Edina Digital Age Learning

Students in Kim Caster's French Culture course at Edina High School have been studying French Romantic Comedies, including the movie, Amelie . These senior students have been learning about the use of style, location and comparing French cinema with American films. As an assessment, Caster asked the students to create a product that demonstrated: a)       An understanding of romantic comedies and how they are different from American Romantic Comedies.   b)       An understanding of JP Jeunet’s unique and different filmmaking style.   c)        An understanding of the use of interesting, romantic, and popular sites in Paris and various secondary and tertiary side characters become a part of the major part of Jeunet’s films. d)       An understanding of the use stereotypical roles of men and women in film in order to maintain the formula or break the formula...

Continuing my reflection on the learning that has happened this year, I would like to share a story on how one teacher found an opportunity to collaborate globally and gave her students a great learning experience. Over winter break, Valley View 8th Grade Social Studies and French Immersion teacher, Irmgard Farah visited Costa Rica. While there, she took a trip to the the Children's Eternal Rainforest in Monteverde . While there, she learned of the " Friends of the Rainforest " project and how classrooms around the world had donated to help with land purchase, land protection, educational programs and guided travel opportunities. On her way home, Irmgard wondered if her students would be interested participating in a fundraising project for the rainforest. She thought it would also be a great opportunity to incorporate service learning strategies for her students, and thought it would also tie nicely to her curriculum if she could make a connection with another Frenc...

Edina Public Schools Mission Statement states: The mission of Edina Public Schools is to educate all individuals to be responsible, lifelong learners who possess the skills, knowledge, creativity, self-worth, and ethical values necessary to thrive in a rapidly   changing, culturally diverse, global society. Today, French Teacher, Kim Caster helped her students meet the last part of that mission through a video chat Skype session with students in Montpelier, France .  Caster spent a year teaching in France a few years ago, as part of a Fullbright grant. Two-thirds of the students in Caster's class were students in the Edina French Immersion program. Caster's students spoke in French in their questions and responses to their pen pals, and in turn, the French Students spoke English.  Here are some of the questions that the French students were curious about: Which part of American History do you prefer? Why? Do you think the Amendment which allows peopl...