Summary
Learning is defined as the acquiring of knowledge, while teaching is defined as the imparting of knowledge. In this lesson, students transition from the role of learner to the role of teacher, thus demonstrating mastery of the subject matter. After an intense study of the elements of literature and their role in the craft of storytelling, students will create engaging, interactive lessons with the objective of teaching these elements to younger students. Specifically, they will demonstrate the role that characterization, setting and plot conflict play in the creation and comprehension of a great story. These lessons will be shared electronically with fourth graders at a neighboring elementary school. After the younger students engage in the provided lessons, they will respond by creating their own characters, settings and conflicts that might be used in a story. They will send their responses electronically back to the sixth graders who will use them in the creation of original stories written especially for the younger students. Story books will be created online and sent back to the fourth graders for their enjoyment.
TIPC Ratings
Developing – Student teams determined what questions they needed to research and what resources were needed to best ensure that their lesson was appropriate and useful to their fourth grade counterparts. Teams completed research on their own and vetted their information before having their English teacher proof their pedagogy research findings.
Ideal – Students determined the types of experts needed to teach the elements of a story and to create a story collaboratively. Then, students assigned themselves to the expert group that matched their talents (Creative Writing Specialists, Artistic Advisors, Lesson Planners, Website Analysts and Technology Wizards). Students also assembled teams with representatives from all five of the talent teams. These teams used digital communications tools (Padlet, Google presentations, Google Docs, storybird.com, storyjumper.com and Skype) in order to accomplish the tasks associated with their project. The culminating feedback session with the elementary students will help students reflect on their pedagogy, storytelling, and communication so they may set goals for future writings.
Approaching – In creating this collaborative story, students will use their critical thinking skills to plan this project and they will use their problem solving skills to mitigate obstacles that arise. Students determined the tasks necessary to be successful with their story and they determined how to share responsibility for completing the tasks. Electronic communication tools were used to assist with their decision making, reflections and goal setting activities, which occurred often throughout the lesson informally and also with a formal, culminating video-conference reflection.
Ideal – In all aspects of this project, students had to call upon their creativity and innovation skills. Students worked collaboratively and relied on critical thinking skills to create a project plan and roles to accomplish the plan. As a culmination, students synthesized their knowledge, the input of the younger students and their newly gained knowledge of the elements of literature in order to create an original story with artwork and with electronic delivery.
Student Artifact
