January 21, 2004
The I-Search process is definitely a different way to research, compared to what most of us learned in school. We were taught, as the book reminds us, to take the topic usually assigned to us, look it up, write down quotes from the encyclopedia or whichever resource we are using, turn in our note cards, and then write the paper from there. I have to say, I never really liked this process, who did? But, I do enjoy research, so the problem must have been with the process. It took the fun out of research.
I think that the I-Search process will help to put the interest back in research. Not everyone is as interested in research as some of us, but I-Search will at least help students take control of the process and learn from it.
I do have questions though. How do we encourage the teachers to take part in this process? How do we get them to veer from their standard research process? We have been taught the standard process all the way through school; will we have to twist arms to get the process changed? And then, once the students go to college, will they be able to continue to use the I-Search process in their classes that require standard research projects?
I am considering doing my collaboration with my husband, who teaches Health and P.E. In his Health class, he has the students research a topic during the Illegal Drugs and Abuse unit in his high school class. In reading about the I-Search, I have to wonder if his unit is too limiting. How can they choose a topic when they are restricted to something that is related to Illegal Drugs? It is not a very broad unit…
The I-Search process is gets students to take possession of their research and make it their own. I do think it can work with most subjects, I just have to dig a little deeper to figure out how it could relate to classes that don’t normally teach research, or those that use the traditional research methods that we grew up with. The webbing process is beneficial, as it teaches the students to explore their topics and expand from where they started. The double-entry draft and logs allow students to reflect on the information they have discovered, not just copy it down and plagiarize. Especially for students (but great for adults too!), the feedback from their peers will validate their direction or help them realize where they might need to re-evaluate what they are doing. Kids really value the thoughts and opinions of their peers, so the feedback should be really listened to and taken to heart. I love the idea of having students interview sources too! It really gets them thinking outside the box (of encyclopedias on the shelf) and teaches them that information is available everywhere.
-Heather Abner