Reflection
Looking back at the ten lesson plans I developed, I would say I am pretty satisfied. I do, however, wonder whether seventh grade students would have the time to do all the readings and assignments. I did notice that this is a pretty intense unit in terms of the amount of material covered, heavy workload, as well as the level of media analysis required, so I tried my best to break questions down and guide students in their thought process. I believe there is a graduation in the intellectual level of questions and assignments as the unit moves forward, and this could be regarded as a teaching tool in and of itself. I also trust that seventh grade students have a strong critical thinking capacity, and I am basing this on my own Saturday school students. I say this because at times, I was wondering if I was digging too deep into some issues, and would end up reminding myself halfway through the lesson that this is exactly the way I already teach, so there is no need to panic.
One challenge in designing a lesson plan is to fit it into a timeframe, and never had this challenge felt so difficult! My lessons are sixty minutes long each, but truth be said, they are sixty minutes short. I wish I had two hours during which I could cover all the material I wanted at a more relaxed pace. I was, for example, unable to fit presentations or screenings into class time, so I resorted to having Lunch Bag Seminars; an idea inspired by my Global Education and Social Justice professor at McGill, Dr. Aziz Choudry. I thought this was a neat thing to do, not only in order to avoid eating up lesson time, but also to encourage students to display their work beyond the classroom, and in so doing increase their sense of community and achievement. A casual setting would also make it less formal, and having the entire lunch hour allows for longer discussions. Another challenge in this unit plan is the required materials. Not many schools have Macintosh computers and access to video cameras, but I would hope that one day, sooner than later, many will. Still, most teenagers today own all sorts of gadgets with which they can record videos. By guiding them to use their iPhones and digital cameras for the good of society, we give meaning to what would otherwise be regarded as a useless indulgence.
The strength of my unit plan lies, I believe, in the fact that it is based on media literacy and production. I am a strong advocate of media literacy especially because of the way it shapes our thinking. As a teacher for social justice, I cannot imagine how I can achieve my goals without the use of multimedia, as it is a powerful tool which, depending on how it is used, can either build or destroy societies. 'A picture is worth a thousand words' goes the saying, but sometimes a thousand words can in fact have an impact that puts pictures to shame. This is why I tried my best to use many forms of media, from written articles, to videos, photos, and songs. I also believe that by encouraging students to excel in multimedia production, we are not only empowering them, but also those whose voices have been silenced. In an age where anyone can post anything online at the click of a key, it seems almost unimaginable to teach without a strong emphasis on media production.
I truly enjoyed working on this unit plan and have put my heart, blood, and soul into it. Now that I've tried to develop an online plan, I appreciate how dynamic it is and how I can always add new lessons to it or modify it. I also believe that sharing ideas with fellow teachers this way makes it a much more practical and enjoyable experience. So, thanks are due to my Media Technology and Education instructor, Habib Siam, for choosing this as our final assignment!
One challenge in designing a lesson plan is to fit it into a timeframe, and never had this challenge felt so difficult! My lessons are sixty minutes long each, but truth be said, they are sixty minutes short. I wish I had two hours during which I could cover all the material I wanted at a more relaxed pace. I was, for example, unable to fit presentations or screenings into class time, so I resorted to having Lunch Bag Seminars; an idea inspired by my Global Education and Social Justice professor at McGill, Dr. Aziz Choudry. I thought this was a neat thing to do, not only in order to avoid eating up lesson time, but also to encourage students to display their work beyond the classroom, and in so doing increase their sense of community and achievement. A casual setting would also make it less formal, and having the entire lunch hour allows for longer discussions. Another challenge in this unit plan is the required materials. Not many schools have Macintosh computers and access to video cameras, but I would hope that one day, sooner than later, many will. Still, most teenagers today own all sorts of gadgets with which they can record videos. By guiding them to use their iPhones and digital cameras for the good of society, we give meaning to what would otherwise be regarded as a useless indulgence.
The strength of my unit plan lies, I believe, in the fact that it is based on media literacy and production. I am a strong advocate of media literacy especially because of the way it shapes our thinking. As a teacher for social justice, I cannot imagine how I can achieve my goals without the use of multimedia, as it is a powerful tool which, depending on how it is used, can either build or destroy societies. 'A picture is worth a thousand words' goes the saying, but sometimes a thousand words can in fact have an impact that puts pictures to shame. This is why I tried my best to use many forms of media, from written articles, to videos, photos, and songs. I also believe that by encouraging students to excel in multimedia production, we are not only empowering them, but also those whose voices have been silenced. In an age where anyone can post anything online at the click of a key, it seems almost unimaginable to teach without a strong emphasis on media production.
I truly enjoyed working on this unit plan and have put my heart, blood, and soul into it. Now that I've tried to develop an online plan, I appreciate how dynamic it is and how I can always add new lessons to it or modify it. I also believe that sharing ideas with fellow teachers this way makes it a much more practical and enjoyable experience. So, thanks are due to my Media Technology and Education instructor, Habib Siam, for choosing this as our final assignment!