student and parent info

Grade 11 students have a new option next year for completing English 11 at D.P. Todd, and will complete Geography 12 at the same time.

We are launching a new program that uses blended learning to explore language, writing, literature, landscapes, and environmental education.

This approach mixes classroom based learning (with a teacher), student-centered learning in small seminars (facilitated by the teacher), smaller groups (facilitated by students), and some independent work (supported by all). 

Students will learn strategies for resourceful self-reliance and collaborative interdependence, skills that are crucial for success at post-secondary schools and the 21st century workplace. Students will also bend the digital and communication tools they already use towards positive applications for learning. We will develop life-long habits for pursuing passion and honouring the "whole self." We will set high standards that balance creativity with practical understanding of the big ideas from English and Geography.

The focus will be on the "spark" or learning passion that each student brings, creative use of technology, critical thinking, integration of the arts, deep inquiry, project-based learning, and use of digital portfolios. We will use examples in the course from diverse sources including Tolkien's Middle Earth, local writing and local landscapes. We will also use the work generated by students themselves to enrich content and opportunities for dialogue.

About half of the time the learning will be guided by the teacher (traditional lessons in class) and about half of the time students will be able to craft their own interests, skills, artistic and intellectual abilities into their classwork, projects, and assessment. This part takes place in a second "flex" block -- independent work, groups of 3-5 led by students, seminars of 8-10 with the teacher, and not necessarily taking place at the same time or location.  Many of the learning resources and reading/viewing will be "flipped" or posted online for students to work through during the flex time, allowing for more interactivity when we are together. Students have some time built in to work when and where they want, but also daily activities at school and in class. That's blended learning.

Students completing this program receive full credits for both English 11 and Geography 12 -- the learning outcomes from both courses will be addressed. This "Language and Landscape" program takes place in two blocks in one semester (e.g. A & B) and allows flexible attendance during one of the two blocks. Pre-requisites: English 10 and Social Studies 10. 

For more information, email gthielmann@sd57.bc.ca, come talk to me in room 180 or read more of the posts on this blog. I think students have a lot more to offer than we often give them the space to attempt.   This program is designed to see what that looks like.

Program pitch to staff

Reposted from http://thielmann.blogspot.ca/2012/11/staff-mtg-course-presentation_5.html

Language landscape staff presentation from thielmann

It's official... time to let my staff know where this is going. What started as a set of ideas about course combination and imaginative content, and became a project in curriculum and learning design is ready for the next level.

This course proposal for D.P. Todd Secondary will see English 11 and Geography 12 combined in a blended learning environment. Students enroll for two blocks of course work, half of it class-room based and half of it outside of class with individual, group,and seminar work. The "blend" refers to both the mix of traditional lessons with flipped or flexible learning, and the mix of in-school with distributed (e.g. online) content and coursework.

We will emphasize self-reliant learning, developing personal learning networks for students, cross-curricular themes, performance-based assessment, interactive technology, social learning, and exploring horizons of significance and authenticity. 

In short, a new way for Grade 11 students to complete two courses with compelling curriculum in a two-block program that blends different approaches to teaching and learning. 

Space permitting, this program will also allow Grade 12 students to audit parts of the double-course offering and complete a single grad credit board-authorized course: Middle Earth 12. 

Comments and feedback welcome.

FAQs for the Language and Landscape program

Why pick these two courses to combine?

• senior courses without provincial exams - good place to experiment
• both are common grad credit options, familiar to students yet don’t work for everybody
• both have common goals of increasing literacy and critical thinking through the examination of evidence
• highly complimentary goals: creative & intellectual expression, interpretation of text and context, deep understanding of important human and environmental themes
• bringing in PLOs from different discipline lends itself to project-based learning
• both curriculums are a natural fit for performance-based assessment

What aspects of a course/program like this have been tried elsewhere in our district?

• having portions of a course with optional attendance or required tasks that are not synchronized with teacher-time... e.g. PGSS History 12 with 4 days per week in class/1 class voluntary drop-in, DPTS Leadership & Cafeteria w/ flexible attendance mixed with out-of-class committments
• mixing independent/online learning with regular instruction... e.g. CHSS & KRSS Moodle content in Science, PGSS CoolSchool pull-out cohorts, KRSS NLC, CLA DL Math w/ group, individual, and online sessions
• flexibility within the existing funding model (assigning DL funding for students in regular schools, spreading course funding across multiple sites, gaining full funding w/out requiring traditional attendance)... e.g. CLA using same funding model for diff. configurations, PGSS/McBride Lit 12, examples from previous bullet
• combining courses, with or without a collapsed timeline... e.g. Socials 90 (with), Humanities 8 (without)

Why use Middle Earth as a connection between these courses?

• Tolkien’s work as a scholar of language and a creator of diverse literary landscapes provides an archetypal for the collection big ideas behind “English” and “Geography” disciplines
• examples from Tolkien’s fiction and non-fiction works are accessible (age-appropriate) for senior students and a lot of fun to read (not to mention film adaptations!)
• students have expressed an interest in bringing Tolkien into their learning; its the idea that something students find interesting should (if it can, if it is worthwhile) take a more central role in what and how they learn

What is the relevant background of the teacher?

• BA double major in Geography and English (UBC 1994)
• MEd in Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership (SFU 2004)
• teaching in English/Language Arts: English 8 (x1), English 9 (x2), English 11 (x1), Communications 11 (x1)
• teaching in Geography: Geography 12 (x10)
• teaching in combined Eng/Socials courses: Humanities 8 (x13)
  2010-2011 Designed a distributed learning course for Province of BC (Sustainable Resources 12), a combination of online and independent research, field study, and guided practice
  2004-2006 TLITE mentor, guiding professional learning & curricular projects for teachers
  2003-2005 Member of two committees in examining best practices in digital and blended learning (Tech for Learning Leadership Team, Quality Learning Globally consortium)

Why use a blended learning course delivery?

• provincially recommended direction for “21st Century Learning” -- fulfills major goals of the BCEd Plan including the five key elements (1. Personalized learning for every student, 2. Quality teaching and learning, 3. Flexibility and choice, 4. High standards, 5. Learning empowered by technology)
• simply offering a double classroom-based combined course could be alternately tedious and intense for students; a blended model allows for creative use of seminar time, independent/off-hours learning, and flexibility to match a student’s identity as a learner
• see the chart (above) -- it can use the best parts of distributed, online, and “flipped” learning to extend rather than replace what happens when a teacher and peers are present face-to-face

What's the direction in regards to Learning Resources?

• rather than purchasing class sets of books, looking at a reading list with a few copies available in the Learning Commons, some hard, some E-texts, some free online
• ideally, a small set of e-readers or tablets would compliment this direction

Why do I want to do this?

• I fashion myself a Tolkien expert with a passion for language and environmental education
• disciplines and courses line up with my background, strengths, and aspirations -- “we teach we who we are”
• a foray into Geog/Language Arts is a great compliment to my history based Social Studies classes
• too often we teach “parts of things” and seldom get around to grand connections and overarching narratives
• I’m easily bored and looking to challenge myself, my students, and my colleagues -- this is unique without being unrealistic and fulfills a need in our school, district, and province
• I’ve been advocating blended learning, cross-curricular project-based learning, performance-based assessment, and close integration of technology one way or another for my entire career -- this would give me a chance to practice them all at the same time

Comparison of five approaches to course delivery

Models	Instruction	Resources	Activities	Assessment	Problems
Classic Classroom	teacher directed lesssons (powerpoints, lectures, etc.) in addition to other activities	teacher staggers handout of material, classnotes, text & online content, sparing use of technology	individual seatwork and groupwork mainly inside classtime, focus on content, skills, and process	ongoing and potentially instant when there is time, interaction & feedback is usually face-to-face or written, variety of projects and usually tests	less flexible for students who miss class or those with certain learning styles, can be associated with “factory” model (stand and deliver, passive learning) and is locked in to a timetable, and fixed location
Flipped Classroom	lectures and raw content online or taken in on students’ own time, some from teacher, some from others	student gets instructions in class and follows up after with online content and print material, strategic use of technology	teacher-facilitated discussions and one-on-one with students. focus on skills and process	ongoing and potentially instant (key focus), interaction & feedback is usually face-to-face or written, variety of projects and usually tests	content is still teacher-directed but up to students to view; assumes students can work off-site and independently (tough for many), makes skipping easier and requires additional mechanisms to check on required learning
Distributed Learning	students are largely self-taught through generic written instructions, contact with a teacher at key junctures possible	packages of prepared content and links, support material (paper or digital), highly variable use of technology	mainly asynchronous learning, read and respond, potential for lots of choice in response or projects	some written feedback on papers (somewhat “formative” in nature), module tests provide summative marks, student can call/email Centre for help	learning is self-paced and can be monotonous, low success rate, practice work is often skipped and only work to be marked is submitted, students usually work in isolation with little ongoing feedback, social interaction, or support from peers
Online Learning	students are largely self-taught through online tutorials and lesson material. teacher contact possible	learning software (CMS or LMS) with web-based content, ubiquitous use of technology	can be synchronous (real-time) or asynchronous (self-paced), mainly read/view and respond	some written or emailed feedback on assignments, may use self-marking tests, projects can be very unique	learning is self-paced and can involve long stretches on a computer, low success rate, research can be shallow (surf-and-respond), students usually work alone with no social interaction, hard to break technology habits
Blended Learning	some direct instruction, some self-paced, some peer-taught	classroom print content, online content, strategic use of technology	mostly synchronous, including groupwork outside classtime	ongoing, some face-to-face and some written feedback, variety of projects and usually tests	requires careful planning as it has its foot in many doors, students may struggle with independent aspects of course delivery

Geography 12 made simple

Geography 12 PLOs:
A1 explain the five themes of geography: location, place, movement, regions, human and physical interaction
A2 describe the major interactions of the four spheres: atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere
A3 demonstrate geographic literacy through work with geographic data, maps, images, texts
A4 apply effective written, oral, and graphic communication skills to geography topics
A5 describe the geographic applications of current information and imaging technologies
B1 describe the features and processes associated with plate tectonics, including Earth’s layers, volcanism, folding and faulting, earthquakes
B2 explain the effects of volcanism and earthquakes
C1 describe the features and processes associated with weathering and mass wasting
C2 describe the features and processes associated with running water, ground water, glaciers, wind, waves
C3 assess the effects of gradation on humans
D1 describe the characteristics and significance of the layers of the atmosphere, including the troposphere and stratosphere
D2 explain factors affecting temperature, precipitation, pressure, and wind
D3 analyze specific weather phenomena, including fog, local winds, and extreme events
D4 interpret information from weather maps and station models
D5 describe the characteristics of the world’s climate regions, including equatorial, tropical wet/dry, Mediterranean, desert, continental interior, humid continental (including humid sub-tropical), west coast marine, sub-arctic, and tundra
D6 explain how climate affects human activity
D7 analyze interactions between human activity and the atmosphere, with reference to global climate change, ozone depletion, acid precipitation
E1 outline characteristics of the Earth’s major biomes, including tropical rainforest, tropical grasslands/savanna, Mediterranean/schlerophyll, desert, temperate grasslands/prairie/steppe, deciduous/mixed forest, temperate rainforest, coniferous forest/boreal/taiga, tundra
E2 describe how vegetation adapts to environmental conditions
E3 relate soil types to biomes
E4 analyze the interactions between human activity and biomes, with reference to deforestation, desertification, soil degradation, species depletion, resources and environmental sustainabIlIty
F1 assess the various considerations involved in resource management, including sustainability, availability, social/cultural consequences, economic consequences, political consequences
F2 assess the environmental impact of human activities, including, energy production and use, forestry, fishing, mining, agriculture, waste disposal, water use


Geography 12 - quick overview of prescribed learning outcomes (PLOs)
this is what teachers are supposed to teach and students are supposed to learn:

(Geo1) Develop geographic literacy related to the planet, humans, and the study of geography
(Geo2) Describe and explain features and processes related to earth structure (tectonics)
(Geo3) Recognize and describe the forces of gradation shaping the land
(Geo4) Understand the role of humans in gradation, climate processes
(Geo5) Describe and explain the features and processes associated with our atmosphere
(Geo6) Describe and analyze climate data, phenomenon, and types
(Geo7) Differentiate various biomes, soils, and ecosystem processes
(Geo8) Assess problems in sustainable resource management
(Geo9) Understand human-environment processes, issues, and mutual impacts
In short, we want students to be able to scan natural and human landscapes or phenomenon and build geographies that employ strong research skills, critical thinking capacity, and knowledge of relevant systems. A successful Geography 12 student has an ability to speak, write, and graph about their physical world and cultural adaptations with self-confidence and geographic literacy.


How do the PLOs translate to the way a typical Geography 12 course is laid out by topic?

1. themes of Geography, connections, types, relevance
2. galactic & planetary context
3. origins of life & species
4. spheres & associated environmental challenges
5. working with all kinds of maps
6. geology, rock formation and types
7. tectonics, faults & folds
8. earthquakes & volcanism
9. weathering & gradation
10. mass wastage & slope failure
11. rivers & fluvial landscapes
12. groundwater & karst
13. alpine & continental glaciation, periglaction
14. wind & deserts, arid landscapes
15. coastal processes and landforms
16. climate/solar energy context
17. atmosphere & water cycle
18. air pressure & winds
19. climate controls & classification
20. air masses & precipitation, weather symbols
21. weather systems & storms, weird weather
22. ecosystems & biomes
23. soil & soil conservation
24. resource management & ethics, modes of subsistence
25. living resources & habitats
26. air resources & climate issues
27. water resources & issues
28. land & energy resources
29. waste & urban systems
30. rural vs urban splits, sustainability

English 11 made simple

English 11 PLOs (summary):
A1 interact and collaborate in groups to learn, critique, and create
A2 express ideas and information in a variety of situations and forms
A3 listen to comprehend, interpret, and evaluate ideas and information from a variety of texts
A4 select, adapt, and apply a range of strategies to interact and collaborate with others
A5 select, adapt, and apply a range of strategies to prepare oral communications
A6 select, adapt, and apply a range of strategies to express ideas and information in oral communications
A7 use listening strategies to understand, recall, and analyze a variety of texts
A8 speak and listen to make personal responses to texts
A9 speak and listen to interpret, analyze, and evaluate ideas and information from texts
A10 speak and listen to synthesize and extend thinking
A11 use metacognitive strategies to reflect on and assess their speaking and listening
A12 recognize and apply the structures and features of oral language to convey and derive meaning
B1 read, both collaboratively and independently, to comprehend a wide variety of literary texts
B2 read to comprehend a wide variety of information and persuasive texts with increasing complexity and subtlety of ideas and form
B3 view to comprehend a variety of visual texts, with increasing complexity of ideas and form
B4 independently select and read, for sustained periods of time, texts for enjoyment and to increase fluency
B5 before reading and viewing, select, adapt, and apply a range of strategies to anticipate content and construct meaning
B6 during reading and viewing, select, adapt, and apply a range of strategies to construct, monitor, and confirm meaning
B7 after reading and viewing, select, adapt, and apply a range of strategies to extend and confirm meaning, and to consider author’s craft
B8 explain and support personal responses to texts
B9 interpret, analyze, and evaluate ideas and information from texts
B10 synthesize and extend thinking about texts
B11 use metacognitive strategies to reflect on and assess their reading and viewing
B12 recognize and explain how structures and features of text shape readers’ and viewers’ construction of meaning and appreciation of author’s craft
B13 demonstrate increasing word skills and vocabulary knowledge
C1 write meaningful personal texts that elaborate on ideas and information for a variety of purposes
C2 write purposeful information texts that express ideas and information for a variety of purposes
C3 write effective imaginative texts to develop ideas and information for a variety of purposes
C4 create thoughtful representations that communicate ideas and information for a variety of purposes
C5 select, adapt, and apply a range of strategies to generate, develop, and organize ideas for writing and
representing
C6 select, adapt, and apply a range of drafting and composing strategies while writing and representing
C7 select, adapt, and apply a range of strategies to revise, edit, and publish writing and representing
C8 write and represent to explain and support personal responses to texts
C9 write and represent to interpret, analyze, and evaluate ideas and information from texts
C10 write and represent to synthesize and extend thinking
C11 use metacognitive strategies to reflect on and assess their writing and representing
C12 use and experiment with elements of style in writing and representing, appropriate to purpose and audience, to enhance meaning and artistry
C13 use and experiment with elements of form in writing and representing, appropriate to purpose and audience, to enhance meaning and artistry
C14 use conventions in writing and representing, appropriate to purpose and audience, to enhance meaning and artistry


English 11 - quick overview of prescribed learning outcomes (PLOs)
this is what teachers are supposed to teach and students are supposed to learn:
(Eng1) Developing speaking and listening oral language skills and habits
(Eng2) Using strategies for effective oral communication
(Eng3) Demonstrating critical thinking and metacognition using oral language
(Eng4) Exploring and understanding diverse ideas through reading and viewing texts in a variety of mediums
(Eng5) Using strategies to construct meaning before, during, and after reading and viewing texts in a variety of mediums
(Eng6) Demonstrating critical thinking and metacognition through analysis of texts in a variety of mediums
(Eng7) Recognize, explain, and analyze structures, features, and origins of language, genres, and a variety of texts
(Eng8) Write personal, informational, imaginative texts in a variety of mediums
(Eng9) Use strategies to plan, draft, create, edit, and publish a variety of texts
(Eng10) Demonstrating critical thinking and metacognition through writing, representation, and synthesis
(Eng11) Develop writing, representation, and research skills with elements of style, form, and language conventions
In short, we want students to be able to talk, read, view, and write intelligently, expressively, with purpose and growing self-confidence. A successful English 11 student is an accomplished, resourceful, persuasive and creative receiver and teller of stories.


How do the PLOs translate to the way a typical English 11 course is laid out by topic?

1. themes of English/Language Arts, connections, types, relevance
2. fact, fiction, narrative, and the importance of myth
3. establishing and identifying voice in self and other
4. oral traditions, listening & story-telling skills
5. speeches, debate, interviews, and tools for self-expression
6. language origins and etymology
7. grammar and the structure of language
8. history of British, American, and World English
9. poetic types, terminology, and functions
10. approaches to reading, writing, and responding to poetry
11. focused case studies from 6 or more poems, in-class or self-directed
12. creative & descriptive writing, poetry, prose and other
13. blogs, digital and social media, multimodal language and literature
14. graphic and non-written analysis and modes of expression
15. comparative writing, essay and other format
16. expository writing, essay and other format
17. writing an opinion paper or an editorial
18. literary devices in prose, writing styles and skills
19. comparison of themes in short stories
20. focused case studies from 4 or more short stories, in-class or self-directed
21. character sketches and role of complex plots
22. crossover from short stories to journalism and other genres
23. analyzing character, themes, and the human condition in long prose
24. structure of the novel, schemes for synthesizing topics and themes
25. setting and contexts in long prose, role of research
26. focused case studies from 2 or more novels, in-class or self-directed
27. reading & responding to dramatic writing
28. contexts and skills for dramatic writing & theatrical performance
29. focused case studies from 1 or more plays, in-class or self-directed
30. synthesizing thought and craft from the study of language and literature

Program concept and goals

Program Goals

I'm going to use this blog to lay out some planning and designs for a new program in development at D.P. Todd -- The Language & Landscape Project.

This double-course offering combines learning outcomes from BC English 11 and Geography 12 in a blended learning course format. Key examples (e.g. literary and geographic case studies) will be drawn from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, namely the stories of Middle Earth.  Other examples will be drawn from existing curricular resources, online content, and work selected and created by students.

My project goal as a teacher (ie. in regards to students) is to focus more on how students construct their learning in compelling tangential contexts rather than just meet outcomes on a prescribed trajectory.  I want to co-explore the ways we use language to imagine and interact with real and virtual landscapes.  In other words, as we journey through our life in a real world and also the world we make for ourselves in our minds, how do we structure the narrative?  How does this narrative help us understand these worlds and live more deeply within them?

My project goal as an educator (ie. in regards to the school and system) is to deconstruct an implementation of the BCED Plan and conduct some low-key creative experiments with blended, personalized, project-based learning in the field(s) of multiple literacies and environmental education. This course concept creates some gorgeous freedoms to try on new ways of teaching and learning, and I'm excited to see what happens next.

Program/Course concept: "Language and Landscape 11/12"

• full credit English 11 and Geography 12 program offered in a blended, flexible learning environment
• traditional classroom-based learning, personalized independent and online work, collaboration and shared learning through small group seminars and digital tools
• an emphasis on creativity and critical thinking as we draw from Tolkien's Middle Earth for key examples of language and landscape.
• committment requires daily attendance in a regularly scheduled block and flexible attendance/activities during or outside of a 2nd regularly scheduled block
• will utilize project-based learning and performance-based assessment practices
• use of social media and mobile technology to connect, collaborate, share, assess, and celebrate
• flex time includes small group work (e.g. 5 students) and seminar work  (e.g. 10 student plus teacher)

Language and Landscape Project

Reposted from : http://thielmann.blogspot.ca/2012/09/language-and-landscape-project.html

A few months ago, I broached the subject of a "Middle Earth" course at http://thielmann.blogspot.ca/2012/04/middle-earth-11-rough-course-proposal.html.

While I have an educational and teaching background in both English and Geography, it did not occur to me until recently that an interesting combination of these two disciplines would be possible. I think the milieu for curricular experiments has opened up (or come around again), and with support for "project exploration" from students, teachers, and administration, I'd like to offer a course next year at my school (D.P. Todd) that blends BC's English 11 and Geography 12 and takes place in two blocks during one semester. The course will address all corresponding PLOs and a "hook" to the course will involve literary and geographical examples drawn from Tolkien's Middle Earth, albeit as a point of departure rather than a destination.

A special dimension to this course offering is the blended learning delivery model. One of the two blocks for which the students sign up will look much like a traditional classroom with expectations for regular attendance, direct instruction from the teacher, and so on. The second block will be "flipped" -- this is project-based learning time, tutorial, independent work, seminar and small group sessions for the teacher and students. In designing a course this way I am attempting to respond, interpret, and interrogate the BCEd Plan and "personalized learning" in a way that makes sense to me, our students, and our school. At a practical level, it allows students create some personal designs around their own learning without losing the guidance offered from a well-planned program of study and a committed teacher they interact with daily.

I would like to involve others with some of the early planning and feedback, as this course offering will affect the 2013-2014 teaching timetable for our school and will not look the same as a regular course. I would like to see the work my students and I do as part of the continuum of language, literacy, and communication goals that are common within the English and Social Studies department at my school.

The course will be a "program" in the sense of how our "Socials 90 program" at D.P. Todd combines two courses and requires some special commitments. This project is tentatively titled Language & Landscape 11. As a new offering, it may simply be a double-registration in English 11 and Geography 12, although we are open to this being a pilot program and containing a unique stand-alone Gr. 12 credit (board-authorized). Sorting this out is part of the "project exploration" to ensure access, quality, and funding consistent with other courses and programs.

If you are interested, please let me know what you think in person, by email, twitter, or a comment below, preferably some time in the next month. I covet your feedback and opportunities to collaborate on this project. Specifically, I would appreciate links and suggestions for blended delivery, crossovers lesson topics between English/Language Arts and Geography/Environmental education, and PBL ideas that make sense in the tradition of Middle Earth studies and both academic disciplines. I've got my own ideas on to make a go of this, but I also know that others would like to contribute. General comments, warnings, laughs, and questions are welcome too!

Middle Earth: a rough course proposal

Reposted from: http://thielmann.blogspot.ca/2012/04/middle-earth-11-rough-course-proposal.html

Here's an idea about the Interplay of Language, Landscape, and Imagination that I've been thinking about lately. How about a Middle Earth 11 course for class of Gr. 10-12 students inspired by the creations of J.R.R. Tolkien?

Students would get credit for English 11 and Geography 12, taking half of their "200 course hours" in class; the other half is flipped, blended, online, independent, connected to the teacher and others outside of the regular timetable (some synchronous and asychronous). The overall goal is to apply critical thinking in the Humanities and Environmental Studies to a creative and relatively unexplored subject area, an experiment in how well our students have "learned how to learn." It would also be interesting to see how students inquiry is shaped when many of them are immersed in the subject material. This is also the kind of experimentation that needs to take place if we want to pull value from the BCED plan and advice on blended learning.

English
We would read some key works by Tolkien, short and long poetry and prose, and would also consume other Tolkien and Tolkienish media including literary criticism, art work, music, podcasts and fan fiction. We could make use of Tolkien recordings and interviews, Our smaller projects and learning activities (in accordance with the English 11 PLOs) would exploit skills in speaking, listening, reading, viewing, writing, and representing. Use of social media, creative software, and interactive digital tools would be used to reflect and extend what we do in class, and connect the students to the large and dynamic online Tolkien community. The opportunity to publish critical review and creative response online is almost unsurpassed with Tolkien enthusiasts, the forums, wikis, and blogs are all out there waiting for us. Students could create forms of expression that borrow from favourite Middle Earth elements such as the use of Tengwar script, Elvish languages, annotated maps, and archaic poetics. There would also be flexibility on what they read (or consume), past some staples, and delve into some personalized learning with the contents of their portfolio, the lead on project design, and a buy-in on assessment matrices.

Geography
We would study the historical geography of Middle Earth, gleaning understanding of ecology, climate, geology, geomorphology, conservation, and human geography (in accordance with the Geog 12 PLOs) from the environs of Eriador, Gondor, Beleriand, Valinor and the like. We would build comparative cultural geographies, examining how Tolkien's peoples an societies were affected by their environment and shaped their landscapes. Of course we'd also have some fun exploring rivers, glaciers, deserts, seascapes, caves, and mountains, and learning about the same basic geographic concepts and principles that govern our planet. Key comparisons with local (northern BC) examples allows me to keep it real and retain what works the best in my existing Geography 12 course.

Midst
Putting these two course mandates together is the awesome part, and the place where most of the critical thinking takes place. Tolkien's work had many themes, but two important ones were language and environment. From our "real-world" vantage, Middle Earth is a the perfect learning laboratory in which to learn about how language affects meaning, how people interact with place, how authorship and agency work, how story connects meaning and context, how realistic Tolkien's descriptions were of geographic phenomenon... I could go on about this for a while.

Logistics
Pre-requisites: English 10 and Social Studies 10, an ability to work independently, a willingness to write/express/discuss in an intense seminar environment, permission to post and express online, and an interest in Tolkien (preferably they've already read Hobbit and LOTR so we can fast forward to discussion and entertain other titles). Students get full credit for English 11 and Geography 12, with all work completed in one semester. I'd use 2 (of my 7) teaching blocks for this double-course, one in-class and one in release of the out-of-class time for the flipped/blended/online/sync/async aspects (most of which would happen during the 2nd block, but some of which would be taking place anytime, anywhere). As such, it would be cost neutral, as the two registered blocks fund the two teaching blocks.

The two courses and PLOs themselves are not new, so board approval would probably not be necessary, not that I would mind. The name of Middle Earth 11 (or whatever) is a placeholder for the two gov't approved courses, not a unique offering. The design approach, teaching & learning strategies, and learning resources are unique, but that is what every teacher makes choices about with every course. The Ministry of Ed and leaders province-wide are begging for blended learning experiments, so the other hurdles for permission should be minimal.

Texts
Aside from the massive online Tolkien content, part of the learning resources strategy would be to build a shelf of singleton Tolkien books in the library (as much of the reading would be personalized and not require class sets), perhaps buy one set of class books (e.g. Children of Hurin). Involving our dynamic library & librarian would be a natural; the Tolkien collection becomes a negotiation between student passion and balanced guidance from educators. ePubs are another way to go, so if we could squeeze a few tablets out of the tech budget stone, we could load them up with the CoH or LoTR or the Silmarillion. I think the whole "text" question would involve about between $1100 and $2000, less than a single class set of texts in most other courses. Other existing Eng11 and Geog12 texts could be used as needed. If this was extended include a full-scale tablet or e-reader pilot, we'd have to enlarge our thinking.

Structure
Microunits would be themed around a central inquiry related to language and landscape and would focus on a teacher-student negotiated set of places, times, and body of written and graphic work. I would provide a series of scholarly Oxford-style lectures (live, but also recorded for our youtube page), and move into a series of lessons, talks, in-class activities, online explorations, etc. and presentations from students.  I envision each student giving his/her own top-shelf lecture (live, plus archived for our youtube page) on a work they have read and a theme they have explored. So much has been written (and created) by and about Tolkien that students are almost guaranteed they could pick something unique. There is also almost unlimited potential for literary (and geographic) comparison with other Fantasy & Sci-Fi authors. I have no doubt students would arrive with specific ideas of what they wanted to get out of the course.

Assessment
There lots there to assess already, maybe too much, from either the English 11 or Geog 12 angle, but I also imagine a single summative project would take shape near the beginning and consume more time (and soul) as the course progressed (like a ring of power). One project that comes to mind is the creation of an artifact, like a leather-bound tome or an inscribed object, that carries some (or the best) of the student's learning and blends digital skills with graphic design, multi-modal voice, multi-genre fluency, and critical inquiry. The process of creation would also be documented in writing and film, a component of the "blended" part of the course, maybe something like what did Neil Stephenson did with his cigar box project. I have some newish ideas on assessment that would be great to try here, too, a system where students contract for achievement competencies based on their interpretation of the PLOs and their design for learning and assessment. The result is a kind of matrix that nuances rather than offloads assessment, giving students as much control with assessment design as they want, to the exact degree as they take responsibility for learning outcomes. The way I envision students grasping and working with this process is akin to the kind of character choices gamers make when selecting RPG characters, maybe even with a mimetic digital process. I'm not in to "that" end of the fantasy genre, but I recognize the addiction. To put it simply, I want to know if assessment can revolve around student intention and intrinsic motivation, and still meet high standards in our public education system.

What do you think?
I'm curious for feedback from students, teachers, and administration... would you support something like this, say for 2013-2014? If you're a student, would you take this combo-course? I'd like to hear from others before I sink any serious time into the idea. I realize that every one-off we have in our school of 750 complicates other elective offerings, but that shouldn't stop one from having dreams. 2012-2013 would have been the way to go, capitalize on the first installment of Jackson's Hobbit Movie coming out, but job action kind of killed the ability to plan ahead as a school team. I have no misgivings about the kind of work it would take to set this up, but I also think it would be a great "21st century learning" experiment that would engage students, me, and other educators and provide some evidence about what works and what doesn't with blended learning.

As a Tolkien expert with an English & Geography degree, I'm surprised I didn't push this 15 years ago. The idea has been smoldering for many years, but I suppose I don't move very fast, very much a Hobbit at heart, even if I look more like a Beorning.