Blogging through the Great Depression Engaging Students in Close Textual Analysis

“A Group Without Experts” “We are a group without experts, in which, participants individually and collectively build knowledge. We hope to become a knowledge producing group which, through networking and shared experiences, builds the capacity of its members to identify and solve their own problems”. Source: Boundary Breaking C. Webber and J. Robertson

Desired Learning Outcomes Require responsibility for learning (construct their own understanding of events leading up to, during, and following The Great Depression, i.e. the Dust Bowl) Perform close textual analysis Understand how Primary and Secondary Source documents contribute to historical perspective of The Great Depression Encourage habit of interdisciplinary thinking by making connections to art, music and photography of the time Provide opportunity for Creativity and Collaboration

Millennial Learning Pedagogical “adaptations”: (Strauss and Howe; Wilson and Gerber; Pinder-Grover and Groscurth): Opportunity for student initiative Teamwork 21 st century literacy skills (informational technology, social networking) Active, engaged learning (guide on the side v. sage on the stage)

Pedagogical Rationale for Blogging Allows for collaborative building of blog Interdisciplinary – encouraging use of art, mapping, historical context and cultural references Develops higher order thinking skills of synthesis, evaluation, internal and external debate Juxtaposes historical event with most modern pedagogical approach which may be transferable to a future interest Creates a community of learners connected to one another through the blog they create, contribute to and comment upon. (Student-centered environment) Helps connect world of The Great Depression to the student’s world through the interconnectivity allowed with linking to external research. (21 st c. literacy skills)

Methodology Instructor presents general background on The Great Depression Instructor conducts close textual analysis of primary and secondary source material Students are assigned blogging groups and conduct research into a specific “focus” or lens for The Great Depression: causes, effects, art, music, geography. (Multi-pronged construction of knowledge, students are encouraged to include art, maps, interactive technology and must include textual references) Students change “focus” as they “blog” through the Unit and post their blogs for other students to comment upon. Each group presents one “focus” of the Unit to the class.

Individual Blog posts Supplement Group blogging with individual blog responses to instructor directed prompts (each session): (meta-cognition) “ How does one individual journey during The Great Depression provide insight into the overall experience of the country as a whole? Cite an example from a primary document.” “What, if any, were some of the positive aspects of this time period?” “ Compare the experiences of rural Americans with those of urban Americans.” “Examine either a poem, photograph, song or painting and describe its significance ?; what message does it convey?”

Possible Pitfalls Students do not take writing as seriously as with a formal written assignment Ethical considerations of public blogging

Assessment Did students perform close textual analysis, choosing appropriate primary and secondary source documents? (discernment) Did Blog engage the reader/viewer? (Creative, applying knowledge to new application) Did Blog make historical, cultural and literary connections between The Great Depression and the modern reader? Did Blog demonstrate critical thinking skills of analysis, synthesis and evidence of deep learning by engaging the essential questions of the Unit? Did the student uncover something original or unique that captivated the audience?

Demonstrations/Comments Grading Student samples/reflections on blogging “I feel that blogging helped me out the most when trying to understand the text. It helped me reflect on other people’s thoughts about what we learned in class and, in some cases, opened my eyes to a different perspective”. (Michael Z.) Instructor reflections on blogging: Did it allow for transformative learning?

The New Deal The End