Ms. Rumble's Portfolio
Standard #5:
Innovative Applications of Content
The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical/creative thinking and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.
Artifact #1: Context Research
Description: In order for students to get some context on The Things They Carried, I created an in-class mini research project to present to the class. The class divided into small groups and I assigned each group with an area of research for Vietnam and the Vietnam War. During class, they became “experts” in their field of research and came up with a mini presentation to share what they learned to the class. Fields of research included technology/inventions, America's involvement, historical events, the country's profile, etc.
Rationale: Getting some context on a novel can really give some insight into the plot, and why characters act the way they do. The Things They Carried is set in wartime Vietnam, so I thought it would be helpful to do a little history lesson in English class. We read books in order to understand people and to experience time periods we never lived through; books are artifacts. So doing this activity allowed the students to get in the right mindset so they could better understand the novel and its characters.
Artifact #2: Community Service Project
Description: As a final project for I Am The Messenger, the students had to go do a community service and write a reflective narrative of their experience. They had to reflect on what service they provided, how they felt during the experience, and the reactions of those involved. Then, they had to connect their experience to the novel in some way. The only way to be able to make these connections was through their understanding of the major themes in the novel, including the theme of humanity. Students also included photos of their experience.
Rationale: I have always been in full support of involving the community in student learning. With the major theme being humanity (and Kindness Week occurring at the same time), I thought a community service project would be a great way to extend the students’ learning beyond the classroom. The students were actively taking their understanding of the novel and deliberately taking notice of the connections in their own life experience. The context of learning had shifted from our classroom in Mt Blue Campus to the real world, which is a powerful transition to take part in.
