Project+Specs,+CCI

** Description: **
The Collaborative Critical Inquiry approach (Cummins & Sayers, 1995) builds on the well-known and extensive research that supports the success of cooperative learning and student inquiry in promoting higher-order cognitive and academic skills. Add in social media and networking technologies and you have an updated approach that promises rich learning dividends. We will engage in six Collaborative Critical Inquiries (CCIs) during the semester. The first on developing a framework is the most elaborate and is described here step-by-step. The second on literary quality is unique for its use of VoiceThread. The others follow the typical format of reading and posting a reflective essay to a blog and then joining in a live, virtual seminar to culminate the discussion.

** CCI to Develop a Framework for Learning Through Literature **
The framework of learning through literature rests solidly on theories that have guided pedagogy through the 20th century. To begin our work in learning through literature, we will engage in a collaborative critical inquiry dedicated to exploring the question of how we can help every student learn through literature to ensure that he develops to his fullest potential academically, achieves an improved social future, and participates fully in a democratic society and the pursuit of social justice. Obviously our learning goals are ambitious. We’ll use VoiceThread for our dynamic, collaborative critical inquiry because it offers the ability for us to add our thinking to the texts that we research to construct our opinions. Our voices become part of the collective creativity of the group.

Wave 1 / Slide 1: Expert Contribution

Theory Expert Contribution is well-organized, substantive, concise, and creative. Consider Pink’s Six Elements of Creativity as you plan your commentary. Remember the 2-minute rule!

Wave 2 / Slide 2: Synthesis

Everyone reviews the VoiceThread and posts a synthesis. Synthesis demonstrates a thoughtful consideration of the theories and a compelling rationale for how several connect and support learning through literature.

Wave 3 / Slide 3: Open Mic

Open Mic offers the opportunity to experiment with responses to the comments of others. Successful contributions will extend our thinking and open up new areas of conversation for our live class seminar. The possibilities are wide open.

Wave 4: LIVE Class Seminar

Contributions to the LIVE class seminar reflect an understanding of the VoiceThread results and effort to extend and apply the learning.

** Specific Objectives **
1.1 Apply learning theories to instructional design including social constructivism, multiple intelligences, Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy, creativity and engagement. 1.2 Apply reader response theory to instructional design 1.3 Apply critical literacy to instructional design and current issues in YAL 1.4 Explain the critical literacy and social justice connection and how literature can serve as a bridge 1.5 Design learning experiences that operationalize the teaching of creativity 1.6 Use technology and media to engage students and help them develop new literacies and communication skills. 3.1 Practice participatory learning through media production for the Web 3.2 Use Web 2.0 and Web 3D tools to collaborate on projects


 * Possible Points: ** 5 points per CCI

** Directions Checklist for Developing a Framework for Learning Through Literature **
For this Collaborative Critical Inquiry process:

__ Wave 1, Theory Expert Contribution __ Step 1: Each of you will be invited to contribute what you know about one of the theories/concepts that we will study. I’ll use your Funds of Knowledge Inventory to invite you to focus on a theory that seems appropriate and may add others that you suggest. Theories/concepts include: Common Core Pedagogical Foundations Connectivism Critical Literacy and Social Justice Critical Reflection Dual Coding Engagement Creativity Reader Response Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (and Scaffolding) Schema Social Constructivism Participatory Learning (Henry Jenkins) Multiple Intelligences (Howard Gardner)

Again, you may also request to add another literacy, literature, or learning theory that you think is relevant.

Step 2: Each of you will study in depth the resources provided for your theory plus others that you would like to share.

Step 3: Then you will contribute what you understand about your theory that relates to learning through literature in a concentrated sound byte (max 2 minutes) to the first slide of the Learning Through Literature VoiceThread.

__ Wave 2, Inquiry Synthesis __ Step 4: Review the theories and then proceed to Slide 2 where you will post a comment that serves as a synthesis of what you will take away from this VoiceThread project about how these theories can be integrated into a strong framework for learning through literature with young adults. Remember to condense your thoughts into no more than a 2-minute commentary.

__ Wave 3, Open Mic __ Step 5: Read everyone’s synthesis and respond with a thoughtful commentary that builds on the thinking to extend the conversation and raise interesting questions we may discuss in our LIVE Class Seminar.

Tips on Responding to VoiceThread Mini-Podcasts:

Bill Ferriter has an excellent VoiceThread tutorial []In which he describes four types of responses based on the work of Konrad Glogowski’s system of reflective blogging: * Highlight a comment from our Voicethread conversation that closely matches your own thinking. Why does this comment resonate---or make sense to---you? * Highlight a comment from our Voicethread conversation that you respectfully disagree with. If you were to engage in a conversation with the commenter, what evidence/argument would you use to persuade them to change their point of view? * Highlight a comment from our Voicethread conversation that challenged your thinking in a good way and/or made you rethink one of your original ideas. What about the new comment was challenging? What are you going to do now that your original belief was challenged? Will you change your mind? Will you do more researching/thinking/talking with others? * Highlight the strand of conversation from our Voicethread conversation that was the most interesting or motivating to you. Which ideas would you like to have more time to talk about? Why? What new topics does this conversation make you want to study next? (Ferriter, Digitally Speaking: VoiceThread). And I’ll add one more specific to this theory and praxis theme: * Highlight a comment that you think holds particular relevance for your practice and explain why it inspires you.

Wave 4, LIVE Class Seminar Step 6: Before we meet for our real-time seminar and synthesis of this Theory and Praxis VoiceThread, reflect on what you’ve taken from the VoiceThread to prepare your response to this seminar question: How can I use the Learning Through Literature Theory and Praxis Framework to ensure that all of my students become fully literate in ways that will help them reach their fullest academic potential, achieve successful social futures, and participate in the democratic process and the pursuit of social justice? Step 6: Participate fully in the real-time seminar devoted to this Collaborative Critical Inquiry. Step 7: Reflect and self-assess in your RAP on our first Collaborative Critical Inquiry.

** Rubric for CCI on Developing a Framework for Learning Through Literature **
Link to Rubric for RAP
 * Target 5 pts. **

Criterion Wave 1: Expert Contribution Theory Expert Contribution is well-organized, substantive, concise, and creative. Consider Pink’s Six Elements of Creativity as you plan your commentary. Remember the 2-minute rule!

Wave 2: Synthesis Synthesis demonstrates a thoughtful consideration of the theories and a compelling rationale for how several connect and support literacy and literature learning.

Wave 3: Open Mic Open Mic offers the opportunity to experiment with responses to the comments of others. Successful contributions will extend our thinking and open up new areas of conversation for our live class seminar.

Wave 4: LIVE Class Seminar Contributions to the LIVE class seminar reflect an understanding of the VoiceThread results and effort to extend and apply the learning.

Self-Assessment Thoughtfully and thoroughly completed.