IBA (Inquiry Based Activity)

This week we have been working on creating Inquiry Based Activities. My IBA involves students answering questions (in this case, in the format of a question sheet)based on evidence from the primary text and from outside, Internet sources. Since my subject area is Secondary English (grades 7-12), I created an activity that would likely be used in an eleventh grade English course. The topic is on irony and symbolism in Kate Chopin's short story "The Story of an Hour." In the activity I have students read the short story ahead of time (This could have been the previous night's homework, or the students could read at the beginning of the class since it is considerably short). Then, they are required to use their own knowledge of the story combined with information from 2 internet sources that I have provided the links to in order to answer some comprehension and critical thinking questions. 

The aspect of this project that I like most is that it teaches students how to draw conclusions from several sources (primary text and secondary sources)while at the same time, making their own inferences. I thought this particular lesson would work well maybe as a follow-up homework assignment after a class session on different types of irony. The sequence I had in mind would be Night 1, read "Story of an Hour"; Following Class Day, discuss what irony is, the different types, and how they function, then symbolism in the story; Night 2, perform IBA at home to turn in next day. 

The only major issue I see with this type of activity is the same problem with many tech projects. If a student doesn't have regular access to a computer with internet and specified software/applications, then the activity would have to be modified to fit his or her needs. I think, however, that this particular project could very easily be modified. For students without necessary accessibility, print outs of the online articles could be provided instead of having them use the links. Another way to alleviate this problem would be to instead make the assignment an in-class project. If there are not enough computers in the classroom, the assignment might require a pre-scheduled trip to the library or computer lab. 

Overall, though, I see this as an excellent tool that is a little more engaging than having students read a chapter then answer summary questions at the end. Although it didn't apply to the particular lesson I designed, other multimedia would be another great addition to an IBA (YouTube video, audio, etc.).

Using Wikis

 During our unit on Wikis, I learned not only how to create one, but also how I could use it in a classroom. Overall, I think that the Wiki tool is a great way to create collaborate, learning opportunities that allow students to work with partners or whole class in order to complete a project. This is also an excellent tool for communication through a shared forum in which everyone involved is allowed to make necessary changes and additions to the conversation. I especially enjoyed the video on how to use a Wiki that demonstrated how a Wiki can be used for planning a camping trip. I think that puts Wiki use in real-life terms and makes Wikis more relateable and approachable. More people (students and the non-student population as well) would be excited about using Wikis if the tool was introduced to them as an "easy button" type function. Overall, I can definitely see myself using Wikis in my future classrooms, as well as in my daily life (planning parties, trips, etc.).

Evaluating Websites

As a future high school English teacher, I anticipate that I will be assigning research papers pretty regularly. Part of assigning a research paper is making sure that the students are familiar with the research process. Since technology and web-based research have become the most popular method of research, it is so important that students be able to accurately judge the sources they are using. This Website Evaluation activity was a thorough checklist for finding quality, reliable sources. I would even consider giving a form of this evaluation to my students at the beginning of an assigned research project. Most of the "standards" were review, and I think a lot of students know to look for those standards, at least by their sophomore years. However, there were a few that I had not considered. One of those was site accessibility. Also, I was not aware that not every site is compatible with every browser. This would be an important reminder to give students if they plan on doing some of the research at home.