Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Service Learning Lesson Plan
Title of Project: Working together to bring joy to underprivileged children
Author: Elizabeth Hanley
Area of Service: Sharing the joy of the holidays with underprivileged children through Operation Christmas Child
Subject/Grade Level: Middle School or High School World Cultures or Geography
Sunshine State Standards: (SS.6.G.2.5) Interpret how geographic boundaries invite or limit interaction with other regions and cultures.
(SS.912.H.3.3) Identify contributions made by various world cultures through trade and communication, and form a hypothesis on future contributions and changes.
Goals: Students will learn about a variety of cultures and apply what they learn on a more personal level
Students will get a better understanding of how important it is to help less fortunate people
Students will work with their community and learn what options they have to be an active part in helping people around the world
Unit Description:
-Students will already be aware of the struggles that people in third world countries face today
-Students will further their awareness of others needs especially those less fortunate than them
-Students will be required to familiarize themselves with what the organization Samaritan’s Purse orchestrates through their project Operation Christmas Child
-Students will study a variety of cultures that the Samaritan’s Purse organization sends gifts to through Operation Christmas Child. This will include locations in Africa, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe
Research:
-Individually or in small groups students will research locations and delve deeper into the cultures and traditions that take place in the third world countries
-Students will have to critically think about the religions and beliefs that the people from these countries practice
-Students will understand what traditions people from these countries do at the time we celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and etc.
Service Project:
-Students will put together Operation Christmas Boxes to be sent across the world
-Students will locate centers where they can volunteer with others to make Operation Christmas Child possible
-Students will be required to conduct an interview of volunteers that have been working with the organization for a few years
-Through this interview students must learn more about the organization and the people that they are helping in third world countries
Blog:
-Students will be required to use the information they learned from their research, interview, and personal experience from Operation Christmas Child to create a blog
-Students must include:
-Qualities about the cultures and lifestyles in the country they studies and how they compare and contrast to their own
-Important traditions and beliefs that these other cultures practice
-How fellow volunteers got involved in the program
-Why they think that it is important for people to help people in underprivileged countries in times of need, especially during the holidays
-Students must also comment on four of their fellow student’s blogs analyzing their experiences and research compared to their own.
Assessment:
-Students will be assigned a reflection paper or podcast in which they will have to look back on their experience and explain how it made them feel to be doing something to help someone they had never met
-Students must use the information they learned through research and to apply that to how it made them feel when they were working with Operation Christmas Child
-They will be asked to think and answer these questions specifically:
-Do you think you would have had a different learning experience if you hadn’t done research on some of the locations and people living in these horrible conditions?
-How did knowing this information make working with the organization a more personal experience?
-Is this service project something you would want to do again?
-With these guiding questions students will create a reflection containing an overview of what they learned throughout the entire experience
Technologies/Web Applications:
-Internet resources will be used to research varied people and cultures that are located in Africa, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. This will give students responsibility to conduct their learning experience. Students will learn how to use the resources available on the Internet.
-Blog – this will give students a chance to be creative with the research they have accumulated about other cultures and their traditions. It will also give students the opportunity to learn about other countries from their classmate’s research.
Author: Elizabeth Hanley
Area of Service: Sharing the joy of the holidays with underprivileged children through Operation Christmas Child
Subject/Grade Level: Middle School or High School World Cultures or Geography
Sunshine State Standards: (SS.6.G.2.5) Interpret how geographic boundaries invite or limit interaction with other regions and cultures.
(SS.912.H.3.3) Identify contributions made by various world cultures through trade and communication, and form a hypothesis on future contributions and changes.
Goals: Students will learn about a variety of cultures and apply what they learn on a more personal level
Students will get a better understanding of how important it is to help less fortunate people
Students will work with their community and learn what options they have to be an active part in helping people around the world
Unit Description:
-Students will already be aware of the struggles that people in third world countries face today
-Students will further their awareness of others needs especially those less fortunate than them
-Students will be required to familiarize themselves with what the organization Samaritan’s Purse orchestrates through their project Operation Christmas Child
-Students will study a variety of cultures that the Samaritan’s Purse organization sends gifts to through Operation Christmas Child. This will include locations in Africa, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe
Research:
-Individually or in small groups students will research locations and delve deeper into the cultures and traditions that take place in the third world countries
-Students will have to critically think about the religions and beliefs that the people from these countries practice
-Students will understand what traditions people from these countries do at the time we celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and etc.
Service Project:
-Students will put together Operation Christmas Boxes to be sent across the world
-Students will locate centers where they can volunteer with others to make Operation Christmas Child possible
-Students will be required to conduct an interview of volunteers that have been working with the organization for a few years
-Through this interview students must learn more about the organization and the people that they are helping in third world countries
Blog:
-Students will be required to use the information they learned from their research, interview, and personal experience from Operation Christmas Child to create a blog
-Students must include:
-Qualities about the cultures and lifestyles in the country they studies and how they compare and contrast to their own
-Important traditions and beliefs that these other cultures practice
-How fellow volunteers got involved in the program
-Why they think that it is important for people to help people in underprivileged countries in times of need, especially during the holidays
-Students must also comment on four of their fellow student’s blogs analyzing their experiences and research compared to their own.
Assessment:
-Students will be assigned a reflection paper or podcast in which they will have to look back on their experience and explain how it made them feel to be doing something to help someone they had never met
-Students must use the information they learned through research and to apply that to how it made them feel when they were working with Operation Christmas Child
-They will be asked to think and answer these questions specifically:
-Do you think you would have had a different learning experience if you hadn’t done research on some of the locations and people living in these horrible conditions?
-How did knowing this information make working with the organization a more personal experience?
-Is this service project something you would want to do again?
-With these guiding questions students will create a reflection containing an overview of what they learned throughout the entire experience
Technologies/Web Applications:
-Internet resources will be used to research varied people and cultures that are located in Africa, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. This will give students responsibility to conduct their learning experience. Students will learn how to use the resources available on the Internet.
-Blog – this will give students a chance to be creative with the research they have accumulated about other cultures and their traditions. It will also give students the opportunity to learn about other countries from their classmate’s research.
Monday, October 19, 2009
How Can Social Media Make History
This video was incredibly interesting to me and I really enjoyed the stories he told in order to provide examples of how media has changed the world we live in. Over time technology has been changing and through that we are able to connect with people all over the world with the touch of the button. Even in my daily life I have noticed the way classrooms and companies operate is all online or via text messaging. So many companies and charities are also on twitter, Facebook, Myspace, and link (and I'm sure a variety of other social networking tools I am unaware of).
After thinking about this it make me think about different groups of people throughout history that have come together and made a change by working together, whether it be for the good or the bad of the world. Some examples of this are the Nazis, slaves, mobs, and feminists.
How crazy would it be if these groups could have created Facebook groups for people to join that were for or against their cause. Pictures could be posted of union strikes put on by women hoping for better working conditions. They might have been able to speed up the process and gain more protection if there was a specific place everyone could go to speak up and assist one another. The way charities use these sites today in order to gain help and support could be a way for these groups to reach out to family, friends, or fellow fighters for the cause that are afraid to speak up or are unsure what to do in the situation.
Thinking about these groups having and providing them with a different way to fight for change or create devastation to the world could have been both helpful and more harmful. What other groups throughout history do you think could benefit from having these social networking tools and how so?
After thinking about this it make me think about different groups of people throughout history that have come together and made a change by working together, whether it be for the good or the bad of the world. Some examples of this are the Nazis, slaves, mobs, and feminists.
How crazy would it be if these groups could have created Facebook groups for people to join that were for or against their cause. Pictures could be posted of union strikes put on by women hoping for better working conditions. They might have been able to speed up the process and gain more protection if there was a specific place everyone could go to speak up and assist one another. The way charities use these sites today in order to gain help and support could be a way for these groups to reach out to family, friends, or fellow fighters for the cause that are afraid to speak up or are unsure what to do in the situation.
Thinking about these groups having and providing them with a different way to fight for change or create devastation to the world could have been both helpful and more harmful. What other groups throughout history do you think could benefit from having these social networking tools and how so?
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Machine is (Changing) Us
Wow!! I really enjoyed the video and it gave me a new perspective on the media world. I am not one that is super involved in social networking through all types of sites, but I am on facebook, and used to be on livejournal back in high school. I really think that these social networking tools are great to connect to people all over the world. It is also a great place to vent and get your feelings out. Sometimes it is easier to write things out or video tape yourself rather than sitting down with someone and making them listen to you. I think that for these people that are using youtube as a way to get their feelings out there, they like the privacy and not having someone staring back at them ready to hand out advice, but they do want their story heard. Some people feel more comfortable having people outside of the situation listen to what they have to say because they aren't looking for a solution but rather an open ear.
The examples that Wesch used were incredibly important to inform people on what is so relevant in our lives today. Even if you do not partake in this it is something that needs to be known because it is becoming more and more prominent in our society. I also think that the role of "self" in social networking is being able to truly be yourself without having people looking and judging you. You are able to choose what you do and how you act. There is the fear of the whole world being able to see this "self", but maybe that is the thrill of it. You can talk about what you really want and be who you want to be and not know who is actually listening.
I think using social networking in education will excite students a great deal. They will be able to be creative and connect with people all over the world. There is always the danger with what information should and should not be seen or shared. But other than that this technology doesn't seem like it is going anywhere so we should embrace it and use it to educate our students. Either way they are going to learn about these social networking tools and maybe not use them correctly it is our job to monitor and teach them.
Do you think this tool will slowly die out? Or do you think that it will continue to be a huge part of our lives? Should there be specific classes to educate students on these social networking tools and how to properly use them?
The examples that Wesch used were incredibly important to inform people on what is so relevant in our lives today. Even if you do not partake in this it is something that needs to be known because it is becoming more and more prominent in our society. I also think that the role of "self" in social networking is being able to truly be yourself without having people looking and judging you. You are able to choose what you do and how you act. There is the fear of the whole world being able to see this "self", but maybe that is the thrill of it. You can talk about what you really want and be who you want to be and not know who is actually listening.
I think using social networking in education will excite students a great deal. They will be able to be creative and connect with people all over the world. There is always the danger with what information should and should not be seen or shared. But other than that this technology doesn't seem like it is going anywhere so we should embrace it and use it to educate our students. Either way they are going to learn about these social networking tools and maybe not use them correctly it is our job to monitor and teach them.
Do you think this tool will slowly die out? Or do you think that it will continue to be a huge part of our lives? Should there be specific classes to educate students on these social networking tools and how to properly use them?
Monday, October 5, 2009
iTunes U in the classroom!
Louisa and I put together a collection of podcasts called the Underground Railroad. We are both extremely interested in American History and know that this is an important topic that is discussed within middle and high school classrooms.
Many of the podcasts we found were videos and students created a few of them! I figured that this could be a fun way to introduce podcasts in the classroom and show students that they too can create one of their own.
The podcasts we found on iTunes U are very helpful, but could become too drawn out and boring for certain students. I would make sure to go through each podcast and make a note of useful information it provides so as to only show certain sections. This tool is so handy and much easier to get a hold of than videos on the topic. It is also great because you are able to get a wide variety of perspectives on each topic.
While looking for other ideas on how to teach about the Underground Railroad I came across a webquest. http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/ath/library/webquests/underground/default.htm After looking at it I would have to spruce up the materials and questions asked in order to make it more challenging for the students. I think that a webquest on the Underground Railroad would be fun for students and give them different perspectives.
I also found a neat lesson that I thought might work and be a fun hands on activity. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/450.shtml It deals with calculating the distance of the Underground Railroad on a map. Students would be required to know information about the Underground Railroad and give certain characteristics pertaining to it. This will give students a chance to look at the determination it must have taken for slaves to obtain freedom.
Many of the podcasts we found were videos and students created a few of them! I figured that this could be a fun way to introduce podcasts in the classroom and show students that they too can create one of their own.
The podcasts we found on iTunes U are very helpful, but could become too drawn out and boring for certain students. I would make sure to go through each podcast and make a note of useful information it provides so as to only show certain sections. This tool is so handy and much easier to get a hold of than videos on the topic. It is also great because you are able to get a wide variety of perspectives on each topic.
While looking for other ideas on how to teach about the Underground Railroad I came across a webquest. http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/ath/library/webquests/underground/default.htm After looking at it I would have to spruce up the materials and questions asked in order to make it more challenging for the students. I think that a webquest on the Underground Railroad would be fun for students and give them different perspectives.
I also found a neat lesson that I thought might work and be a fun hands on activity. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/450.shtml It deals with calculating the distance of the Underground Railroad on a map. Students would be required to know information about the Underground Railroad and give certain characteristics pertaining to it. This will give students a chance to look at the determination it must have taken for slaves to obtain freedom.
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