I have just recently run into a similar problem with my Civics class. I have started marking the test they just finished and 6 out of 7 tests I have marked have failing marks. My problem is also compounded by the fact that many of the students in the class have unfinished assignments.
I am going to try a little bit of a different approach to this problem. It seems to me that many students get bogged down when they have to do the same old mundane tasks. I am going to try to use technology to spark a little life into their work. When teaching the Civics class one of the class assignments is to create the "Citizen's Handbook" which is a writing assignment that requires the students to write a journal-like entry on a question related to the course material. One of the difficulties I have with this assignment is getting students to truly think critically about the issues they are studying in class. I am going to try using a blog entry to shake things up a little. Instead of having students write out a formal document I am going to have them blog their ideas and try having them comment on each others ideas. Kind of like an online debate. Hopefully this sparks some more interesting discussion on the ideas. Maybe once I have flushed out all the ideas, then I can have them write a more thought provoking paper.
Worth a try, I have nothing to lose!
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Jason:
I think that using the blog idea is fantastic. I find it amazing how student work improves when there is an audience beyond just the teacher. Civics is a course that could be so great and the kids still don't get it. We are moving toward a much more issues-based approach (less emphasis on the government aspect). Using current events to engage them has definitely worked for us in the past. Thanks for joining.
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