Sampler Introduction
If learners have factual knowledge about a subject, then ask yourself, "Do they come out of the unit affectively engaged?" If they don't seem to care about the subject as you think they should, try creating a Subject Sampler. A sampler lets learners dig through a collection of Internet sites you've selected including photographs, maps, stories, facts, quotations, sound clips, videos, virtual reality tours, whatever! Students are asked to respond to questions you create from a personal point of view. Rather than uncover hard facts (as they do in a Treasure Hunt), students are asked about their perspectives on topics, comparisons to experiences they have had, their interpretations of artworks or data, etc.
Thus, more important than the right answer is that students are invited to see that their views are valued in this context. Learners use the Sampler to find aspects of the broader topic that they feel are important. The Subject Sampler offers a structured, student-centered approach. It might be helpful to see a professional developed Subject Sampler in action for ideas.
Clues About Questioning
Because the goal for a Subject Sampler is to reach people emotionally, questions could follow a general pattern of:
- Finding Personal Connections
- Focusing on Details
- Exploring and Explaining
Within each of these patterns, Filamentality suggests three strategies and shows you examples below. Each of the question patterns can make use of 1) self examination, 2) visuals, and 3) challenging texts for personal connections. See also the Guide to Good Questions and the list of sites below on Affective Learning.
Finding Personal Connections
| Self Examination |
What animal represents the year you were born? |
| Visuals |
Browse through the "thumbnail" collection of antiquities, crafts, and paintings and find one you like the best. |
| Challenging Texts |
Skim through the numbered passages until you find one that makes sense to you. |
Focusing on Details
| Self Examination |
What aspects of your zodiac seem true in describing you? |
| Visuals |
Examine a larger version of the image you like the best. |
| Challenging Texts |
Copy the passage/poem down. |
Exploring and Explaining
| Self Examination |
Who is a famous person born in the year of the same animal? Are you anything like him or her? |
| Visuals |
Describe in a detailed paragraph or essay what appeals to you about this artwork. |
| Challenging Texts |
Put the passage's meaning into your own words line-by-line. |
Alignment to Standards
At a basic level, your work planning, locating, evaluating and assembling resources for a Filamentality activity page meets some standards from the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) Project developed by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Your students will also address some of the NETS standards:
- Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences: II. Teachers plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology from NETS for Teachers.
- Technology research tools: 5. 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. NETS for Students
- English Language Arts: 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, and video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge. NETS National Curriculum English Language Arts.
- Information Literacy : Standard 2: The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently and Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively. NETS Information Literacy NETS National Curriculum Information Literacy
Depending on your topic and the assignment your require, you can most likely find appropriate links to your state standards too! Reading comprehension, writing, listening, and oral presentations are all addressed in language arts standards. Here are some sites to help you find standards for student work:
- National Council of Teachers of English standards
- Language Arts Standards State by State form Education World
- Speaking, Listening, and Media Literacy Standards for K through 12 Education from the National Communication Association.
Multimedia Resources
These resources are provided to help you find great websites for your students. These links take you what we hope will be an exciting array of visual and audio media. Let us know if you think we should add something!
Digital History : This site offers access to extensive primary source materials as well as 72 inquiry-based interactive modules called 'eXplorations.' You can create a customized online multimedia exhibition which include historical images, photographs, art works, and digitized letters. Users can easily incorporate their own text in their exhibitions. These presentations can be e-mailed, downloaded, or saved on our servers. But wait there's more! You better go there and find out for yourselves!
Find Multimedia: These are just a few sites that offer free access to multimedia. Most provide access to more than just one type of media. You can find more resources on the hotlist we created called "Find Stuff!"
|
Video
|
Sound
|
Photos
|
ClipArt
|
| Internet Archive offers permanent access to texts, audio, moving images, and software as well as archived web pages. |
American Memory (Library of Congress) provides access to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music |
NYPL Digital Library Historic maps; Rare prints and photographs; Illuminated manuscripts; Unusual printed ephemera; Sound files and moving images; Original art and more. |
Microsoft Office Clip Art Extensive collection of graphics and animation. See also Microsoft Office Templates |
| Camera Works (Washington Post) hosts a range of video, audio, photo, and podcasts on current topics. |
AltaVista Find resources by media -- Images, MP3/Audio, Video, News |
FreeFoto.com a large t collection of free photos for private non-commercial use on the Internet. FreeFoto.com is made up of 75350 images with 125 sections organized into 2594 categories. |
Discovery Clip Art Gallery Choose from hundreds of original clip art pieces, including animations |
| CNN Video Almanac - since 1980, choose a year or topic to begin a multimedia tour. You'll need the Apple QuickTime. |
WavSource Source for Internet Sound Files |
iStockphoto Royalty free and it's free to sign up |
Classroom Clipart Source for Free Clip Art, Pictures and Illustrations |
| CNN.com Video - Sort of like a newspaper; but with video articles. |
IFNI Free MIDI Music Sorted by genre and performer. |
bigfoto.com royalty free photo agency offering free use of all pictures (with link or reference) |
Icon iBrowser Here's a great place to small graphics or icons |
| Online NewsHour: Video Search search PBS' database of videos by subject or keyword. Available in both RealPlayer and Windows Media formats. |
Free Sounds and Sound Effects Some files copyrighted and cannot be used without permission. |
USDA Historical Photos Most photographs were taken between 1937 and 1943 . Included are other USDA photographs, some of which date back to the 1800s. Additional photos are planned to be added. |
AAA Backgrounds All the backgrounds and textures are totally free, all we ask is that you provide a link back to AAA. |
Affective Learning
- Learning and Teaching in the Affective Domain by Mary Miller
- Including Affective Behavior in Course Grades by Barry McNeill, Veronica Burrows, and Lynn Bellamy,
College of Engineering and Applied Science, Arizona State University
- Affective Learning with Technology that Senses and Responds to Emotion, Ros Picard, Watch the Video
- Suggestopedia: Lesson Plan from Kenneth Beare, About.com
- ReadWriteThink offers some lesson plans involving personal connections
- Bloom's Taxonomy: Affective Domain from the University of Mississippi
- Affective Domain matrix from College of Education, University of Tennessee
- Krathwohl's Taxonomy of Affective Domain, George Mason University
- "The Affective System" by Dr. William G. (Bill) Huitt, Valdosta State University
- Affective Education Lesson Plans and Resources compiled by Edmund J. Sass, Ed.D
- Observable Verbs for Affective Domain Instructional Objectives -- good way to focus questions and use for evaluation rubric, from Georgia State University.
Tools
You may need to download plug-ins or get information on the best way to use certain kinds of media. There are so many tools and additional resources, that we had to make an entire hotlist for you! Some of these tools that will allow you or your students to create banners, fancy text, effects, and more. Check it out! We've provided links to Multimedia, Facts, Lessons, Tutorials, Tools, and more.
Here are links to the most basic plug-ins. These pages explain what you need and how to download and install the software:
Examples:
- How Media Shapes Perception standards-based (Language Arts, Media Literacy, Social Studies) lesson plan from thirteen.org
- Hotlist of Media/Information Literacy resources, including standards-based lessons, from Web English Teacher
- Search Filamentality to see what samplers other teachers have already created. See which ones really fit the criteria of a Sampler versus a Treasure Hunt!
|
