A high school ELA teacher friend reached out for some ideas of projects during this time of "distance learning." Here& #39;s what I came up with based on my own HS teaching and things that I find interesting:
1. Create your own class:

What class should be taught in high school? Give an overview of the class, essential questions that class would address, texts (broadly defined) used and why, and create a presentation of the class you& #39;d give to admin.
2. Make public history:

Create an Insta class account or hashtag and document findings from the area to record how people made sense and lived during this time; follow FERPA, obvs.

Related: https://twitter.com/CodyMillerELA/status/1242865908529410048?s=20">https://twitter.com/CodyMille...
4. Curate artifacts:

What texts (broadly defined, including tweets and TikToks) best capture and explain the current moment? Curate those texts and write mini-museum entries in a digital space, thus creating a digital museum.
5. Genre sets:

Select a genre and curate a set of texts (broadly defined) that fit into that genre: How does the text fit into the genre? How does it challenge the genre conventions? How has the genre evolved over time? Whose stories get told/marginalized in the genre?
For number 4, I& #39;m thinking about @SaraKAhmed& #39;s writing on "when the world hands us a curriculum": https://www.heinemann.com/products/e09970.aspx">https://www.heinemann.com/products/...
6. Gen Z canon:

What is defining Gen Z? What texts, events, political movements, etc. help tell the stories of your generation? What stories are dominant and what stories are missing? How does Gen Z compare to past gens? Why might that be?

Related: https://ncte.org/blog/2018/06/reimagining-the-canon-to-study-youth-culture/">https://ncte.org/blog/2018...
7. Textual adaptations:

Pick a book you read before the pandemic, create some form of adaptation for it using whatever media you& #39;d like --- applications, music, art, etc. Recontextualize and recreate the text, think about how these changes shift the narrative.
That& #39;s it. I want to add a few things:

A. Whatever you do, please don& #39;t practice shitty punitive and harsh grading policies. We& #39;re going through a pandemic. Mental and physical health must be the focus, everything else is supplementary.
B. I& #39;m throwing out ideas for projects. I don& #39;t have handouts or documents or anything else really. These are conceptual outlines. Y& #39;all are smart and know your students best, you can fill in the blanks and content.
C. Don& #39;t ask for free labor from educators, especially BIPOC, LGBTQ educators. Don& #39;t get upset when people rightfully criticize packets. Instead, critically reflect, be smart, and make positive changes to your plans!
BONUS: Go let Carly Rae Jepsen& #39;s "Run Away With Me" --- which has perhaps the BEST bridge in all of white girl pop history --- get you through this afternoon! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeccAtqd5K8&list=RDTeccAtqd5K8&start_radio=1">https://www.youtube.com/watch...
You can follow @CodyMillerELA.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled: