For video resources, I stuck with old reliable, Youtube. I checked out SchoolTube and TeacherTube, but both seemed a bit slow and "clunky." While, overall, the educational quality of the items were better on SchoolTube and TeacherTube, I don't think my students and their .3 second attention span would navigate this resource. I did, however, enjoy the PSB LearningMedia resource. It was easy to navigate and included great resources. My next major writing assignment is an informational public service announcement and with the use of youtube and PBS LearningMedia, I have found a number of interesting teaser videos to get students interested in the topics provided. For example, food deserts, which are plaguing urban areas and environmental racism.
I found a few good resources on TWICE related to Shakespeare and Romeo and Juliet (A major text in my 9B class). For instance, Rutgers Camden Center for the Arts presentation on Romeo and Juliet. Here, they will video conference and help students better understand the performance aspects of the play, specifically Shakespeare's ability to take his literature to emotional extremes. Another example from TWICE is the Life of William Shakespeare. Here, we have the opportunity to learn more about the Life and Times of William Shakespeare and experience how his writing shaped and changed modern literature. Both of these opportunites on CapSpace allow students to "step" outside of the classroom and modify their learning experience. Both lessons enable students to get instant feedback from experts. A new, authentic, audience also helps students to be more fully engaged and experience the content and lesson in a new way.
In Composition, students write, write, and write some more. My class is currently wrapping up their argumentative essays and we have been working on final editing skills. I had my class look through the Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. They needed to listen to one podcast related to an aspect of their writing THEY needed to improve. On the final draft of their essay they had to highlight the improvements they had made in their essay (rhetorical appeals, sentences structures, and then THEIR podcast choice). Students enjoyed having some say in what podcast they listened to and picking a topic they wanted to improve. This lesson is augmenting learning because it is encouraging student centered learning, in which students choose their own lesson. When students are in control of the lesson they are more engaged.