Barbara A. Sasso
This curriculum unit, developed for high school English Language Arts (ELA) classes, suggests that the time has come for students' mobile devices to be welcome additions to learning if we teach students how to use them mindfully. The unit offers lessons to guide students in understanding detrimental consequences of Internet overuse, and provides psychological research sources on the effects of Internet use on teenagers. Activities include lessons without Internet use such as storytelling, discussions, interviews and an experiential exercise, which offer learning opportunities that take place in the real world. The unit also suggests using smart devices constructively for lessons consistent with Common Core Standards, such as visual analysis. This unit includes lessons that use visual analysis to improve text analysis through rhetorical and literary terminology, such as pathos, imagery or caricature. Lessons apply visual media to improve reading comprehension of text with similar themes. The unit suggests that students could improve their research skills by using smart phones to access databases and experiment with key-word searches. It provides material for students and teachers and aligns with Common Core Standards and New Haven Public Schools ELA curriculum for grades 9-10.
(Developed for English 2: Unit 4, grade 10; recommended for English Language Arts, grades 9-12)
