Content Specific Idea

My idea for the content specific technology integration project is to have the students create a character blog. The students will need to create the blog and then fulfill weekly assignments. Assignments include character introductions, journal entries in the voice of the character regarding things from the novel, pictures, videos, etc. This could be a project for any grade, but I see it functioning best for middle schoolers. The standard it fulfills is:

Standard 1 (Reading): Students will use vocabulary development and an understanding of
text elements and structures to comprehend literary and informational grade level text.

Objective 3 (Comprehension of Literary Text): Comprehend literature using elements of
narrative and poetic text.

b. Describe a character’s traits as revealed by the narrator (e.g., thoughts, words, speech patterns, and actions).

AND

Standard 2 (Writing): Students will write informational and literary text to reflect on and recreate experiences, report observations, and persuade others.

Objective 1 (Writing to Learn): Retell or summarize and make connections to clarify thinking through writing.

a. Retell significant events in sequence.
b. Summarize essential information from literary or informational text.
c. Connect text to self.

While any blog would work, for the purposes of simplicity I plan to use Blogger. I will turn in a student example of what the blog should look like and some examples of what it should contain.

Here is the link to the project:

http://katnisskraze.blogspot.com/

So as briefly described before, this would be an ongoing project for the entirety of reading a novel. The students could choose any character from the novel. Their page would need to include a picture of themselves (a real one, a drawn one, or one found on the internet that is applicable). The first post should be a general introduction to the character through the character's perspective. Because this is supposed to be the character's actual blog, it should ALL be in the character's perspective. From there, the students would have nightly or weekly assignments. Journals detailing thoughts and reactions to events in the novel, picture to show certain ideas or settings (again drawn or real), videos of reenactments of certain scenes from the novel. One idea that I included in my project was a playlist. What would this character listen to? It was fun to think about, and forced me to really think about the character. All of these assignments really build students' ability to connect and relate the literary idea of character. It would enhance their knowledge and interest in the novel as a whole. Plus it would serve as daily reading checks. Overall, I just really like this idea.

As for TPACK, much of that is explained above. A written journal would work much the same way, however, having a blog allows for much more range. For example the addition of pictures, videos, and playlists that would all help in better understanding and thinking like the character. Because it increases student understanding and interest, it fulfills the pedagogical ideals.