Serial in School - Episode 5

This episode led to a passionate discussion. My students had a completely different reaction than I expected. For me, the cell phone records clearly demonstrate that such technology (particularly in 1999) is unreliable and inaccurate. It does not prove or disprove Adnan's case, but instead demonstrates yet another way the case was mishandled.  For my students, they shifted from wishy-washiness to polarization. He's guilty. He's innocent. Bam. Done.

When I challenged them on their opinions, most students seemed to feel like there was enough evidence to make Adnan's case settled. Guilty until proven innocent, indeed.

I couldn't let this rest - I felt like perhaps I misrepresented the facts and that's why students jumped to their conclusions. To combat this, I assigned a writing piece. I had my students read Rabia Chaudry's blog post: Serial Episode 5: Let's Talk About Cells Baby. Then I had them write a one page essay unpacking the new information they had learned from Rabia. Did this information change their opinions? It remains to be seen. Due to several snowdays, students are still working on their essays. I'm looking forward to reading them and looking at the episode freshly through teenage eyes.

By the way, I would love to set up a Skype/Facetime with Rabia Chaudry and my students. They have QUESTIONS!

Serial in School - Episode 1

Serial Bulletin Board - we will be adding much, much more here.

Class started with me asking students to remember where there were and what they were doing a week ago. A few people could give details, but not many. Then we went back six weeks. The details were even sketchier. Those who could describe their activities mirrored Sarah Koenig's observation that major events can help anchor the mundane.

Interest levels were high when I introduced the unit. None of the students were aware of the podcast, but they were drawn in by the accessible nature of the story. 

I paired students up in teams with a shared Google Doc to use as a Case Log. Students took notes while listening to the first episode.

My favorite moment in class was near the beginning of the podcast when the details of the case were plainly laid out. The closing statements of the prosecution included something to the fact that Adnan was obviously guilty because he was leading a duplicitous life - acting as a different person at home than at school. Several of my students raised both their hands in shock and yelled out, "By that logic, we'd all be guilty of murder!" They get it. 

My plan is to poll the students at the end of each class. Yesterday, one class believed entirely in Adnan's innocence. 

Is Adnan guilty?

Another class had a mixed reaction, with many of them in the "maybe" category. They found Asia Mcclain's story fishy. One student commented that he thought Asia redacted her initial statement because the real killer started threatening her. 

I've had some people ask how this unit fits into an academic setting. Last week, I was looking through the Common Core standards to see how well I was aligning (we are not required at my school). So many of the recommendations for 10th grade social studies will be covered in this unit - everything from analyzing non-fiction, building arguments with credible evidence, and unearthing bias. Slam dunk. 

Techielit Updates

I have moved to Pittsfield, Maine where I will be teaching Humanities History at Maine Central Institute. Talk about a big change! Although I have taught English for the past 4+ years, my true love is History, and it's good to return to what I was originally trained to teach. We moved up to Maine for several reasons, the biggest of which is being closer to family. I couldn't be happier with my new teaching position. I'm always ready for a new challenge.

I will be teaching six sections in a block schedule - five sections of Humanities History and one section of Personal Finance. I plan to continue using 3DGameLab with one class, which as you know is something I feel passionate about using, particularly with students who need individualized instruction. We will be traveling through 20th century America, collecting clues and solving mysteries.

I am trying a holistic approach to my grading this year. Instead of grading each individual assignment, I am giving three grades to each student per week.

From my syllabus:

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Weekly Grades: Students will receive three weekly grades: effort, content mastery, and communication skills. 

Effort - Students are expected to participate in classes. iPads will be used in every class. Failure to bring an iPad to class will result in the loss of points. Students will earn points by taking part in class activities and completing assignments on time.  25 points

Content Mastery - Students will demonstrate content mastery in a myriad of ways. In any given class you might see students directing short films, crafting comic strips, creating eBooks, writing essays, or giving presentations. Grades are determined by students showing that they have correctly learned the objectives. Homework, when assigned, would also fall into this category. 50 points

Communication Skills - It is essential, particularly in the Humanities, that students work to improve their communication skills: writing and speaking. These grades reflect the success students have made in communicating their ideas and learning to others. 25 points

For example: Let’s say you spent a week researching the fashion of the 1920’s and presented your findings to the class in a creative video. If you goofed around during class and did not wisely use your time, you would lose effort points. However, if the content of your video was accurate and well-researched, you would receive full content mastery points. In addition, if your video communicated your topic well, you would receive full communication skills points. 

** It’s important to note that you will only receive 1 content mastery grade per week, no matter how many assignments are completed in-class or at home (aside from tests and large projects). The content mastery grade is an average of your weekly performance. However, you will receive feedback on each individual assignment. 

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Keeping track of the weekly grades will be a challenge, but my goal is to better reflect student learning in the way grades are reported. I am using ClassDojo again to track participation. 

I'm having a bit of an identity crisis with my website/twitter name: techielit. I no longer teach literature! Should I change the name, or keep it? What do you think?