I’m really not sure what to say here. I recognize the value of reflection. It forces us (hopefully) to look closely at what we have done in an effort to improve or understand. The problem with this reflection is that I really like the wiki/hypertext assignment. I tried to explain, more in the paper than in class, the pedagogy that I think supports the assignment, so I guess I’ll start there.
Students learn better when they are actively involved.
Students are actively involved in the annotation, small
group discussions, and the web creation.
Collaboration encourages learning.
Collaboration is necessary to format the web page.
The discussion involved in negotiating ideas leads to deeper
understanding.
Negotiation takes place when the differing ideas are
discussed.
Students are more attentive when the learning is fun.
Most students view web pages and wikis as fun
Learning should be student centered
The students are responsible for their own knowledge
with only guidance from me.
Diverse opinions are valued.
I believe the assignment is pedagogically sound and helps students meet the stated objective.
Now to turn to the actual presentation. I felt very short of time. This is obviously an assignment that takes more than one class period to complete. However, I knew that when I decided on this lesson. But… I didn’t expect the time to pass as quickly as it did. I should have planned that a little better.
This is not the way that I actually teach this assignment. Though I do tell students what the goals are for an assignment, they are not usually voiced in the way that I did last night. I would not tell my students that I want them to negotiate and articulate. I would tell then to discuss and come to a workable solution, to agree to disagree.
I would have prepared the students ahead to use the technologies. These would be practiced in class. The wiki work and class discussions would take place well in advance of the due date for the assignment so that students have the time to become familiar with the web authoring. I did not make this clear last night.
I wish I had a copy of a student web page that I could have shown as an example. I used to have an absolutely beautiful one but cannot find it. (Must be that absent minded professor thing.)
Overall, I am pleased with the presentation. I made a couple of mistakes, but I think that I did explain and demonstrate the assignment.
Now I have a question for you. Should I offer an option for students who don’t want to/feel they can’t create a web page?
Please make lots of comments/suggestions!
Edith
Well, Edith, I will be the first to comment then…I really think you did a great job! I wish I could add more but I think you covered everything. I clearly don’t have teaching feeback, but from a student’s point of view, the lesson was great. My learning experience though this project benefited from reading everyone else’s post. I would suggest (ONLY if time allowed) to have all the students read each other’s posts before the discussion. But again, there might not be time for that. You could offer another assignment to students who don’t want to create a webpage, or maybe they could suggest another creative idea to you, and then you decide if it will work for the objectives. (However, I always think “creative” is a good thing! Adding to the wiki and creating the website enhances the whole scholarship of learning idea too.) Or if the class really selects two sides after they agree and disagree, maybe they could have a quick mock debate to present their points for their argument. But, then part of me says that you should still enforce the website idea. It’s 2008, and websites are everywhere. Well done.
I have used wikis in my past classes, but never in the way you used them, Edith. What a great idea! I think it really helps generate discussion of a poem while initiating students into the idea of hypertext media.
I personally wouldn’t provide a traditional option for students uncomfortable with technology-based assignments, especially if developing that skill is one of my course aims. You seem to do an excellent job of introducing the venue and its opportunities/limitations, so I say continue to require the web assignment for your students.
Edith, as promised, I’m finally giving my feedback. It is sorta fun now that it is not a "have to." What do we learn from that?
I think that your lesson plan was really good. I think that the web page would get the same resistence from any class…at first. I then think tha once the tech. was familiar, the class would jump in and have fun with it. I also think that it would do the class a favor because tech. is here to stay, may as well jump in in a safe environment and when your abilities in it are not graded, so you can fool around with it. So, I liked it all. I really would like to watch you teach sometime, especially on a lesson like this and the prelessons where you teach the web. thanks for all of your support this semester.