Using Commonplace Books to Help Students Develop Multiple Perspectives

• Published in: English journal Vol. 99; no. 6; pp. 63 - 69
• Main Author: Carbone, Paula M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Urbana National Council of Teachers of English 01.07.2010
• Edition: High school edition
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; African Americans; Ancient Greece; Assignments; Bilingual students; Classrooms; Commonplace books; Controversial Issues (Course Content); Critical Thinking; Discussion (Teaching Technique); Drivers licenses; English teachers; Females; High School Students; Jacoby, Susan; Learner Engagement; Logic and Critical Reasoning; Logical Thinking; Narratives; Perspective Taking; Persuasive Discourse; Rhetoric; Rhetorical Theory; Scrapbooks; Student Development; Student Journals; Success; Teacher Educators; Teachers; Teaching Methods; Terrorists; Thinking Skills; Women; Writing Skills; Greece; Los Angeles California; New York; United States > US
• ISSN: 0013-8274; 2161-8895
• DOI: 10.58680/ej201011525

In this article, the author describes how she used a commonplace book assignment to help students expand their background knowledge and as a means to formulate mature, informed perspectives regarding issues of importance. In the assignment, the author wanted the students to: (1) investigate issues of the day; (2) develop multiple perspectives surrounding them; and (3) to practice writing effective, concise summaries, a skill that is important in many types of writing. The assignment also required students to format a citation properly, which helped emphasize the importance of citing sources and of avoiding plagiarism. Lastly, for self-preservation, the author wanted to streamline the grading process. The commonplace book assignment focused somewhat on writing skills, but it focused primarily on thinking skills. This format accomplished all those things without being too intrusive regarding the students' creative expression, which had an outlet in how they formulated arguments around the information they provided, if not in the form in which they presented it. The author used the commonplace book assignment in a few different ways to foster development of multiple perspectives--through small group discussions, whole-class discussions, individual presentations, and reflective revision. She concludes that providing a means to discuss issues in an informed manner gives students more than just the ability to acknowledge and appreciate multiple perspectives. Introducing the commonplaces and grand narratives to students--of all backgrounds and skill levels--gives them the means to formulate stances on issues; they are less inclined to allow media, friends, or teachers to dominate their responses to the issues. (Contains 2 figures.)