Give them an Authentic Audience

I remember when I would have to write a paper or research project and I didn't truly understand the purpose and audience for whom I was writing.  So every paper probably sounded the same and was written for my teacher to read.  Then I got a job and had to write different types of materials for different groups of people.  It was an adjustment to think about my audience and write accordingly.  If I had learned that earlier in school, it would have been easier.  It wasn't that no one had tried to teach me.  I just didn't get it at the time.  It definitely wasn't for lack of trying on others part.   I remember late nights at the typewriter with my Mom trying to revise a paper that my Mom had taken the time to comment on and I didn't want to listen.  Yes,  I did say typewriter.

I want my student to experience what I did in my first job, now.  Not have to wait until their livelihood is at stake to learn what speaking to an appropriate audience looks and feels like.  I want them to know that citing a reference is important because it is an actual person or group of people that came up with that idea or research and they should get credit for it.  Just as my students want to receive credit for what they do, others want the same respect.

Writing and presenting appropriately to a group is important so that students don't talk over their audiences heads or be seen as condescending to their audience.  If someone has taken the time to listen to my students then they need to be aware of how to engage them and deliver the information at the correctly level and depth.

That is why I am in contact with Tricia Shelton.  Tricia has a class of AP Anatomy and Physiology students that will be commenting on our blog posts with our research about bacteria and viruses.  This will give my students a chance to create research that other students want to view and at a level that would be easy to write for, since they are peers.  It, also, gives them a chance to practice citing their sources and looking at the claims in the Next Generation Science Standards.

I will, also, be working with Adam Taylor.  Adam is very involved in bringing scientists into classrooms.  I am going to use this opportunity to let my students wonder about what scientists do and how they do it.  Then they will get a chance to ask them and gain an understanding of what science really is and how it has changed the world in the last 20 years.

Both Tricia and Adam are trying to get students involved in Social Media for academic use.  They have a twitter chat on Thursday nights for students to connect with scientists.  This will give my students a chance to engage in social media in a positive way and leave a digital footprint that they should be proud to share with colleges.

We, as educators, need to show students the value in things that they take for fun.  Keeping in mind that their voice and the audience they are speaking to can change the tone of whatever environment they are in.  Twitter is usually to communicate daily life, but what if the audience were someone other than friends and family.  Then could it be a tool for learning?  Blog posts usually talk about the daily life of someone who rides their bike and hangs with friends, but what if the audience were shifted to other learners that were interested in the same things you were interested.  We need to show students that it is not the took, whatever it may be, but how you frame it for your audience.