A New Kind of Quest: CultureQuest
Dr. Sheila Offman Gersh City College of New York
sgersh@ccny.cuny.edu http://www.culturequest.us
http://www.schoollink.org/twin
CultureQuest projects are:
inquiry-based investigations of other peoples and cultures that are rooted in student questions and based upon student interests
CultureQuest Projects may:
Focus on foreign cultures Focus on American culture and/or American subcultures Focus on the diverse cultural heritages of the students Compare and contrast any of the above.
WHAT APECTS OF CULTURE ARE EXAMINED?
literature art music history government
religion language everyday life customs & traditions values, beliefs and behavior
One Way of Structuring a CultureQuest Project
Entire class find core information about the country (geography, history, demographics, etc). Students begin conversations with their peers in the country via e-mail and the class begins to explore areas of culture. Students select specific areas of culture to focus on and work in small groups to obtain information in those areas. Teacher and Students develop an “educational” Web site and present their work to the world.
How does a CultureQuest Project fit into the Curriculum?
It is linked to the geographic focus of the social studies curriculum (e.g., Asia, the Middle East, etc) It is integrated with work students do in other subjects (e.g., reading, writing, speaking, history, art, etc) It is linked to specific Learning Standards (e.g., ELA, Social Studies, NETS)
NETS STANDARDS
Social, ethical, and human issues Students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology. Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.
Technology productivity tools Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity. Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.
NETS STANDARDS
Technology communications tools Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences. Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences. Technology research tools Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources. Students use technology tools to process data and report results. Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks. Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions. Students employ technology in the development of strategies for solving problems in the real world.
CULTUREQUEST PROJECTS MAY RELATE TO OTHER DISCIPLINES
Social Studies Music, Dance, Performing Arts Art Science Math Economics Geography
Traditional Model of Education
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21ST Century Model of Education
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Support teachers may need in doing a CultureQuest project
Assistance in understanding what culture is and how to study culture & avoid key pitfalls. Assistance in leading their class in developing more sophisticated and accomplished work.
Assistance with specific uses of technology (email, Internet, creating Web sites, etc.) Assistance with the pedagogy that supports inquiry-based projects
Technology Skills
Access Internet resources for the study of culture. Promote communication with students and experts in the target country (ePals). Internet Basics --searching, evaluating Web sites, use of proper citation, appropriate and ethical use policies, etc. Teaching with the Internet Inspiration for graphical mapping of project Creation of an educational Web site. Assist students in using multimedia to support projects (e.g., digital photography, video, graphics and other applications, desktop videoconferencing (NetMeeting).
Related CultureQuest Skills
Academic
Reading
Technology
Internet Use
Learning Styles
Problem Solving
Culture
Appreciation of Diversity and Multiculturalism
Writing
Computer Skills
Web Site Design Presentation & Graphics
Research Skills
Creativity
Acting as Cultural Informant
Knowledge of Another Culture Knowledge of American and own Culture
Music, Art, Literature History, geography
Collaboration
CultureQuest Pedagogy
StudentCentered Ownership Constructivist Project-Based Authentic Interdisciplinary Inquiry-Based Collaborative
Teacher as Facilitator Multiple Intelligences
Multicultural
StandardsBased Students as Workers
Real Audiences for Work Product/Action
Humanistic and Caring
The CultureQuest Process
Decide on target culture Brainstorm what students know about the culture Brainstorm what students want to know about the culture Cover the core areas with whole class
The CultureQuest Process (cont’d)
Use ePals.com to find classrooms Students communicate with counterparts using e-mail on ePals.com Divide students into small groups by interest area
In Gathering Information about the Culture:
Use books and library resources Use Internet resources Explore resources in own city/community
Museums People (oral history) Visit neighborhoods (shops, restaurants, etc.) Cultural Centers
E-mail to students and/or adult experts
Teach Student Technology Skills
Graphic Organizers (Inspiration) Internet Basics (searching, evaluation, citation) Web Page creation Web Editing Uploading/managing website
Final Products
Class creates Web site with general information and links to group projects Other multimedia products:
PowerPoint Digital stories with stills and videos