This semester, I have had to get used to making slower progress on the Native History Project because part of my time as a Vivello is dedicated to learning digital tools and supporting my peers who have questions about those tools. I deeply appreciate having time set aside to learn and grow in these ways while still working on the Native History Project.

I started the semester with a complete outline for lessons in the Taino unit, including completed lesson plans for five lessons. However, these plans were not in the formal format being used for the project. Hence, this semester, I have been translating these lesson drafts into the official format, in addition to creating the supporting materials necessary for the lessons. Specifically, I finished the teacher guide, lesson plan, student worksheet, PowerPoint presentation, and a sample chart for Lesson 1. Through that, I learned about good practices for creating these materials. Professor Michaels has provided helpful, specific feedback throughout my time working on the Project, which I appreciate. I am also learning about teaching History, including the different types of historical skills and how they can be demonstrated, which I had no idea of before.

I finished the teacher guide for Lesson 2 right before Spring Break, when Professor Michaels suggested to Leo (my co-worker on the Native History Project) and me that we work together after the Break to finish up the Taino unit. We were both happy to do so and are thus working more closely.

I am primarily responsible for writing the teacher guides and he is using them to create the lesson plans and any other accompanying materials. We have weekly check-in meetings planned and are now responsible for a joint work log to which Professor Michaels has access. In addition to meeting with Leo, I will also continue my weekly meetings with Professor Michaels to discuss the materials I create and any roadblocks that I am facing. The plan is to be finished with the Taino unit by the end of classes, i.e., that final copies of all lesson plans, teacher guides, and other materials should be created and uploaded to the Native History website by that time. I am looking forward to being at the end of the ‘creating materials’ phase for the project, partially so that I can look back at the great job we did, but also because I will be able to participate in adding tags to the lessons and batch uploading them to Omeka.

Everything about my next tasks for the project is clear, as I have been working on it for some time now. Professor Michaels provides detailed, constructive feedback, so I know where I am headed with my work.