Welcome & Harrison Bergeron

 Hi! My name is Jaylynn, but my students call me Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. J, and some of my favorite students call me JJ--which is where this blog name came from. I live in a tiny town in the middle of Utah with my husband and three (of four) kids. My oldest is off exploring and is currently working in Nevada, while my three teenagers at home are gearing up to attend the small high school where I teach. This year, my youngest will be a freshman, my next a sophomore, and my second oldest a senior. I feel profoundly lucky that I get to spend so much time with each of them at home and at school. 

I received my Bachelor's in Education with an emphasis in History and a minor in Geography from Utah State University in 2018. I student taught at the local high school that fall and subbed full-time that spring and all the next year--well, up until Covid shut us down. Spring of 2020 I was hired to teach at that same school, but I had to split my classes between U.S. History and 10th grade ELA. In the summer of 2022, I completed my English endorsement and also started coaching Theatre and Forensics. Now I am working toward my Master's of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in English Education. I'm not sure that I ever want to move out of the classroom, but this degree will help me to be a leader in my school and my multiple departments. 

This next year I'll be teaching a variety of classes: U.S. History II, ELA 10, Debate I & II, Theatre, ELA Intervention, and Native American Studies. In addition to this crazy course list, I will work with students to produce The Wizard of Oz for our school's fall musical and help guide student leadership with student directors for our spring competition pieces, as well as taking the debate team to lots of tournaments on the weekends. I'm always busy, but I love it because it's where my kids are. 

One of my favorite lessons that I teach in ELA 10 is a focus and comparison on the short story Harrison Bergeron. The Utah Core standards for English Language Arts (2023) are split into three strands: Speaking and Listening, Reading, and Writing. This lesson includes standards from all three strands, but the focus is Standard 9-10.R.12: Compare a text to another text in a different medium analyzing the portrayal of the subject, evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using the different mediums, and explain how and why the content stays faithful to or departs from the text or script. Students begin by answering a digital journal prompt: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal..." (Declaration of Independence). Are people truly created equal?" Once students have responded, we have a class discussion sharing some responses and thoughts. After the discussion, students are given a chart to keep track of characters and handicaps given to them in the short story. As we read, students track handicaps and the attributes that are being handicapped. Once the story is over, students are asked to respond to another prompt: In the short story Harrison Bergeron everyone is finally equal thanks to the efforts of the Handicapper General. Do you agree that everyone was truly equal in the short story? Once students finish writing, we share again and this usually ends in a discussion of fairness.

The next day, we watch the short film 2081 which is based on the short story. As we watch, students complete a new copy of the same chart to track handicaps. I will often stop the movie so we can discuss how things are portrayed versus how students pictured the writing the day before. After the film is over, we will discuss similarities and differences in more detail before students are asked to write an essay comparing the two versions of the story. We also create a poll to vote on the favorite version of the story. There are always students that try to sway others to their point of view and I love that.

The ISTE standard that stands out the most to me for this lesson is ISTE Standard 6: Creative Communicator (6a, 6b,6c, 6d). This standard emphasizes the students' ability to effectively use digital tools to communicate their ideas, analyze content across different mediums, and share their findings in a structured and meaningful way. Students use digital journals to respond to prompts and digital charts for tracking characters and handicaps (6a), write essays comparing the short story and their film using their digital notes and charts as resources (6b), participate in class discussions and create visual charts that compare and contrast the written story and the film (6c), and present their findings through essays and polls, sharing their insights with the class (6d). I hadn't realized that I was already teaching my students with ISTE standards, and I am excited to analyze my other lessons for ISTE alignment.

In looking at Kolb's Triple E Framework (2011), the technology used in this lesson engages students and enhances their understanding of the material. I think the use of both the short story and the film version is one of the main factors of engagement for my students. My students are competitive and pointing out differences first is a big deal; if you don't pay attention to the writing, you can't see the differences in the film. But, I think the use of tracking charts is the tool that helps students to stay engaged. The use of digital journals helps capture students' attention before reading and helps them to articulate and communicate their thoughts. Using technology to chart and write aid students in developing a deeper understanding of material, and creates a more interactive, comprehensive, and relevant learning experience.

References

ISTE Standards - Students. (2019). ISTE. Retrieved June 27, 2024, from https://iste.org/standards/students

Kolb, L. (2015, January 5). Triple E Framework. Triple E Framework. Retrieved June 27, 2024, from https://www.tripleeframework.com/

USBE. (2023). English Language Arts Grades 9-10 (2023) Core. Utah Education Network. Retrieved June 27, 2024, from https://www.uen.org/core/core.do?courseNum=4291