I had the pleasure of working with Naketa Cornegay and Jamie Tuggle to create a global collaboration project for Poetry Around the World. We were able to collaborate electronically to complete the project, and we were all able to contribute academically because we all have experience with English language arts at various ability levels in the area of secondary English education.
We discussed different texts and timelines, but we ultimately decided to work on a project about identity. I was excited that we agreed on this topic because it was very similar to the concept from my original plan, but Naketa was able to modify the plan to make it more accessible to a wider audience using a global pen pal site. Jamie was able to create the platform with assignment directions and rubric linked directly to Google Drive. We collaboratively worked to make the poetry assignment, reflection, and rubrics appropriate for a variety of learners. This was the first group project where I felt like everyone contributed based on their strengths and no one was left wondering what to do.
Our project requires students to think about where they are from in terms of memories and experiences rather than geographically. Students read the mentor text "Where I'm From" and create their own version following the same/similar format.
Students then explore the criteria for global collaboration and join the PenPals School website to post their poems. Students then respond and collaborate with another student based on his/her entry.
Finally, students reflect on the process of writing a personal poem about their history and the process of learning about another student.
Our hope is to create a better understanding of different cultures and experiences and how those cultures and experiences make us all unique individuals who still share similarities that we all experience with moments in our lives.
