Rigor and Relevance

[Virginia Jones]

These are the 21st Century buzz words and I have heard them a hundred times already. And I am all about rigor and relevance and always have been. But now the ante has been raised to prepare these middle schoolers for jobs that do not even exist yet. I would love to brainstorm with fellow middle school teachers about language arts and reading lessons that are technologically savvy and challenging. All ideas are welcome!

[Kelly Farrow]

We do a rockin' digital storytelling unit with our sixth graders that's based on a personal narrative they write during lit/LA time. The classroom teachers manage that part of the process. Then the kids come to me (library media specialist) for the tech part of the process, including uploading, scanning, or finding still images; recording their narratives; editing their recording to fit with the stills; and choosing and uploading appropriate music. (As time allows, they can do visual effects, transitions, sound effects, and other bells and whistles, too.) This is an outstanding project that fits pretty much every standard you can find. It allows kids to express themselves in ways they often won't when they're asked to get up and actually speak or read a piece. The stills mixed w/ the writing is a cool aspect of it, too. Many of them also use this to express something very serious in their lives, like about the death of a loved one, the birth of a sibling, moving to a new country, or whatever. If you'd like more on how we do this, feel free to friend me and message me in the Ning. Pretty much every year we've done this, the kid or kids I've expected to take this the least seriously or turn out the least effective product have surprised me every time and done an amazing job. That's the best part of it!

[Virginia Jones]

Wow! I want to know more. This is exactly what I have been wanting to do. I have the LAR part down and can find help with the tech part. I just need guidance. Would you mind?

[Ryan Goble]

Yeah Kelly - do tell more.

Virginia - you should know that Kelly is the "awesomest" tech savvy librarian!

Thank you both for starting this discussion!

Ryan:)

[Pam Goble]

We need to look at the 21st C skills that the kids need to know and then work from there...maybe...??? I too, have thought about this and really think that we need to keep those skills embedded in our kids' learning experiences. The tech part is so important and we have to figure a way for the kids to get more of it...with limited computers and Learning Center time. Just some quick thoughts tonight.

[Ryan Goble]

FWIW - the word rigor drives me nuts :) Administrators always say that want it but it usually means more R&R at the expense of depth. 10 cents, worth 2.
:)