"I like this!"

You know you've reached high engagement when you hear a high school senior say that she actually likes the assignment you gave her. It is a rare and beautiful thing.

So what, you may say, illicted this nearly extinct response? A Facebook feed project.

Facebook has taken over the world. Even my parents, nearing their 60s (although I hope they don't read this since they aren't there yet and will not like that wording), have gotten on Facebook and reconnected with dear old friends. I check mine several times a day. I'm addicted, I can't help it. I've even created a Facebook group for one of my classes--although not many of my students have joined. I think they're scared I'll see their pictures. And they probably should be.

So I wanted to incorporate Facebook into an assessment for my seniors. We are halfway through Beowulf and I want to check their understanding so far. I'm trying everything that I can think of to make the text accessible. I have a variety of levels--academic and initiative. We have read the poem out loud and used post-it notes to summarize in little chunks. We've identified literary devices and labeled them within the text. But how do I know that they know it?

Today we started a Facebook feed project. Students had to create a Facebook status page that reflected the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the first few sections of Beowulf. They had to incorporate an allusion, an example of personification, similes, and alliteration. They had to have at least 16 updates from 4 different characters, three of those being Beowulf, Grendel, and Hrothgar.

What I saw as I roamed the room was success. Students were engaged with the text, demonstrating high levels of understanding, and making the text their own. It was a beautiful sight! And it illicited that much-needed comment--I like this!