Unit Plan Canvas

Creating my canvas was a process which aided me in creating my unit plan on Slaughterhouse Five, which it enabled me to articulate and conceptualize my expectations. While the single lesson I had worked on for the previous Interactivity was a starting point, I needed to broaden what the unit as an entity would focus on, rather than honing a specific lesson. By writing a brief unit plan, I was able to focus on the overarching themes of the unit. An essential questions aided in focusing myopically on a single theme, while still considering relatability to the lesson plan as well as the unit. I very much liked the idea of adding photos and especially a video to the canvas, while it added another dimension to the unit. By viewing the trailer to the movie, students see visual synopsis of what they will encounter in the novel. Adding additional resources creates depth to the unit, while the sources I chose build upon important themes and background knowledge. For my unit on Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five, I plan to focus on the fatalism which pervades the novel, which is implemented through the apathetic language ("so it goes", a crux of the novel which is repeated hundreds of times) as well as the broader theme of the degradation of the belief in free will.

Exploring Slaughterhouse Five

Technology and Pedagogy

I chose this lesson plan because I felt as though it was a holistic approach to incorporating writing, Literature, art, music and technology with even distribution. This lesson is exemplary of using technology as a crux, rather than a supplement within a lesson, which is beneficial as well as relatable to students. Instead of using technology as an adornment, this lesson is equally student driven as it is technology, literature or art-centered. I have found that, in terms of teaching strategies and Common Core Standards, in relation to English specifically, that there are no standards which align well with using different arts and technologies within a lesson. While W.11.12-6 mentions the use of technology vaguely, there is no snug fit for connecting literature to the arts using technology. I find this somewhat synesthetic lesson a highly efficient one, while it is mainly student-centered, and also engages all types of learners with a multitude of interests- which to me, is essential to achieving curriculum goals. The only other technology I would incorporate into this lesson to make it more effective is photography and film, while I believe these mediums perfectly embody the essence of "brief, urgent messages- describing a situation, a scene; when seen all at once they create an image of life which is beautiful and surprising and deep." (Vonnegut, 111-112), while film and photography do exactly this, capturing single images or ideas which, when put in a sequence and in a context, can express a grand idea or emotion.

Spread Sheet

Web 2.0

While conducting my student teaching this semester, it’s hard not to notice the complete disconnect between the technologies thrust upon teachers within the school from top down, and their implementations. For example, since the beginning of the year I have heard endless qualms from all the teachers I have encountered about the difficulty and utter uselessness of the ten separate accounts teachers are required to utilize- one for their grade book, one parent portal, one curriculum changes, one for attendance, one for progress reports, ect. The problem is not that these technologies are ineffective, but in practice it would be sensible to have software in which all of these utilities could coincide in conjunction with one another. Many teachers within the district have made it their mission to supply the schools with Google tablets, while all students and teachers are required to have a Google account which is frequently utilized for a multitude of purposes. In fact, Google had a promotion which would sell their tablets at one third of the cost to schools, a proposition which was brought to the school board, but was turned down.

            While technology, if used efficiently, could be a liberating tool from the antiquated “lecture style” classroom structure, giving autonomy to students to learn in non-linear ways. Instead, because of the political and economic structures which keep the business-like model of schools intact, students must continue to succumb to the socialization and ideological agenda inherent within our educational system. We have not traveled far from Common School-like doctrine, using schooling as a vehicle to instill ideologies which benefit the economic and political need of the times. While I do believe that technology such as computers could be highly beneficial within the English classroom, I find it imperative that students as well as teachers receive the proper education in how these technologies work, in order to use them efficiently and creatively. Web 2.0 can be a fantastic way to implement non-linear content within the classroom. Using Google Drive to collaborate and share essays, blogs, podcasts, and even lessons can be a highly effective tool for student-centered learning. By empowering students to be the agents of their own education, as well as supplying both students and teachers with the proper background and skills to utilize these technologies, the linear dynamic of the classroom could have the potential to be a catalyst for divergent and critical thinking. 

History of Technology in English

Books continue to be a highly influential,yet in many cases antiquated, medium which instill schooling's implicit curriculum- not very different from the lessons taught from McGuffey's Eclectic Reader.

Fakebook

I recently discovered a new technological tool which I plan to implement into my classroom as I student teach. This semester, the first novel my eighth grade students will be reading is Of Mice and Men, which we plan on beginning the second week of October. While I personally find this to be a fantastic read, John Steinbeck being one of my favorite authors, I cannot be so sure that my students will feel the same way. For this reason, I have been searching for ideas to infuse into my lesson plans, so as to make the novel both more palatable, as well as relatable- even further, enjoyable!

From my research, I discovered a tool which many English teachers have been implementing with great success, called "Fake"book. Fakebook is a website that imitates Facebook in form, which I plan to use as a unit long project, which aims to focus on character development throughout the novel. While Of Mice and Men is primarily character driven, I believe that a lesson which focuses on analysis of these characters will be beneficial for students' overall understanding of Steinbeck's novel. By using this tool, I believe that the characters will come to life for students via Fakebook, a technology that will make characters and their development palatable and concrete.

My plan is to break up each class into six groups, one group per character (Lennie, George, Candy, Curly, Slim and Crooks). Each group will make a Fakebook for their character, each Fakebook consisting of a "profile picture", an "about me" section, "personal information" (name, age, employment, where they live, relationship status, ect.). The "about me" will be an elaborate written description in the voice of the character, also having specific requirements which will be met by the end of the project/novel. The "about me" will change and become more involved throughout the unit as the character progressively during reading-becoming more elaborate and "layered", along with their relationship with the character. By the end of the novel, the person viewing the profile should have a holistic understanding of the character which coincides with Steinbeck's depiction, according to the novel.

Each character, or group, will be required to post three "status updates" per week. The statuses posted will be direct quotes from the novel (said by their character), which students deem important to the plot, major themes present in the novel, as well as their character's development.

Fakebook allows the administrator (teacher) to link related pages with one another. Each character will "befriend" the remaining five characters, allowing groups to interact and submit posts to one another. I find this a very handy which can be a catalyst for students to think critically about their character, while they will have to pose thought provoking questions to one another each week , answering  the questions in they way which they believe their character would respond- empathizing with, as well as analyzing their characters motives and conflicts as if it were their own.

Any possible way to get students interested and engaged in the classroom is absolutely imperative, especially in an English classroom in which analysis is reached mainly through discussion (not to mention that English does not tend to be most students' favorite subject).The integration of technology in the classroom should be used, in my opinion, only when it is beneficial to students overall comprehension and engagement with the topic (teaching typing in first grade, for example, is unnecessary and excessive to me) and I believe that Fakebook can be used as an effective tool to promote productive group work, character analysis, and deciphering of themes and key elements, which makes it an effective technology to utilize within the classroom.

Technology Autobiography

One cannot deny the importance as well as influence of technology on our daily lives. Through our daily travels, communications and activities, it is impossible not to encounter a form of technology, whether it be driving a car or flipping a light switch. As a person strongly influenced by the Arts, my relationship with technology, specifically in the world of the Arts, is one of strong polarities. I understand the value of technology and appreciate its advancements in the medical world, sciences, as well as modern daily conveniences. The windows of opportunity are endless from the vantage point we have positioned ourselves at in when considering both creativity and discovery. And yet, when I sit among a circle of friends, and rather than sharing ideas, beliefs, experiences, or any kind of organic human interaction, I often find myself staring at a group of individuals unaware of their surroundings because they are too busy twiddling away at their i(phone, pad, pod, fill in the blank). Without responsible technology use, being constantly connected turns to over stimulation and isolationism. And yet, the unlimited access to an infinitesimal amount of free information is a great equalizer and can be used for wonderful purposes. Its implementation in the classroom is both successful as well as crucial when used correctly, and can be a great tool to connect students to the subject.

Throughout the course of my life, books have been the most essential and influential technology. As a young child, my mother would read to my brother and I daily, which fostered a long-term love of reading. I always connected most to authors and poets were able to manipulate characters, language and themes and make them both simple yet unbelievably concise. It takes an incredible amount of awareness and fine tuning to capture an idea, emotion or circumstance which many have shared and stitch an image with language to make it concrete and specific. This is the art of writing which infatuates me. A book is a technology which constantly informs us of what it means to be a single component within a larger macrocosm, the common  connection being the human condition. From it, we learn to empathize with the experiences we all share, as well as introducing us to those which we have not had the chance to encounter.

In second place, I chose the pen, because it is the technology which enables expression. Without it, I could never materialize my thoughts and perceptions. While a book provides a window to insight and creativity, it is a technology which one observes; the pen allows me the physical and visual process I need to actually create and elaborate-doing rather than absorbing. While some are able to immediately translate their ideas from their mind to the computer, I do not work most efficiently doing so. In order for my thoughts to be produced in the most concise and fluid manner, I must first free write, then create an outline to collect my thoughts- the physical act of writing helps me to produce, while visually seeing my idea on paper helps me to organize, add and eliminate. By becoming aware of these tendencies, I have learned that in order to learn new information and retain it, it is imperative for me to write it down- thus making the pen an essential tool for my learning.

I choose the computer as my third most essential technology with great caution. My love for this technology far exceeds my hate for it, though I am overly conscious of not abusing the computer for its alluring yet unproductive abilities. The impermanence and constant evolution of the computer and its abilities amazes me, in that its uses and bounds are more or less limitless. What frightens me is the growing dependence on this alluring tool- having no sense of direction due to a dependence on GPS, not having the ability to communicate coherent thoughts to one another due to constant impersonal communication via a lifeless technology, the impending death of the art and personology of the handwritten word, ect. And yet, like most dysfunctional relationships, I must admit to the beauty of a technology which allows any person the access to limitless information regarding just about any topic. I use the internet to inform myself of topics which are important to me, such as politics, current events, educational discussions, as well as a means of answering questions and exploring topics I have very little familiarity with. Unlike the book and pen, the computer is an extrinsic means of learning new information, which creates an important balance.

Like the majority of the young people who shared their most influential technology, these technologies are ingrained in who I am. Without them, it would be difficult to internalize information and express what I have deduced. Life as I know it, as well as the lives of the young people in the video, would not be the same without these essential technologies- for they are a part of how we identify ourselves, and the means of which we do so.   

Hello there, my name is Suzanne and I am currently an English Education major at Montclair State University. I believe literature and poetry are crucial forms of expression because it teaches us to empathize with one another through an awareness of the human condition, as well as providing the opportunity to acquaint ourselves with new perspectives. My passion for literature and poetry encompasses a large array of subjects and authors, from Hesse, to Kincaid, Stevens, Murukami and Bradbury (among many others). I very much look forward to sharing my eclectic passion for literature and writing with my future students, and hope to incorporate their own passions into my lessons so as to engage and interconnect with different strengths and backgrounds in the pursuit of creating life long learners.