Action Learning Reflection 3

I've been steadily working on my action learning project, although it may not look like it here on my blog. I've decided to mesh my two thoughts and create a unit plan using story mapping software and write a grant to acquire books to use. I'm writing the grant in collaboration with our media coordinator at school and have met with her twice to discuss ideas and put together a unit plan. The unit will be taught in the spring, when this course is finished, and will be based on Woodsong by Gary Paulsen. Students will have an introductory lesson on using the story mapping software and will create a map of Blowing Rock with points of interest along the way and incorporate photos they take as well as text. Then, after reading the book, we will chart the Iditarod and insert text from the book, from letters they write and receive from the mushers in the Iditarod this year, and video clips that we will use with permission from the Iditarod website. Not only will this incorporate the technology that's of interest to me, but it will also give me some more experience in grant writing. If the grant is funded, then Kathy and I will attend the North Carolina Library Association conference next year to present the grant. So, that would be an added bonus of getting some professional development experience before I was in the field.

I've met with my learning set three times now, I think, and that has been helpful. They persuaded me to pursue the idea of combining my two original ideas, grant funding and storymapping, into this one idea. It will be interesting to see how the students react to this project and how it all plays out. I continue to play around with the software in my free time to get an idea of the various ways I want the students to use it, and ultimately know that they will probably discover new ways to use it that I haven't yet.

The grant's due at the end of November, so I'll include that application as a part of my portfolio, along with notes and readings I've done.