Encouraging Active Learning through Research

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Rather than trying to teach your students facts, try teaching them how to LEARN! Our brains learn better and retain more when we are forced to figure out the answer for ourselves. Have your students research important questions for your unit of study and then teach the information learned to the rest of the class. The Learning Pyramid shows that 90% of learning is retained when directly applied or taught to others. Wow! What a statement that makes!

When we teach our students how to learn, to be able to find information for themselves, we are in effect teaching them how to be lifelong learners. Does this mean that as teachers we sit back and do nothing? Of course not! We are the facilitators in this process. Our students need to be taught HOW to ask the right questions and HOW to find the information. They also need to be taught how to process and use that same information.

First, you want to teach students about sources of information and how to take notes from websites, books, and magazines. In this day and age it is vital we teach our students how to be discerning when it comes to locating information on the internet. Is the source found a valid one? Can the information discovered on that site be corroborated by other sources? Is the website a reliable source of information? There are certain websites we know are trustworthy sources of information such as dictionary.com or britannica.com (Encyclopedia Britannica), but really anyone can post a website. How do we know that the information is correct? Confirming the same information from several sources, both online and in print is one way. Identifying the credentials of the company or person behind the website is another. For example, the crayola website contains information on how to make a marker. This is most likely accurate information because crayola is the leading manufacturer of crayons and markers.

I always start out with a simple project such as answering one question in one or two paragraphs with an explanation, and get more involved from there. I may have students do a simple presentation and visual. Pop-up books are fun presentation products for elementary students and do not take up much class time to create when only one page. Even finding the answer to a simple question promotes active learning on the part of a student. Don’t give your students the answers in class. Instead, give them the questions and require each student to find the answer using the resources you have available. No child is too young or too old to learn this important skill!

Why does everyone think that research has to be a complex and time-consuming project? I’d love to hear your thoughts about using research in the classroom - everything from the simple to complex. For example, how would a Kindergarten teacher incorporate research ideas into his/her classroom? I really don’t think this skill should be limited to a few teachers in the upper grade levels. Do you? Also, how do you get started in using research as an on-going learning tool in your classroom?

Further Resources for Research:

http://www.dictionary.com/

http://www.britannica.com/

The Research Ready Classroom: Differentiating Instruction Across Content Areas by Mike Anderson and Andy Dousis

The Thoughtful Reseacher: Teaching the Research Process to Middle School Students by Virginia Rankin

Additional tips on research in the classroom from the Inspiring Teachers Website -

http://www.inspiringteachers.com/classroom_resources/tips/index.html