S.O.L.E. Assignment

Self-Organized Learning Environments = S.O.L.E.



The Hole in the Wall Project

In 1999, Sugata Mitra and his colleagues dug a hole in a wall bordering an urban slum in New Delhi, installed an Internet-connected PC, and left it there (with a hidden camera filming the area). What they saw was kids from the slum playing around with the computer and in the process learning how to use it and how to go online, and then teaching each other.



In the following years they replicated the experiment in other parts of India, urban and rural, with similar results, challenging some of the key assumptions of formal education. The "Hole in the Wall" project demonstrates that, even in the absence of any direct input from a teacher, an environment that stimulates curiosity can cause learning through self-instruction and peer-shared knowledge.



I want you to watch a portion of this video about this experiment Hole in the Wall. You do not have to watch the entire video. You can start at 7:15 and stop at 14:55. You are welcome to watch the whole thing, but the key stuff I want you to see is in the middle Once you have finished watching this video, you have a task to complete. You will work in a group of three students to complete this task. You may use only one computer among the three of you. Figure out how that will work in a fair way, you will need to figure out seating and turn off all but one of your computers, sitting in such a way that you can all see what is going on with your computer monitor.

Your groups
Group A – Brinda, Mike, Chelsea
Group B – Chantel, Chevy, Sara
Group C – Adam, Jayce, Ambur
Group D – Cheyenne, Vaibhav, Jacob
Group E - Cindy, Will, Angie
Group F - Travis, Sheldon, Sean, Nolan
Group G- Elizabeth, Becky, Kya

Now you and your group members must choose a topic to research and become experts on.

Topics to Choose:
1.Cyberbullying
2.Plagarism on the Internet
3.Privacy on facebook
4.Your Digital Footprint
5.Teenagers and Sleep

Along with your group, research your topic. Pretend I'm not here. Help one another. The key thing I'm looking for in this task is that you REALLY understand your topic. The writing comes after great, in-depth research. While you research, save the web addresses of the really helpful sites you used. After you have a good grasp on your topic you will collaboratively write a post that is directed to your peers. You will post this assignment on your blog. Make sure you write IN YOUR OWN WORDS in a way that is appropriate and all conventions are followed (spelling, grammar, punctuation). Make sure to layout your work well, lots of white spaces, bold headings, etc. so it is easy and enjoyable to read. Remember, you are writing for your peers.

In your post, you must include:
-title of your topic
-a note that this is an assignment for class and a link to my blog, specifically this assignment
-names of all the researchers and links to each of their blogs
-3 or more great sources for information on this topic (hyperlinked)
-2 or more well placed, carefully selected images to help add clarity for your reader
-a description of what this issue is (think of "who, what, where, when, why, how" to guide your research and writing)
-a reflection on why this issue is important in the digital classroom
-a summary of how your readers (your peers) can use this information to make their own lives better (this could be in jot notes or sentences, but must be clear and easy to understand, it could be a list of tips for your reader)

Good luck and work well together!
Mrs. Dowker