Project+Statement


 * Project Statement: ** The topic for this year’s collaborative project is America Land of the Free: A Melting Pot of Cultures. As a group, our schools will approach this project through the study of song, speeches, poetry, novels and short stories. The pieces that the students will read and respond to will be pieces written by immigrants and natural citizens that have come to call America their home. This project is designed to get students to start looking at America and how other cultures contribute to this country. Students will study the stories, research and write about themes and motives present in the pieces. The students will participate in numerous enrichment activities to expand their views on how America has become a Melting Pot of cultures.

I will improve learner performance by engaging them in a topic that is very relevant to their lives today. Race and different cultures are still a hot topic for today’s students
 * 1. Briefly describe your proposed project. ** This unit is designed to have students grapple with different cultures, race and identities that make up America. This unit will take place in an English III American Literature classroom. During this unit students will read a minimum of three American Literature pieces. Students will work on a class wiki that gives summaries of the pieces read and author biographical information. Students will also complete a modified Socratic Seminar using a classroom blog. The questions that they will focus on include but are not limited to:
 * What is culture? What is race? What are the differences between the two?
 * What role does heritage play in your identity?
 * What does it mean to be multicultural? What does it mean to be multiethnic?
 * In what ways does society force limits on multiethnic people?
 * 2. How will you improve learner performance by engaging learners in authentic experiences? **
 * 2. How will you improve learner performance by engaging learners in authentic experiences? **

. ** 3. How will you facilitate learning through constructivist, collaborative learning experiences? ** Some of the questions that the students will have to address fall under the constructivist theory because they will have to access knowledge from their lives and any existing experiences they have had. The collaborative learning experiences will come from their interactions with their classmates and the students for the outside schools that they collaborate with to successfully complete this project.


 * 4. How will you create sound instructional materials and learning environments that are based on solid research and learning theory? ** The instructor will have the students work with tools that they should already be familiar with. The wikis and blogs will have restricted access designated by the instructor. The instructor will provide informative worksheets to help students that feel like they need some extra help. Examples of wikis and blogs that follow the correct format will be shown to the students so that they will have an idea of what is expected of them. The students will also be given a rubric with all of the criteria listed and what it is worth in point value.

The students will be using wikis and blogs to display their information and communicate with each other. The teacher will act as a facilitator and guide them in the direction that they need to be going.
 * 5. How will you facilitate the use of innovations through the diffusion and integration of new technologies and technological experiences for your learners? **

This process will be managed through careful monitoring of the activities that the students participate in. Students will be monitored through visiting the website online and seeking if students are participating in the assignments and seeing which students are contributing to the assignment and how they are providing contributions to the assignments. The teacher will serve as the facilitator throughout the duration of this collaborative project.
 * 6. How will you most effectively manage this process?**

Ethical considerations to ensure will be to make sure that each student is committed to the assignment. Each student should be a valuable participant in the assignment. In regards to the assignment, each culture will be considered and presently fairly by the students. Each group will have the same expectations for the assignments that will be given to them. The assignments will be fair and be developed so that each student would have the ability to complete them.
 * 7. What ethical considerations will you make to ensure sound decisions are made?**

Processes that will be included will be the use of effective communication to communicate with students and for the teacher to communicate with the students/parents. The implementation of the activities/assignments and the end product of the students understanding the importance of learning about different cultures within the US will all be considered as part of the process.Resources that will be included will be wikis, technology tools, songs, speeches, poetry, novels, short stories, Internet, reference websites.
 * 8. What processes and resources will you include?**


 * 9. Describe the learning environment and population that will be engaged in your project.**
 * **Audience:** All students in secondary school or higher
 * **Learner characteristics**: 11th grade, 25 students
 * **Anticipated entry-level skills of audience:** The audience should be basic reading skills, know how to operate and use programs within the computer such as MS Word, MS Power Point, know how to use and access a wiki, possess basic writing skills, good group collaboration skills.
 * **School environment:** High school students where they will have access to using the computer labs to work on this assignment, work outside of school within their groups.
 * **Support for project by community, parents, or administrators**: Support would be needed by parents to ensure that their child is taking an active role in this assignment within their groups. Support would be needed by administrators in order to engage students in a field trip to go along with the assignment.