Sharing Cultures around the World Project Reflection

• Our project website is at the following link: https://sites.google.com/s/1079_pbYIGC3_-IOToDCYpCz5s-7RuxkM/p/1CikaPGQ_uG6FJfZic35czgGXg4fAZFhm/edit

   Sharing Cultures around the World was our collaborative project. It was intended to develop personal narrative writing skills and awareness of the cultures of others for 5th grade ESOL students. Students would also develop technology skills that would help them flatten their learning experience, reaching beyond their classroom to acquire and apply skills and knowledge. We developed a plan and resources to help students create a way to podcast and communicate with other students. 

  Our group collaborated to draft lesson outlines, overviews, activities, and learning goals for this project via FaceTime and a lot of texting.  We shared experience with English language learners and built upon that experience to create this project.

   This unit would take place over 2 months time. Students would learn the writing process and features of a personal narrative first. This would allow for collaboration with their peers in the classroom.  The peer groups would work together to brainstorm interview questions for family members and to edit each other's drafts.

  Students would learn to use Flipgrid to record themselves and respond to students in other classrooms, discussing their cultures.  The interaction would be in the formal of verbal comments recorded as responses to the initial posting. Flipgrid was chosen for its ease of use and the secure nature of the platform. Only those with the specified email domain can view the videos and respond. We included the student page for resources and would provide direct instruction for the technology tools that would be used. Digital citizenship and global collaboration skills would be reinforced during this unit as students learn about and share cultures.  The commenting process as directed by the teacher would be monitored for engagement, participation, and the appropriateness of content.

  Engaging young learners in this way would be a memorable process as they venture out of the classroom to communicate with older generation (parents), share their culture with others, and learn about other students' cultures that are not in their immediate classroom environment.