The first step in the Alberta model of inquiry is "planning", which is illustrated in the model by five bullet points:
- Identify a topic area for inquiry
- Identify possible information sources
- Identify audience and presentation format
- Establish evaluation criteria
- Outline a plan for inquiry
As I have just begun my inquiry, I am still working on steps one and two. My topic area is mostly idenfitied: I want to research children's literature written specifically for boys. Currently, my focus is on gathering sources of information and reviewing them.
I decided to begin by looking up Jon Scieszka, a popular author who not only writes books that appeal to boys, but is behind a project called Guys Read. His website provides a tab devoted to the project, and its page parrots almost exactly what I want to research, and why:
"Boys often have to read books they don't really like. They don't get to choose what they want to read. And what they do like to read, people often tell them is not really reading.
We can help boys read by:
- Letting them choose what they read.
- Expanding our definition of "reading" to include: graphic novels, comics, comic strips, nonfiction, humor, magazines, newspapers, online text
- Getting boys to recommend reading they do like to other boys.
- Providing boys with male role models for reading in school and at home.
The GUYS READ website is made to help with all of these things."
My next step was obvious: head to the main page for Guys Read. I was pleased to find that their mission lined up exactly with my own:
"Our mission is to motivate boys to read by connecting them with materials they will want to read, in ways they like to read."
The website provides resources not only for those who want to find books boys like - parents, teachers, and children themselves - but a page of resources for people, like myself, who want to research the gender-specific needs of boys. This will be my jumping-off point for further reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment