Week One: Things Fall Apart Today we’ll meet in class to discuss the kick-off of our blended pilot. YES! The beginning is finally here!Our whole group will attend in our usual small (but charming and inviting!) space, Room 262.
Here’s our agenda:Guidelines for participating in a blended course. Here’s the power point:Intro to Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. This is our first unit of 4th quarter. Here’s the power point:
Here’s the homework:
Watch this week’s overview video on Tokbok here. In this video, when I say “Ning,” I really mean “Moodle.” I recorded it before I had decided on a platform. All the other information is still correct.
TokBox – Free video chat and video messaging
Read Ch. 1-2 of Things Fall Apart
Finish key-word notes Decide whether you’d like to attend either of tomorrow’s sessions, which include a tech help session (on how to use Moodle, how to make a video blog, and just generally how to deal with this new blended environment) and list-group-label of Ibo terms. This will be a great session to attend if you feel you might have trouble reading the Ibo words in the text.
Review weekly schedule here . This document includes homework assignments and attendance requirements.
Here’s the power point we’ll discuss on Thursday or Friday:
BY REQUEST:
Here are some items that people requested that I post:
First, here’s a link to the SIRS link on the EHS Website. From there, click on the SIRS box. The username from school is MN0307. From home, it’s MN0307h. The password from both locations is 55439.
Second, here’s the link to Tokbox for recording video blogs. Here’s how to do it: Create a free acount. Then click, “Send a Video Message.” Once you record a video, you have to send it to someone. I usually send it to my own email address. Then, go to “Messages,” and choose “Sent Messages.” Select your video, click “Share,” and then you’ll get a link and an embed code. Either should work on Moodle. Ask me if you have questions!
Because of the MCA testing this week, we’re on a different schedule. Be sure to check out the overview document and video. One downside to this week’s schedule is that there won’t be any optional sessions this week. If you do have individual questions or needs, please ask me in person or send me an email or comment in a forum or tweet me or… you get the idea.
We’ll begin our usual Monday session with some tips and reminders for the MCA exam. Here’s the power point
Our other big project is our third podcast. We’ll be finalizing scripts on Wednesday and recording on Thursday and Friday. This time around, each group will be recording and editing their own segment using Audacity. I think this will be fun. Of course, I think everything is fun. Mr. Walker, our technology integration specialist, has prepared this handout to help with Audacity. You can either print it or just have it open on your computer when you’re working.
Here’s this week’s overview video. I look really tired in this video, and REALLY horrible in the still. But, as we all know, vanity is not a great trait; so I’m posting it anyway:
We’ll be finishing Things Fall Apart this week. The primary instructional strategy will be the Paideia Seminar, which many of you have requested. Two of these seminars (Monday and then either Thursday or Friday) will be required. The optional Tuesday session this week is a Paideia on Folktales and Proverbs. This is an enrichment session, as opposed to an “extra help” session. Here’s the power point for the optional session: