The idea, rationale & initial thoughts: I have taken an idea from something I read in Dembo & Bellows (2014) which is to modify a film-watching day into a more involved discussion experience by adding a digital back-channel. The page number of Dembo & Bellows was not available to me because I have the Kindle edition, but the location number is 1020. This idea speaks to me for several reasons. Firstly, I LOVE to show short video clips to my classes. I tell my students it is great to hear things from more than just one idiot! The key there was 'short' video clips. The second reason this strategy speaks to me is it helps to solve a critical dilemma. Most full-length movies span more than one 70 minute block, so the time of the video itself is a bit prohibitive. If I would like to have any meaningful discussion about the video, that is more time that must be taken. And it is certainly worth discussing any movies worth watching in the classroom. I will be starting a unit on genetics tomorrow in my biology class and sometimes I show a great sci-fi movie from the late 90s called GATTACA. If you've not seen it, it is a solid, thought-provoking film; my students tend to think so, too. It welcomes viewers to consider eugenics and designer babies, perfect for our unit content, but it also gets into deeper things like whether we are defined and therefore limited by our genes. I can already tell that there are some young philosophers in my class and I wish for them to have this creative outlet. Discussing the movie as it's happening is one of the best and simplest ideas I have read regarding technology in a classroom. Perhaps I am too easily impressed upon. However, I look forward to giving this a try. My first inclination is to use TodaysMeet to accomplish this. I have been a participant in this Web 2.0 tool in some professional developments and I am impressed with its simplicity. I also believe it may be necessary to monitor the student laptop screens to ensure they are actively engaged in the film and any ongoing discussions and nothing else. My district uses LanSchool as a way to see student laptop activity in real time. I haven't developed a fond relationship with it as the learning curve for setting it up and using it is somewhat steep. But I am adamant about oversight in this situation, so I will make it happen somehow. I also must approach this ongoing, live discussion differently than I would a post-video discussion / debate. It may be interesting to give a quick three-question poll before the movie begins, probe their ideas as the video progresses and give them the same poll after. I also must develop questions that fit at certain points in the film at a time when what might inform or support their opinion is soon viewed. Lastly, the idea of discussion etiquette is now a bit more important as the discussion will happen on computers instead of in my classroom verbally. Because of this, I must spend at least a few minutes prefacing the discussion do's and don'ts. For example, whenever web-based discussions are had or examined in my classroom, I stress the importance of attacking ideas, not people. From this brainstorming session comes a pre-lesson task list:
Goals & Objectives I am using this film to get students to grapple with the implications of understanding our genetic code perhaps to the point of being able to manipulate it. Another goal is for students to connect parts of the film to our biology content. The objective is to have students engage in a meaningful discussion about the film in real time. I will utilize LanSchool to ensure students use their laptops for the intended purpose and remain focused on the assignment at hand. Instruction Here is a sample screen of the TodaysMeet including how I would address some of the rules of discussion. I would not use TodaysMeet to deliver my method for evaluating students. See below for my evaluative methods. Here is a list of questions with time cues to let me know when I would post them during the film. The numbers represent the time in an hours:minuts:seconds format and below that is the question I would ask at that time. Follow up questions are written in parentheses. The bottom half of this list includes "OPTIONAL" questions that could be posted in the TodaysMeet backchannel at any time. 00:03:25 In the opening credits, what connections to you see to our unit on genetics? (Point out DNA references you see or hear in the movie as they happen) 00:05:45 Do you think parents should be able to choose to have children free of disease? Why or why not? 00:16:20 What is genoism? Does it happen in real life? 00:19:42 Do a quick web search. What is the definition of “invalid”? What is an invalid in the film? (How has the film used language to direct our emotions in this way?) 00:22:14 Is Vincent’s dad a bad guy or is he protecting his son by telling him not to pursue his dream? Explain. 00:32:05 Do a quick web search. Is DNA found in hair? 00:45:11 Is the real Jerome happy with his life? 00:54:00 If you could “borrow a ladder” from anyone who would it be and why? 01:13:00 What traits or characteristics of Vincent’s are admirable? Which are bad? 01:17:00 “No one exceeds their potential, it simply means that we didn’t accurately gauge their potential in the first place.” FAVORITE QUOTE! (Do you agree or disagree?) 01:25:00 In the film, what motivates people to use genetic screening? 01:29:44 What is the difference between Vincent and his brother Anton? 01:35:51 Does Anton hate his brother Vincent? Support your answer with some evidence from the film. 01:42:00 At GATTACA, society is divided (valids and invalids), give an example of where or how OUR society is divided. 01:45:00 How do you feel about Jerome killing himself? 01:47:00 Do you think the doctor knew about Vincent’s real identity the whole time? Provide evidence! OPTIONAL Jerome’s middle name is Eugene. Why might this be significant? (what other biology words start with “Eu-“? OPTIONAL Is DNA the single best thing to define you? OPTIONAL Does your DNA belong to you? Is it your property? (is it yours after you throw it away, such as in a public trash can?) OPTIONAL Should DNA be allowed in court cases? OPTIONAL Alcohol abuse (and other addictive behaviors) have been linked to some genetic causes. If Jerome’s genes were so perfect, how did he become an alcoholic? OPTIONAL What did you learn from this movie? OPTIONAL Who was your favorite character? (Who was your least favorite character?) OPTIONAL Do you think Vincent would hurt others to accomplish his goal? Did he hurt others? OPTIONAL Was it reckless of Vincent to do what he did? OPTIONAL What if Vincent’s heart defect killed him before he reached Titan…does this change your view of what he did? OPTIONAL If modern science could tell YOU right now what your life-expectancy is, would you want to hear it? Why or why not? Evaluation Here is a sample screenshot showing the transcript that I would use to evaluate the level of participation from each student. I could easily use a "Ctrl+F" find feature to see how many posts a student made. I could also use the same function to read through their posts to assess the quality of their posting and whether they interacted appropriately. It is important to have concrete criteria to assess students during this discussion. I believe students should post a minimum number of times (at least 10). I also believe that at least 5 posts should include supporting evidence from the film. These would be my minimum requirements. I would also reward students for exceptional participation, perhaps with special DNA stickers! Conclusion I look forward to trying this out in my class this year. This will be my first use of a back channel using TodaysMeet and if it goes well, I could see myself adapting this model to fit other areas of instruction.
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