Basically since the first week of classes our Humanities 10 classes have been creating an international character and recognizing the forces of globalization and their impacts on identity. To further understand these characters, we created hypothetical situations that would impact the global community. The students were tasked with creating a news interview that used their character as an interview subject, be that as a witness, expert, or advocate.
Below you will find some examples of their creations. Please remember these are all completely fictional, though based on and inspired by real events.
Project 1:
Project 2:
Project 3:
The intention behind these projects is to expose them to the audio medium and allow them to experiment and to create feedback loops that further their understanding for a later radio play that will collaborate the characters.
I've recently become an afficianado of parody videos as seen predominantly on youtube. As you can see on my blog site, I've placed the youtube bar right at the top. It is amazing how deeply youtube has started to infiltrate our teaching and education. Whether it is a dramatic or in depths TED talk, or a light moment of satire, youtube is a significant producer (and reproducer) of popular media. I've attached some of the more entertaining, informative, and useful videos on youtube.
Now the videos that I respond to as a 40 year old teacher are sometimes different from those of the average adolescent. I don't find groin jokes to be nearly as funny for example. However, the context of the modern family is incredibly entertaining to me as the following video the "parent rap" shows below.
When my partner teacher and I started our inquiry into the nature of character and identity, we came across the following TED talk that has the audience practice the application of empathy and understanding.
It's hard to say where this is leading and whether or not there is a change developing in the conventions of popular entertainment, but it is interesting nonetheless. As Marshall McLuhan said, "The medium is the message."
Read. We are spending the first 20 minutes of each class reading. Anything they want. As a parent of young children, I really appreciate the opportunity to engage my mind in a thoughtful and provocative way for even this limited amount of time. The students on the other hand are having less success. It's compelling to see the way academic success is directly tied to literacy. Even to see their engagement in class following a term of silent reading is fascinating. There is a clear link between the student getting his or her synapses firing and engagement or success in that same class.
There seems to be a move afoot to revolutionize high school education in terms of even curriculum matters. The consensus of research seems to be that students experience the most success when their learning is individualized. That is to say that the learning needs of the individual student may not be uniform. Literacy and Numeracy are the two main skills required by students in the 21st century. This is reinforced every day during our reading period. Below you can find a link to the Alberta Assessment Consortium with some ideas and research related to this changing world of education.
Haven't posted very much in recent months (if at all). Been engaged in Learning Communities, Inquiry based learning and team-teaching. Below you will see a link to our enquiry project we are undertaking in Grade 10 Humanities.
