Revised Site Content for my GLP

Day by Day—My Way

Who is Right For This Project?

 “Day by Day—My Way” is a GLP for high school students, 9^th-12^th grades, 14-18 years old. 

What is “Day by Day—My Way?”

This project takes what teenagers are already doing—posting pictures and words online—and incorporates it into a project that helps participants to develop an “attitude of gratitude.”

What Technology Does the Project Require?

This project requires computers or tablets, cell phones with cameras or digital cameras, connection to the internet, as well as kidblog.org and animoto.com (free) accounts.

What Academic and Technology Skills Are Required?

Participants should possess basic narrative writing and basic technology skills.

Who is the Project Manager?

My name is Theresa Smith.  I have been a teacher with Palm Springs USD for 13 years.  I hold a California single subject clear teaching credential (CLAD) in English.  I earned my B.A. in English from California State University, San Bernardino, and I am currently working towards a master’s degree in Educational Technology from Azusa Pacific University.  I have taught middle school Language Arts and Social Studies, high school English, GED preparation, and various electives.  I am currently an English teacher at an alternative high school in Palm Springs, California.  I teach 10^th grade students in our “Opportunity” program (for students who are not finding success at traditional high school) and 10^th through 12^th grade students in our independent study program.

What is a Global Learning Project?

A global learning project is a project that connects classrooms from across the U.S. and around the world and allows them to collaborate in a dynamic way.  A global learning project is a great way for you to engage students in their learning and renew their interest in school.  Reach those students who are “checked out” by connecting them with other teens from across the U.S. and around the world.  A GLP can offer a unique and fun way to meet Common Core standards, state standards, or ISTE standards.  It is also a great way to connect with other teachers across the country and around the world, grow a professional learning community (PLC), and recharge your passion for teaching.

What academic standards does this project meet?

“Day by Day—My Way” meets the following standards:

--ISTE Standard-- ISTE 1:

Creativity and Innovation—Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.  Students:

a.       Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes

b.      Create original works as a means of personal or group expression

c.       Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues

d.      Identify trends and forecast possibilities

--CA 10^th grade ELA Writing 2.1—

Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories.

--Common Core Standard—

Writing Grades 9-10

3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

a.            Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.

b.            Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

c.             Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole.

d.            Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.

e.            Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.

What Do Teachers Need to Know?

·         Please familiarize yourself with and follow your own districts’ fair use and internet access policies.

·         Please familiarize yourself and adhere to the project’s Trust Monitor Policy.

·         All student posts will be pre-approved by you before they are available for public viewing

·         As project manager, I will also be actively monitoring the discussion and site content

·         Your students’ privacy will be honored.  Personal information, such as last names, will not be shared.

·         No harassment of any kind will be tolerated

·         Suggested lessons, writing prompts, and scoring rubrics will be provided

·         Sample posts and projects can be viewed in the student work gallery

·         Technical support, including detailed instructions and instructional videos will be provided

What Do Participants Need to Know?

·         Connect with other students in a safe, online environment

·         Learn to appreciate the positive aspects of your life

·         Share glimpses of your daily lives and special occasssions

·         Have fun while interacting with other teens and learning about other cultures

·         You are expected to observe the project’s Trust Monitor Policy and be respectful of other participants’ rights and opinions at all times.  No harassment of any kind will be tolerated

What is the Project Timeline?

“Day by Day—My Way” starts at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year.  Teachers will be connected and prepped for the project in September 2013.  The GLP runs through October and November 2013.

How do I Join the Project?

Join today by simply filling out the enrollment form on our website

Who do I contact if I have questions about the project?

If you have questions about the project, please contact me through the “Contact/Help” section of this website

Where do I access teacher materials?

Access preparation materials, including scoring rubrics and instructional videos, and student lessons in the “teacher zone”

Why Should I Participate?

Would you like your students to develop a more grateful and empathetic attitude towards themselves and others?  Would you like to help your students gain a more positive perspective of their own lives?  Would you like to help your students develop an appreciation for their family and cultural traditions?  Would you like to help your students understand how their everyday lives and special days and traditions compare with those of other teenagers across the US and the world?  The focus of this project is to help participants develop and maintain a positive attitude in their daily lives, as well as an appreciation for their family and cultural traditions. 

The global component of this project gives students opportunities that a local project cannot offer.  Interacting with teens from other parts of the U.S. and world allows participants to see how their daily lives and special days differ from those of other participants, helping them gain a knowledge and appreciation of other cultures and traditions.  Exposure to those less fortunate than themselves inspires participants to gain appreciation for their lives and what they do have, instead of focusing on what they don’t have.

This project allows participants to practice their technology skills while allowing you to sharpen yours.  Technical support is available from the project manager via email and video conferencing, such as Skype or Hangouts, video tutorials, and detailed instructions.  As project manager, I am here to help you every step of the way!

What are the Objectives of the GLP?

·         Participants will develop gratitude for the positive aspects of their daily lives

·         Participants will develop an appreciation for their family and cultural traditions

·         Participants will develop empathy for those less fortunate than themselves

·         Participants will experience/understand family and cultural traditions that are different than their own

How Do Participants Connect with One Another?

Participants connect with each other via monitored discussion forums at kidblog.org.  In the discussion forums they interact with each other by sharing their daily lives using pictures and words.  In kidblog, there are various discussion topics that span the topics of gratitude and empathy in the hope that participants will develop, or more deeply develop, these character traits.  Students also share and comment on one another’s videos at animoto.com.  There are two video themes, “A Day in the Life,” which covers students’ daily lives, and “Special Days,” which covers holidays, birthdays, and any other days the participants consider to be special or culturally significant.

How Do I Incorporate this Project Into My Curriculum?

This project can be seamlessly infused into any English or Language Arts curriculum and also many elective courses.  The narrative writing aspect of the project helps participants develop and fine tune their writing skills, while helping you meet common core English standards.  Writing rubrics help you evaluate your students’ writing.  This project builds upon what comes naturally to your students and incorporates what they are already doing online—sharing pictures and words—yet the activities are framed within the context of developing gratitude and empathy.  Students can take pride in their work, which is displayed in the student gallery on the project website. 

You have control—once you receive the participation instructions, you decide how you will incorporate it into your class within the timeline given.  You decide how often your students will post and which prompts they will respond to.  You decide if they create individual posts or if they work collaboratively in pairs or small groups.

Be a leader and the driver of global learning at your school site by joining “Day by Day—My Way.”