Jsansing's Blog

I like the idea of using portfolios to assess student learning.  The new and improved e-portfolio gives students easier access to their proof of learning, and a chance to shine. In addition, students can use e-portfolios as instruments to working out their thoughts.

The country of Afghanistan-the setting of the award-winning novels The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns- is the focus of my individual digital project. Due to the fact that I believe students may have little (or maybe inaccurate) knowledge and perceptions of this region, I believe that it will be very useful for giving them a better understanding of the novels’ setting and the elements within.

When I began working on the project, I thought that I would do my project on part one of A Thousand Splendid Suns. I decided to note unfamiliar words and places while reading through the book. Once I came up with a list of these concepts, I began to research the information. Once we were asked to storyboard the project, I began to realize that I needed to narrow down what I want to include in the video.

After talking with Dr. Dail, I decided that I would trim my video down, and propose it as part of a series. This move relieved a lot of the stress that I was beginning to feel. Meanwhile, I continued to search for images to include. I attempted to use sites (like Flickr) to obtain the most relevant pictures. Due to the fact that I wanted the overall feel of the project to be like a tour of the City, I wanted to use pictures that had actually been taken by tourists in the region. I also began to download sound effects. My goal was to make the viewer feel as though they were truly on a trip in Afghanistan.

After putting all the images and and sound effects into place on the storyboard and timeline in Windows Movie Maker, I began the fun task of recording my script. I will be honest and say that I had a difficult time finding the right volume of the microphone. I am pretty sure that some of the audio in my video is not consistent, because I had to record it in chunks.

Publishing my video was the most challenging part of the entire assignment. I could not get my video to publish until I started a whole new project, and transfered all the work piece by piece. I had to save the work in pieces as well-just to make sure that it was going to publish in the end.

Overall, I feel like this assignment was a good experience for me. For one, I learned and put into use a lot of technology skills that I have never used before. Secondly, it let me experience the frustrations and triumphs related to completing such a project. Now, if I assign a similar project in a future class, I will know what to expect from my students, and also how to help them troubleshoot the problems.

Here is the Worksheet: Nursery Rhyme Worksheet (as the students would see it)

ONCE UPON A TIME…

DIRECTIONS:

Use the video we viewed in class-as well as the “Humpty Dumpty” story we read aloud- as a model, and revise a classic nursery rhyme by re-telling it from a different character’s point of view.

YOU MUST:

• Choose one classic children’s nursery rhyme

(An extensive list can be found at http://www.zelo.com/family/nursery/index.asp)

• Select one character within the rhyme you chose, and consider their viewpoint of the story

• Re-write the entire rhyme in prose form-depending upon the tale you choose, this will mean that the end product will look very different from the original

(Remember, prose is a written form characterized by full sentences and paragraphs.)

• Type the finished product
  • It must be at least two pages in length.
  • It must be typed in 12 point font.

YOU MAY:

• Choose to write an alternative ending and/or twist to the original tale.
• Design a cover-page using whatever creative means you feel represent your story.

DUE DATE:

• The due date for this assignment is 2/25- that is TWO weeks from today.

GRADING:

• This assignment will be worth 30 points of your total grade.

• You will be graded on
  • Grammar, punctuation, and spelling(15 points)
  • Cohesiveness and Flow of story (Does it have a beginning, middle, and end? Is the story easy to read/is it organized? Do you maintain a consistent focus?)(10 points)
  • Following guidelines (5 points)

Here is my rationale:

“Behind the scenes thinking”

The teaching context: The grade level that I would consider this assignment for would be 9^th grade. Although it is more of a creative writing assignment, I think it could also be introduced within a poetry unit. Most nursery rhymes are a type of poetry, and because students are familiar with them (in most cases), it would be a great way to introduce poetry (in a less intimidating way) to the class.

I chose this animated video clip, because I felt that it was a good example of the type of finished product that I could be expected from the students upon completion of the assignment.  The video was humorous, and I felt that it would catch the students’ interest.  I was also interested in this clip, because it was produced in a different medium (than the assignment), and that could spark the students’ creativity, and their own ideas for the project.

After completing the assignment, I would like the students to be able to take character perspectives into account when reading literature.  I believe this is an important ELA skill to learn, because it enables the students to achieve a deeper understanding of the works that they encounter.  From a writing standpoint, I would like the students to demonstrate an ability to write creatively with a consistent well-organized focus.  The students should also be able to exhibit a good understanding of the grammar and rules of English.

This is an individual project, and would be completed mostly outside of classroom time.  However, I would give my students time to begin brainstorming project ideas immediately after it is assigned.  I would designate classroom time for students to communicate their initial ideas with their peers. This time would be structured, and would most likely occur within 2-3 days after assigning the project.

I have found many examples of these types of stories on-line, and would read at least one of them aloud to the students (in addition to the viewing of the video).  I would be careful not to give the students too many examples, because I would not want to inhibit their own ideas.

The three standards that I found that this assignment fulfills are:

• ELA9W1- The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout, and signals closure.
• ELAA9C1- The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules of the English language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate application of conventions and grammar in both written and spoken formats.
• ELA9LSV1- The student participates in student-to-teacher, student-to-student, and group verbal interactions. The student
  • d. Actively solicits another person’s comments or opinions.
  • e. Offers own opinion forcefully without domineering.
  • g. Gives reasons in support of opinions expressed.