Salem High School

Jennifer Blais and Marie Finnegan-Copen

Combine Course: Literacy and Technology

Possible Course Title: Digital, Language, and Media Literacy

This course will combine English 11 and a Technology Elective

This model provides for more direct instructional opportunities where ITSE standards are concerned than a normal secondary classroom setting, especially in digital citizenship, which is difficult to address at the high school level. Additionally, the uniqueness and contemporary nature of the materials from the English side will help promote more modern connections and stimulate students to produce more global perspectives while simultaneously developing their technology skills where communication and collaboration are concerned.
While all aspects of the gradute profile are addressed in this model, ISTE Standards will specifically combine with 11.1, 11.2, and 11.8 to create digital citizens who are global communicators and collaborators, cross-culturally competent learners and citizens, and able to use digital media to promulgate social responsibility.
Students will--

develop a healthier relationship with media
analyze current global topics with objectivity,
formulate scholarly and academic arguments supported by research,
use technology to communicate AND collaborate appropriately according to purpose,
incorporate writing skills into presentations and other media to present research,
use technology as a basis for communicating across the globe,
make appropriate inferences and draw conclusions,
use context to develop vocabulary and awareness of global perspective,
use media responsibly and appropriately for purpose
use technology to identify, assess, and report on global topics

We hope to create a combined year-long course that will be co-taught by both Blais and Copen where students earn both an English credit and a computer tech elective credit (similar to the combined English and history course model). Literature/writing studies will be formulated around more modern and globally relevant communications and media literacy vs. cannonized texts, while simultaneously and specifically incorporating ITSE standard strands of empowered learners, digital citizenship, knowledge constructor, innovative design and computational thinking, creative communicators and global collaborators. Skills would be assessed formatively throughout each quarter, with four specific PBLA tasks centered on these learning goals during the year. These tasks will incorporate the skills required in the English 11 curriculum as well. Students will also investigate the sway of media on social issues and events and the ethical nature therein. Technology will specifically be used to communicate and collaborate vs. being used solely by individuals to complete assignments, which comprises about 75-80% of how they are used normally. Blais and Copen will use their combined talents and knowledge to design a curriculum to drive this course.

The main focal points of this course would be:

Investigate the ethics involved in global media
Innovative design and productivity via technology
Using technology specifically to identify + solve problems by creating new, useful, or imaginative solutions
Investigate, analyze, and evaluate the reciprocal effect of media on culture and vice versa

We will break these down in the planning stage to determine which English and ITSE objectives correlate to each of the above core standards for this course.

This venture will require a block of instructional time for the course (possibly a 2-block period in the master schedule), common planning time during the year for co-teachers, and possibly funding for the incorporation of the LUV (Level Up Village) Global partnership initiative that engages in pairing students with others students around the world--a 21^st century penpal program.

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