Here's something that happened one day in my Science class.
We were doing a project about different animals and had just discussed mammals. Now keep in mind that in a traditional West Indian classroom I would have written a note about mammals on the blackboard and all students would have to obediently copy my note exactly as given.
However, since I am a firm believer in NOT giving notes on a blackboard, I instructed all students to create their own summary of what we had explored. I placed some keys words on the board that they could use in their summaries and left them to it. The students created notes and drew and stuck pictures As I was walking around observing the students at work I noted one of my student's notes. Part of it read...'mammals are all females.' Well I was quite surprised by such a statement, especially since this student was one of my bright sparks.
"Why do you think that all mammals are female?" I inquired, a little confused.
''Well Miss, you said that they feed their babies milk."
He needn't say more. If I had just placed a note about mammals on the blackboard for them to unquestioningly copy I would probably have written as part of my note that 'mammals suckle their young' and would NEVER have realised that one of my students might interpret that statement to mean that they are all female!
I am aware that there are many advocates for note copying at the primary school level of our West Indian classrooms and I have met many who will debate with great fervour against students creating their own notes. Feel free to let me know your views on this topic but until then I leave you with one thought...
Yesterday, I found myself having to explain to my seven year old son about plagiarism. Later on that day my son asked me an intriguing question..."Mummy, if plagiarism is against the law why does my teacher make us copy her notes from the blackboard?"
Ummm...intriguing indeed!
We were doing a project about different animals and had just discussed mammals. Now keep in mind that in a traditional West Indian classroom I would have written a note about mammals on the blackboard and all students would have to obediently copy my note exactly as given.
However, since I am a firm believer in NOT giving notes on a blackboard, I instructed all students to create their own summary of what we had explored. I placed some keys words on the board that they could use in their summaries and left them to it. The students created notes and drew and stuck pictures As I was walking around observing the students at work I noted one of my student's notes. Part of it read...'mammals are all females.' Well I was quite surprised by such a statement, especially since this student was one of my bright sparks.
"Why do you think that all mammals are female?" I inquired, a little confused.
''Well Miss, you said that they feed their babies milk."
He needn't say more. If I had just placed a note about mammals on the blackboard for them to unquestioningly copy I would probably have written as part of my note that 'mammals suckle their young' and would NEVER have realised that one of my students might interpret that statement to mean that they are all female!
I am aware that there are many advocates for note copying at the primary school level of our West Indian classrooms and I have met many who will debate with great fervour against students creating their own notes. Feel free to let me know your views on this topic but until then I leave you with one thought...
Yesterday, I found myself having to explain to my seven year old son about plagiarism. Later on that day my son asked me an intriguing question..."Mummy, if plagiarism is against the law why does my teacher make us copy her notes from the blackboard?"
Ummm...intriguing indeed!
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