GAME ON

          My wiki plans are moving along, and I am enjoying the process. I am establishing a page for students to respond to various quotes relating to poetry, a practice we generally do in class in our daily journals, as well as one on which I will pose queries or riddles. For example I would post a copy of Robert Frost’s classic, “The Road Not Taken”, and would ask my learners to name the current pop/rock hit song that makes reference to this poem. Perhaps I could offer extra credit to bolster participation, at least until they’re hooked. Another page would ask students to contribute appropriate song lyrics that meet the characteristics of poetry we discuss in class, noting literary devices and the like, and how they add to the understanding and enjoyment of the words and song itself. Depending upon pupil response, I will establish parameters for participation and thus, assessment. In addition, I would like to develop a page for contributions of various types and genres of poetry, including romantic, nature, haiku, limerick, narrative, and so on. Required submissions will engage learners in the independent reading of poetry and hopefully ignite their interest. I would ask that they make postings every two weeks. I am also looking into making this a year long project, rather than a traditional unit. In this way I can add items to the wiki as we go, keep content alive all year, and buy some time to capture the curiosity of those reluctant learners I will undoubtedly encounter with this topic.  I would include pages dedicated to literary devices that students can contribute to, including those they encounter in their readings, or those they create on their own, something we practice in class and that seems to hold their attention. Finally, there will most certainly be a page for students to display their own poetic works, incorporating an area for their peers to comment.

           This week’s video resources helped me brainstorm some other ideas that would include the downloading, on my part, or that of my learners, images or music that they think would complement the understanding or interest in a particular piece of poetry (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). I think it would be another way to entice students to get involved and express themselves. I know from using our textbooks, that students tend to flock to those selections that are accompanied by a photo or drawing, so the hope is that by adding their own they will read carefully, making sure that their contributions are suited to the words of the poet. All of these ideas are, of course, aimed at attaining the content area standards I need to address each year, as per Cennamo & Ertmer (2010), but they are also meant to light the fires of learning, including self-directed learning, within my students.

          Knowing that my pupils can access the wiki at any time is encouraging, as they often tell me that they are bored at home and surf the web looking for things to keep themselves occupied. For this reason, I think they will become involved on their own, for whatever reasons, as long as they eventually do so! If they do not feel like I am cramming poetry down their throats in my allotted forty-two minutes a day they might accept it more readily. We’ll see.

References

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Program number ten. Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas [Motion picture]. Spotlight on Technology:  Social Networking and Collaboration. Part 1. Baltimore: Author.

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