For homework, please explore the website and get a sense of the possibilities. My goal is to reach out to a group of people from another part of the world and share our experiences with literature together. Further, I am hoping to open this up to the faculty and see if we can see this work on a school wide scale.
In this blog space, please interact and brainstorm ideas that we could do as a class in a Shared Studio. We will discuss this further in class on Tuesday, when we meet again.
I am really looking forward to your responses!!!!
Mr. P. ;)
Website Link:
I'd be really excited to try the Portal Screen and connect it to the portal in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The portal there is run by "the Organization for Youth Empowerment (OYE), a youth development NGO located in the nearby city of El Progreso. OYE is dedicated to educate, empower and engage disadvantaged youth to break the cycle of poverty and become agents of change in their homes, schools and communities." I think this is something important that has come up in some of our class discussions, especially following Sonny's Blues, so we could gain more insight and learn about these students' lives. I'm not sure if that's the direction we want to take but I think it's a valid option. I also don't know much about Honduras so I'd be excited to learn about it since it's not a country often mentioned in the news or popular media. The other portals that caught my attention were in Berlin, Germany, Kigali, Rwanda, Malaga, Spain, and Mexico City, Mexico because they all seem to have portals related to topics that our class would naturally discuss and can dig deeper into.
ReplyDeleteI definitely like the Portal Screen most of all because of its simplicity and self-proclaimed easy set-up and use. Our environment, our classroom, is best suited for something small and simple.
I think it would be really cool to have a portal somewhere in the high school that everyone could access. Then, we could have scheduled times to connect with people around the world to talk about common books that we’ve all read. But I think we should use books that we read in freshman and sophomore year, so that more than just upperclassmen students can participate. We could have scheduled H-blocks during the year where we discuss books like Romeo and Juliet and The Great Gatsby and invite anyone who wanted to connect with people to come during that H-block. I don’t know how often we’d be able to organize meetups, but perhaps we could even meet before actually connecting so that everyone’s on the same page and it’s less of a chaotic mess. People could write down and ask questions that we could organize the meeting before. Will we be able to put this in a place that is big enough for many students? I wonder how big the projection is, and how many students we could fit in the frame. --Sosha
ReplyDeleteI think it would be interesting to connect with the United Kingdom because personally I feel like that country is the most similar to where we live, but at the same time is very different. I feel like we could relate to them and also learn things about another culture at the same time. I don't know much about the United Kingdom, but out of the list online I think that it is the country that I know the most about. Also, I agree with what Sosha said about having an accessible portal that people could use during H- block. I definitely think that the meetings would need to be well planned out before, so that they don't become a waste of money/ technology if there are any problems with them. I enjoyed reading the reactions to the portals on the site- this is a really exciting idea!
ReplyDeleteCat
I think that this shared studios idea is very exciting and a great way to learn about places and people who are different from us. I think that this project would really allow students to find connections with people from other countries and create a meaningful experience that you can gain a lot from. I agree with Sosha and Cat that there should be set times as to when students can go into the portal, maybe during H-blocks, or even somehow incorporate it into a class. I also think that it would be good to work on the same material as those in the other country in order to have some form of organized material that both students work on and have discussions about. I would honestly be interested in connecting with any of the countries listed because I think that I could learn a lot from students from any one of them. I think that this portal experience is something that will really allow students to have a new, refreshing learning experience especially if there is a set time and place to do so.
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ReplyDeleteI recently watched a documentary about education, primarily girls, or lack thereof in places such as Afghanistan. Obviously I couldn't of watched it at better time as it related grealty with shared studios. I learned that due to past events in many middle eastern countries and the presence of misogynist political leaders girls lack proper education. One example in the documentary showed an 18 year old girl struggling do a simple division problem, she was later assessed and was discovered to be at the 5th grade math level. This was very eye opening and I think it would be really rewarding on both ends of the spectrum if we reached out to places such as Iran and Iraq who have suffered similar situations. We could hear first hand about current events going on their and could help all students, not just girls, learn basic education we take for granted such as simple math. Obviously this is a big idea which would take a lot of time and resources but I think it's something cool to think about, using our education to help those who aren't as fortunate with resources as well as learning about experiences they have under circumstances we couldn't even imagine.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: How could we deal with the language barriers between us and many of these countries.
Couldn’t find the full documentary but here is a trailer if anyone has the chance to look at it:
http://www.pbs.org/pov/whattomorrowbrings/
The feature of these portals that stuck out to me the most was a suggestion on how to use the portals where the creators of this project suggested "Host dance parties, gaming nights, religious celebrations and storytelling competitions." That to me is the most exciting element of this technology. I think along with however we would decide to use it educationally such as discussing books or philosophy or our personal world experiences I would love to use it just to meet people from other countries and form bonds we would never be able to form before. Having the time and technology to just talk with students from other countries that seem so distant, such as Kenya or Iran, and simply tell stories or play games would be an immensely enriching experience that we could do so much with. On a more educational note however I think the easiest use for these portals would be the equivalent of a global book club, where famous texts are discussed from different perspectives. A cool but maybe less practical off shoot of that idea would be to read a less well known text that is not taught in our school (or country) but is taught in their's. For example we would read a translation of a book taught in Germany or Spain that everybody there knows but we don't. That way we would still have a shared experience but it would be less US or English centric in order to fully immerse ourselves as global citizens.
ReplyDeleteAfter learning about at Shared Studios in class and looking through their website, I am so excited that we will be participating in this program. I love the idea of communicating with other students around the world. All of the types of portals available are so amazing and a great way to connect with others. If it is possible to get I portal in or near out school, I think that would be great. For our school, I think the most realistic option would be either the Portal Inflatable or the Portal Screens. The Portal Inflatable is great because it is lightweight and can be assembled and deflated quickly. I think there are many places around the school that could accommodate this portal, and it would be easy accessible to many. I also love the idea of the Portal Screen. It is by far the most visually appealing to me, but I’m not sure if it would be realistic for out school. Out of the existing portals I am most excited about the opportunity or communicating with Erbil, Iraq. I think that this would be a great opportunity because I know so little about life in Iraq and it would be great to learn first hand from students there. For our activities I think it would be good start by telling a little about our lives and our culture, and then we could talk about other things we are working on in class.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of our own class rather than the full student body, it would be interesting to possibly create many short stories, or perhaps a novel over the course of the rest of the school year. What I mean by this is that either us, or whoever we sync up with starts writing a chapter or two, then, we proceed to write and follow the story that they begun. Perhaps it would take a little long, depending on what nation we decide on linking with but it would be interesting to see this to happen. Writing short stories seems to be the easiest as they can write theirs, send them to us, then we will write one ourselves to send to them. Each week, or whenever is most convenient, we'll talk about our favorite parts of each other's stories. Another factor to consider may be the language barrier between us but, hopefully, we as a class will still be able to communicate even if this story idea doesn't come to fruition.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea!
DeleteAnna Vrountas
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of doing the shared studio thing at our school. I would definitely be excited by the opportunity to interact with students around the world. If we were to interact face to face with students, I think the portal screen would be the best way to go, since it seems like the simplest to set up. Then again, if it is cheaper/simpler, we could also just facetime with another class/other students. I also think it would be good to get really specific about what we would do together, rather than just saying we would discuss a certain book or work of literature. I really like John's idea of sending a story back and forth to each other-- I think something like that would work and would also be really fun. Its also a fairly personal way to connect with people. If we could also do a specific activity with the other class/other students that could also be fun and interesting. I also think it would be worthwhile to talk to these students about topics not related to English. Just talking with them and making connections with them would be the most valuable part!
Like Domenica, I was also interested in the portal in Honduras. Their mission and values sound important, and their educational focuses are similar to ours, despite our different backgrounds. I think that as a class, we would have a unique experience by connecting with them through literature, or even just conversation. Forming any sort of relationship with students from around the world would be really cool, no matter what we were doing. On the website, it looked like other students have had fun activities or events together, so things like that could be a good place to start. Additionally, It would be great to hear different perspectives on the world, current issues as well as opinions on the book we are reading together. The portals seem to make a big difference in the experience since they are so immersive and it brings the people talking closer together. Overall, I think the shared studios program could be an enlightening and fun experience for everyone in our school, so maybe we could start with connecting our class and then eventually help other classes connect as well.
ReplyDeleteThis seems super incredible. I think getting the opportunity to talk to people around the world and learn about them and their experiences would be absolutely unreal. I like John's idea of writing a story/some short stories. I used to do this as a game when I did acting camps over the summer, like one person would say a sentence and then you'd go around in a circle and create a story. It would be really interesting to see how people's lives shape the way they think and create. I also agree with Anna that if we set up a portal to discuss a book/play, then we should have some specific ideas as to what we want to discuss, or maybe a few "prompts" just to get the ball rolling- yet still have it be low key enough that the conversation doesn't feel forced. If we were able to make this a school wide thing I think that'd be great. We live in a relatively sheltered community and that's not always a bad thing, but it's important to meet other people, and like Anna said, being able to have a genuine conversation and make connections with people across the globe would be key in making sure everyone involved has a new, open minded perspective on literature and the world around us. This experience sounds so cool, I hope we get the opportunity to try this out!
ReplyDeleteI think this is a really interesting platform that allows us the opportunity to engage and enrich ourselves with many potential cultures. I also really liked John's idea of sharing short stories between classes to give and recipient a glimpse into different individual backgrounds and thought processes. It's an excellent way to get to know each other while still exercising our writing skills. Building off of that, I think music and/or poetry could also be a strong supplement to the stories and add another side to the emotions and thoughts presented in the stories. Additionally, I'm really interested in getting a closer look at the students from the portal in Erbil, Iraq. Living half-way across the world from ISIS, it is really easy for us to denounce the terrorism we see on the news but not actually take any action. However, the students at the portal Erbil are either refugees themselves or have had a lot of contact with refugees from ISIS. I love to build on what I've learned about the conflict by hearing about the struggle from a source that hasn't been pre-filtered for political gain and also get a better perspective on what I can do to help. I also see that there is a portal scheduled to open in Concord, Massachusetts in 2018 and would be really interested to travel there and see if our class can contribute to the platform by sharing our cultures.
ReplyDeleteKaby Maheswaran
ReplyDeleteThe portal screen sounds like a lot of fun to me. I personally liked the idea of a screen portal for our classes experience. From a logistical standpoint, I think the portal screen is ideal. A few of the options such as the portal inflatable and the portal container are best for outdoor areas, which might be difficult to set up. Although many of the portals have the ability to make one feel like their talking to someone in the same room, I think the portal screen makes it feel closest to reality. I think connecting with Astana, Kazakhstan would be interesting. They focus on the environmental problems that international community faces through energy consumption. Living in a developed country I believe that this is an issue that has been overwhelming us and will continue to do so until we find a solution. Connecting with people in Astana could help us gain awareness along with a possible solution that each individual could do. A simple act like unplugging a charger after using it could help significantly. Individually and as a whole we can discover the importance of making changes to improve our world.
Personally I am extremely excited for this amazing opportunity. I think that we can all benefit and expand out knowledge from this because it is not common for us to be able to talk and discuss and bounce ideas off of people from other cultures and environments. I really think that what Katie and John mentioned about the short story would be an awesome idea because our class definitely loves and enjoys literature, so sharing that love would be quite an enlightening experience. I also agree with Elia about how the Inflatable Portal would be great for our situation because we would have the flexibility of putting it in locations we like. Like Kaby mentioned, I think that since they focus on environmental problems that communities face all over the world because of energy consumption. I would love to be in communication with students in Central America, South America or countries in Africa because those are places and people that I think would be interesting to talk to and hear their stories.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is the type of project is something that you could definitely use in the classroom as well as in the real world. As many people have said before me, I think that John's short story idea is amazing. A collaborative piece of work that can be shared with students from about the world is a great way of getting kids to connect in a way that is applicable for all. The Language barrier would only be an issue until we were able to translate to and from the language we were working with. This could also work well if we wrote a story and then the other students wrote it from a different perspective. The same story from two different sides might be another way to connect. I think that this project is going to be the start of something really amazing. Ever since I went to Europe over the summer I've always wanted to be able to connect back in some way, and I think that this would be a great way to do that.
ReplyDeleteI think that the idea of connecting with people my age from around the world is incredible. All of the portals sound like they would be amazing, but I agree with Jyllian and Elia that the inflatable one could be easier as it can move around. I agree with Sosha that it would be a good idea to have it as an H-block, so that students from every grade could participate more. I would be interested in connecting with students from any of the countries participating, and I would be excited to speak from students anywhere. I agree with Sonnet that a bookclub where we all read the same book would be fun. I think it would be really interesting seeing how people in different cultures react differently to the same book.
ReplyDeleteI think that having a shared studio portal would be amazing. Putting people from all walks of life face to face and being able to hear each other’s stories is a great experience. I think there are many things that can be gained from engaging in such a project. First, I think that it would be intriguing to find similarities and differences between our situation and others. The differences will allow us to leave the little bubble that we surround ourselves with on a daily basis and witness people from different places, religions, sexes, allowing us to open our eyes on new matters. This would also be very useful for students to experience before going off to college as it will expose them to a diversity of thoughts that students will be met with in their upcoming years. The similarities will also allow the students to remember that no matter how different our situations are, there are always things all humans can relate to. Second, these portals can be deeply influential as they could potentially shape our youth, by opening their eyes on tragedies others are experiencing at this given moment. I was so interested in this project I did further research and came across Harvard University’s portal which has been a success. A student even claimed “That was just a connection I haven’t had in a long time… It was a beautiful, spiritual experience.” Since we will be seeing the people face to face, it is easier for us to establish a connection with these people. It can play a major role in influencing the youth to make a difference, either on a small scale such as donating to charities, or bigger scale such as going on missionary trips. Finally, the portal will allow us to be able to celebrate the beautiful aspects of other cultures. By seeing the good aspects of other cultures, we will overcome our bias and stereotypes about people from a particular area, as we will be able to see for ourselves what these cultures have to offer.
ReplyDeleteMy excitement even pushed me to youtube different videos of some portals, and I found out that some families that have participated have some heartbreaking stories. It made me more appreciative of my life and how privileged I am. It also reminded me that we should not let our fellow humans suffer. I have been in many situations with Palestinians, Jordanians, and people that travel to other parts of the world and see the struggles many people endure there. I always get deeply touched by their experiences and think to myself if only everyone could hear this, or if only this could be shared among more people. That is why I think it would be particularly intriguing to connect on the portal with a country such as Palestine. On another hand, I have also been in other countries myself that are looked down upon. I looked around and saw the beauty that culture has and thought if only people could see this, and this is exactly what the portal will allow us to do.
If we have the chance to gain access to a portal-container, inflatable, screen, or bus, it would be cool to see the project become a school-wide event. I think it’s important to interact with people with cultures we aren't familiar with and learn how it is like to live in other parts of the world. Being able to speak to students about daily-life, school, and other things would be a great opportunity for the student body to develop global and cultural awareness. Much of what we see in the news and on TV is a filtered perspective of the other parts of the world, and being able to speak directly to those living in other countries would elevate our understanding of the world at large. I think that we, as students, perceive those who live in other parts of the world as significantly different from ourselves, which is certainly not the case. By talking to other students, I believe we will realize that living in other parts of the world isn’t so different than living where we do.
ReplyDeleteNiko Potamitis
I'm so glad that we have this opportunity as a class to know what people like us are doing in other parts of the world. Especially in the modern world where everything is conncected with each other (global market). The country U.S. itself is a melting pot of so many different ethnicities and cultures. Sometimes I feel the lack of globalization in school. Reaching out to other cultures makes all of us more open minded because we will be embracing and learning new things. At the end I hope that everyone can realize that we are all simply humans, except with different experiences and values.
ReplyDeleteLizzy Zhang
Connecting to people around the world to me is just something amazing. Part of being in an American school is being around the same people and culture every day and this assignment is an opportunity to meet new people and experience new cultures. What I hope happens in this project is that it expands into a school-wide project where students from different classes instead of just ours can meet people from around the world. In my opinion, I think it is very healthy to meet people from around the world because it helps you grow as a person. Finding out how people think from different areas can broaden one's viewpoint. Since share studios focus on environmental problems it can give us a better idea of how big the problem really is. As Americans, we aren’t really exposed to the world problems in this case environment and by meeting others I feel like this will really help. In my opinion, this project overall is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteAbove all else, if we as a class want to make the most of this program, we need to convince administration that the cost put into it will be offset by the valuable cultural experiences we learn about from wherever we connect with. An ideal situation would be having as many people involved in our Portal here with as low expenses as possible. It should be accessible, not take up too much space, and be worth its cost.
ReplyDeleteIt is for this reason that I think an existing system should be used. That way, when connected to Epson boards, we can directly talk to the other classroom directly in our class, and go over literature with our materials right in front of us. Perhaps a similar system can be implemented for every single class with the board, should it prove to be feasible.
The main advantage of pursuing Shared Classrooms is to get a whole other perspective on the books, poems, and other works we read daily in class. When our classroom turns into an echo chamber and the same vague ideas circulate around during debates, a fresh new idea can be introduced that we had never even considered. That is the beauty of interconnected learning.
The chance to gain access to a portable-container through Shared Studios would be an amazing experience for our class. I think that it would be incredible to connect with another class, that's our age, from another country. Being able to connect with the other students about their daily-life, education, and life in general would be fantastic experience. It often seems that we as a country are isolated from the rest of the world. We have our own relations, customs, and traditions. This is why I think that it would be so useful to us to begin a conversation with students in another country. It can help us learn about other cultures other than ourselves. Learning alongside them will be an eye opening experience for us and I look forward to learning both new things from them and teaching them things about ourselves too.
ReplyDeleteColleen
This is actually a really interesting project, because the knowledge gained from it doesn't just stay in the classroom. I'm a firm believer in the importance of language and culture to add to our understanding of the world, and I think it's often very intriguing to see how different groups of people approach different situations. Myself being of Indian descent, but growing up in the United States, I often see a lot of contrast in the ways my family would act, speak, and think, as compared to my peers, for instance. I'm sure such juxtapositions carry over to other cultures as well, and not only can we use that awareness in our day-to-day lives, but this can also help enrich our current material in class. Reading Ibsen, for example, might elicit a much different response in Norway than here, since there might be natural inclinations or biases towards the subject that don't exist here. Likewise, many people in other countries would most likely be unable to relate to the writing of Ta Nehisi-Coates or James Baldwin, for example, as it is difficult for them to grasp how their ideologies actually play out in society. That being said, I think it definitely is a worthwhile idea to proceed with Shared Studios, and hopefully learn something new!
ReplyDeleteI would like the opportunity to interact with another class through a portal because I think that interpretations of a piece of literature can be very different depending on the culture that one is brought up in. I would especially like to interact with a Middle Eastern country because I feel that we have an underappreciation for the culture there and we are often walled off from Middle Eastern media. I think there is this misconception that the Middle East is just a bunch of third world countries and I think interacting with a class through one of these portals could help to counteract this misconception. Even if we are not able to get a class from the Middle East I think any country from around the world would offer an interesting and engaging experience.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is an interesting concept, and in a way I think it will be great for students here to gain some insight into the lives of others around the world. I think that the best way to go about an interaction with these global citizens would be to open a dialogue that directly effects both us and them. Perhaps topics such as environmentalism should be placed above those of importance to Americans specifically. I don't know what degree of political discourse would be necessary as I only see that as a way to perpetuate the walls that we've built up around ourselves. For any degree of international discussion to take place, there is a certain degree of objectivity and decorum that must be instated and perhaps even agreed upon.
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