We have just completed a very in depth, intensive unit. I am soliciting your comments so that I may improve upon it in the future. Please answer the following questions in the field below.
1) what did you learn from this unit? What did you know about Ireland before we began it?
2)if you found this unit to be a positive learning experience, and if so, what you liked about it; if not, what should I change...
3) what did you think about the final project you had to do?
4) which slideshow you would rank as the best, and why (besides your own, if you did one),
5) what can I do to make the "Ireland" unit experience better;
6) any other suggestions you may have for me...
Hi Mr. Rozell. I came downstairs early this morning before my long day of midterms and expected to have a pretty quiet morning. My dad was sitting at the kitchen table and as always, was watching the news. Out of nowhere, he asked "Do you know what today is?" I thought for a few minutes and thought it's not his birthday, not my parents anniversary, what could it be? Then it dawned on me, its the anniversary of Bloody Sunday. I figured it had to do something with history because that's a basic topic of conversation in my house. My dad and I talked for a good 20 minutes which is pretty rare because although my father and I are close, we don't have much in common. Given, it was about something that happened 31 years ago but it was because of you that my day started off well. So, thanks!-Shannon Bohan 1-30-03
Teacher's Note- Shannon's dad is from Ireland...
I have learned so much about Ireland during this unit. The way I knew Ireland before was this beautiful place with green rolling hills. I knew nothing about anything we learned it was all new. I think about Ireland in a totally different way now. This was a very positive learning experience for me. I liked the powerpoints and the songs we listened to everyday in class. It was never boring you always had something new and interesting to show or tell us. The final project was fun but took a little time. It was nice to be able to chose what you wanted to do. Katie and Zoe's PowerPoint was the best. What I liked was the way they started it with no music at the beginning just lyrics. The "Ireland" unit experience was great and I can't think of anything right now that would make it better. I wish more units could be this fun and interesting. Jen Tripp
We learned that the problems in Ireland were not simple ones, nor are they religious like we have been taught in the past. We learned that what we thought was a "famine" was much more complicated than that of which any teacher had tried to teach us. Before this unit, I thought that there was a famine, and Britain occupied Ireland and that's why the Irish didn't like them. I was never taught about the "famine" in depth, Easter Rising, Battle of the Bogside, or even Bloody Sunday. I had never been taught of the hunger strikes for political status, and that the IRA was just a group of terrorists. I enjoyed all of this unit, especially that of the last 19th and throughout the 20th centuries. I found some of the prefamine topics boring, however they were necessary in order to size up the situation by the famine period. The final project .... it was long! But by doing it I realized how much I had really learned from this unit, and that I was able to put it all together and make in understandable for others who have never learned about Ireland in depth. To improve this unit, I don't know what you could change. The way you present the information to us, through songs, and movies, it keeps us interested, and at the same time is very enjoyable and informational. Keep up the great work, maybe at times it doesn't seem that we are thankful for this unit, but we are. And we are all thankful to have you as a teacher who not only teaches us about history, but how to love history, and how you care about us.
1)Before the unit, I hardly knew anything about Ireland- St. Patrick's Day and potatoes- but now I know all about the British involvement, the "famine" and the Troubles. This has been one of my favorite topics I have ever learned about in S.S. 2)It was definitely a positive learning experience because it's a topic that no one really knew anything about and now we know more than most other people. I think this is something everyone should be taught. 3)I did a musical slideshow for the final project and it was actually a lot of fun. I think the music videos were a terrific idea because we learned a lot from doing it and even though it was more work, it was much more fun than doing an essay. 4)I think all the slideshows from this year are very good but I don't think one really stood out to be better than the others. They all looked like a lot of time and effort was put into them. 5)I think this unit is perfect the way it is, there's nothing I would change except maybe that essay over vacation. Other than that, I really enjoyed this unit because of the movies and music. They were great to learn from because they were interesting and held my attention. If other teachers used this form of teaching maybe the attendance record wouldn't be so bad.
Before this unit I didn't know anything about Ireland. From this unit I learned why there was fighting and about the famine. I learned who was involved. I think this unit was a positive learning experience. I liked how it was all online so we could go to it anytime. I liked the final project for this unit. It was much better than taking a test. I liked watching everyone's music videos. I liked the Zombie slideshow from last year. To make the Ireland unit experience better we could watch another movie or have a guest speaker who lived through the Ireland troubles to speak to us.
1) I didn't know alot about Ireland before this unit, basically I knew that there was fighting between religions. After this unit i have learned so much more including that the fighting was not only between religion but for other reasons also. I have learned what effects Britain has had on Ireland and how they have cause turmoil for centuries. 2)I think this unit was a positive experience. I liked how we were shown movies that gave u a visualization. Also that the movies such as Some Mother's Son were actual stories not only people talking about an issue. 3)I think the final project was a unique idea. I have never done anything like that before and it was also educational but took you away from the usual essay writing. 4)Personally I liked Sara and Katies power point. It was informational but didn't go beyond what they needed to. 5)I cant think of much that would make the unit better but maybe you could make the other units more fun by doing these sorts of projects. ~Jackie
2)
I thought this unit was definitely a positive experience. The ability
to learn of a land that is right across the ocean (and not knowing much about
it before) was a constructive and great thing. I really enjoyed (even thought
I complained while doing them) the long papers and projects. Even though it
took a lot of work it was worth it because it made you explore new areas and
topics. It also will eventually help later on in life, so it was worth it. The
only thing that struck me was that we spent an awfully long time on this unit.
Although I believe it was worth it, I think that we should maybe spend a
little less time on the unit.
3)
I loved the final project. The PowerPoint was one of the best projects
I have ever done. Not only are we using the technology available but also it
summed up the entire unit. The interpreting of the songs was very fun and
educational.
4)
The slideshow that I would rank the best is of course “ The Luck of
the Irish” by Isabella and Lydia. Just Kidding!!!!!!!!!!! I would have to
say I enjoyed the Bobby Sands MP PowerPoint the best. The way they created the
slide show represented the song very well and explained about the life of
Bobby Sands MP in a great way.
5)
I really don’t think there is much you have to do to make the Ireland
unit any better. It really holds all the aspects it needs: papers, projects,
movies, PowerPoint and songs. I SAY TAKE US TO IRELAND! THAT WAS A GREAT IDEA!
Definitely keep this unit going and maybe introduce some of the ideas and topics to the regents kids (if there is time). I talked to many of the regents students and they sound really interested in learning about some things. Just keep making those kids do those papers and projects!!!!!!!! I
1.) Before the Ireland unit, I knew little to nothing about Ireland and any of their troubles over the past 400 years. Within a matter of weeks I have been able to fully comprehend many of the troubling situations in Ireland such as the Gorta Mor, the Easter Rising, Bloody Sunday, the hunger strike, and the Good Friday Agreement. Along with these events I now understand the meaning of: IRA, RIRA, the Provos, and the RUC. I learned how the British intervened with the Irish, in the 1640s with Oliver Cromwell, and how they have remained in Ireland ever since. This unit taught me many valuable lessons, that I can use in future essays and it helped broaden my world knowledge.
2.) I greatly appreciated this unit because it taught me the most I could ever ‘truly’ learn in a few weeks; it was my favorite topic so far. The reason I enjoyed this unit so much is because most of the activities were not lectures. The teaching process was aided by projects and plenty of movies that cleared a lot of things up because it gave us a visual of the actual events. I liked how our class was learning something different then all the others and that the topic was extremely interesting. Nothing in Ireland could ever make any one yawn and there is never a dull or non- eventful time, so that is why it is very easy for this unit to keep my attention.
3.) I personally loved the final project, a musical Powerpoint. I felt that all the hard work and long hours paid off, because it is a project that I can always look back on and definitely be pleased about. The finished product is easier on the eyes because it isn’t in black and white, it includes a lot of animation, and I still am not sick of the song we chose. The final project taught me even more about Ireland because we didn’t cover the Omagh bombing in class, and this event makes us grateful that we don’t encounter these problems.
4.) I think that Sara Weiskotten and Jen Tripp’s was the best Powerpoint we saw watched. All of the Powerpoint projects were very good, and each had a few good slides, but over all Sara and Jen’s video was well organized and prepared. I like Sean and Jenna’s beginning of their slide show, I thought that the first half was awesome...
5.) There honestly wasn’t anything that you as a teacher could have done to make this Ireland unit go any stronger. I think that we didn’t have too much writing to do, and the writing that we did do, were in reasonable amounts. The movies were easier to watch then normal because of block scheduling, which now allows us to have less interruptions in a movie and a class period. There wasn’t one part of the unit that I felt was dragged out and I think we spent a reasonable amount of time covering each topic, for full comprehension. K
1) What did you learn from this unit? What did you know about Ireland before we began it?
I leaned tons of things from this unit. I never knew that Ireland went and still is going through so many troubles. I didn’t really know too much before we started the unit. Ireland didn’t seem very important before because the American perspectives of it are of 4 leaf clovers and little green leprechauns.
I found this to be one of my most learning experiences ever in any of my classes I’ve ever had. I not only learned things, but I had fun. The music helped a lot, along with the movies. I found it most amazing that these events happened so recently and I knew nothing about them. I liked learning about Bloody Sunday and the Hunger Strikes because for some reason they really interested me.
Though I handed in my final project late and was irresponsible about it, I enjoyed doing it. I found many web pages, photos, and stories from different people who wrote about their experiences. The name of my news paper which I forgot to mention in it was called “Hello, Good Bye” in Gaelic. I also read about the Gaelic language and found that it is very different from the Romance languages.
I thought Isabella and Lydia’s slideshow was very well done, but the song happened to be very short, so there wasn’t an awful lot of room to do much. I really enjoyed Katie and Zoe’s because the pictures and music went very well together. I laughed so much during Nick, Becky and Nick’s video. The script was humorous and very factual through out it for it showed their prospective of the people (in a humorous way most of the time though).
TAKE US TO IRELAND!!
TAKE ME TO IRELAND!! I wish we had more time so that you could get more movies in because movies seem to stick in peoples heads, mine especially. S
During this unit, I learned the history and present day dilemmas between England and Ireland. Prior to this unit, I had no idea what occurred during the famine - as far as British involvement was concerned, and no knowledge of penal laws or other oppression of the Irish by the English. This was a very positive learning experience, because not only is it good to understand the present day "troubles" we hear about in the news, but also the history and background information fueling today's events. I thoroughly enjoyed Some Mother's Son, working on and watching music powerpoints and writing the Genocide or Catastrophe paper (even though it took up my weekend after Christmas and my entire New Year's Day. The papers we had to write, although long, encouraged us to seek information for ourselves besides what you taught us in class. These papers also encouraged us to THINK for ourselves, and not depend on our teacher's view or views. Some of the longer documentaries we watched during class were honestly boring, and in the future - clips of important comments and interesting facts might keep the class more interested in the film than watching it in its entirety. More discussion of our personal views, based on what we learned, might also be a nice addition to the curriculum. Overall, the separation of eras helped give a good guideline to the subject. The final project was great, we were able to choose what we wanted to do, so basically any era we found particularly intriguing - we could write or act out. Overall, the best final project was probably the videotape by Nick, Nick and Becky ... for slideshows, I enjoyed the Bobby Sands MP by Zoë and Katie. It was very dramatic, and its slides were well thought out pertaining to the hunger strikes subject. Overall, the Ireland unit curriculum is strong and well developed. The only things that might make the experience better are some group activities or discussions pertaining to the subject. Although this did not occur this year inside the classroom, it certainly did outside ... like Isabella's, Mike's and my keyboarding class... :-) I wish more teachers would be up for the challenge of developing their own curriculum (like you using music, videos, web site, PPTs, music videos, etc). S
1)I learned all about the troubles of Ireland which I had no idea of. I only knew they had a potatoe famine. 2)The unit was very well planned and thought out. It's mad cool. 3)I liked the music video project, even though it was alot of work. 4)Sean Connolly's was most likely the best. It was very informative and grabbed our attention. 5) Take a field trip to Ireland :). 6)Keep it cool.
1. I learned a lot about the Irish troubles and people. I only knew a little bit about St. Patrick before I started the unit. 2. I liked this until, but the only thing about it was the history documented movies, they were hard to get through because there were so many and they were boring 3. I liked the final project that the Nicks and I did because it was fun and we got to put our own humor into the video. 4. I liked Katies and Zoe's slide show because the pictures were really good and I liked how they didn't start the music until after the first couple of slides. 5. I suggest adding more project assignments, like over night posters or short power point presentations. 6. I like the way you teach with the songs, except by the end of the year we all can't stand to hear Black 47 maybe if we heard the songs less. Becky LaFay
During this unit i learned basically the whole history on Ireland. Before the unit, I associated Irish people as red-haired people who liked to eat potatoes. Now that I know about the "famine" and what happened, i have a different perspective on them. The unit had a ton of information and i really enjoyed learning about Ireland. The movies especially were really great and i could understand alot from them. The final project took longer then i thought and we had to cut it alittle short but it was great working and learning at the same time. I really liked Nick, Becky and Nick's talk show, because of the creativeness. I think to make the unit better you just have to make them understand what events happened in each era better. Other than that i think the unit was awesome.
1) I have a learned lot of interesting and surprising things about Ireland that I never had any idea about before this unit. I had no idea these troubles were occurring in Ireland, and I always thought Oliver Cromwell was a “good guy” from what I learned about him in English history. I learned the meaning behind the songs Zombie and Bloody Sunday, and the significance of the events that they illustrate. I also learned that Ireland today continues to be a very troubled country and that there is an ongoing conflict between Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State. I also learned that the IRA isn’t just a bunch of crazy terrorists and that they have a lot to fight for and they have meaning behind their actions. 2) I loved this unit. I always love when teachers teach without the textbook. I liked most of our assignments and projects because we could choose what we wanted to do or to write about, for example, the genocide or catastrophe paper and the final project. 3) I liked the final project a lot because we could choose an assignment to do. I loved making the musical PowerPoint because it was a challenge and really fun to put together to make it great, it’s definitely an assignment for the more creative and patient students. 4) The best slide show would be Katie’s and Zoe’s, Bobby Sands MP. They did a great job on their graphics to go along with the music. They made a lot of good use with their extremely long song and the slide show was worth while. 5) I like the unit the way it is. We didn’t have any tests so that was a relief. The projects took a lot of time but gave us more experience under our belts to be able to deal with such long essays or papers. After the lengthy papers for this unit, it is extremely easy just to write a few paragraphs or pages for any other classes.
I learned so much from the Ireland unit. My eyes were opened to all the hard times that the country has had in the the past 300 years. It is hard to even remember what my views on Ireland were before this unit. I think i basically had the stereotypical view on Ireland that everything was happy and nothing was wrong. This unit was a very positive learning experience everything I have learned I know I wont forget in a week. The projects that we have done were very helpful in making the information stay with me. These were also more fun then the lectures or note taking. The final project took a lot of time but it was fun. THe effort that we put into our power point was high but the result was even better than we expected it to be. I enjoyed Zoe and Katie's slideshow. I liked how they had the lyrics in the beginning with out any words so that we could really read the word and understand what the song was about. I think you could share this unit with the other classes because I know I would hate to miss out on this subject just because I wasnt in the honors class. Overall this was a wonderful unit and I definitely think you should keep doing it with your future classes! -SW
1. very little. I knew that their was the troubles, between North Ireland Red hand defenders and the IRA, 2. yes, it was interesting to stray from the path of common knowledge. 3. The final project was dubiously fun, but very time consuming, and somewhat untimely ( i had a English project at the same time.0 4. I enjoyed " big fellah" the most. 5. I would get into the Immigrants in America 6. Id teach it every year possible, cause it is needed information.
1. I learned from this unit that the problems in Ireland are as severe as most any other place. The problems will not just go away either . 2.Yes I did it was a lot easier to learn using the techniques that we did by use modern movies i was able to stay focused a lot better. 3.The movies and music were great ways to learn and keep my interest. 4.Less typing papers and more hands on activities (power points). 5. Make more music Cds for us, we will pay
1) We learned a lot about the issues and struggle of Ireland that we weren't aware of. We also learned how involved Britain was with the affairs in Ireland and and still is today. We knew About the potato famine and some basic facts but not as detailed as things we have learned. We got a lot from the unit. 2) No the unit was NOT a positive learning experience!! Just kidding! It definitely was!! 3) We thought that the songs were interesting as well as informative. They were definitely a more creative way of teaching us than reading books or being lectured. 4)The Ireland unit could could be a better experience if there was less writing and more creative and hands on projects such as interviews, field trips, power points, group activities, etc. 5) We had difficulty focusing on the Ireland movies that took several days to watch. They were basically just straight facts which were hard to tie together because we would stop in the middle of the movies due to the time and forget about information. Although we enjoyed "Some Mother's Son" which not only interested us but taught us a lot about the history of Ireland. Your favorite students, (LOL) Josh Dudley and Kathleen McKernon
1: I knew very little about Ireland before the unit began, honestly i learned a lot about the struggle of the Irish people throughout the centuries. 2: This unit was an obvious positive learning experience. I learned more than i dreamed to know about Ireland, and I'm proud of the fact that i am one of the few taht got to learn in-depth about the Irish. 3: The integration of music with historical events was more or less likely my favorite part of the unit. I enjoyed everything the unit proffered in an attempt to make me understand about the past, present and future of Ireland. (Including the so called boring PBS documentaries.) 4: I think that the topics involving the Irish in America should be added to the curriculum. 5: Keep up the awesome job!!!! :)
1.i learned a lot about Ireland that i didn't know before, for example everything. all that i knew about Ireland before this unit was that there was once a potato famine. and that's about it. i knew the song zombie too! 2.i thought that this unit was a very good learning experience. 3. i liked the famine research that we had to do and i liked the fact that we got a chance to choose a side and support it. and i liked doing my own individual work. 4.to make the Ireland unit better teach more about what the British believed in and why they were actually in Ireland. you could also go into Sinn Fein and the IRA a little deeper. like what they might have talked about at meetings and so on....... 5. no other comments just keep making your students write long drawn out papers!!! just kidding!
1. The Ireland unit taught me many things about the difficulties many people went through in their life. Before we started this unit I did not know anything about Northern Ireland. I knew that there was a conflict but now I know why there is a conflict and who it is between. 2. Yes I found this unit to be a very positive learning experience, because I learned many things that I never knew. 3. I liked learning about current history. I like the fact that you were able to choose your own point of view on the issue. The papers helped you to develop your own point of view and to create a better work ethic. The movies helped me to picture everything in a better way. 4. To make the Ireland unit a better experience I think that you should have more things that include the British point of view on the issue. I realize that this is hard to find but it is important in the process of choosing the side that you would like to agree with. 5. no other comments.. Keep your students busy and hard at work they will definitely learn a lot of good stuff. Thye will definately benifit in the long run.
alright, this is either shannon chelsea jennie or sarah. its up to you to decide. from this unit I learned that I dont really like black 47 and before this I knew that potatoes came from Ireland and that so did st. Patrick's day. actually i learned a lot more about Ireland than i though i would and i believe that it was a positive learning unit because me and shannon got to make an awesome powerpoint. i personally liked watching the movie and listening to the music and you shouldn't change anything because i think its rockin just the way it is. i suggest that. you. not eat orange. spice. tofu. from ichiban. it will kick your ass. trust me.
1. It would take forever to tell you but..... I always believed the Irish famine was a natural disaster but now We know the British played a knowing part in the disaster. It also taught us about how lucky we are to have never put ourselves in danger for our morals. 2. Yes we did 3. We were able to put ourselves into the center of the conflict. Now we understand why winning our independence from Britain was such a big deal.. The young Irish are still trying to kick out the British out become one united nation. 4. TAKE US TO IRELAND. 5.I think we need more facts to go along with the movies etc... The guidelines in everything we did were very broad, probably on purpose
I learned that the Famine wasn't just the Irish peoples fault, I also learned that there was actually two sides to it and not just a result from a natural disaster. I found this unit to be a positive experience because I now know some things about Ireland when previously I only knew that a famine had happened there, I learned more about their government, I know about the struggles they are having to make peace, and I can now relate to how they feel about terrorism. To make the Ireland unit experience better I think you could decrease the amount of papers to be done and add more guest speakers because when there is a guest speaker we usually pay more attention.
Alright this is Shannon, Chelsea, Jennie, or Sarah. I learned a lot more about each country's side to the conflict instead of just Ireland's side to the whole thing. I knew a good amount about Ireland but I know a lot more now. I thought the unit was pretty good because it incorporated music not just boring textbooks. I thought it would've been more boring if we had another teacher. I don't think you should change much about the unit except put in more bands besides Black '47. Don't get me wrong- they're fine but we could have had a little more U2. You should keep doing this unit just because it can help people to understand a lot more about other conflicts in the world.
In this unit, I learned many things that happened in my ancestors lives' and problems that they had to deal with everyday. When we first started this unit, I knew practically nothing about Ireland. Now I do. I found the hunger strikes and events around 1975-1981 the most interesting because it proves that the history will always live on in people and never forget injustice. (Like you said in your Four Points.) What can you do to make it a better experience?? hmmm.....well you could bring us to Ireland!!!! hehe. That'd be cool! But I enjoy listening to people who lived through history and even though I got tons out of this unit, I would have enjoyed it and learned more about people's perspectives if I had a primary source. Otherwise, it was a cool experience and now I want to learn more about my family's history in Ireland. Maybe I'll find some interesting facts about my kindred! :D oh....by the way....guess who? PS, not to kiss your butt or anything but I just want to let you know that you have had a great impact on my life and the lives' of all of my friends. Even though we might be pains sometimes, we appreciate you going the extra mile so that we can get the best out of everything. You've taught me many things that I don't think I would have learned in the Regents class. And when there are extra projects that involve anything but TEXT BOOKS (ahhh, dreaded things) it might discourage us at first, but we have to LOOK hard for the information, therefore learning more than we expected. So, thanks!!!!! :D
I have learned many things about this unit. After watching the movie 'Some Mothers Son', it has really came clear to me the happenings in Ireland. I have learned much of the past happenings in Ireland. I have learned about the hunger strikes, and about the Good Friday Agreement. I have learned about the IRA and Sinn Fein. I have learned about all of the issues and violence in Ireland. I hope that I learn much more as I keep researching Ireland on my own. I did not know anything about Ireland before this unit, except that many Irish are Catholics, and they sport the color green and enjoy St. Patrick's day very much! I have enjoyed this unit more than any other unit I have done in social studies classes. It is a recent issue and it is very relevant. It was a great experience for me and my peers. I am glad that we learned it in the 10th grade, so I can use this in my future studies of the world. I looked at this as a hands on experience. I really got interested in this unit and I actually went far and beyond the study of Ireland on my own time. I loved listening to music in class. I stayed focused and didn't get off track, because this unit kept my attention. I feel that there is little that you could do to make the Ireland unit better. I feel that it is a wonderful experience for any student. Maybe after you teach the unit, you could have a fun day where students bring in things about the Irish Culture that intrigue them. Such as flags, jewelry, food items, icons, etc. I just think that this would be a good thing to end the unit with. Such as a cultural experience. Thank you Mr. Rozell for teaching me this unit. I enjoyed it very much, and I can't wait to share my experiences with other students that go through your class, or even those who don't. Thanks- A 10H Student.
I learned a lot from this unit. Before we began this project all I knew about Ireland was about shamrocks and leprechauns. Now, I know of this horrible period of time in which the Irish went through- The Famine, The Troubles, The Hunger Strikes, and just walking down the street someday put yourself in danger. This was definitely a positive learning experience. It was very interesting and kept my attention at all times. Incorporating the music with this unit was a great idea because it brought back history. Definitely show Some Mother's Son next year, it helped me a lot to understand what was going on in this period. To make the "Ireland" unit experience better you may want to have your students do more power points, because they are good to learn from, maybe on the Hunger Strike or one particular person we learned about that they thought was most important. It was a great unit and a great experience! Your 10 H Student-?
Alright Shannon Chelsea Jennie or Sarah? you may never know...."Benevolence alone will not make a teacher, nor will learning alone do it. The gift of teaching is a peculiar talent, and implies a need and a craving in the teacher himself." J. Chapman Your in~depth Ireland unit was different from any other subject studied so far in high school, in that it was not taught but EXPLORED. You as a teacher also gained knowledge throughout the unit, as opposed to appearing bored himself! My previous knowledge of Ireland consisted of vague connections to immigration and the famine. The realization that the political violence remains unsolved to this present day certainly made me feel less than informed and not just a little ethnocentric. I liked the GFA powerpoint and famine essay, although the Bobby Sands MP essay included several topics that should be looked at more extensively than through Some Mother's Son. You need to spend more class time discussing the specifics, perhaps clarifying the IRA, Loyalist, Republican, Sein Finn parties as they were easily confused even with the video shown in class. The incorporation of the music was a considerably different approach, but a great method to invoke some compassion in your students as well as understanding. My perception of Ireland is still blurred as I imagine the world's is too, but "Good questions outrank easy answers," and the situation is certainly an important one to spend class time on and to connect with ( many of) our heritage. One last thing I've learned, the ultimate sadness that" Yes, we love peace, but we are not willing to take wounds for it, as we are for war."
1) I didn't know much at all about Ireland, I was aware there was fighting, but through this unit I learned the specifics about there history, and reasons why there are conflicts. 2)This unit was definitely a positive learning experience because it made me more aware of the goings on in Ireland, there past and present problems, etc. 3)I liked the whole deeper understanding of Ireland and it's problems, when I actually hear stuff on the news about Ireland i have a clue of what they are talking about. 4)The Ireland experience as a whole was positive, maybe for future you could get debates going on the genocide/catastrophe issue and those who are pro-British. 5)Debates would be interesting as long as no one killed anyone...which in our class would probably happen......
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the stuff online made it much easier to know what I had to do like when I am at home. Its a good unit. At the beginning
I was afraid because knew not a thing
about Ireland, but know I understand and comprehend it pretty well. I get it
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With the things that you had on your website made the whole project better for me to understand. It was a lot to put together, but once I got started it was better. I learned a whole lot about Ireland and I hope we do this for more of our topics because it will give me a better understanding of the topics we will be learning.
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yes, definitely 2) had lots of info, had to sort through it all, took a long time
3) computers were NON-cooperative 4) ? 5) yes, I think it would be helpful, and
fun
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1) I found that this unit was an awesome "experience" to have. I'm not saying this just to flatter you, but I did have fun and enjoyed learning about Ireland 2) I liked how we used popular music that we have ACTUALLY heard before, and just creating our own opinions on the situation in Ireland 3) It was frustrating at first to start off the paper, but after I got into it, it was smooth sailing from there
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1. yes it indeed was 2. I liked the fact that it was real and I have never gone in depth that far before with a country/race of people 3. I don't think it was really that frustrating, except for the stuff I found out about what the English did to the Irish. 4. i think you can spend more time on the present times and how Ireland was actually effected by all of this.
Just
for future reference, I found this project to be very close to home and I actually felt like
I was connected to some of the Irish people (especially Michael Collins) this was
definitely an amazing project that I would like to
further study.
Date:
1/16/01
Time:
2:02:21
PM
Remote
User:
1.
this was a very positive learning experience. I learned bundles of information.
This was great 2. I liked everything. but the best part was the
"Frontline" IRA video and
the songs. They were great. 3. The lack of explanation about the Good Friday
agreement was very frustrating. But it was still great. 4. No improvement is
needed. This was great. 5. additional in-depth technology based learning experiences
are great, we should do more of them. THIS WAS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Date:
1/16/01
Time:
2:02:30
PM
Remote
User:
1.
I actually did find this to be a positive learning experience. 2.I liked the
fact that we could use popular music to incorporate these ideas. It worked well
because most of s are familiar with music and can benefit from using it. 3.In my
opinion, the task at hand was not clear enough and there were many things that
were not clarified. Purposely? 4. I think the Ireland unit was fine. Regardless of my
previous complaint, it probably was beneficial to our learning experience. 5. I
haven't the foggiest idea what you are asking , but I shall wing it, so to speak.
I think you are asking if we would like to do a similar project like this. I
think so.
Anonymous!
Date:
1/16/01
Time:
2:02:47
PM
Remote
User:
1.
yes, I did 2. It was a good experience using the internet as a resource. I have
used the internet for projects in the past, but not so intensely. This will be
good for use in college. 3. trying to get a computer to cooperate or finding one
available was probably the most frustrating thing I came across. 4. Stick to
your deadlines. We are still in high school and this
way we are forced to do it and not procrastinate. 5. It would be a good idea to
do another project like this but perhaps in a format other than an essay. There
are many types of projects to do that do not require so much lengthy typing, but
still the same amount of work.
Date:
1/16/01
Time:
2:03:19
PM
Remote
User:
1.Yes, it wasn't a negative learning experience so I guess that makes it
positive. 2. the music was good, it mixed things up a bit, made it more
interesting. 3. wasn't any more or less frustrating than any other units, I
didn't spend late nights worrying. 4. it was pretty well done 5. yes. It mixes things up and makes things more interesting
Date:
1/16/01
Time:
2:05:05
PM
Remote
User:
1)
Yes, I think it was a positive learning experience. 2) The unit helped me learn the problems
that they have and how lucky we are.... I liked the songs, they helped me understand
the things a lot better. 3) Some of the things were a little hard to understand,
so when I was writing it I had to really search for things on the internet and
sometimes I felt like I didn't know what I was talking about, but then once I started to read it over and over,
I understood it more and could come up with
some stuff of my own. 4)I think you could go over the movie a little more
because that is the stuff I had a hard time with - I did not take enough
notes so it was hard to remember all the stuff, and it was important stuff. 5)I think it was fun and
I definitely think it helped me understand it
more than just taking notes and then taking a test.
Date:
1/16/01
Time:
2:05:43
PM
Remote
User:
1)I
found this unit to be a positive learning experience 2)I liked the fact that it
gave an in depth view into the history of Ireland (my history) and the fact that
it got us away from the note taking and let us do some of our own work. 3) I
found that it was hard to put the information that was needed and tie it all
together, especially in editorial form. 4)I think it would be easier if the
genocide and good Friday subjects were combined into one paper. It would be more
work, but it would be a simpler format. 5)I think in depth technology based projects
are better than getting lectures and taking notes. You also gain more
knowledge instead of the basic facts of a subject.
Date:
1/16/01
Time:
2:05:55
PM
Remote
User:
With
the stuff on your website, it made it much easier to work on my paper from my house
without much confusion. At the start of the unit I knew not a thing about
Ireland, just that it it reminded me of Leprechauns. Now that we are wrapping up with
the unit I know so much more. It wasn't even boring. I enjoy going to the
computer room and being able to interact. The length wasn't even a problem
because once you start writing you can't stop. Nothing was really frustrating besides the fact the
I put things off till the last moment. The music was
enjoyable and really gives you different points of views. Sometimes it is hard
to understand what the singer is talking about till you do more research about
it. Thanks for the experience!!!!!!!!
Date:
1/16/01
Time:
2:08:24
PM
Remote
User:
Dear Mr. Rozell, I found it to be a burden but it expanded my Irish horizons. I liked the unit, but not the project itself -sorry to say I am 15 with better things to do. I was frustrated by the comments of my classmates toward me telling me that I could'nt and wouldn't do it, so I did and I hope you like it. The amount of time I spent was frustrating (pushing back plans, etc.). Send us to Ireland to make the project better ha ha. I've realized that in this class I have to push myself and try harder and this project pushed me to try against the odds of everyone. Alright, grade fair ,u rock and this class is teaching me to grow... well thank you Mr.. Rozell for the pushing me -you are really a good man and a great teacher.
Date:
1/16/01
Time:
2:09:20
PM
Remote
User:
I found this unit to be fun and interesting. I liked how we studied in depth the history of a country and the cause of its many problems and how complex they are. I found organizing the final report frustrating. I think it would be easier if we did a report after each era then we could do a more in depth examination instead of a broader discussion in the final report. Thanks Mr. Rozell, I learned a lot.
Date:
1/16/01
Time:
2:10:01
PM
Remote
User:
I
feel that this was a very positive leaning experience. I know that I now have a
good of understanding of the Famine and other facts about the Irish history. My
favorite part was the songs and the super cool movie!!!!!!! They both helped to
give an in-depth explanation to the facts that we learned. Although it was a very
cool project ,it was quite frustrating. I tried very hard to do a
very good job and many times I had to throw things. The citing of sources was an
addition to the frustration. To make the experience better you should think
about a field trip!!! Other than that I think you did a
pretty good job.
Date:
1/16/01
Time:
2:11:00
PM
Remote
User:
This
was an interesting way to go in further with a topic, It was very hard at first,
but once I understood what was going on everything fell into place. The only
hard part of the project was getting everything together, once that was done,
writing the essay was easy, and I also learned a lot!
Date:
1/16/01
Time:
2:14:16
PM
Remote
User:
I found this unit to be very fun.. and even though I am a procrastinator and spent all of the weekend of the sixth and seventh of January doing it, I enjoyed it.. in a weird way.. even though I had this huge cramp in my butt for a few days. Yeah, anyways, I liked how we got to listen to music and learn the meanings of these songs I had heard times before. The songs and the movies also allowed me to apply the mishaps of Irish lives and show myself how lucky I am not to have had to live through "The Troubles" and all else. The one thing that was frustrating during this unit was the initial breakthrough.. almost forcing myself to get "into" the subject, but once I did this I enjoyed the unit much more.
I had this idea for a different final that you could assign for
the unit.. have the students in the class have the option to write a song or
poem, etc, illustrating personal knowledge and effects that this unit had on
them.. but it was just a thought.. because that would be less work for you to
correct and be more fun for all of us.. but it was just a thought. I think
that it would be a cool idea for you to create additional in depth technology
based on learning experiences for your students. Thank you for allowing me to
see, if only for three weeks, into the lives and minds of the Irish.. Thank you.
Date:
1/16/01
Time:
2:15:10
PM
Remote
User:
I
did in fact find this to be a very positive learning experience. To answer
your second question, I would reply by saying, I liked the fact that we watched
a documentary. I personally love documentaries. This wasn't exactly helpful to
me though because unfortunately I don't have an audio graphic memory. I felt
that with just the video and songs, I had nothing to refer to in writing my
report--{editor's note- the entire transcript of the film is available on the
website} thus it forced me into using the internet which brings me to your next
question of frustration. Internet is a synonym for frustration and many don't
have this enlightening source. Thus I think it would have been very useful to
have some more concrete sources on paper in class, (handouts, class notes, etc.)
Before completing the report I really didn't retain all that much info.
Fortunately for me, when I write a document of my own on a topic, ( such as this
report ) almost all of the things I included in the report are permanently in my
long term memory. So in conclusion I say that, in the future to keep things
balanced among the many different types of talented learners in your classroom,
keep a balance between the amount of video and musical sources as to the written
sources. I speak on behalf of myself with respect to other
comments I have herd and agreed with throughout the course of this unit. Your
sapient and non-syntonic friend and student
Date:
1/16/01
Time:
2:16:03
PM
Remote
User:
I
like pink elephants and blue penguins.
Date:
1/16/01
Time:
8:08:25
PM
Remote
User:
I
found this experience very positive. I t helped me better understand my heritage
a little bit better. It made me think how much better we have it over here. It
was kind of hard to understand some of the concepts at first . I really liked
how the songs were put into the unit. I think you should involve technology more
with students, it gets us more involved.
I think that the Ireland unit was interesting. Some parts were boring but over all they were good. I think that writing the paper helped me because understand how every thing interlocked. I think that some of the movies we watched weren't so exciting. But I think the web site helped me a lot and I would use this unit again.
Date:
1/18/01
Time:
5:36:05
PM
Remote
User:
Yes,
I thought this unit was a lot of fun. I learned many things and enjoyed
listening to all of the songs. The most frustrating part was writing the essay.
It was hard to get everything organized because there was so much we had to
incorporate into it. I agree that a field trip to Ireland would make the experience
more interesting. That way we can see what is going on first hand. I
think you should do this kind of a unit again in the future.
Date:
1/18/01
Time:
8:31:55
PM
Remote
User:
I was
thinking about the last question we had to answer the other day...about
doing more technology-based projects, and I thought a fun one would be to make
our own websites. not only would it expand our knowledge of the unit we are
learning about but it would also give us more experience using the technology
available to us. More interaction seems to work well with me, my attention span
can sometimes be short, but if I'm a part of what's going on instead of writing
notes while 1/2 daydreaming, I learn much easier. anyway, I think making our own
websites would be a fun project. there are many free website services that we
could use, and maybe you could link the good ones to your own rockin' site.
I really really enjoyed doing this project. But I am only saying that because it is done. I just finished reading the comments and some of them are pretty funny, and all in all I have to say I agree with them...well most of them. Yes, it was very time draining, and it made me think about Social Studies around the clock. I found myself putting work before play which with me it rarely happens. I really did learn a lot and I know it will come to some use when it comes time for regents, and I bet when its time to grade those regents the teachers will be sick of reading things about Ireland. This project was a good way of taking Ireland into further depth and I know everyone learned a lot and will remember all this for quite some time. On the case of the Good Friday Agreement, that's where I felt my editorial was the weakest, because I had no previous knowledge of the Good Friday Agreement, as far as to apply it to Ireland was a little complicated. To start from scratch and base your whole project on something you knew little of was a little hard. But as you can see, I got through it... (If I can figure out what happened to my disk..hehe.)Yes I know this is getting long, so I am going to close by saying, I really and truly enjoyed doing this project and the things I learned will definitely be remembered for a long time to come. So I hope in the future we do things like this. Thanks again!
the
end?