If you teach literature and composition in the United Kingdom, I would like to work with you on a collaborative online project. I am teaching a semester of British Literature and Composition this fall. We will be reading selections from Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, and Arthurian legend, as well as the entirety of Macbeth.
I am not sure how to connect to UK teachers. If readers can help me out, I’d love to get your advice.
I am thinking of a blogging or wiki project.
[tags]United Kingdom, education, British literature, UK, wiki, English, blogging[/tags]
Okay, I don't live in Britain, but I was hoping you might point me towards a place that I could post my own hope for a class exchange. My students are so isolated in so many ways that I hope to find others to broaden their horizons. I was bemused to have to teach my students what Hannukah was as we read The Diary of Anne Frank. I'd be excited to help my students know more of the world.
Thanks for your help!
Check out Classroom 2.0 as a resource. I think you could really turn misunderstandings like this into an opportunity for inquiry, too. So they don't know what Hanukkah is? Research! In fact, I can envision a wiki for that book that would delve into a variety of areas where different students would need to be responsible for learning about different things and preparing a wiki page about it. For instance, one student would research Amsterdam and why so many Jews sought refuge there. See what I mean? Of course, I loved Erin Gruwell's approach to that book too: relate to what they do know and experience in their lives. Incidentally, have you heard of Michael Chabon's new book, The Yiddish Policemen's Union? I think you might find it interesting. I plan to check it out when I am done with my "have to do" reading.
All that said, I think it would be fun to set up a learning experience with your students and mine if we were able to create a suitable project that meets both our learning objectives, etc.