These notes will follow the English 103 class as we move through the weeks.
As time passes both classes seem to communicate a lot of enthusiasm in and out of the classroom (Veronica stopped me on a Tuesday to say that she found a song that has the theme of voicelessness/marginalization and she planned to send it to me.) It is obvious to me that this project and the community that it is creating is on the minds of students in their daily lives. This is a goal - the metacognition and the relation to CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS.
As time passes both classes seem to communicate a lot of enthusiasm in and out of the classroom (Veronica stopped me on a Tuesday to say that she found a song that has the theme of voicelessness/marginalization and she planned to send it to me.) It is obvious to me that this project and the community that it is creating is on the minds of students in their daily lives. This is a goal - the metacognition and the relation to CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS.
8/26 - plan
collect letters and surveys - discuss
Share syllabus, products expected, share an example of
student work, introduce 1-39 page reading homework related to BEM
Start peer interview
Why do people tell stories?
technology essay for homework
what happened
I collected the letters and surveys. Students shared that receiving the personal letter from me before the semester started helped them to relax and look forward to the class. The survey collected information on technology, cognitive - what does the word "read" mean to you? and knowledge global - what do you know of Haiti, Cuba China? All of this in preparation for a class using IMovie as we make this transition into the new world. I shared that I had the students of the summer list what they could use the Iphone for and we figured that photography video can be used for education - telling stories. Everyone owned an Iphone and had the experience of photos and video. Since IMovie would be used to tell stories and I was the guide, I figured that the peer interview would be our first practice attempt. I focused on the word audience and we created a questionnaire together - to use in the next class with a peer.
After the discussion about the use of the Iphone and the intent on telling stories using IMovie I decided that I wanted raw material to use on Wednesday for the demonstration. I also realized that the collaboration meant that instead of handing out instruction that one person would write the steps as we moved through the demonstration.
I rushed over on Tuesday and interviewed Joy who is Cambodian and arrived in the US after getting to Thailand as a refugee.
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Looking back at my notes on the blog I realize that what is happening with my teaching now is what I predicted. The process/relationship in the class is becoming more collaborative with technology. Sending the letter ahead of the first class day did relax the students and start a community feeling. This feeling extended into the interview.
what happened
I collected the letters and surveys. Students shared that receiving the personal letter from me before the semester started helped them to relax and look forward to the class. The survey collected information on technology, cognitive - what does the word "read" mean to you? and knowledge global - what do you know of Haiti, Cuba China? All of this in preparation for a class using IMovie as we make this transition into the new world. I shared that I had the students of the summer list what they could use the Iphone for and we figured that photography video can be used for education - telling stories. Everyone owned an Iphone and had the experience of photos and video. Since IMovie would be used to tell stories and I was the guide, I figured that the peer interview would be our first practice attempt. I focused on the word audience and we created a questionnaire together - to use in the next class with a peer.
After the discussion about the use of the Iphone and the intent on telling stories using IMovie I decided that I wanted raw material to use on Wednesday for the demonstration. I also realized that the collaboration meant that instead of handing out instruction that one person would write the steps as we moved through the demonstration.
I rushed over on Tuesday and interviewed Joy who is Cambodian and arrived in the US after getting to Thailand as a refugee.
-------------------------------
Looking back at my notes on the blog I realize that what is happening with my teaching now is what I predicted. The process/relationship in the class is becoming more collaborative with technology. Sending the letter ahead of the first class day did relax the students and start a community feeling. This feeling extended into the interview.
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8/28
CAI LAB – FOR IMOVIE DEMONSTRATION
Hand out Imovie language
Discuss essay
Students take notes – hand out simple IMovie language
Discuss family members – and stories we want to hear
9/2 – Monday holiday
----------------
The 8 o'clock class met in the CAI lab so that I could use the projector to demonstrate IMovie. Instead of handing out an already prepared sheet of computer language/directions to follow I asked one student to take down the steps as we go. I have now figured that asking one student to do something for the class might have the others doing it in their heads. The focus would be better; the focus I believe is also enhanced by their connection to the class and the enthusiasm in contributing to education instead of just getting a grade. It was with that in mind that I had them read the article about FB and technology - findings/solutions was to find relevant and interesting ways to use technology. The explicit explanations connecting our activities to research readings and verbally connecting us as the transitional generation and answering the research questions is another buy in. they are contributors/active social participants who then become collectors or real stories for realoreal purposes. I have to keep these words in mind whenever I create an activity - relevant, real life, real time, explicit, direct clear, crossing borders, building connections, and students as collaborators in their own knowledge and as contributors to a real society.
So I was able to start from the beginning with a student writing down every step. I upload raw material to event and then created a project, repeating the steps verbally as we worked. I then showed the photos and we talked about choosing and the story that the photos told. We then looked at the video and clearly saw even though I brought it out explicitly that the visual movie and the words were telling two stories - one of Joy as a mother and the kind of mother when you looked at her interactions with the kids and the story of a refugee and immigrant was being explained by her words - more than one story at a time. Then editing gave us the power of shaping the story. In that way the students really get to see and will get to understand from their work the need for knowing the author, and the author's purpose and the need to be critical in that way.
After that class the students went out with their questionnaires and their partners to do the interview. The interview process went well and as usual I have students express their or describe the process. I focus on the positive.
Thinking as a collaborator and always connected to my idea of bridges I thought of the novel, the issues, IMovie, and the poems in the book. I wanted to make it relevant so I asked them to bring their own song and poem lyrics - purpose is that we will use everything to tell stories - and they will eventually write poem stories.
How to grab their attention? As I was listening to music in the car I realized that I needed to make it interesting. I would create Lip Sinc Idol in the classroom and we will use waving of the hands to introduce a marginalized group. I would be the first performer and lip sinc my song then they get the written lyrics and they have to write an idea of the experience that might be behind the song and then paraphrase the song's story. A few students will be asked to volunteer a performance - we will repeat the activity and then I will have them do the same thing with Robert Frost and Langston Hughes.
I believe that my purpose of collaborator now is the ability to work with my students to take new risks. I believe that the combination of engagement and real life relationships in the classroom stirs pride and a unconscious competition with satisfaction and themselves. They have bought into the process and the project and therefore they do not want to feel the disappointment in themselves.
As my research showed, there must be "fun" and fun meant then and it seems to mean the same thing now - serious engagement with the world.
-------
----------------
The 8 o'clock class met in the CAI lab so that I could use the projector to demonstrate IMovie. Instead of handing out an already prepared sheet of computer language/directions to follow I asked one student to take down the steps as we go. I have now figured that asking one student to do something for the class might have the others doing it in their heads. The focus would be better; the focus I believe is also enhanced by their connection to the class and the enthusiasm in contributing to education instead of just getting a grade. It was with that in mind that I had them read the article about FB and technology - findings/solutions was to find relevant and interesting ways to use technology. The explicit explanations connecting our activities to research readings and verbally connecting us as the transitional generation and answering the research questions is another buy in. they are contributors/active social participants who then become collectors or real stories for realoreal purposes. I have to keep these words in mind whenever I create an activity - relevant, real life, real time, explicit, direct clear, crossing borders, building connections, and students as collaborators in their own knowledge and as contributors to a real society.
So I was able to start from the beginning with a student writing down every step. I upload raw material to event and then created a project, repeating the steps verbally as we worked. I then showed the photos and we talked about choosing and the story that the photos told. We then looked at the video and clearly saw even though I brought it out explicitly that the visual movie and the words were telling two stories - one of Joy as a mother and the kind of mother when you looked at her interactions with the kids and the story of a refugee and immigrant was being explained by her words - more than one story at a time. Then editing gave us the power of shaping the story. In that way the students really get to see and will get to understand from their work the need for knowing the author, and the author's purpose and the need to be critical in that way.
After that class the students went out with their questionnaires and their partners to do the interview. The interview process went well and as usual I have students express their or describe the process. I focus on the positive.
Thinking as a collaborator and always connected to my idea of bridges I thought of the novel, the issues, IMovie, and the poems in the book. I wanted to make it relevant so I asked them to bring their own song and poem lyrics - purpose is that we will use everything to tell stories - and they will eventually write poem stories.
How to grab their attention? As I was listening to music in the car I realized that I needed to make it interesting. I would create Lip Sinc Idol in the classroom and we will use waving of the hands to introduce a marginalized group. I would be the first performer and lip sinc my song then they get the written lyrics and they have to write an idea of the experience that might be behind the song and then paraphrase the song's story. A few students will be asked to volunteer a performance - we will repeat the activity and then I will have them do the same thing with Robert Frost and Langston Hughes.
I believe that my purpose of collaborator now is the ability to work with my students to take new risks. I believe that the combination of engagement and real life relationships in the classroom stirs pride and a unconscious competition with satisfaction and themselves. They have bought into the process and the project and therefore they do not want to feel the disappointment in themselves.
As my research showed, there must be "fun" and fun meant then and it seems to mean the same thing now - serious engagement with the world.
-------
9/4
Share interviews, do partner collage
Bring in lyrics of favorite songs – what stories do
they tell?
Repeat/recall/continue discussion - the purpose of
story telling
----
What happened?
They
came in while I played the BBC and listened/watched news on new
technology for young cancer patients - using games and teaching about
the disease and we talked again about audience and getting attention
using relevancy and content (more discussion in the second class). The
whole idea is to create habits and I mentioned the borders crossing
openly and explicitly connected to our actions.
Letters:
I decided as I read the letters over the weekend that the informal
conversations in the letters could not happen off the paper. I was
identifying stories and learning. I decided to try a new approach and
to ask questions on the letter, allow them to read my notes and answer
questions right then and then ask me questions - I wanted the
conversation to continue and they did.
First
class I did an on the spot demonstration of the journal and asked them
to give me names for chapters and questions. In this way, I was able to
honor their responses and opening show how the titles reach out and
touch and pull in the memories of the chapter that surround them. I did
this directly by referring to the main points.
websites:
I took them to the student work on the website and connected the work
done by their predecessors and showed them the use of technology the
movement of time and how they will fit into the picture. I also showed
how the themes stayed the same - voiceless, bridges, borders,
marginalization. I also wanted to share and nudge them into thinking in
those terms.
journals:
first class I did a demonstration of writing the journals. After
looking at their journals I realized that a number of them could work as
examples so for the second class - I want to keep a bridge between the
two eventually on the blog - I did a shorter demonstration and shared a
few journals for them to skim and not read so I kept the circulation
timed.
time moved fast today and the heat made me change activities from listen to dialogue quickly.
For
the second class we cut short the show of the websites and changed to
the interview. We discussed again (and I will again and again - always
keeping the thread going and to encourage the habit of thinking outside
the box and keeping up the idea that all we do ins a continuous
conversation - habits come with practice - I tell the students that all
the time and habits we can control, encourage and build on). They
already had the questionnaire and had started last week across from the
library in the sun.
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9/6
Friday's thinking:
remember the size for IMovie import in quicktime - 960x540
we need to find a new blue print for teaching - today's traditional responses and approaches are trying to fit a round peg into a square hole - my twist - the student is much more rounded, it's the teaching structure that is square.
Title: THE CUP HALF FULL - NEVER THE BLACK BOX
Title: THE CUP HALF FULL - NEVER THE BLACK BOX
we need a think tank to rethink the time and space we are using for students and the profile of the student and the teacher - they are changing rapidly.
9/8
What does explicit mean? Reminder that multiple senses call for multiple access to content.
I need to drag maps that reflect my intention of bridges between everything.
9/9
9/9
Discuss the poems – play songs
BEM Large group discussion – collect journals
Use questions of journals for discussion
Who is voiceless?
Who is marginalized?
Homework – read a poem from the book
Journal #1
What happened?
A little nerves because of making myself a fool... we read the Crusader Rabbit; I spoke about Bridges - we connect everything related to the theme of voicelessness and marginalization - drew the map that shows how we see ourselves and how we must connect. What did we get through?
connecting Powder, Crusaders, Mother Tongue - relationships role models and voiceless.
Lip synced song - played it - story behind lyrics - took words - read story Birthday Party.... linked story to lyrics; read Robert Frost - what is meaning - metaphor - had students fill handout to create outline for a story that could be the history/foundation of poem "The Road Less Traveled."
The performance was meant to connect them with TVshows and teach them sign language for applause; it was meant to connect poetry to real life and music.
After the reading of Robert Frost the student worked with interview partners to create outline for a story. I walked and pushed them to think of people who have taken on the challenge of life. HW - to create an outline for a story to go with their special songs.
Idea - workshop for Wednesday - 1) files for collecting work; 2) section for IMovie discussion and layout; 3) BEM question and discussion and answer (at least 4 at a station) continue Robert Frost story; 4) me for technology, hearing ideas and uploading video
What happened?
A little nerves because of making myself a fool... we read the Crusader Rabbit; I spoke about Bridges - we connect everything related to the theme of voicelessness and marginalization - drew the map that shows how we see ourselves and how we must connect. What did we get through?
connecting Powder, Crusaders, Mother Tongue - relationships role models and voiceless.
Lip synced song - played it - story behind lyrics - took words - read story Birthday Party.... linked story to lyrics; read Robert Frost - what is meaning - metaphor - had students fill handout to create outline for a story that could be the history/foundation of poem "The Road Less Traveled."
The performance was meant to connect them with TVshows and teach them sign language for applause; it was meant to connect poetry to real life and music.
After the reading of Robert Frost the student worked with interview partners to create outline for a story. I walked and pushed them to think of people who have taken on the challenge of life. HW - to create an outline for a story to go with their special songs.
Idea - workshop for Wednesday - 1) files for collecting work; 2) section for IMovie discussion and layout; 3) BEM question and discussion and answer (at least 4 at a station) continue Robert Frost story; 4) me for technology, hearing ideas and uploading video
9/11
poetry – group by poems
what stories are being told?
students write their own poem
Finish own story from outline, read an essay and summarize
What happened - students finished their interviews. walked students over to see where the digital center was located.
What happened - students finished their interviews. walked students over to see where the digital center was located.
9/16 – DAC Rm 174
IMOVIE - introduce the use of Imovie - practice
We entered the digital center for the first time. At 8 it was empty all the students took up computers near their partners. I was a little worried about how things would go without an overhead projector because I had written instructions to take the students through it a step at a time. Good came out of not having the projector. It gave the students more time for dialogue, more time for experimentation, more time for sharing. It gave the ones who were ahead the chance to start at their level and allowed others to go at their pace.
My dialogue with Maurice gave me a chance to build new knowledge or make words match my thinking.
The theme of the class is voicelessness and marginalization. I looked at the class in motion and realized that I was looking at the manifestation of collaboration. Because the students were given permission to value and use their voices, the became empowered and feel free to contribute their knowledge/their skills; I also openly recognized that I was not the expert just a bridge and therefore when we came to an obstacle I was immediately able to ask for help while at the same time a student offered his knowledge (Dakota) and he went around helping others, two students suggested and used the webcam, one student rolled over from her station to help a Swedish student find software to download his stuff. Other students started identifying students who had knowledge and going straight to them for assistance.
We entered the digital center for the first time. At 8 it was empty all the students took up computers near their partners. I was a little worried about how things would go without an overhead projector because I had written instructions to take the students through it a step at a time. Good came out of not having the projector. It gave the students more time for dialogue, more time for experimentation, more time for sharing. It gave the ones who were ahead the chance to start at their level and allowed others to go at their pace.
My dialogue with Maurice gave me a chance to build new knowledge or make words match my thinking.
The theme of the class is voicelessness and marginalization. I looked at the class in motion and realized that I was looking at the manifestation of collaboration. Because the students were given permission to value and use their voices, the became empowered and feel free to contribute their knowledge/their skills; I also openly recognized that I was not the expert just a bridge and therefore when we came to an obstacle I was immediately able to ask for help while at the same time a student offered his knowledge (Dakota) and he went around helping others, two students suggested and used the webcam, one student rolled over from her station to help a Swedish student find software to download his stuff. Other students started identifying students who had knowledge and going straight to them for assistance.
9/18 – DAC 174
IMOVIE - practice
what happened. We walked into lab expecting to open IMovie and continue and found that the campus had updated and created some kind of glitch and we couldn't open IMovie. All went well as we switched our focus and students finished their 3 paragraph stories and those with their own computers were able to use partners for editing. It gave us a chance to return journals and discuss the book and we/I was able to learn from the students how to save the IMovie to the flashdrive - finder, go, home, right click and save, but make a folder on the desktop and drag it there and then onto flashdrive.
Students were proactive about the time; some were able to go outside and finish taping. NOTE: student did himself because his group had changed three times. How to handle emergencies and absent students? How to handle these problems in a more collaborative classroom.
Note: students came in and from conversations with me and amongst themselves I realized that some students were communicating outside of the class and working together; some were continuing alone and letting me know that they had access to IMovie outside of the class.
Even though I don't seem to have the time between thoughts and excitement to record all that I am seeing, I am having a hard time seeing any negatives because I'm seeing so many positives.
Community and communication: In my conversation with Maurice I realized that in recognizing their voices immediately it gave them confidence and that confidence allowed them to use and share their voices giving other students a chance to learn and therefore find a voice and all of it seemed to contribute to community building.
I gave out a rough draft to give them ideas about using their knowledge from written essays to transfer to them creating language/knowledge to describe their visual essays.
I am trying to be as explicit as possible and I am doing examples of writing and creating and sending them to students. I am also giving them explicit frames to follow - the 3 paragraph essay and the two poems.
9/22
Sunday - I found TED talks and a Brown interview with Danticat - all can be used in the classroom. Now I realize that if I keep the IPhone busy with TED talks it might stop the need to be distracted. The book Present Shock is also a great read while doing 103 as he discusses the postmodern behavior of the time.
Students will meet in the classroom for three days - about 7 hours for bridges and discussions across activities and readings.
We also have to accommodate the IMovies during one class. 20x5=60minutes.
Monday publish and name game for community.
HW - Wednesday read Danticat's interview - find the bridges between her non-fiction and novel.
Create groups around each journal and short stories and essays
Poems - suicide and relationship with father - create a poem for Sophie (follow structure - give the power of her story)
WEEKEND - decide on family member - prepare draft of interview answers for family to get at something that needs to be heard.
Prepare for Monday/Wednesday discussions.
WEEKEND - interview family member
- the article - interview with Danticat
- the SKYPE interview with Danticat as IMovie example and content
- the TED talk about the Masai woman who had the circumcision - all examples of voicelessness
- and the African author on feminism
- class discussions can focus
9/23 - meet in lab - one day behind
Who is voiceless?
Discuss interview – choose a personal subject
Create a questionnaire
We have to meet to finish first job because IMovie was out of commission. Push back new date to a week later for family interview.
what happened?
We met in lab and most people were able to finish and upload. A few people had to start over and they were able to finish. Challenges were time since we were new to the technology. They uploaded and sent the sites to me and I made a playlist.
We have to meet to finish first job because IMovie was out of commission. Push back new date to a week later for family interview.
what happened?
We met in lab and most people were able to finish and upload. A few people had to start over and they were able to finish. Challenges were time since we were new to the technology. They uploaded and sent the sites to me and I made a playlist.
9/25
run through and try to critique youtube presentations as a class. written explanations using notes.
Invite President, Alice, and Anita
interviews with Danticat - critique - find bridges to fiction
discuss poems for bridges
write a poem for Sophie
run through and try to critique youtube presentations as a class. written explanations using notes.
Invite President, Alice, and Anita
interviews with Danticat - critique - find bridges to fiction
discuss poems for bridges
write a poem for Sophie
Large group discussion of BEM journals, short fiction, non-fiction and poems - push back questionnaire to come for family member
Create a questionnaire for family member all together
Choose family member – have a discussion about getting
their permission
Homework – use questionnaire to interview family
member
Create a poem for family member
How
upload - design
what happened?
we used technology and I asked the students to take notes about the use. We read the article about Danticat on the Iphone, some on laptops, and others with me on the large screen (the most difficult and a person has to be in charge and scroll. I dealt with it by using one student.)
They were asked to make some notes positive and negative about their experience - we are metacognitors .... we looked up the word using the Iphone and students gave me the definition and I wrote it on the board.
I shared an interview with Danticat and crossed two bridges since it was a Skype interview with written questions and now I can speak to the students as editors of a visual - opening their eyes to the way they look at the visuals (hopefully this will make them more critical of real life visuals) and about the content. Danticat's bridge was for them to see how real life influences fiction and why; I drew their thinking to the connections we made when we used poetry and music and discussed their story telling aspects and then we used them to write stories.
I then introduced them to my student FB from the 103s before.
We then discussed that our latest journal had to do with purity and virginity and then I introduced them to TEDtalks that we can use as it is a free app. We listened to a woman from Kenya who discussed female mutilation female circumcision. After we first discussed the role of the person who used the camera and then we connected her discussion to the idea of purity and virginity and discussed our tradition of the white dress. I called attention to why people will criticize her - tradition, culture, gender, violence, etc.
I shared the student powerpoints of Haiti and I told them that they can be used for us to learn .
HW- think about Haiti beyond the earthquate since these voices go silent after the tragedy and we connected these crises to the flood in Mexico and the one in Colorado.
We will make groups and we will explore the idea of virginity and purity across the globe.
History - Haiti
purity - history - across the globe
what happened?
we used technology and I asked the students to take notes about the use. We read the article about Danticat on the Iphone, some on laptops, and others with me on the large screen (the most difficult and a person has to be in charge and scroll. I dealt with it by using one student.)
They were asked to make some notes positive and negative about their experience - we are metacognitors .... we looked up the word using the Iphone and students gave me the definition and I wrote it on the board.
I shared an interview with Danticat and crossed two bridges since it was a Skype interview with written questions and now I can speak to the students as editors of a visual - opening their eyes to the way they look at the visuals (hopefully this will make them more critical of real life visuals) and about the content. Danticat's bridge was for them to see how real life influences fiction and why; I drew their thinking to the connections we made when we used poetry and music and discussed their story telling aspects and then we used them to write stories.
I then introduced them to my student FB from the 103s before.
We then discussed that our latest journal had to do with purity and virginity and then I introduced them to TEDtalks that we can use as it is a free app. We listened to a woman from Kenya who discussed female mutilation female circumcision. After we first discussed the role of the person who used the camera and then we connected her discussion to the idea of purity and virginity and discussed our tradition of the white dress. I called attention to why people will criticize her - tradition, culture, gender, violence, etc.
I shared the student powerpoints of Haiti and I told them that they can be used for us to learn .
HW- think about Haiti beyond the earthquate since these voices go silent after the tragedy and we connected these crises to the flood in Mexico and the one in Colorado.
We will make groups and we will explore the idea of virginity and purity across the globe.
History - Haiti
purity - history - across the globe
9/30 – in class BEM discussions
What happened? I designed a project that would focus on BEM research, student independence, and bridges from the novel to the real world. I actually intended it to be a hard copy creation between 3 members of groups. But, the students kept the connection to technology and reminded me of it and they brought up the use of Powerpoint. Many of them had this experience and a number of them had experience with other software they considered superior. In this way, they took the presentation into their own hands while I had the job of guiding the content or the connections and use of the content.
What happened? I designed a project that would focus on BEM research, student independence, and bridges from the novel to the real world. I actually intended it to be a hard copy creation between 3 members of groups. But, the students kept the connection to technology and reminded me of it and they brought up the use of Powerpoint. Many of them had this experience and a number of them had experience with other software they considered superior. In this way, they took the presentation into their own hands while I had the job of guiding the content or the connections and use of the content.
10/2 - in class BEM discussions
8 a.m. class had one hour in the lab and then we debriefed outside for an hour. A few students interviewed to add to the president's visit. I entered the 10:30 a.m. class and debriefed first. I then told them that I had a dilemma because I did not acquire lab time for their class. After a minute one of my ESL students told me that we could use another lab (I had no knowledge of this) and we were able to go there for an hour.
BEM take home exam
WEEKEND family member interview
8 a.m. class had one hour in the lab and then we debriefed outside for an hour. A few students interviewed to add to the president's visit. I entered the 10:30 a.m. class and debriefed first. I then told them that I had a dilemma because I did not acquire lab time for their class. After a minute one of my ESL students told me that we could use another lab (I had no knowledge of this) and we were able to go there for an hour.
BEM take home exam
WEEKEND family member interview
10/7 - president visit
what happened. The president arrived and I introduced the class. I then asked for volunteers to show student work. Students were hesitant and seemed shy. The ones who volunteered were asked to name three things they liked and one thing to change.
I was surprised at the students shyness and after meeting with them again in the lab and seeing the same enthusiasm and collaboration I realized that their comfort in our social community doesn't necessary cross borders to include others or visitors. Of course the president's position could have been intimidating.
I also realized that time was a challenge and that I had to slow down in order to make the bridges and not to take away from enthusiastic connections by turning learning into a rush job.
what happened. The president arrived and I introduced the class. I then asked for volunteers to show student work. Students were hesitant and seemed shy. The ones who volunteered were asked to name three things they liked and one thing to change.
I was surprised at the students shyness and after meeting with them again in the lab and seeing the same enthusiasm and collaboration I realized that their comfort in our social community doesn't necessary cross borders to include others or visitors. Of course the president's position could have been intimidating.
I also realized that time was a challenge and that I had to slow down in order to make the bridges and not to take away from enthusiastic connections by turning learning into a rush job.
10/9 BEM
The final group project for BEM was designed to cross a bridge from fiction to non-fiction, to continue the use of technology, and to continue class social relationships. It involved connections between BEM, research, history stories, broadening vocab, and critical thinking. Students are the ones who came up the rational that if they are moving into a technological age that it was more appropriate to do Powerpoints. I saw more collaboration and prior knowledge of IMovie influencing the use of Powerpoint.
The final group project for BEM was designed to cross a bridge from fiction to non-fiction, to continue the use of technology, and to continue class social relationships. It involved connections between BEM, research, history stories, broadening vocab, and critical thinking. Students are the ones who came up the rational that if they are moving into a technological age that it was more appropriate to do Powerpoints. I saw more collaboration and prior knowledge of IMovie influencing the use of Powerpoint.
I delayed meeting in the digital lab and students introduced me to the ESL labs.
10/14 –
We met for an hour in the lab and worked on finishing our Powerpoints. I then took us back to the classroom and created bridges (explicit) and did a bit of debriefing activities. we're going from peer to personal to social. the issues of BEM can be seen as a metaphor. Can groups of people be raped? Can countries be raped? This leads us to making a connection between the colonial history of Haiti when it was a "rich" country owned by outsiders and the Haiti of today that is the poorest country in the world. I drew explicit connections as we reviewed what voiceless and marginalized means and how can we use this language when talking about Haiti and globalization. What happens if you don't have power? How are you vulnerable? Making the vocabulary meaningful.
10/
students worked in the lab finishing PP projects in collaboration and one or two worked on a list of questions for the new interview.
students were emailed the survey for a revisit. I noticed the importance of implicit directions and explanations. I noticed that they were seeing the survey through the same eyes and not as on a continuum. This made me aware that what is gathered on a survey is not necessary a reflection of what is going on in the head of the student.
After some thought I entered the classroom and drew a timeline and asked them what they knew in the beginning and how had they learned since then. I then I told them that they need to be conscious because we will revisit the survey at the end of the semester.
10/
students worked in the lab finishing PP projects in collaboration and one or two worked on a list of questions for the new interview.
students were emailed the survey for a revisit. I noticed the importance of implicit directions and explanations. I noticed that they were seeing the survey through the same eyes and not as on a continuum. This made me aware that what is gathered on a survey is not necessary a reflection of what is going on in the head of the student.
After some thought I entered the classroom and drew a timeline and asked them what they knew in the beginning and how had they learned since then. I then I told them that they need to be conscious because we will revisit the survey at the end of the semester.
10/21- groups of three presented their PP projects that were designed for research and to give students a chance to raise their voices and verbally build the bridges between novel and the real world through research.
10/23
10/28 – Plan - Monkey hunting discussions
10/30 – Monkey hunting discussions
11/4 – DAC 174 is the plan for the personal family interview
We took the plunge in A174. I was nervous because I realize that students will always come unprepared. How do I meet that challenge? I decided to let go of the need to fit exactly into a schedule and I became flexible. I sat them in their groups - those with the necessary information started their pieces and their partners started the research for the discussion groups on MH.
My worry has to do with confronting the cons, but the pros get me emotional and I know I am going in the right direction, I just have to make the situation more conducive to the activities.
I am happy when I see students relax into my way of teaching. And, I feel guilty as I wonder if my way of teaching isn't organized as it should be. Then I ask myself what should be if my students are learning to read across borders while we have class discussions, lecture and more informal discussions? Will they leave the class with a better understanding of organized writing in the journal, comfort with a written dialogue as in the journals, comfortable asking questions? Will they leave understanding voice, voicelessness, and marginalization? Will they leave with a better understanding of the connection between geography and literature/telling stories? Will they understand the importance of research to understand stories? Will they understand that story telling has to do with supported knowledge? Will they understand that everything tells a story?
Cons: students not prepared, computer lab not prepared, having to fill the college requirements as well as include the technology, guilt for doing things in a different manner, guilt for talking too much, guilt for allowing students to be comfortable.
Pros: student enthusiasm, student pride, student collaboration, student questions, student empowerment, the satisfaction of seeing the theory come to life, the ability to stick with the goals, the ability to be flexible, to see the outcomes.
Focus on Monkey Hunting research and student discussions.
We took the plunge in A174. I was nervous because I realize that students will always come unprepared. How do I meet that challenge? I decided to let go of the need to fit exactly into a schedule and I became flexible. I sat them in their groups - those with the necessary information started their pieces and their partners started the research for the discussion groups on MH.
My worry has to do with confronting the cons, but the pros get me emotional and I know I am going in the right direction, I just have to make the situation more conducive to the activities.
I am happy when I see students relax into my way of teaching. And, I feel guilty as I wonder if my way of teaching isn't organized as it should be. Then I ask myself what should be if my students are learning to read across borders while we have class discussions, lecture and more informal discussions? Will they leave the class with a better understanding of organized writing in the journal, comfort with a written dialogue as in the journals, comfortable asking questions? Will they leave understanding voice, voicelessness, and marginalization? Will they leave with a better understanding of the connection between geography and literature/telling stories? Will they understand the importance of research to understand stories? Will they understand that story telling has to do with supported knowledge? Will they understand that everything tells a story?
Cons: students not prepared, computer lab not prepared, having to fill the college requirements as well as include the technology, guilt for doing things in a different manner, guilt for talking too much, guilt for allowing students to be comfortable.
Pros: student enthusiasm, student pride, student collaboration, student questions, student empowerment, the satisfaction of seeing the theory come to life, the ability to stick with the goals, the ability to be flexible, to see the outcomes.
Focus on Monkey Hunting research and student discussions.
11/6 - A174
11/11 - MH discussions
11/13 - MH discusions
11/18 – MH discussions
11/20 - MH discussions
11/27 - Thanksgiving
12/2 - finish IMovie
12/4 - IMovie
FINALS
