I recently blogged in this post about how I planned to celebrate Mardi Gras with my students. I shared both hybrid and virtual activities. After we had our virtual celebration the Wednesday before break, I wanted to share some reflections from myself and from the students.
What Went Well
-The students were so creative with their costumes and dishes! There was such a great variety of cultural elements to share. Some students dressed up in medieval attire, some made masks or unearthed masks that their family had acquired during travels to New Orleans or other locales, one student dressed up her grandmother in Mardi Gras attire, and another made a jester costume complete with face paint! Quite a few students dressed up their dogs and stuffed animals. Students who didn’t dress up prepared dishes like King’s Cake, gumbo, jambalaya, and pralines.
-Students’ reflections showed me that they got a lot out of the experience. Because they got to see so many costumes, masks, and dishes, they got a lot of exposure to the different ways Mardi Gras and the Carnaval season are celebrated.
What Didn’t Go Well
Ultimately, although in most classes the majority of students participated, there were some classes in which many students were unprepared or unwilling to turn on their cameras to show what they had prepared. This left the class with far fewer opportunities to explore Mardi Gras. This continues to be a challenge with virtual learning. Some students who were hesitant to turn on their cameras did email me photos of what they had prepared.
Below are some photos that students sent in:
Click here to view more!
Students also completed a follow up assignment in which they shared what they learned and what they thought looked cool from their classmates’ creations. Here are some of the things they said:
“Roi du carnaval de Nice 2009, France 2” by fr.zil on Flickr is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
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