Step Inside a Model ML/T Classroom

Ask 6^th graders in Battle Creek what they’re likely to remember about their Mexico & Migration social studies class and be prepared for some surprising and wide ranging answers.

"The weird stuff that we did. Like the exciting stuff that we did. Just the unordinary classroom stuff," is one student’s reply.

357 students last year and an additional 800+ this year are having the opportunity to be part of this "weird, exciting, unordinary" experience. Judging from the students’ responses to this model ML/T (meaningful learning using technology) curriculum unit, they don’t want their classes to return to "normal" any time soon.

During the 8-week unit, the students are challenged to "think like historians" do as they use their wireless Internet-connected laptop computers on a daily basis to research the complex subject area. When interviewed toward the end of the unit last spring, the students were quick to point out the value they find in this real world approach to social studies study.

"On the Internet the pictures are totally real. I’m used to watching MTV and seeing all those beautiful people walking around in swimsuits and seeing beautiful Mexico but this is like reality pictures and I think it changed my view on Mexico," was one student’s observation. "While you were looking at one web site, they could be looking at another. And you could just like compare like what you’ve got," said another.

Another student put it this way, "As soon as we got the computers, there was just so much new information that we could get so much outside of the regular box of the textbook. (With) the textbook, you could only get a certain amount of information and then it just stopped. With the Internet you could find what you needed, and go further onto other sites and you just find out much more than the textbooks had."

"The students end up exploring everything from public policy to environmental issues facing citizens on each side of the Mexican-United States border in this course," said Mark Baildon, leader for the Curriculum Development Team at Michigan State University responsible for developing the curriculum. "The difference is that they are acquiring, interpreting, analyzing, evaluation and manipulating information in response to questions they, themselves have raised rather than ones that a text book or teacher has placed in front of them."

The wide range of answers given when students were asked what they would remember about the course a year from now indicates that this is exactly what is occurring.

"I’ll remember what we learned about the Mexican American War." . . . "I thought the Mexicans just migrated to the U.S. because their government was bad to them. And then I found out that they moved to the U.S. because of water and jobs and better resources." . . . "I’ll remember where the people moved and why they moved. It’s pretty hard for them because they have to change their culture, the way they’ve lived before to the new style of living." . . . "The whole immigration process .. all the things they have to do to become U.S. citizens" . . . "How we learned with the new computers on-line and all the research skills that we learned." . . . "Learning about like where my family had come from was kind of cool just to finally find out and have a reason to find out where and why. It helped us notice how they (Mexican immigrants) felt when they moved. When we watched the Diablo family(on video), it was a little bit easier to compare us to them." . . . "Cinco de Mayo -- that was one of my favorite parts – learning about the celebration of Mexico’s independence in 1867 against the French Army." . . . "I liked learning about the Mazahuas. " . . . "The maquiladoras – where the U.S. brings in a big company and sets up factories like Toshiba and then they hire Mexican workers to put together computers, radios, things like that." . . . "The Yucatan Peninsula (is a place) where there are a couple of volcanoes and that helps the farmers grow (crops) because when it erupts the ashes fertilize the soil so that crops are more healthy and they grow faster."

Teachers who piloted the course in the spring and are again teaching the course this fall include: Jacklyn Acheson (Lakeview Territorial); David Johnson (Harper Creek Beadle Lake); Brian Magnuson (Battle Creek Northwestern); Mike McGuire (Pennfield Dunlap); and Laurie Murphy (St. Philip Middle).

These teachers will be coaching new model unit teachers in the Spring, 2003 semester including: Nicole Day (Battle Creek Academy); Brian McManus, (Harper Creek Wattles Park); Laura Simmons (Pennfield Dunlap); Todd Wells (Lakeview Territorial); and Sara Yott (Battle Creek Springfield Middle).