Topics to Explore
April 30, 2008 by Intrepidteacher
Okay we are off to a good start. We already have a few people getting involved, who are bringing a nice range of topics to explore. Some of you I have met in person, while others I am meeting for the first time online. If we are to build a small community here it is a good idea to meet each other. I have started a blogroll in the sidebar of the blogs of people who have responded thus far, please take a minute and check them out.
Below, I am also going to start a list of suggested topics so far. Please leave a comment about how you want to further investigate each topic or add a new topic. I will in italics write what direction I will take each topic. Remember I have a social justice and peace activism agenda, but we can go in any direction teh class would like to go.
- Journalism ( 1. The role of corporate mass media and the control it has on information. 2. The role of the read and write web and traditional journalism)
- Poetry ( Political poetry and the power of the word to bring about awareness and change)
- Sustainability
- Music (Musicians as activists. Who is working for a better world through their music?)
As I write this, I am thinking about this classroom will work. My brain is spinning with ideas. I may start a Wikipage and list the topics there, so that participants can simply leave their findings and thoughts on the page directly, but in the meantime please leave all ideas in the comment box below.
I will write a post on one of the topics in the coming days and start to share some authors, musicians, and other artists with you soon. Remember you can always write a post on your own blog and simply leave a link here for others to read.
Closing instructions for this post:
- Read the blogs from the blogroll and leave some comments for each writer. Get to know each other!
- Look at the four topics already presented and think about what you alreay know about each topic and list what more you want to learn.
- Share your thoughts either in the comment box or as a blog post with a link here.
- Add new topics and or links.
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I guess the wikispace for sharing active work could be held in http://youthnet.wikispaces.com/ . This site was created a while ago but we didn’t find that much usage of it due to lack of participants.
Another topic I want to suggest is History & social science. I’m particularly interested in that subject in school and would love to share ideas.
I’m not sure if my students will be able to actively participate from school, but your topics would fit in well with my Current Events agenda (I invent the curriculum as I go).
I’ll see what sparks I can generate!
diane
Art could be a good one to explore… and how it ties in with some music.
HI,
Well for me poetry is one the go. I mean I love writing poems but I’m often told that my poems are too simple. I would like to learn how to change those simple words into words that, as I put it, touch the soul.
I would also like journalism. I’m currently tacking class called Mass, Media and Me. I’m really learning how the media is controlling everyone through Propaganda.
I’m also open to History. Relating history to todays problems is what everyone should do.
Another this I suggest is Global Issues. I understand that Sustainability is a global issue but why not cover a bigger range and look at all the problems around you.
If you would like to see my blog for poetry check here
http://panda2.learnerblogs.org/
If you would like to see our schools Global Issues blog then check here. Me and my friend Nabila are both taking care of it now after Mr.R left.
http://globalissuesclub.learnerblogs.org/
- Leila
But poetry can sometimes take months to complete. And I normally only write one- or two-liners. ‘Cause I’m cool like that. But it’s still a very interesting subject — what about expanding it to a certain subject and finding poetry and it’s relevance as well as analysis?
BTW, I love the first lesson — very interesting and I have a lot to write about to both answer the questions and discuss the actual body of the post. May I just suggest, though, not to have assignments that ask for students to record themselves singing, because I have a feeling that a few of us, myself included, do not have the equipment to make a decent *.mp3/*.mp4/that other one for Quicktime song file (not that I’d be any good at it anyway, but it’s better not to add insult to injury).
Maybe just as an extra fun thing to do? It scared me slightly when I saw it under the list of homework. I know that anything here is optional, technically, but I still feel obligated to record something. But, armed with nothing but an entertainment laptop with a smashing graphics card (nVidia GeForce 8400 GT = the love) and not a very good microphone, I don’t know if I could do a very good job at it.
But just my two cents… and covering liturature and it’s influence of politics of it’s time would be interesting as well!
@Julia you said, “May I just suggest, though, not to have assignments that ask for students to record themselves singing, because I have a feeling that a few of us, myself included, do not have the equipment to make a decent *.mp3/*.mp4/”
I just thought it would be fun to try some things out. You are such a perfectionist. It is okay to just doings things for their own sake, but if you don’t feel comfortable that is fine. I would love to hear you sing a Dylan song on whatever equipment you could find.
Hey don’t forget to leave a link to your blog post. Here…..
@Soojin I love the idea of using youthnet. Let’s talk it over w/ Lindsea and see how we can make that work. If not I will create a wiki just for “work” done in this class.
maybe we can just make an Intrepid Classroom page on the youthnet wiki! That way we can get some free press and a connection with as many students as we can…I like this idea.
Hello… long time since I’ve been commenting.
Intrepid Classroom is alot like your classroom back then. The environment is really similar. I like the thought of starting a class in your blog.
Anyways,.. I think that sometimes poetry and music can go hand-in-hand. Sometimes you can see poetry in lyrics of most songs.
Sustainability is also very interesting. That will bring up a great discussion. Like Leila said (I mean typed) earlier.. Mr. J and Mr.R are handing the blog to us.. so it’s a big responsibility. But you can check out some little details we’ve done here: http://www.globalissuesclub.learnerblogs.org
But music will probably what I would be really into. I’ve been downloading songs into my iPod like crazy now.
–Nabila
I believe among all the topics mentioned above, I do believe that Journalism is a topic that we should cover as a class. The reason why the class should do Journalism is because in our society, we are always getting news around the world by medias such as CNN, BBC etc, and that we tend to rely on the medias around us that we do not question the media for its OPVL (Origin Purpose Value Limitations) and also we are always getting news around the world by medias that many of us do not know how media effect the society, so therefore i believe that we should cover Journalism. I also believe that as a class, we should cover “current issues”. Many teenagers around the world are not fully aware of what is happening around the world that we live in today, and that if all of us would like to be a Global Citizen, then we should start by being aware of current issues such as illicit human organ trade, child labor, euthanasia, poverty etc… There are many more issues that are not mentioned and by covering current issues, i believe that we can start calling ourselves a “Global Citizen”
HI intrepid teacher!
in your opinion what do you think should be the most important thing we learn here in the classroom? I know you want us to learn about art and poetry and music, and it all seems very exiting. Thanks for the teaching!