Module 4: Digital Jumpstart for Japanese Internment Lesson

 The digital jumpstart (DJ) method of preparing students for challenging material offers great flexibility and available software tools make creation of DJs reasonably simple and swift.  Using easily accessible primary and secondary sources available via the web, the teacher’s main task is creating a script that addresses the three key features of a successful DJ:  “Providing background information, developing schema, and previewing vocabulary” (Rance-Rooney, 2010).  Going through the process of actually building a DJ forced me to try to put myself in the shoes of a student not very familiar with either the material or the historical context.  It made me think of the most vital terms and ideas that such a student might most benefit from understanding better before, or after, the class during which that material was covered. 

My DJ was about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War 2.  While a bit rough, it would provide students a sense of the magnitude and location of Japanese Americans during the early days of the war and a high overview of how they were treated by the US government.  Additionally, my DJ employs repetition to allow students to hear key vocabulary in a variety of contexts.

Every demonstration benefits from some element that provides continuity, from beginning to end.  It could be aural or visual.  I would like to include that in future DJs.  Also, I would make better use of transitions to improve the professionalism of the final product.

There are no topics in the social sciences that could not benefit from a DJ for students who need it.  Recording a DJ at the start of every unit, as well as certain lessons, would provide all students with helpful information while also providing students with a resource they can return to again and again if they are unfamiliar with vocabulary, key terms, etc.

 

 

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