English Composition

• Scaffolding: Before I introduced the Solidarity Project, students engaged with videos and canvas pages that supported their understanding of cognitive and confirmation bias, and they participated in discussions about how our biases inform how we interact and consume texts--thus influencing deeply held beliefs about current or historical topics. 

• Scaffolding Continued:  in our previous units, we read and discussed what is critical analysis, and students had many opportunities to distinguish and compose summary, analysis, and synthesis writing. 

Faculty with existing accounts or would like to create an account with Canvas Learning Management System click Log in to Canvas to be able to access open access creative commons pages that you can easily add to your existing canvas course shells. For instance, if you are interested in including a module for information literacy these two pages are shared by me:

• Canvas Page Cognitive and Confirmation Bias

• Misconceptions About Research

The Solidarity Project Teaching Methods Step-by-Step (feel free to go out of order):

• Solidarity and Integrity: What do these words Mean? - Google Docs 

• Assigned Readings Below and guided comprehension questions asked in discussion format, to support students' learning about ethical considerations before conducting qualitative research.

• Students also responded to this Ted Talk A Palestinian and an Israeli, Face to Face | Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon | TED
  in this Think, Write, Share in-class to facilitate a deeper engagement with what is embodied solidarity?

• Students in my English 300 class helped me simplify and clarify this prompt to ensure instructions were clear and guiding:
  The Solidarity Project Prompt: Preserving an Oral History 

• If students opt to share their stories in a podcast form use this prompt that students helped me create:
  Reporting with Integrity Podcast 

Teaching Guide and Extra Prompts for Scaffolding:

• These prompts Reflexive Research Journal Prompt & Interpreting Results in Narrative Form Prompt -were assigned after students had developed their research questions, and after having met with their interviewee at least once. The goal is for students to keep self-assessing their thinking and write reflexively about their research process as facts or incidents emerge. And too, to openly share their ideas about the topic before, during, and after the interview and research has been completed, so students can articulate how their ideas or feelings about the topic evolved or not and to ensure they can easily write (translate and construct meaning) about their results. 

• After students interpret their results in narrative form, they have the freedom to choose how they showcase their results via podcast form, video recording, or in google sites. To set students up for success, it is helpful to show students examples of previous works done by previous students before they start curating and translating their findings and to supplement their learning with how to videos or guided workshops. 

• Another option to ensure projects are centered to build on students' strengths, ask students to use a mode of communication that they already have experience in using--like Tik-Tok, Canva to create a Research Poster or Brochure, Google Slides with embedded images or links, or Google Sites. 

• The important role of the teacher is to provide students with opportunities for online or in class feedback, guidance, and peer review with clear assessment criteria on how to present their findings in a way that is easily accessible for students' audience and readers.

• For students who did not interview someone or perhaps did not do the reflexive journal, and instead use their own social positionings and lived experiences to preserve and share their perspectives or story, I encouraged students to be as detailed and transparent as possible about why their story is important, and to ensure their writing overall adheres to the final prompt of this project.