YEAR of READING, YEAR of WAITING

    I announced the Year of Reading to my juniors yesterday. We are doing SSR at least one day a cycle. Because my school is a "no social media" school, I am not sure where this will go--for instance, the first time someone asks me if they can do their SSR on a kindle, nook, or their phone, I think I have to say no.  (it even hurts to type it!) I cannot fault administration for putting safety first, but am growing confused with  the vagueness of the term "social media." It seems to mean different things to different people, and am not sure how far it goes. Most teachers in my school are assuming it just means no facebook friending of students. I get that. I never friended them anyway. I am not their friend, I am their teacher, and want to stay in their memory that way--with the learning they experienced in my class. But I would have liked to start a private facebook page for my courses, which would create a central place for homework and project updates. And they might actually chat with each other about Beowulf!!!! Some of my other tools I would like to introduce to my colleagues include:

wallwisher

screenjelly, jing

diigo, delicious, digg, stumble upon, reddit

glogster, prezi

google docs; google scholar, evernote

aviary, audacity, garage band

reader, bloglines, RSS reader, feedburner

librivox, google books, Project Gutenberg, scribd

wikispaces or PBWiki

blogger or tumblr,  edublogs

voicethread

 garage band

wordle, quizlet

http://labs.google.com/sets

   All of these promote reading and writing, creativity and collaboration. They support some of the fundamental ways that kids' learning is changing. And yes, most of them are social. I have used many of them with the blessing of my school. But the line between useful, essential and dangerous is getting blurrier by the minute. I  am not sure where it is anymore.

   So this year's challenge for me is shaping up to be about social media. How do we define it at my school? What is our mission as we prepare students for their world? I think I need to step lightly, but continue the journey started when I first encountered a blog four years ago and saw the potential for my kids.

This will also be the year I begin to market to my colleagues (not just the poor English department, who hears about it constantly) more aggressively the essential changes that are happening in our students, in our culture and to our futures. I am starting with a diigo group for the English Department at my school. If we teachers bow out of the process that is evolving all around us, we have made ourselves obsolete. They will not need us to learn and we will not be able to teach them anyway. This year's challenge is to take the long view, and know that it will just take a little longer than I planned to lead my students to their futures.

UPDATE: Just saw this: speaks to the question at hand!

This is who I want to be on the great days:

Found this quote on Andrew Sullivan's DAILY DISH: 11/1/09

 To the extent that the Internet and the proliferation of long distance learning deprive us of being in the presence of charismatic, kind, scholarly people, it will be a tremendous loss. When a Hasid said that he traveled miles just to see how his master tied his shoes, he was expressing this beautiful idea. What we learn from a great teacher cannot be put into a book, because it is in a look, an inflection, a quirk of personality or a tossed off comment. The greatest human lessons are found in the power of presence. david wolpe

I have been doing it "old school" for the past three weeks. Somehow I just don't want to repackage myself and my subject right now. Though I am a great missionary for teachers to recognize that new methods are necessary to prepare new students for the new world, I can't help but feel that my subject matter deserves attention as well. My age tells me that the old ways do the job too. There are so many  advantages to reading Chaucer, no disadvantages. It seems to me that my students will be correlating past, present and future on a moment to moment basis every single day as they live the next 80 years. The connections between the present, past and future are real, they are vibrant, and they are meaningful. It matters that students read, and that they read the unfamiliar and as well as the familiar.  Multitasking is not only about doing many things at once, it is also about linking many tasks, many knowledges and many experiences. Some of that does not happen in 140 characters, or in 4 open windows or or in 4 genres flashing at once. I am thrilled with 17-year-old speed, spark, opinions. I am also appalled at the ignorance, their lack of curiosity, the dismissal of so many new things with so little experience.
"Old school" in an old school is right just now: trust Ms. Healey.  Shakespeare IS your past, your present and your future.

I think I need to formalize my PLN...............

A “working definition” by David Warlick says that a Personal or Professional Learning Network:

involves an individual’s topic oriented goal, a set of practices or techniques aimed at attracting or organizing a variety of relevant content sources, selected for their value, to help the owner accomplish a professional goal or personal interest.

 My personal goal: to be an even better teacher, of course. But what, specifically, would do that?  Here are the ideas that keep rolling around in my head:

1) I need to think more about how they learn when I choose what to teach. Some of this might have to do with technology, but some might not.  I do believe that their learning paths are changing because of all the media, tech and visual input they have now. I need to take advantage of that. If more of it is going to be in their control, then what I choose to have them read is probably the most critical decision. More to think about here. PLN to adapt my teaching to facilitating??? Hard to let go of loving the content and letting them get a little when I can give them alot. If this was on a teacherblog that some of the biggies read, I would be taking a hit: but so what? I have already decided that my main focus is not networking but teaching my kids. That's where my creativity will go.
I don't want to change just for the sake of change. Maybe my age is part of this. A 26 year old teacher embracing new methods is not really changing so much. Me, I  have done some work or used some techniques that are old school and still good, strong techniques. I am old enough to have figured out that I am not going to get rid of it just because something new has come along. That would be like throwing out the coral cashmere  sweater my MIL gave me 25 years ago, after she owned it for 20. It is still more beautiful, soft and warm than any of the new ones I have. Plus, it reminds me of her, and I still miss  her every day.  Since teaching is an art, I can only hope that my teaching gets better as I add the layers of experience. New is not always better. Old is good. I am old. I am good!

2) I want to find my personal comfort level with change. I do not want to change what I am doing just because ..........everyone thinks we should. Reading expands your knowledge, your self image and your decision making skills. Not reading limits your confidence, problem solving and literacy. It probably does not matter so much what you read, but that you do, that's the common wisdom these days. I guess that's true, but I am so bored by the series mentality, the repetition of the same plots over and over, the inaccurate diction and barely adequate manipulation of the language. I think maybe part of my job is to help them develop discernment in their reading, info gathering, knowledge and wisdom development. SO... PLN to investigate how much do I want to absorb the new without losing the old?? Who would be in this network? Part of the reason I am blogging is the lack of colleagues who have time or interest in discussing these ideas.

3) another idea--how to organize the tools I do use--which tools (tech) for which classes? What order do I introduce? Which ones are best suited to which lesson? So far I have hit on things by instinct (one of my strengths) but that will add up (like my delicious tag for toolsforteachers) into chaos. Chaos is not good. Planning ahead is good.  So how do I put together the big picture? The syllabi that the department uses are almost irrelevant for me now--it is all about what to teach them, not what they need to learn. For instance, BritLit now contains from Beowulf to Martin Amis, approx 1300 years lit. I am not sure that a chronological approach is useful or possible anymore! Back to tools--more thinking needed.  This is one that Gina and I can work on for World Lit.

1/25/10:Learning is messy!  Who is in my PLN already? Most often consulted: Barbara, Gina, Val, Andy. Also important: Fio, Katie, Anne, Geri T.  I think I need people from other departments. Tech PLN: Donna, Holly, Dale, Linda, Fio, Michele A?,  Barry, and my twitter list, EC Ning. This is a pretty weak list: they are not weak, but I need to fill in the gaps in experience and knowledge.
http://learningismessy.com/blog/?p=755



More later..............

SITA SINGS THE BLUES !!! LESSON PLAN

Lesson Plan: Sita Sings the Blues/Ramayana by Valmiki
http://lhealey7604.blogspot.com/
http://healigan.blogspot.com/
http://healigan.wikispaces.com/SITA+SINGS+THE+BLUES
Please notify me if you plan to use all or part of this plan. Suggestions and comment
always welcome. As the students finsih their work, it will also be posted on the wiki.
Teacher: Leslie Healey Grade: 12
St. Mark’s High School Subject: World Literature
Wilmington, Delaware Honors Phase 4, 5
Date: April 2009
1. Description of Class and Students:
This lesson plan will serve 22 twelfth graders, ages 17-18. There are 12 boys and
10 girls. There is one Indian student and two Chinese students, all of whom are bilingual.
The students are honors level, Phase V.
2. Lesson Goals-Students’ Learning Objectives
*Students will recognize Valmiki’s relevance, his ability to capture universal human
behavior and impulses.
*Students will be able to identify culturally essential aspects of a contemporary
filmed version of the story: Sita Sings the Blues.
*Students will be able to a) write a critique on one of the social and cultural themes
and aspects of Sita Sings the Blues or b) write a movie critique evaluating the success
or failure of the film as a discrete work of art or c) deliver a four-minute presentation
on the social/cultural issues inherent in this re-imagination of the Ramayana.
*Students will use literary knowledge (Ramayana) as the basis for extending
understanding of themselves and their culture.
3. Goals are suitable for these students because…
The ability to compare and contrast is a critical thinking skill natural to the human
experience. Students in this age group are self-aware and thoughtful in how they
evaluate experience and make decisions regarding action. This is an important reason
why Sita Sings the Blues/Valmiki’s Ramayana appropriate for this age group. Adding
the secondary layer of cultural awareness will serve to emphasize the commonality of
human experience. This is the goal of the literary portion of a Language Arts class.
The compare/contrast technique is a concrete way to bridge the gap between what the
students can understand consciously and what they are close to understanding as they
mature. In addition, this lesson will reinforce cultural awareness and a sense of their
place in society and culture: that we are all both different and alike in our experience.
The students will also apply critical thinking skills to a critique of the film, both as a
representation of the original story and an artistic work on its own merits. A side
benefit will be an acknowledgement that literature is not irrelevant to their lives.
4. How do these goals support the district’s curriculum, state frameworks,
and/or content standards?
The following NCTE content standards are supported in this lesson:
Standard One-Using written and oral communication appropriately
Standard Two-Constructing and extending meaning of a literary text through reading,
listening and viewing.
Standard Four-Using literary knowledge through print and visual media to connect
self to society and culture.
5. How do these goals support broader curriculum standards in Language Arts
and/or other disciplines?
Since one recognized goal of most writers (certainly a goal of dramatists) is to
communicate common experience, adding an additional layer of meaning onto the
textual discussion of The Ramayana would enhance the lesson’s relevance by having
students focus on the cultural themes of Valmiki’s epic. It is supportive of Delaware
state standards that students be instructed in the multiple cultures present in 21st
century America: this particular lesson is well suited to this goal, for it exhibits the
ease with which subsequent generations have adopted the epic for their own time and
culture. As should always be a goal in a Language Arts curriculum, this lesson creates
a framework to discuss values and character by acknowledging the cultural aspects of
a classic story. Hopefully, the universal appeal of Shakespeare is reinforced for
students. In addition, it offers practice in written and oral media, and is particularly
strong in promoting visual literacy and self-awareness.
6. How does the teacher plan to engage students in the content? What will the
teacher do? What will the students do?
Background: Students will already be familiar with Valmiki’s Ramyana, having
recently finished a class reading and analysis of the story. An assessment of students’
comprehension of literary aspects of the epic is separate from the goals and
assessments of this lesson. The work was discussed with epic techniques, plot
development, and religious/cultural values in mind. So students will come to this
portion of the unit with understanding of the plot, the ability to identify particular
literary techniques used by Valmiki to represent cultural values, and a sense of epic as
a distinct genre from poetry, drama or fiction. The study of the cultural values was
particularly important as scaffolding for this next section: viewing and evaluating Sita
Sings the Blues, a 21th century interpretation or “reimagining” of Valmiki’s
masterpiece.
Instructor Strategies: The hook for the lesson is foolproof; watching a film (instead of
reading) is every student’s fond desire for English class. Comparison of the film and
the play will be done in discussion (whole group) and then instructor will assign a
choice of written or oral assessment.
Introduction/Warm-up (10 minutes): We have read the Ramayana. I know that we
have had some discussion regarding whether or not the epic represents values relevant
to today’s India. Indeed, if the Ramayana hold universal appeal for present readers,
does it also hold true that Sita Sings the Blues also presents universal appeal? Does
the filmmaker (Nina Paley) protect the original intent of the story, or has she changed
the story and themes? If so, to what end? This film adaptation presents the story of
the original Ramayana and adds a new layer of story—the filmmaker’s personal
story.
Transition: I am going to distribute a sheet noting particular elements of structure related
to the genre of film, as well as some particular styles of animation that will help you
navigate your first viewing of the film. You should jot down your impressions and
questions as we enjoy the movie.
Objectives/Goals: By the time this lesson is over, you will identify common themes and
language between the movie and epic. You will recognize Valmiki’s characters in their
(various) new incarnations in the film. You will be able to discuss what Sita Sings the
Blues tells us about culture as a determining feature of literature/cinema. How will I
know that you can do this? Because you will either blog your thoughts or present them
orally to the class when the movie is over.
WATCH MOVIE-should take 2 ½ class periods. 1 hour, 21 minutes
Whole Group Discussion (after movie):
Allow 12 minutes for general impressions. Then ask for any questions regarding the
tension between the two stories. Through questions, make sure the discussion turns to
discussion moves to themes-universal and contemporary.
Introduce Independent Assessment (8 minutes): The students will have a choice of
posting a response to a themed blog entry by the instructor OR presenting a four-minute
presentation comparing the two visions of the heroine. Students are already familiar with
the technique for compare/contrast. As it is essential for most critical thinking activities,
this will add to their experience with the style of composition. They are also familiar
with the rules of blogging for class, so a simple reminder will suffice.
7. What difficulties do students typically experience in this area, and how will I plan
to anticipate these difficulties?
First, their comparison/contrast skills are still developing, so I may have to monopolize
the first five minutes of the discussion after the film to answer questions. I may also
interrupt the film when indicated. The handout/worksheet will also direct their attention
to salient points in the movie.
Second, they have not formally studied the genre of cinema, so there will doubtless be
some questions regarding the movie’s construction and style. Third, I will be vigilant
regarding what they say during the discussion. I also take care to be sensitive to how the
Hindu/Sikh student(s) react(s). The students usually take care to respect each other, but
even as seniors in high school, they are sometimes embarrassed and ask their questions in
an immature way, so it is important that I model the proper tone, vocabulary and degree
of respect that I want them to show. I also expect some energetic commentary on the
Indian-style dress, paintings and puppets.
Fourth, some students are better at gathering information than expressing themselves
on sensitive issues. I will offer assessment choices to acknowledge this fact. These will
serve to support the success of the different strengths of the students.
8. What instructional materials or other resources, if any, will I use?
*The equipment necessary will be the movie (watched at
http://www.thirteen.org/sites/reel13/blog/watch-sita-sings-the-blues-online/347/) and the
projector. I understand a DVD of the film will be available for purchase soon, and an
episodic version is already up on YouTube.
*The handout will be copied for each of them. I will collect it as they finish the project.
*They have Valmiki’s Ramayana in their textbooks for backup. I will also post links to
relevant sites on Valmiki’s Ramayana and Sita Sings the Blues on our class wiki at
http://healigan.wikispaces.com/SITA+SINGS+THE+BLUES, which they can use to
reinforce their knowledge of the movie.
*I will use a rubric tailored to each assignment for assessment.
9. How did I plan to assess student achievement of the goals? What procedures will I
use?
I will assess understanding by classroom discussion after the film. I will also review
the worksheet they completed during the film. The formal assessment will be the writing
assignment or the presentation. Since this is a portion of a larger unit, I will have already
tested their understanding of the original text through a test and a short critical response
paper. This unit is the large part of the Asian unit, which takes an entire quarter to finish.
It is worth it!
10. How do I plan to use the results of the assessment?
The critical response essay and the Sita Sings the Blues project will together account
for 50% of the quarter’s grades. So for the cultural awareness part of the unit, the project
will serve as the total assessment.
Leslie Healey http://healigan.bogspot.com/
Wilmington Delaware http://healigan.wikispaces.com
April 3, 2009
RUBRIC: Blog/Movie Critique NAME______________________________
MS. HEALEY
APRIL 2009
ORGANIZATION 20
____
3 paragraphs? ____
topic evident in each para ____
Minimum 5 sentences per para ____
CONTENT 20
Strong obvious thesis? ____
Main points noted & supported with
specific examples from text ____
Strong conclusion ____
Logical progression of points made ____
MECHANICS/STYLE 10
Name of epic/film italicized ____
Tone appropriate/diction ____
Punctuation-minimal errors
(apostrophe, commas, sentence
endings, semicolon, quotation
marks) ____
Use of appropriate vocabulary
Grammar-minimal errors (s-v agree,
pronoun references,
verb forms, syntax, etc) ____
FOR PURPOSES OF THIS ASSIGNMENT, NO POINTS WILL BE DEDUCTED FOR
USE OF FIRST OR SECOND PERSON
World Lit 4, 5 Sita Presentation
Ms. Healey April 2009
Now that we have finished watching Sita Sings the Blues, it is time for
you to evaluate. We had some class discussion regarding the backstory
for Sita. I heard from you regarding Nina Paley’s interpretation of this
ancient archetypal story as well as your impressions of the importance of
cultural heritage in the development of an individual’s world-image. It is
important-and not just to the individual, but also to all of us. Bravo! I
would like you to prepare a four-minute research presentation about one
aspect of the techniques used in development of the film OR compare the
themes of the original epic to the themes highlighted in Paley’s version.
You may play a song or make a poster, create a video or shadow box, or
talk to us. You must consult at least three sources, all of which may be
online—be careful. Whatever media you use, I will need a list of your
sources, your poster or a copy of anything digital when you present. Be
ready to present on the 21st. Dazzle me just as Sita dazzled us!
RUBRIC: SITA PRESENTATION NAME______________________________
MS. HEALEY
APRIL 2009
CONTENT 20
Topic presented clearly & initially ____
Research quality & depth ____
Research quantity-sufficient ____
On point for topic ____
Familiarity with topic ____
Identify sources ____
DELIVERY 20
Clear speech, voice modulation ____
Minimum nervousness evident ____
Length appropriate ____
Use of appropriate vocabulary ____
Ability to answer questions ____
Memorized or near it ____
PRESENTATION 10
Quality of material preparation ____
Use your materials during pres? ____
Materials created if needed? ____
CRITIQUE: SITA SINGS THE BLUES St. Marks High
School
World Lit: Mrs. Healey Wilmington, DE
ANALYSE THE ELEMENTS OF THE FILM TO EVALUATE ITS
SUCCESS/FAILURE. USE THIS PAGE TO MAKE NOTES AS YOU
WATCH.
Premise of film-basic suppositions underlying film
Characterization-belief, voice, actions
Plot/Structure
Music/soundtrack
Setting/set decoration
Style-animation
Motif
Dialogue
Originality
Effects
Writing/script
Integration
*Identify movie, director, date, genre, one-paragraph synopsis
*Must comment/note references to other works, whether they inspired the
Film or were actually the source material.
*Check the wiki for links and additional web materials to support your writing.
*More information to come as I develop it or YOU find it on the web. Please add any
Good web sources on the wiki.
*Compare to other versions, plots, genres, etc.