Introduction:
One of my favorite novels to teach in the World Literature class is Herman Hesse's novel Siddhartha. The project that I have in mind within the context of technological pedagogical content knowledge and the design of technologically enhanced learning environments is the creation of a website that explores the topics of this novel and that helps students to relate to it.
Common topics that students will be addressing are as follows:
* The search for spiritual enlightenment
* Inner vs. exterior guidance
* The wisdom of indirection
* The importance of experience
* The search for the meaning of life
* The hero and his quest
* The nature of desire
* The human condition as divine
* Asceticism
* Meditation
* Autonomy
* Alienation
* Rediscovery
* Loss
Problem Statement:
I have taught this novel perhaps six times in the past; however, I discovered that students have a very difficult time relating to it. This is due in part to the lack of exposure and familiarity that they have with the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism, in addition to the fact that the book is highly philosophical. I would like to design a website that helps students to master the background knowledge that is necessary in order to have a sophisticated understanding of the novel.
This novel is studied in the Indian Literature unit of the World Literature class. The prior knowledge that students will have pertains to the background information that is provided in the textbook on Indian history. The information in the text is rather limited, hence the need for further study. This project seeks to meet the technological needs of my students that I discovered in my Project Tomorrow research. Also, students will be using the experiences of Siddhartha in order to better understand their own life experiences. Likewise, I have found that my students are rather interested in religions other than their own, and this project will help to better familiarize them with Hinduism and Buddhism-- two religions that they are somewhat familiar with from what they already know from their own life experiences and from their studies in their Theology 12 class, a class that they are required to take in order to graduate and that covers polytheistic faiths. Additionally, this project will be connected to other areas of study in the World literature class, specifically to the following literary texts: Oedipus Rex, the Tao te Ching, the Zen parables, Sundiata, excerpts from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, the Iliad, and the Aeneid.
Big Questions:
1. What are the basic premises of Buddhist thought?
2. What are the essential features of a religion?
3. How do a person's personal philosophic and religious beliefs shape her identity and affect her actions?
4. How does a person's life experiences shape who she is?
5. What is a spiritual quest?
General Objectives:
1. To discuss the need for faith & reflection
2. To describe the quest for contentment
3. To discuss the religious background of India
4. To outline the relationship between spiritual leader & disciple
5. To discuss the significance of harmony
6. To characterize altruism & idealism
Content Standards:
The learner will:
1. Use multiple resources to enhance comprehension of vocabulary.
2. Analyze & evaluate the five elements (e.g. plot, character, setting, point of view, & theme) in literary texts.
3. Explain ways characters confront similar situations & conflict.
4. Analyze how an author uses figurative language & literary techniques to shape plot, set meaning, & create style.
5. Compose reflective writings that balance reflections by using specific personal experiences to draw conclusions about life.
6. Use correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, & grammatical conventions of the English language.
7. Compile, organize, & evaluate information, take notes, & summarize findings.
8. Use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, colorful modifiers, & style as appropriate to audience & purpose, & use techniques to convey a personal style & voice.
9. Use available technology to compose text.
Results:
* Project: This project requires that students choose quotations that reveal the character of Siddhartha and reflections that discuss the perceptions such a progression gives the reader about the nature and development of Siddhartha. Then students must reflect upon their own significant life experiences that have contributed to their growth as a person. In the past, this has been in booklet or in paper form. However, students will also have the option to choose a 2.0 web application that they would like to use for this project.
* Quiz
* Study guide/worksheets
Resources:
In order to create this website, I will need to find online scholarly resources that pertain to the novel, to Hinduism, and to Buddhism. Some resources that I have been able to find are as follows:
Buddhist studies website
Essentials of Buddhism
Introduction to Buddhism
Introduction to Hinduism
The history of Hinduism
Schedule:
I believe that I have a reasonable plan for completing the project on time. Typically, the Indian literature unit is studied during the sixth-seventh week of the semester, so I plan on implementing this project in April of 2010. Before then, I need to design this website, research scholarly websites, and create assessments (worksheets, quizzes, etc.) that allow for students to use the information that they learn and not just look for it.
Qualifications:
I believe that I have the qualifications to complete the project effectively. Since this is a novel that I have taught several times before, I am confident in my knowledge base in addition to my ability to find scholarly resources to help with the project's completion. However, I have never created a WebQuest before, so I will navigate what is referred to as the QuestGarden in order to familiarize myself with the WebQuest. Since the WebQuest requires a subscription, I would rather create an online environment on a website on my own design. Due to the expertise in creating websites that I have gained in this Educational Technology class, I am confident that I can create this website.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Web Log 7
The following is the webliography for the 2.0 applications that are linked to my class website:
PowerSchool
Powerschool is the online gradebook that is used by all teachers at Saint Joseph Academy. Students are able to view their grades & any comments that the teacher posts pertaining to their progress. This is an excellent way for students to see if they are missing assignments and to see trends in their grades. For example, maybe they will see that if they have several low quiz scores, they need to improve their study skills.
SJA email
The best way to contact me is through the school's email system. Also, through this email account, students may access the GMail website that I have created for the Creative Writing class on which I have posted the class's assignments. This is a website that I update daily and add helpful attachments to frequently.
Turnitin.com
For this class, students must submit their short story, one-act play, and personal essay to this application. In addition to checking the document for plagiarism, this website allows me to provide electronic feedback on a student's work. It also has a peer review function that allows students to give feedback on each others' writing.
Quizlet.com
This application is particularly helpful when students are learning poetry, drama, and short story technical terms. When discussing literature and writing, we need to have a common vocabulary, and this website helps students to reach a mastery of this vocabulary.
Fanfiction.net
This online community is for students who are interested in writing a fictional account of a movie, book, or video game that explores themes and ideas that will not or cannot be explored via the originating medium (definition paraphrased from dictionary.com). While I have a wealth of writing prompts to give students ideas for what to write about, in many cases it is desirable to have a student write about something that is of particular interest to her, such as Twilight, Harry Potter, or an anime graphic novel.
Allpoetry.com
This application allows for students to publish their poetry online; it certainly is exciting & rewarding for students to see their writing published. Also, students can receive feedback from other writers on their writing. An important part of the Creative Writing class is for students to feel comfortable giving & receiving constructive feedback, and this website gives students that opportunity.
Wiggio.com
For several class writing assignments, students are required to collaborate with a partner or a small group. This application would be helpful because it allows for students to communicate via group email, text, and voice messages, host web meetings, conference calls, and chatrooms, keep a shared calendar, store and edit files in one common folder, and keep track of the groups tasks and resources (paraphrased from the wiggio.com website).
Openzine.com
I used this application for my "Project Tomorrow" assessment, and I loved it! Students could use this application for any number of things: creating a fictional newspaper during a historical time period or based on the events of a novel or play, writing in an online environment as opposed to in their journals, or using this application as a way to present the results of their research. The website is particularly appealing because it incorporates text, pictures, and video.
Bookrix.com
Like the Allpoetry.com site, students can publish their writing and build literary networks. However, students can publish more than just poetry on this site; they can also publish essays, short stories, novels, science fiction, fantasy, and children's books. Likewise, they can receive feedback on these.
Online-literature.com
This website is a forum website where students can be part of literary dialogue. This is largely done through blogging and posting comments on others' blogs. They can also get quick feedback on works that they are in the process of writing. Likewise, students can take literary "quizzes" to test their scholarly prowess.
Cogdogroo.wikispaces.com & Go2web20.net
These sites allow for students to find an application that they like best as a means of telling a story in a multimedia environment.
PowerSchool
Powerschool is the online gradebook that is used by all teachers at Saint Joseph Academy. Students are able to view their grades & any comments that the teacher posts pertaining to their progress. This is an excellent way for students to see if they are missing assignments and to see trends in their grades. For example, maybe they will see that if they have several low quiz scores, they need to improve their study skills.
SJA email
The best way to contact me is through the school's email system. Also, through this email account, students may access the GMail website that I have created for the Creative Writing class on which I have posted the class's assignments. This is a website that I update daily and add helpful attachments to frequently.
Turnitin.com
For this class, students must submit their short story, one-act play, and personal essay to this application. In addition to checking the document for plagiarism, this website allows me to provide electronic feedback on a student's work. It also has a peer review function that allows students to give feedback on each others' writing.
Quizlet.com
This application is particularly helpful when students are learning poetry, drama, and short story technical terms. When discussing literature and writing, we need to have a common vocabulary, and this website helps students to reach a mastery of this vocabulary.
Fanfiction.net
This online community is for students who are interested in writing a fictional account of a movie, book, or video game that explores themes and ideas that will not or cannot be explored via the originating medium (definition paraphrased from dictionary.com). While I have a wealth of writing prompts to give students ideas for what to write about, in many cases it is desirable to have a student write about something that is of particular interest to her, such as Twilight, Harry Potter, or an anime graphic novel.
Allpoetry.com
This application allows for students to publish their poetry online; it certainly is exciting & rewarding for students to see their writing published. Also, students can receive feedback from other writers on their writing. An important part of the Creative Writing class is for students to feel comfortable giving & receiving constructive feedback, and this website gives students that opportunity.
Wiggio.com
For several class writing assignments, students are required to collaborate with a partner or a small group. This application would be helpful because it allows for students to communicate via group email, text, and voice messages, host web meetings, conference calls, and chatrooms, keep a shared calendar, store and edit files in one common folder, and keep track of the groups tasks and resources (paraphrased from the wiggio.com website).
Openzine.com
I used this application for my "Project Tomorrow" assessment, and I loved it! Students could use this application for any number of things: creating a fictional newspaper during a historical time period or based on the events of a novel or play, writing in an online environment as opposed to in their journals, or using this application as a way to present the results of their research. The website is particularly appealing because it incorporates text, pictures, and video.
Bookrix.com
Like the Allpoetry.com site, students can publish their writing and build literary networks. However, students can publish more than just poetry on this site; they can also publish essays, short stories, novels, science fiction, fantasy, and children's books. Likewise, they can receive feedback on these.
Online-literature.com
This website is a forum website where students can be part of literary dialogue. This is largely done through blogging and posting comments on others' blogs. They can also get quick feedback on works that they are in the process of writing. Likewise, students can take literary "quizzes" to test their scholarly prowess.
Cogdogroo.wikispaces.com & Go2web20.net
These sites allow for students to find an application that they like best as a means of telling a story in a multimedia environment.
Web Log 6
In the interest of facilitating the research and design of my web 2.0 class web site, I have interviewed my students, their parents, and my principal about what to include in a course web site. The results are as follows:
Students' feedback:
My students believe that a teacher's website should include:
* notes/PowerPoints
* assignments and explanations for assignments
* a weekly syllabus
* all materials discussed in class
* resources for extensive study
* homework
* study guides
* contact information
* the background of the teacher, such as education
* a section where students can ask and answer questions
* practice quizzes and tests
* works of inspiration
* class expectations
* important textbook excerpts
* pictures and slideshows
* standards of work that teachers would like to see students produce
* printable copies of the worksheets or handouts
* information to help students better understand what they are learning in class
* study tips
* news and current events
* links to tutors
* surprise extra credit
* a summary of what we did in class
However, some additional information that students shared is that they like it when teachers tell them what the homework is during class rather than JUST putting it on the website. Another student stated that "the simpler the better" is a good motto to keep in mind when designing a website, as is "too much information is overwhelming." However, another student says, "I would like teachers to make their websites more colorful." Yet another student shared,"Personally, from experiences, I have learned not to rely on websites. Honestly, I think teachers are doing great jobs on communication and teaching us how to be responsible."
Parents' feedback:
"I would like to see links that further explain or show or give examples of the topics covered. It's helpful to have a better idea of what the girls are learning so I can have a more active part in discussion we may have about school work. I think it's more important for the girls to have access to this than I do, but it's nice to have if I am curious about the topic. I like having e-mail as a form of communication with teachers because I can write and send my questions when I have them and the teachers can read and respond to them when they have the time. I find this a more time efficient method than phone calls and notes."
"A teachers website should include links and information to support and enrich classroom instruction, depending on the subject - tutorials, review activities (OK, games!), on-line encyclopedia, atlas, etc. I don't believe a teacher needs to include homework assignments or class notes on the web page. Writing homework assignments is the responsibility of the student. Teachers are busy enough without having to write the homework for the kids and they have classmates for notes. Educational technology is a blessing and a bane."
"I would like teacher to use a web site to post what they are doing and what the home work is and what it was so we can keep tabs on the kids. If it can be made up or not. How to contact them. Up and coming events in the classroom or in the school. What we should be looking for our students to be doing."
"Contact information, Procedures and policies for behavioral expectations, Outline for topics to be covered, due dates of projects, dates when grades will be updated and/are posted. Links: homework helpers or good research sites for topics covered in class."
"The things that would help me to understand what my daughter is learning in your class would be, up and coming projects,homework,any extra credit she could do, and her grades."
"I would like to see a course syllabus, calender with exam dates and course assignments. At the high school level, the exam dates and assignments would be for the students benefit, but it would be helpful information for the parents as well. Pertinent links to web sites related to the course would also be helpful. As a parent, and a former student, I believe technology could be used to set clear expectations between the teacher and the student."
"We like to see the materials they are using, books, computer etc. We also like to see their projects, tests, homework results posted on the computer. Like to continuously be informed on what they are working on in the classroom so we can better assist at home. Mainly to have access to be in touch with the teacher at any given time if needed."
"Actually, just being able to reach you (the teacher) with particular questions- at this point, our daughter should be able to find classwork/homework information herself!"
Principal's feedback:
"Here is just a wild brain storm - take it as such!
* syllabus, grading policy, expectations
* homework
* weekly plans and assignments
* calendar for your class
* best way to contact the teacher (you)
* how student can get extra help if needed
* links to handouts, PowerPoint presentations, etc.
* links to resources that are valuable for your class, e.g. an MLA website, www.freerice.com, turn-it-in
* field trip information and forms
* some sort of welcome to the homepage specifically for parents"
Students' feedback:
My students believe that a teacher's website should include:
* notes/PowerPoints
* assignments and explanations for assignments
* a weekly syllabus
* all materials discussed in class
* resources for extensive study
* homework
* study guides
* contact information
* the background of the teacher, such as education
* a section where students can ask and answer questions
* practice quizzes and tests
* works of inspiration
* class expectations
* important textbook excerpts
* pictures and slideshows
* standards of work that teachers would like to see students produce
* printable copies of the worksheets or handouts
* information to help students better understand what they are learning in class
* study tips
* news and current events
* links to tutors
* surprise extra credit
* a summary of what we did in class
However, some additional information that students shared is that they like it when teachers tell them what the homework is during class rather than JUST putting it on the website. Another student stated that "the simpler the better" is a good motto to keep in mind when designing a website, as is "too much information is overwhelming." However, another student says, "I would like teachers to make their websites more colorful." Yet another student shared,"Personally, from experiences, I have learned not to rely on websites. Honestly, I think teachers are doing great jobs on communication and teaching us how to be responsible."
Parents' feedback:
"I would like to see links that further explain or show or give examples of the topics covered. It's helpful to have a better idea of what the girls are learning so I can have a more active part in discussion we may have about school work. I think it's more important for the girls to have access to this than I do, but it's nice to have if I am curious about the topic. I like having e-mail as a form of communication with teachers because I can write and send my questions when I have them and the teachers can read and respond to them when they have the time. I find this a more time efficient method than phone calls and notes."
"A teachers website should include links and information to support and enrich classroom instruction, depending on the subject - tutorials, review activities (OK, games!), on-line encyclopedia, atlas, etc. I don't believe a teacher needs to include homework assignments or class notes on the web page. Writing homework assignments is the responsibility of the student. Teachers are busy enough without having to write the homework for the kids and they have classmates for notes. Educational technology is a blessing and a bane."
"I would like teacher to use a web site to post what they are doing and what the home work is and what it was so we can keep tabs on the kids. If it can be made up or not. How to contact them. Up and coming events in the classroom or in the school. What we should be looking for our students to be doing."
"Contact information, Procedures and policies for behavioral expectations, Outline for topics to be covered, due dates of projects, dates when grades will be updated and/are posted. Links: homework helpers or good research sites for topics covered in class."
"The things that would help me to understand what my daughter is learning in your class would be, up and coming projects,homework,any extra credit she could do, and her grades."
"I would like to see a course syllabus, calender with exam dates and course assignments. At the high school level, the exam dates and assignments would be for the students benefit, but it would be helpful information for the parents as well. Pertinent links to web sites related to the course would also be helpful. As a parent, and a former student, I believe technology could be used to set clear expectations between the teacher and the student."
"We like to see the materials they are using, books, computer etc. We also like to see their projects, tests, homework results posted on the computer. Like to continuously be informed on what they are working on in the classroom so we can better assist at home. Mainly to have access to be in touch with the teacher at any given time if needed."
"Actually, just being able to reach you (the teacher) with particular questions- at this point, our daughter should be able to find classwork/homework information herself!"
Principal's feedback:
"Here is just a wild brain storm - take it as such!
* syllabus, grading policy, expectations
* homework
* weekly plans and assignments
* calendar for your class
* best way to contact the teacher (you)
* how student can get extra help if needed
* links to handouts, PowerPoint presentations, etc.
* links to resources that are valuable for your class, e.g. an MLA website, www.freerice.com, turn-it-in
* field trip information and forms
* some sort of welcome to the homepage specifically for parents"
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