60 Day Sojourn

Introducing people of all ages to mythology... in pre-college educational curricula, youth orgs, the media, etc. Share your knowledge, stories, unit and lesson plans, techniques, and more.

Moderators: Clemsy, Martin_Weyers, Cindy B.

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Do you believe that this project has value in the 9th grade English class?

No, it's too sophisticated for them.
0
No votes
Maybe, if it was linked to the high school curriculum.
0
No votes
Yes, it is important to do see how people are linked across time and geographic location.
4
100%
 
Total votes: 4

AmethystRose
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Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:17 pm
Location: Rochester, NY
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60 Day Sojourn

Post by AmethystRose »

I've been doing a project with my 9th graders using The Hero's Journey. It's an online community dedicated to the discussion of the various steps in the process. I give examples from mythology, novels, film, television, and epic poetry, and my students reply with their own examples. I also have created visualization exercises that help them to explore their own heroic archetype within, as well as introspection questions for them to ponder their own journeys.

So far, the students really seem to like it. Please feel free to check it out at http://herosjourney.ning.com

Please join our community! It would be wonderful to her other points of view as well as your feedback.

jonsjourney
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Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 3:24 pm
Location: Earth

Nice!

Post by jonsjourney »

Kudos to you for helping open young minds to the many diverse and relevant ideas of cultures other than the one they have been raised in. In the coming age of increased global integration, this type of education will be an absolutely necessary component of helping people learn to accept, and possibly embrace, the cultures (and their myths) that children will be exposed to.
"He was a dreamer, a thinker, a speculative philosopher... or, as his wife would have it, an idiot." -Douglas Adams

bodhibliss
Working Associate
Posts: 1659
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2003 5:00 am

Post by bodhibliss »

AmethystRose

I echo jonsjourney's feedback.

I taught English and Literature in junior high for a few years (and the occasional pre-algebra class, when I couldn't get out of it), and still occasionally sub for colleagues - little time for that now, as my responsibilities with the JCF fill my days. Many teachers post in these forums, and all four forum moderators have teaching experience (Clemsy just embarked on a new adventure this fall, moving to the high school classroom after years teaching at the junior high level).

We've all found value in teaching myth and mythic themes; the Hero, for example, provides a map for making sense of life's journey - especially essential to those caught in the often confusing, chaotic swirl that is adolescence.

Your project is right on! I love the website, and am curious what type of feedback you are getting in the classrooom?

We are moving (alas, at a glacial pace) toward creating a "Mythological ToolBox" that ties in to the public school curriculum. I might be picking your brain a bit in coming months - we're very interested in the feedback you receive from students, faculty, and administration.

I trust the quest will continue next semester?

Metaphorically Yours,
bodhibliss

AmethystRose
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Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:17 pm
Location: Rochester, NY
Contact:

Post by AmethystRose »

Dear bodhibliss,

Thanks for your feedback! My 9th grade administrator is a former English teacher and is behind me 100% on this project. He's even fielded a parent who went a bit off the born-again deep end and said that I had no business creating meditations using the words "body, mind, and spirit" for my class... give me a freaking break! BUT the administrator was supportive and I haven't herd boo from the parent since. And his daughter is participating.

It's had some interesting turns other than I expected. The kids have really gotten into the sharing. At first it started out as a chorus of everyone's journey being "get good grades, get into a good college, get a good job". I asked them to define "good" for them and to go beyond the generic to get to what is a "good" college to them... what's a "good" area of study for them in this "good" college.... what's so "good" about this area of study for them... and what kind of "good" job are they looking for? Then I asked them what "good" they planned on giving to the world through the completion of their journey. We're working on that... at least their blogs have moved beyond generic. But then when we got to the Atonement step and making peace with the past that the skeletons started falling out of the closet and onto the blogs. I even had to get a counselor's help for one student who shared that his father is going to die, probably before the new year, and no one at school knew about his dad's disease. The student had been carrying that burden for a long time with no one knowing. He was getting close to the breaking point when he blogged...and thank god he is ok. He's getting grief counseling now, but the counselor and the administrator said that if it hadn't been for my project, the boy might not have opened up. That makes me feel as if all the work is worth it. I took his messages off the site because they just seemed to personal and I wondered if he hit "publish" before thinking it through. There are other students who are opening up about their past and what is really cool is seeing the kids support one another with the blogging.

I am putting the final touches on a workbook that I will be publishing based on my site. I hope that it will be a helpful tool for others.

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