Sup+Stratregies+Save+Slipping+Skills?


 * I developed a study to help understand if some of the most commonly used support reading strategies (taking notes and highlighting) helped boost readers confidence or skill level while reading. I got four students of similar reading levels, with an over 85 ILA grade to come out one at a time, and read a passage about new technologies for the betterment of society in the hall. I was hoping that it would be just a little bit of a challenge for them, and I told one to just read it straight, one to highlight, one to note-take, and the last to do both. I will then give them the quiz below* and see which student gets the highest score, and which gets the lowest. I will also be looking at which student enjoys it the most. I did my best control most all of the variables, and to make the study as accurate as possible. **


 * I was pretty accurate in my study, and knew that if I kept it controlled, that it would either contradict me, or prove my point. I was a pretty confident reader to begin with, and this study only improved both my confidence, and skill as a reader. This is the finished study: **
 * Overall, after this study and all this metacognitive work, I believe that my confidence level is now at the level it was at in the beginning, though for good reason, not just overconfidence. **

__ **My Research Question:** __ Does having someone highlight and/or take notes as they are reading help them to retain more information such as the main idea or supporting details once finished reading?

=__** Variables **__=

(MV=Manipulated Variable)
(RV=Responding Variable) (CV=Controlled Variable) MV = SUP strategies used in the experiment (If Any) RV = Understanding of the reading (Quiz Score) CV = Reading CV = Kids/Skill level CV = Conditions/Environment CV = Test used

**__Hypothesis:__** I think that highlighting will help some, but taking notes will interrupt the reading too much, and just make kids remember less. I think that highlighting and note taking will get by far the lowest score, as it is simply too much to do. Reading without strategies will not be the best, but it might tie with highlighting, and it will definately be more enjoyable.

1. What was the meaning of the selection? (Summarize in your own words) 2. What were the key points of the selection? 3. What were the three main features of the article? 4. What was the through the wall radar called? 5. What will mind controllers implant on the brain? 6. How much will mind control cost? 7. How many Megahertz does the implantable antenna use? 8. What is the implantable antenna? 9. What do all these things have in common? 10. How did you feel about this study?
 * __ Quiz to Test Understanding*: __**

__** Correct Answers: **__
1. It was about new technologies to help communication and society in general. 2. Pricing, New tech, Ease of Access, Helpfulness, etc. 3. Mind Control, Through the Wall Radar, and the Implantable Antenna. 4. The Prism 200 5. Electrodes 6. 5000 dollars per patient 7. 402-405 8. An antenna to help people communicate for medical purposes 9. They are all used for communication 10. No right answer for this one

=__** Results: **__=

__** No Strategies: **__
1. “I think the selection was about people trying to make technology to help people communicate or do other things.” 2. “Implantable Antennae, Mind Control, and through the wall radar.” 3. “Pretty much the same thing.” 4. “I don’t know.” 5. “A type of PC device?” 6. “5000 dollars a patient.” 7. “450?” 8. “A device to help people communicate or to help keep an eye on patients.” 9. “They all use electricity and are technology to help make society better.” 10. “I thought it was interesting, but I think if I used the fixit strategies I could have done better.”

__** Note Taking: **__
1. “It was about these little antennae things, that are used to monitor people and in other medical use.” 2. “The antennae that goes into the person, bringing the cost down, and making it easy to use.” 3. “I don’t know” 4. “No clue.” 5. “Analog something?” 6. “5000” 7. “I don’t know.” 8. “The antenna is to monitor people” 9. “They’re wireless?” 10. “It was kind of hard, but I liked it!”

__** Highlighting: **__
1. “To tell about new device used in medical stuffs.” 2. “Implantable antennae, Mind Control, and through the wall radar” 3. “Same answer as the last question applies.” 4. “I don’t know.” 5. “Three pieces, controlled by a PC.” 6. “5’000 dollars.” 7. “I don’t remember.” 8. “A wireless device thing that they implant.” 9. “They’re all new medical devices.” 10. “It’s a little confusing, and it’s not a reading I would normally read.”

__** Both Strategies **__
1. “I think it was about some type of computer chip, antennae, and mind control devices that are controlled by computers, used to help communication.” 2. “There was radar, a mind control thing, and some kind of antennae, to help people.” 3. “Mind control, that’s the only one I can remember.” 4. “I don’t know.” 5. “A chip.” 6. “It will be cost effective?” 7. “I have no idea.” 8. “A chip, to help monitor stuff.” 9. “It’s some kind of mind controller.” 10. “I don’t know how I feel, because I don’t know what they’ll do, with this technology…”

__** Overall Scores: **__
No Strategies: 55.5…% liked study, would have rather used fixit strategies.

Note Taking: 22.2…% liked study a lot, thought it was unique.

Highlighting: 77.7…% thought it was confusing, didn’t like reading.

Both Strategies: 22.2…% doesn’t know how to feel about study, because tech sounded shifty…

__**Observations and Conclusion:**__
Overall, no strategies and highlighting got the highest scores, and though highlighting got the higher score, she didn't like the reading or the study, whereas no strategies enjoyed both. This shows that little things like highlighting make scores and understanding go up, but make enjoyment go down. This also shows that things like note taking, or note taking //and// highlighting are just too much to do, and actually lower scores.

__**Recommendations:**__
__**Teacher:**__ I would recommend that you make the kids take notes a little less, and in it's place, highlight a little more. Never highlight //and// take notes on the same passage. Remember to instruct them that when reading for pleasure, do not use very many SUP strategies. __**Student:**__ Always remember, when you are reading for school, highlight some, not too much, and don't take notes. When you are reading for pleasure, on your own time, be sure that you don't use either of these, as they raise memory, but lower enjoyment.


 * __Just in case you want to see it, this is the reading I gave them:__ **
 * Implantable Antenna **
 * Patient care is set to go beyond the doctor's office. New low-power wireless technologies make it possible to implant monitoring devices in people's bodies, to help keep an eye on blood pressure, metabolism and other vital statistics. **
 * But one of the challenges of these new wireless devices is designing a suitable antenna that can operate within the human body where fat, muscle and skin tissue create challenging conditions for wireless signals. **
 * This implantable antenna uses the 402-405MHz Medical Implant Communications Service (MICS) frequency band. Combined with a custom integrated chip or a system on a chip, device makers can use the antenna in pacemakers, neurostimulation devices, and swallowable imaging and diagnostic systems. **


 * Mind Control **
 * Taking brain waves and translating them directly into computer commands is a hot new area in user interface design. The idea is to help individuals who are completely paralyzed communicate without having to have surgery to implant electrodes in the brain. Earlier brain control interface systems have been expensive, but engineers have been working to improve accuracy and bring costs down. **
 * The interface has three primary hardware components and several pieces of specialized software. A mesh cap holds small sensor electrodes firmly against the user's head. An amplifier is connected to the electrodes and is used to boost the minute analog signals, measured in microvolts that are received from the surface of the scalp. The signals are then converted into a digital signal and analyzed by signal processing software running on a PC. Two monitors are connected to the PC, one for the caregiver interface and one for the user interface. **
 * The big challenges here are developing a sensor cap that is comfortable and can be positioned accurately on the head by an untrained person. Positioning deviations from session to session of more than a few millimeters can dramatically affect the accuracy of the system. **
 * The entire system is currently expected to cost about $5,000 for a patient, although researchers say they are trying to bring that down. **


 * Through-the-Wall Radar **
 * Police officers and special forces covet the ability to "see" through walls as they mount rescue or military operations. **
 * The Prism 200 is a tiny handheld radar scanner that provides intelligence on the movement and location of people in a room or building. It works through brick and concrete walls and is sensitive enough to pick up breathing. Users of the radar can switch between front, plan and profile views for a complete picture. It can also be remotely monitored. **