Top Ten ListTravel journalReport cardTelegramPrayers/mediationsEulogyLetter

Cc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/calliope/234447967/

Sample Student Projects

The kids struggled with…

…choosing a research questioncc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/drachmann/327122302/

…found versus created genres

The kids struggled with…

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0117.html

We loved…

… teacher / librarian collaboration -- planning, teaching, research support, assessment

Cc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lumaxart/2137737248/

We loved…

…classroom instruction and research lesson content

We loved…

...opportunities for differentiation

Cc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/roamallday/4033193503/

We loved…

... “museum gallery” project presentation and evaluation (self, peer, teacher)

Cc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fridgeuk/739691311/

We loved…

...that the research unit and the end products were a much more interesting and a lot more fun

Cc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mortimer/127194972/

Artifact Adventure Project

U.S. History 1865-Present

Remediation course of struggling learners

Goal = to provide an interesting, choice-laden research experience for students and to use the finished products to educate the rest of the class about a particular topic

Topic Selection

Anything related to U.S. History 1865-present

Cc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/5991689206/

Genres

Informational Text

News articleObituaryEditorialLetter to the EditorAdvice columnMagazine articleRecipeWanted posterHeadlines/front page

InterviewTimelineDirectionsCampaign speechResumeEncyclopedia entryLab ReportCalendar/agenda

cc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/62693815@N03/6277209256/in/photostream

VisualsPicture/photographGraph/chartMapCertificate – award, death, degreeStoryboardPostcardMenuScrapbook pageMagazine cover

InvitationAdvertisementTravel brochureGreeting cardCartoonBumper stickerBusiness cardsResponse to artNeighborhood flyers

cc images: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatguyinalittlecoat/5707005110/in/photostream/

Creative Writing

Diary entrySongPoemShort storyPersonal narrativeConversationPledge

Top Ten ListTravel journalReport cardTelegramPrayers/mediationsEulogyLetter

Cc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/calliope/234447967/

Sample Student Artifacts

The kids struggled with

…overwhelming choices

…found versus created genres

The kids struggled with…

Cc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/myeye/3124629911/

…timing of the project

We all struggled with…

Cc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/telstar/3303367343/

We loved…

…that students who were not normally interested in History were very engaged in their own projects

Cc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmns/4184563369/

We loved…

... flexibility in differentiation – students could work at own pace, add challenges as needed

Cc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfbike/3478873639/

Changing it All Up for Next Time

Emphasize research skills continuouslyPractice, practice, practice

Cc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/piratejohnny/5040118511/

+Beth’s project

College seniors, future elementary and middle school teachers

Topics were aspects of diversity, broadly defined

Personal choice in topics and how research was presented

Full writing process for each genre

Students had to explain / defend / reflect on their choices throughout

+Examples of Research Products

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Diary EntriesPracticing voice, point of view, narrative principles

+ Letters

Conventions of a letter, audience, voice

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+ Poetry

Free verse, “Acrostics” and more

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+Translated Poem

+In order to create a genre effectively, study examples

+ Newspapers, Brochures

Informational Genres

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+ Blogs

Adding links, comments, conversations

+ Digital Genres

Texting, Glogster, Facebook Pages

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+ Calendars, Schedules

Expressions of time, interests

+Before and After

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Wordle, Tagxedo, and other word cloudsDesign Decisions: Text, Font, Organization, Color

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+ Collage

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Added interest with creative containers

Boxes under the bed, luggage, scrapbooks, medicine chests, wishing trees, lunchboxes

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+ Genres you find along the way…

Social stories, forms, translated poetry, medical bracelets, and on and on and on…

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Concrete Poetry

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+Playing to student strengths

+Plagiarism

Create something that has never been created before

Transforming is the key (accompanied by reasoning)

Students explain how they choose their genres and constructed them

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Explaining the process of selecting and creating the genres is part of the product

Putting genres together in innovative ways

Can create these projects along side the familiar research paper

Inject play and creativity into research

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And now back to you…

+Thank you for participating!I’d be happy to hear from you if you incorporate multigenre research elements in your school!elizfriese@gmail.com@librarybeth @libraryms