Problem Solving and Critical Thinking

Because my students will be creating a Google lit trip, the project asks them to connect Into the Wild with the texts of Emerson and Thoreau.  Making those connections will require critical thinking skills.  Students are also required to determine how to present their content within the Lit trip.  This opportunity requires them to not only think critically about the content, but also problem solve how to make the content both attractive and engaging.

Working with technology and learning how to use it also comes with opportunities to problem solve.  This project requires students to use multiple technologies and could force them to explore technology that they are not familiar with.  This new discovery gives the opportunity for students to consider which technology can fulfill their needs and ultimately use the technology to produce and execute their plan.  

Information Literacy

Because my project is research based in someways, my students will have to learn how to evaluate sources as they work to develop the Lit trip.  The project requires students to locate information about the locations on the trip along with connections to Chris McChandless's experiences.  Because "Into the Wild" is a non-fiction text, the project allows students to find and evaluate additional information about Chris and his journey to the wilderness of Alaska.  The project is also allowing students to create a product that uses multiple ways of presenting information.  Thinking about what information and how to present it to an audience is another way to think about information literacy.  Using technology to create a product in someway helps students understand how to learn from multiple sources.

Collaboration

     My project centers around collaboration.  To create the lit trip, students will not only have to work together in small groups, but will also have to collaborate as a class.  I see incredible value in collaboration in the classroom, but it does not come without challenges.  I struggle a great deal with assessment when students work together on a collaborative project. Many times, students have a difficult time delegating responsibilities and holding everyone accountable for those responsibilities.  This problem even exists in adulthood and is difficult to overcome.
      As a teacher, I struggle with the conversation that I often have to have about a group member not pulling their weight in the group.  I try to counteract this problem by assigning members roles and responsibilities in the assignment, but that unmotivated student is always there.  Trying to assess student understanding through this lack of motivation is a challenge that I am still working to overcome.  Student surveys seems to be the best solution but even then products go unfinished.  With every benefit comes a challenge, but in today's society, students have to learn to work together and unfortunately, they have to learn to work in a world where unmotivated workers exist.            

Creativity and Innovation

Overview of my Project

For my project, my American Literature classes will build an interactive Google Lit trip for the novel Into the Wild.  I have recently began exploring the idea of a Lit trip through this class and really think the activity to could build upon the work that I do with this novel.  The novel's main character travels throughout the country working and creating relationships with individuals in his quest to reach the wilderness of Alaska.  Documenting his journey across the country along with his encounters with the people he meets in those places will provide a great depth in understanding his character and what he learns about being an American.

Creative?  Innovative?   

I believe that the concept of my project offers a great deal of room for creativity.  Because students are able to create the content that will be presented in the Lit trip, this freedom opens up a large opportunity for creativity.  Students will be required to provide more than basic content for each of Chris/Alex's stops on his journey.  They will be required to connect to how the stop shapes him as a person and also the ideals of being American.  The freedom of creating their own content through video production is also a possibility with this project.

I plan to accomplish this large task by having students divided into groups working on one specific location.  Having a smaller content responsibility will also allow time for the students to explore more creativity ways of presenting the content along with making connections to both the text and the place they are representing.

Landing on a project idea has been somewhat challenging for me as I want to explore a new piece of technology that I have not implemented into my classroom.  Finding something that I haven't tried to date that I felt could really reach true integration was a challenge, but I am excited for this project and what it can offer to my students and this text. Think big right?