attendance:
A.Sela
N.Odo
K.Hopk
K.Kway
J.Lenoi
I.Wad
working with either Dr.Kenney or IEP group:
M.Kingkc (in her classroom with training)
J.McClo
V.Ston
C.Thoma
B.Bolto
--------------
11th grade: M. Shakae has written a series of driving questions already and circulated them amongst the 11th grade. They are good driving questions.
10th grade: Only Angola and Kyana were represented. I worked with them to develop driving questions.
K.Hopkins : we decided to redirect the roller coaster project because there is not enough academic support for the unavoidable Physics questions that this project involves. The primary driving question her whole class will be using is this: WHAT ROLE CAN CHEMISTRY PLAY IN PRODUCING AN EFFICIENT, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ROLLER COASTER.?
The project will focus on fuel sources and the chemistry related problems.
Angola's advisory: he has already broken up his advisory into groups of ONE. ! This was to increase accountability for specific questions. We talked for quite a while and decided in the end to focus research now on PREVIOUS INVENTIONS.... in other words, "how has technology been used to improve communication and equipment efficiency in the sport of football"?
This helped address the issue that the project was too speculative, and students did not have enough background knowledge of technologies and improvements already made to the sport over time.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NOTES
PROJECT PLANNING
Advisors: Thank you for the work you have already done for the year long projects. Please feel free to incorporate work your students have already done in the process that is outlined below. This is nothing new; it’s simply a structure we need to put in place to make sure all of our children are being held accountable for work that you have assigned to them thus far as it relates to their year long projects.
TODAY'S AGENDA FOR PROJECT PLANNING:
1. Advisors must finish creating profiles on the New Media Website so we can track their students' work online.
2. Advisors will write more focused DRIVING QUESTIONS (or "sub-essential questions") for their students to base an outline on.
3. Notifications of deadlines for student exhibition night:
• By Friday , February 29, 2008 all students must have basic outline for their project on their blog
• By Friday, March 7, 2008 , all students must have a basic five paragraph essay written related to their project
• By Friday, March 14, 2008 all students must have some type of multimedia component based on the five paragraph essay.
Note: we are not looking for all students to be 100% proficient in this process the first time, but we are looking for students to begin the process of understanding how to organize their ideas for projects. Mr. Jones will be providing assistance with those who need help understanding or completing this process.
Advisors: Thank you for the work you have already done for the year long projects. Please feel free to incorporate work your students have already done in the process that is outlined below. This is nothing new; it’s simply a structure we need to put in place to make sure all of our children are being held accountable for work that you have assigned to them thus far as it relates to their year long projects.
TODAY'S AGENDA FOR PROJECT PLANNING:
1. Advisors must finish creating profiles on the New Media Website so we can track their students' work online.
2. Advisors will write more focused DRIVING QUESTIONS (or "sub-essential questions") for their students to base an outline on.
3. Notifications of deadlines for student exhibition night:
• By Friday , February 29, 2008 all students must have basic outline for their project on their blog
• By Friday, March 7, 2008 , all students must have a basic five paragraph essay written related to their project
• By Friday, March 14, 2008 all students must have some type of multimedia component based on the five paragraph essay.
Note: we are not looking for all students to be 100% proficient in this process the first time, but we are looking for students to begin the process of understanding how to organize their ideas for projects. Mr. Jones will be providing assistance with those who need help understanding or completing this process.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Technology Team Meeting
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
In attendance:
Shoana, Jo, Pascal,Nmuta, Tre
1. Exhibition night candidates must have final projects completed for presentation by March 14, the day before spring break.
2. All tech team members are to submit to me 2 candidates for exhibition night by this Friday for submission to M. Khal
3. All tech team members should make sure the students they are working with have active blogs AND that their blogs have been attached to the New Media website account.
4. Re-iterated the fact that all TECH and PROJECT grades will be based on content posted in blogs.
5. JO will be working with us to improve overall sound quality of presentations.
In attendance:
Shoana, Jo, Pascal,Nmuta, Tre
1. Exhibition night candidates must have final projects completed for presentation by March 14, the day before spring break.
2. All tech team members are to submit to me 2 candidates for exhibition night by this Friday for submission to M. Khal
3. All tech team members should make sure the students they are working with have active blogs AND that their blogs have been attached to the New Media website account.
4. Re-iterated the fact that all TECH and PROJECT grades will be based on content posted in blogs.
5. JO will be working with us to improve overall sound quality of presentations.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Multimedia and Project update
1. The biggest concern of mine this week is the fact that I was just made aware of an issue that happened with the video camera order. We had six cameras that came in during the month of December, which turned out to be the wrong model number. We sent them back. I was informed that we were "exchanging" them for new cameras.
I had asked the team on several occasions since then where the cameras were, and I was told that there was no word yet as to when the new cameras were coming.
Yesterday I found out that a consultant (who has not attended a single one of our technology meetings, incidentally), had intercepted the order, saying that he could get us a "better deal". As of yesterday, the cameras had not been ordered. It's almost March. We sent those cameras back in December.
I will not rant. But this is unacceptable. Mr. G. should not have intercepted that order without informing me.
2. The schedule has been changed by Mothura K.A. to reflect the following multimedia assignments:
Tre: all of 11th grade
notes: The 11th grade recently submitted "round 2" of their PSAs for their grade wide project. The work was overall very low quality. Tre collaborated with the 11th grade team and the 11th graders were asked to re-do the PSAs, and the new ones are reportedly better. I have not seen all of them, but I plan on reviewing them as soon as I can.
Pascal: all of 10th grade
notes: Pascal has been working primarily with Mothura I.Wade and Mothura M.K. in the 10th grade up to this point. I will still be providing some guidance to the Mothori A.S. and Mothura K.H. in the 10th grade since I have started working with them already.
Overall, there is a general imbalance in the amount of work done by some students as opposed to others. They are also facing what I call the CONTENT CRISIS... lack of content is an epidemic. I address this later in this post...scroll down and read the section called CONTENT IS KING.
I am assisting with project management for 9th grade but I am not providing multimedia instruction, this is covered by our consultant, Mothuri J.G. Next week will be his first time attending our weekly Tuesday multimedia team meeting, so we will receive a report from him at that time. I am continuing to work with them on Fridays, facilitating historical video viewings and questions. I met with the lead advisor for 9th grade yesterday and we have mapped out the next few sessions.
I should also mention that yesterday, I facilitated the process of the entire 9th grade setting up their blogs. I received a great deal of assistance from Mothuri J.M., lead advisor for 9th grade, as he took a few groups into another room to help me finish the entire 9th grade before 12 noon.
12th grade: Our Consultant, S.Clark is still finishing work with the seniors and she has been asked to make sure every student finishes a web site, as many students were still behind in their work the last time I spoke with them. She has done an amazing job with the internet broadcast team. I disagree with the belief that we have to "discontinue" her work with small groups. It has been proposed that she should only work with entire advisories...that her working with only 8-10 students at a time is not fair to other students. I disagree. I don't think she would be as effective if she had to manage 18-20 students at once, as she explicitly stated to me when she started that she really feels more comfortable working with small groups. We need to have more conversation around this.
CONTENT IS KING.
I know I have stated this several times but I want to be very clear:
It is my belief that a structured focus on research and literacy is the most important step for us this year in terms of improving project quality. I have instituted the student blogging protocol and student account system on the website to help serve as a vehicle for this process to develop. I have held three separate staff development discussions around this topic. As of yesterday, about half of the advisors raised their hands saying that they would like training to understand how the blogs work.
Understanding that we are not in a "build it and they will come" scenario, I have assigned myself, Tre, Pascal, and LaToya to be responsible and accountable to make sure that students set up accounts and hook them up to the New Media website.
I stated in staff development yesterday and I'm stating it here that STUDENT GRADES FOR MULTIMEDIA AND PROJECTS WILL BE BASED ON CONTENT POSTED IN THEIR BLOGS.
What should the blogs contain?
The process of getting the students to enter information is the hardest part of this work. Building research skills takes time, but I am very excited about the M.A.K.E. program from Milwaukee (read my post below entitled Cross Curricular PROJECT MANAGEMENT).
I had asked the team on several occasions since then where the cameras were, and I was told that there was no word yet as to when the new cameras were coming.
Yesterday I found out that a consultant (who has not attended a single one of our technology meetings, incidentally), had intercepted the order, saying that he could get us a "better deal". As of yesterday, the cameras had not been ordered. It's almost March. We sent those cameras back in December.
I will not rant. But this is unacceptable. Mr. G. should not have intercepted that order without informing me.
2. The schedule has been changed by Mothura K.A. to reflect the following multimedia assignments:
Tre: all of 11th grade
notes: The 11th grade recently submitted "round 2" of their PSAs for their grade wide project. The work was overall very low quality. Tre collaborated with the 11th grade team and the 11th graders were asked to re-do the PSAs, and the new ones are reportedly better. I have not seen all of them, but I plan on reviewing them as soon as I can.
Pascal: all of 10th grade
notes: Pascal has been working primarily with Mothura I.Wade and Mothura M.K. in the 10th grade up to this point. I will still be providing some guidance to the Mothori A.S. and Mothura K.H. in the 10th grade since I have started working with them already.
Overall, there is a general imbalance in the amount of work done by some students as opposed to others. They are also facing what I call the CONTENT CRISIS... lack of content is an epidemic. I address this later in this post...scroll down and read the section called CONTENT IS KING.
I am assisting with project management for 9th grade but I am not providing multimedia instruction, this is covered by our consultant, Mothuri J.G. Next week will be his first time attending our weekly Tuesday multimedia team meeting, so we will receive a report from him at that time. I am continuing to work with them on Fridays, facilitating historical video viewings and questions. I met with the lead advisor for 9th grade yesterday and we have mapped out the next few sessions.
I should also mention that yesterday, I facilitated the process of the entire 9th grade setting up their blogs. I received a great deal of assistance from Mothuri J.M., lead advisor for 9th grade, as he took a few groups into another room to help me finish the entire 9th grade before 12 noon.
12th grade: Our Consultant, S.Clark is still finishing work with the seniors and she has been asked to make sure every student finishes a web site, as many students were still behind in their work the last time I spoke with them. She has done an amazing job with the internet broadcast team. I disagree with the belief that we have to "discontinue" her work with small groups. It has been proposed that she should only work with entire advisories...that her working with only 8-10 students at a time is not fair to other students. I disagree. I don't think she would be as effective if she had to manage 18-20 students at once, as she explicitly stated to me when she started that she really feels more comfortable working with small groups. We need to have more conversation around this.
CONTENT IS KING.
I know I have stated this several times but I want to be very clear:
It is my belief that a structured focus on research and literacy is the most important step for us this year in terms of improving project quality. I have instituted the student blogging protocol and student account system on the website to help serve as a vehicle for this process to develop. I have held three separate staff development discussions around this topic. As of yesterday, about half of the advisors raised their hands saying that they would like training to understand how the blogs work.
Understanding that we are not in a "build it and they will come" scenario, I have assigned myself, Tre, Pascal, and LaToya to be responsible and accountable to make sure that students set up accounts and hook them up to the New Media website.
I stated in staff development yesterday and I'm stating it here that STUDENT GRADES FOR MULTIMEDIA AND PROJECTS WILL BE BASED ON CONTENT POSTED IN THEIR BLOGS.
What should the blogs contain?
- Outlines of the project
- graphic organizers when possible
- notes about the project
- interview transcriptions or recordings
- videos
- classwork done for multimedia classes (in a separate blog if necessary...student accounts support multiple blogs) - this is a significant part of multimedia grade
- the final product- this is a significant part of multimedia grade
- if a student is working in a group (which is everyone), student must categorically explain their individual contributions to the project.
The process of getting the students to enter information is the hardest part of this work. Building research skills takes time, but I am very excited about the M.A.K.E. program from Milwaukee (read my post below entitled Cross Curricular PROJECT MANAGEMENT).
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Cross Curricular PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Please note that I am using abbreviations for names in this post.
I had an amazing experience in Milwaukee. I went out there to work with the OUTLOOK network of schools: they needed me to help spearhead an animation project they are doing out there.
What I found was that the CEO of Outlook, who is a project-based veteran, has been building a new framework to help with the process of PROJECT MANAGEMENT and RESEARCH/LITERACY skills.....the EXACT SAME THING that I have been working on for NMTCS and Boys Ltn.
Specifically, WK, the CEO, has developed a proceess called M.A.K.E. , which is a highly structured, standards compliant, detailed project development protocol which has the power to fill in a lot of the gaps in our current project development packet.
M.A.K.E. does not replace the packet, rather it provides structure to the actual research and development process. Year after year I have witnessed advisors give their children outlines, project planning packets, and the internet and say 'DO YOUR PROJECTS'. The children who can write and who can research do fairly well, but most children fall through the cracks without something like M.A.K.E. in place.
I want to talk to Dr. I.W. and Mothura K.A. to discuss this.... and also since I have already been given the ase through my job description to implement structures like this, I think I will begin to work this process into the project management system already in place that I'm building.
I have to check with W.K. of Outlook in Milwaukee about copyright and protection of the M.A.K.E. system before we start using it publicly.
I also would like for us to look into the prospect of building it into our online project management system.....not sure how that would look in terms of details but I'm capable of building it. Or we could outsource it. I would like to meet with W.K. to nail down exactly what the online version would look like.
I had an amazing experience in Milwaukee. I went out there to work with the OUTLOOK network of schools: they needed me to help spearhead an animation project they are doing out there.
What I found was that the CEO of Outlook, who is a project-based veteran, has been building a new framework to help with the process of PROJECT MANAGEMENT and RESEARCH/LITERACY skills.....the EXACT SAME THING that I have been working on for NMTCS and Boys Ltn.
Specifically, WK, the CEO, has developed a proceess called M.A.K.E. , which is a highly structured, standards compliant, detailed project development protocol which has the power to fill in a lot of the gaps in our current project development packet.
M.A.K.E. does not replace the packet, rather it provides structure to the actual research and development process. Year after year I have witnessed advisors give their children outlines, project planning packets, and the internet and say 'DO YOUR PROJECTS'. The children who can write and who can research do fairly well, but most children fall through the cracks without something like M.A.K.E. in place.
I want to talk to Dr. I.W. and Mothura K.A. to discuss this.... and also since I have already been given the ase through my job description to implement structures like this, I think I will begin to work this process into the project management system already in place that I'm building.
I have to check with W.K. of Outlook in Milwaukee about copyright and protection of the M.A.K.E. system before we start using it publicly.
I also would like for us to look into the prospect of building it into our online project management system.....not sure how that would look in terms of details but I'm capable of building it. Or we could outsource it. I would like to meet with W.K. to nail down exactly what the online version would look like.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
9th grade project update
This week I will be in Milwaukee during the Friday historical movie assembly.
It will be the first week that I am not there. I would like Mothuri J.M. of the 9th grade team (lead advisor) to take over. I spoke with him and Mothura M.K. (9th grade also) about handling it.
I really do think a role play or short skit would be in order for Friday. (see my James Meredith post below) or you can open the original post alone by itself here :
http://ile-ikawe.blogspot.com/2008/02/james-meredith.html
The purpose of doing a skit or a role play to act out the James Meredith story would be to help get the students more involved instead of being passive participants in the room.
I will be calling J.M. and M.K. tonight.
It will be the first week that I am not there. I would like Mothuri J.M. of the 9th grade team (lead advisor) to take over. I spoke with him and Mothura M.K. (9th grade also) about handling it.
I really do think a role play or short skit would be in order for Friday. (see my James Meredith post below) or you can open the original post alone by itself here :
http://ile-ikawe.blogspot.com/2008/02/james-meredith.html
The purpose of doing a skit or a role play to act out the James Meredith story would be to help get the students more involved instead of being passive participants in the room.
I will be calling J.M. and M.K. tonight.
STUDENTS CAN NOW ATTACH BLOGS TO NEW MEDIA WEBSITE
I've reached another milestone in the project management process for New Media middle and high school.
Now students can log in (and 90% of our students already have user names and passwords on the new media site) and they can update their profiles, including their
blog addreess on google
an alternate blog address (blog #2)
a personal web address
and each one of these will become visible on their "account" when they log in.
What's the point of this process?
Well, the overall point is that this will be the structure through which our students will be building their online portfolios and project development logs throughout the year. This process is described in my "proposal" listed a few posts earlier (scroll down).
We will also be using this tool to log school and class wide assignments related to writing and research development. We have discussed this in project development last week and this week, and I have met individually with all the English teachers in the building, and they are all in agreement with it and are willing to support it.
It's really more about me supporting them. I have taken things the English departments are already working on (like Highly Effective Writing book) and woven them into this plan.
WHO WILL IMPLEMENT THIS?
Pascal, LaToya, and MySelf will be getting all the students up to speed in terms of making sure they have Blog accounts set up and having them hook them up to the New Media website. I should re-iterate that only the blogs that we as administrators decide to "make public" will be shown on the external website.
After the blogs are set up, since blogs are used for tracking progress on projects, All Tech team personell will be accountable to make sure that whatever progress they make with their students should be uploaded to the student blogs.
Every advisor will be able to log into the website and see a list of all of their students in their class and they will be able to go in and make "comments" on their students' blog pages. These blogs will be used to grade the projects.
Advisors can also assign work to go onto the blogs.
Now students can log in (and 90% of our students already have user names and passwords on the new media site) and they can update their profiles, including their
blog addreess on google
an alternate blog address (blog #2)
a personal web address
and each one of these will become visible on their "account" when they log in.
What's the point of this process?
Well, the overall point is that this will be the structure through which our students will be building their online portfolios and project development logs throughout the year. This process is described in my "proposal" listed a few posts earlier (scroll down).
We will also be using this tool to log school and class wide assignments related to writing and research development. We have discussed this in project development last week and this week, and I have met individually with all the English teachers in the building, and they are all in agreement with it and are willing to support it.
It's really more about me supporting them. I have taken things the English departments are already working on (like Highly Effective Writing book) and woven them into this plan.
WHO WILL IMPLEMENT THIS?
Pascal, LaToya, and MySelf will be getting all the students up to speed in terms of making sure they have Blog accounts set up and having them hook them up to the New Media website. I should re-iterate that only the blogs that we as administrators decide to "make public" will be shown on the external website.
After the blogs are set up, since blogs are used for tracking progress on projects, All Tech team personell will be accountable to make sure that whatever progress they make with their students should be uploaded to the student blogs.
Every advisor will be able to log into the website and see a list of all of their students in their class and they will be able to go in and make "comments" on their students' blog pages. These blogs will be used to grade the projects.
Advisors can also assign work to go onto the blogs.
MEETING WITH OUR POWERSCHOOL DEVELOPER
WOW.
I just met with our powerschool developer, K.N.
We have some really amazing people working with and around us.
This guy is a quiet giant. Has built a lot of stuff that everyone uses every day....and has helped build some companies from scratch that are now household names.
I asked him if he would be open to speaking with some of our students groups about what he does... students who are into certain focused technology areas. He is open.
OK WELL the point of our meeting, initially, before we branched off into larger topics, was the homework posting engine in the website. I have built one that works, but we are waiting for Powerschool.
In a nutshell, as SOON as the new schedule is done, we can have homework posting. But we are waiting on the schedule.
We need to meet with Mothura K.A. asap to get the new schedule in place as soon as possible because homework posting is dependent upon this.
I just met with our powerschool developer, K.N.
We have some really amazing people working with and around us.
This guy is a quiet giant. Has built a lot of stuff that everyone uses every day....and has helped build some companies from scratch that are now household names.
I asked him if he would be open to speaking with some of our students groups about what he does... students who are into certain focused technology areas. He is open.
OK WELL the point of our meeting, initially, before we branched off into larger topics, was the homework posting engine in the website. I have built one that works, but we are waiting for Powerschool.
In a nutshell, as SOON as the new schedule is done, we can have homework posting. But we are waiting on the schedule.
We need to meet with Mothura K.A. asap to get the new schedule in place as soon as possible because homework posting is dependent upon this.
Building Literacy and Research skills through blogging: my proposal -- Feb 1st 2008
Below I have pasted my proposal to create a school wide PROJECT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM through integrating Blogger.com website into the New Media tech's website.
LITERACY AND RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Using the Website to track student literacy and research development through blogging.
| Concept: THE WEBSITE WILL BECOME THE CENTRAL MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE TO TRACK STUDENT PROGRESS IN THE AREA OF WRITING AND RESEARCH. We will be using the GOOGLE suite of resources for students to track their educational progress at the school as it relates to project development. Between the Google suite of resources and POWERSHCOOL, we should be able to catalog and track everything our students do academically. The Google suite will allow students to have access to all of these resources when logged into the New Media Website: Personal Blog, (including video uploading), Microsoft Word, spreadsheet, and powerpoint creation without having to have Microsoft office installed, Document sharing and collaboration with others, Calendar that allows sharing of mutual agenda items with others, photo archiving, email, (includes support for sending and storing large files… over 6 gigs of space, and a host of other features. | |
| Methods: 1. As student users log in to the website, they are able to “update their profiles” 2. Database will be expanded to include the following user data: graduationyear projectname blogaddress Photo 3. When students log in, if they have not yet created a student blog on blogger.com, they will be asked to do so. Once they have created their blog, they will be asked to enter their blog address in the “BLOGGER” field on their student account. the blog will then appear in their “My Place” blog address on their student account on the new Media website. Only the student can see their own blog when here. 4. Admins , (M. Khalila, M. Ina, myself, etc.) will be able to see a list of every advisory and every student in each advisory, and make certain student accounts “public” so that they can be viewed by anyone who visits the website. Having your account made “public” will be considered a special privilege, since this is an indication that your work is good enough for the public to see and that you are trusted to have only presentable content on your blog.
5. Blogs are a turnkey solution that offer quick results. They allow video uploads, text, and image posting and are a good way to present student work. Also note, however, that there is a field for a “personal website” also, (which can also be made public by an administrator). Seniors who made websites with M. Shoana will be candidates to have their websites made public on the New Media website once they have completed integrating their content. 6. Once our students have blogs up, we will assign schoolwide and/or grade wide writing and research assignments . Here we will be providing actual mini assignments that help students learn about the process of research. I have investigated the I-Search process (http://www.literacymatters.org/content/isearch/intro.htm ) but I am looking for something even more specific that deals with discernment of sources, how to conduct intelligent web searches, how to choose sources from multiple points of view , how to find out WHICH QUESTIONS TO ASK about a topic you don’t know much about, how to identify and approach primary sources, etc. 7. The student blogs will be used to track student completion of these schoolwide and/or grade wide assignments. They can be then integrated into the lesson planning work for all subject areas that will be addressing these topics. Example assignment: For 10th and 11th grade students: Today’s lesson is on how to begin conducting research on a subject you know nothing about , using a graphic organizer to outline your thoughts, and a search engine as a research tool. Step 1: Make a web with the subject in the center of the web, and, branching out from that web, all of the related subjects in hierarchical fashion. Always keep in mind the fact that some of the sub-categories that you associate with a main subject may not be directly related to the main subject at all (in other words, your initial thoughts and word associations with that subject may be incorrect). Step 2: Using Google, (or one of the more specialized search engines on our list), enter keywords or a QUESTION ( for example: “What are the causes of acid rain?”), and then look at several of the search results. Choose search words that you believe will get right to the heart of the subject. Step 3: Read through five of the best looking results produced by the search. Use the discernment worksheet provided to help you learn how to discern between sources. Step 4: Compare the web you made with the results returned. Does any of the information match? Are there subjects, words, or concepts coming up in the initial web results that are NOT on your web? Are there things on your web that may not be relevant to the topic or need to be thoroughly researched? Step 5: Revise your web to match some of the initial results you found. Write an outline for a 5 paragraph essay with the new facts you’ve derived from these five new sources. Use the HIGHLY EFFECTIVE WRITING BOOK, make your outline based on the guidelines given on page 5. Step 6: Identify which points you wish to re-enforce in your 5 paragraph essay with deeper research. Do another Google search on this topic alone, combined perhaps with certain keywords, following the rules given on your keyword search document. Take notes. Step 7: Type your outline , with an much detail, into your BLOG with the title: MARCH 7 PROJECT OUTLINE. Conduct a good spell check. Save your work. Your advisors, parents, and school administrators will be reviewing this material. Make sure it represents your BEST work. | |
| |
Friday, February 8, 2008
James Meredith
Today was my third consecutive week facilitating Eyes on the Prize viewings with the entire 9th grade class. I had the idea of showing Eyes on the Prize as an educational exercise to help students better understand the historical context of the decades they are studying for the LENS OF THE LIVING grade wide year long project.
The first two weeks, students were relatively attentive. This week, students were restless, talking and growing weary of the film. We are currently at 1962, James Meredith.
I found that what helped was stopping the movie every few minutes at key points at "breaking it down" for the students, tying in key points and parallels to the present time.
This works, but it worries me that I have to do this.
The larger implication is that the subject matter itself is not riveting enough for the students to be interested on its own merit.
We were watching footage of the governor of Mississipi arguing with president Kennedy about how he would defend the state against Federal laws insisting Meredith be able to attend Ole Miss, along with all of the drama: Southern Whites in squirrel hunting season toting thousands of shotguns, Federal Marshals being called in, young southern white girls throwing bricks at national troops, reporters getting killed, smoke, violence.... and a Black man standing up against an entire state of hatred and bigotry. Yet this is not interesting until I tell you that is?
In the end , the students perked up and paid attention, but I could not only help but think that without a person like myself leading the group, how successful would this session have been? What is the larger implication of this? Is it a matter of changing the climate of the entire class? Higher pressure from parents? Higher pressure from advisors? Getting advisors to me more engaging with the students overall? Higher stakes assignments? More weight put on the grade for the questions turned in?
Or perhaps a more engaging approach.... after a few film segments are shown, getting the students out of 'RECEIVE' mode and into 'PARTICIPATE' mode somehow. Does this mean bringing in a guest next week? Having students do a role play? A short film re-enactment of the James Meredith experience that we could film and incorporate into the student projects?
Hmmm....we may be on to something here.
At any rate, for my own record, I'm posting the questions the students had to answer at the end of the session here so that I can refer to them later. These are due Monday.
--------------------------------------------------
1. Who was James Meredith?
2. On what grounds did the governor of Mississippi deny James Meredith the right to register at ‘Ole Miss?
3. Describe the nature and outcome of the dialogues between President Kennedy and the governor of Mississippi regarding the integration of ‘Ole Miss.
4. Why was the south so intent on maintaining “states rights” throughout the 20th century?
5. Describe any similarities between what happened in Mississippi in 1962 and what happened with the Jena 6 in 2007.
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From last week: (these questions were written by advisors. ( McCloud and Bolton))
6.What was Dr. King’s strategy to fight segregation and racism?
7.Who was Reverend Dr. Ralph Abernathy?
8.How did the Black community organize transportation during the Montgomery Bus boycott?
9.What does “unconstitutional” mean and why was bus segregation unconstitutional?
10.What was the economic impact of Dr. King’s strategy to resist segregation?
Thursday, February 7, 2008
The word "ilé ikàwé" means literally "house of readers", and is often used in the Yoruba language to be the word for school. I am not Yoruba. But I like the word. In Nigeria one of the first sentences I learned was "mon'lo si'lé ikàwé .... "I'm going to school". This was over 15 years ago and I think this phrase is still true. I consider myself a life long learner.
This blog is specifically dedicated to chronicle my experiences helping to build urban, project based learning schools in United States. I will be posting my experiences, strategies, techniques, and projects here.
This blog is specifically dedicated to chronicle my experiences helping to build urban, project based learning schools in United States. I will be posting my experiences, strategies, techniques, and projects here.
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