Vision SPRING 2013 Faith and Education - Chaminade Julienne ...

English Department Chair Presents at State Conference
Composing & Publishing in a Digital World
Adopted by the State of Ohio in
June 2010, the new Common
Core State Standards for education
will provide a clear and consistent
understanding of what students are expected
to learn in order for them to be
prepared for college and careers as well
as position our country to be successful
in the global market. Teachers crosscurriculum
are learning about the new
standards and preparing for full implementation
during the 2014-15 school
year. Literacy and the integration of technology
will play big roles in what will be
expected of graduates who plan to receive
diplomas in Ohio.
In March, Molly Bardine, English department
chair, and Greg Mueller, English
teacher, attended the Ohio Council of
Teachers of English Language Arts (OC-
TELA) Spring Conference in Columbus.
They joined educators from around the
state to hear lectures by nationally recognized
speakers and participate in professional
development sessions focused on
Ohio’s new Common Core Standards. In
addition, Bardine was invited to present
her research titled, “Composing and Publishing
in a Digital World.”
She, along with University of Dayton
professors Dr. Patrick Thomas and Dr.
Bryan Bardine, presented research and a
case study that involved the integration
of technology with the perennial writing
assignment: the senior research paper.
“We are looking at how teachers
teach and assess the work of web page
composition which includes aspects
beyond the printed word in using visuals
and videos and finding specific ways to
engage their audience — all features of
Web composition,” said Bardine.
“Dr. Thomas provided a theoretical
rationale for teachers composing on
the Web and Bryan and I shared our
experiences as classroom teachers. I think
that is what was appealing about the
presentation — we gave both theory and
SPRING 2013 8
practice of what this looks like in
the classroom.”
Part of Bardine’s research for the presentation
involved CJ students enrolled in
her first semester Writing and Research
course, an upper level class designed to
challenge college-bound seniors. She is
no stranger to asking students to bring
more to the table when approaching assignments.
For years, she has asked them
to choose a global issue as the theme for
their paper. Bardine’s inspiration for the
project came from the Sisters of Notre
Dame and Sr. Dorothy Stang ‘49.
“Sister Dorothy brought the charism of
St. Julie to the modern world and showed
us the power one person can have in
the fight for human rights and justice.
Through their ministry, the Sisters of
Notre Dame reveal to me how cultivating
and teaching a global perspective is an act
of faith,” Bardine said.
“Each year I am amazed by the breadth of
the students’ research and the final papers
which emerge from their research.”
Topics this year included human trafficking,
disarmament, biodiversity, and international
adoption.
And, in addition to this integration of
mission, students broadened their technology
skills by evaluating and incorporating
electronic sources for their projects,
and creating Web pages that embodied
their chosen theme.
“This type of composition empowers students
even more than a traditional paper
since their audience is truly more global,”
Bardine said. “Students will continue to
compose traditional papers, but creating
Web pages gives them a different way of
understanding their issue and find an authoritative
voice in the process.”
Participants at the educator’s conference
in Columbus conference were very
interested in the results. According to
Bardine, feedback from the presentation
was positive.
“We had extended conversations after
the presentation and attendees have
contacted us through email to find
out more. All received resources for
composing on the Web and found our
classroom experiences innovative and
linked really well with the new Common
Core standards.” V
Links to students’ works can be found at
bardinewritingandresearch.weebly.com.
Project Honors Sr. Dorothy
On a crisp spring morning, a dozen students arrived
at Carriage Hill Metropark to help with the “Following
in the Footsteps of Sr. Dorothy” tree planting project.
They joined volunteers from the Weavers of Justice
and other faith communities, and members of Sr.
Dorothy Stang’s ‘49 family to plant hardwood trees to
help repopulate Ohio woods, ravaged by the emerald
ash borer. The event began with prayer that called to
mind how Sr. Dorothy taught the people of Anapu,
Brazil about sustainability and reforestation of lands.
Sr. Stang’s niece, Angela Mason ‘81, administrative assistant
at CJ, was excited by the turnout of students.
“My family and CJ students so love these opportunities
that merge nature and faith. My Aunt Dorothy would
have loved planting with us and talking to the students.
It makes me smile every time I think about her.”