So I am thinking more and more about this collaborative project. I am still in the designing phase because I really want a solid project that will result in loads of learning. Low goals, eh?
The project must be scalable, which speaks a lot to how I design the use of web tools. I’ve made mistakes in how I designed wiki architecture in the past, so here’s to not repeating them.
What I’d like help with are the essential questions. The theory goes that this project is to help us understand our own culture as well as by reading the responses of others, understand other cultures as well. Since I am a foreign language teacher, this is at the heart of what I teach, outside of basic vocabulary.
I think I’ll divide my class into small groups, each focusing on one of the essential questions. I have not decided how to have my class answer (that comes after this step) nor do I have a clue as to how to assess it. That also comes later. I’ll keep you posted on my thoughts and ask for your help along the way.
I am not sure of the title, as the domain is already taken. I am thinking of a new title so I will go back and tag this later.
So here are the essential questions, please help me figure out if this is a good start!
Overall essential question: What is culture and how does it affect who I am?
Sub-questions:
- How is culture affected by imported products?
How is culture being lost by the invasion of western culture?- How is culture being affected by the United States of America? (for schools outside the USA)
- How is culture being affected by other countries (choose a country or region)? (for schools inside the USA)
- How is culture being affected by tourism?
- How is culture being affected by television?
- How is culture being affected by immigrations/migrations?
- How is culture being affected by the Internet?
- How is culture being affected by mobile phones?
Your turn!
Chris
Update: Changed question 2 as noted.
I’m looking at doing a collaboration centered around these questions:
# global warming
# Multi-user Virtual Environments
# student networking
# handheld learning devices
# privacy/copyright
# Massively Multi-user Online Games
# A.I. or artificial intelligence
# Nanotechnology
These are topics, not questions, on purpose. I do not want to define the topics, but allow the students who collaborate to do so. So far ddraper is in. Would you like in on the planning wiki as well? I need all the help I can get!
Don’t forget the old questions…
* How is culture sustained?
* What is the difference between “levels” of culture — family, region, nation, etc…
* Is culture more than tradition?
I like what you are doing here; foreign language classes are such a natural place to explore cultural issues, at home and abroad. I would recommend rewording your second question.
Of the set, this one is the only question with loaded, implied-value language. “How is culture being lost by the invasion of western culture?” Perhaps, “How is culture being affected by the influx (or, rising influence) of western culture?”
For many of these questions, it would be interesting to see if students could tease out the generation gaps. Much like our country, I assume, other cultures see these various issues through a variety of lenses, and the generation gap is one with which students can easily connect.
Is the passive voice intentional here? This isn’t criticism of much substance but “How does tourism affect culture?” has more punch to it and eliminates (for my head) one hurdle between me and the answer than does “How is culture being affected by tourism?”
Dan,
I suppose it’s not intentional, it just lent itself nicely to keeping the beginning wording together to highlight the fact that we’re looking at how culture is being affected. Once I get the list hammered out, I will reword them to have more of a punch, as you have suggested. Good tip, keep it coming!
Chris
The symmetry is nice as written. If you rewrote them all in the active voice they’d maintain that symmetry at the end rather than the beginning.
“How does [blank] affect culture?”
“How does [blank] affect culture?”
“How does [blank] affect culture?”
Kind of a course in and of itself but “How does religion affect culture?” is that weird question that seems relevant no matter whether we’re admidst the industrial or information or prehistoric age.
These are all good questions. I am exploring how where the food we eat is grown affects both our culture and the cultures from where the food is grown. Connecting with Heifer International GET IT (Global Education to Improve Tomorrow) http://www.heifered.org We are connecting the cultural side to the environmental side through a math project on food miles. Would be interested in knowing how you make your international connections for collaborative projects.
Chris,
I did a culture project last year when I taught 7th grade World Geography. It was called Korea Transformers and the purpose of the project was to have students examine the effect cultural diffusion was having on their country. Let me know if you are interested in more details of the project and I’ll send you any handouts and additional information I have.