Cedar Rapids emails

Cedar Rapids emails Dear African American Museum of Iowa,

I am a PhD student in education, currently leading a quarter-long workshop with all the sixth-grade students (~150) at McKinley Middle School in Cedar Rapids. The unit is a literacy-based approach to computer science, in which we are using Unfold Studio (https://unfold.studio) to write interactive stories. The unit’s thematic focus is on the worlds we live in (school, home, church, sports teams, …), and how those worlds shape the possibilities for our identities. We are currently working on a “Story of Cedar Rapids,” where every student is writing an interactive story allowing the player to explore somewhere in the city they know well. We are also going to add in conversations with people important to each student.

I’m currently considering how to historicize this project, particularly thinking about what brought our families to Cedar Rapids. I’m interested in contrasting the experiences of African Americans coming during the Great Migration, and of eastern European immigrants. I’m wondering whether your museum has any resources that would be useful to connect with this project, or whether some kind of event at the museum could be an opportunity to share the “Story of Cedar Rapids” we’re collaboratively writing.

I wish I could be there for today’s “Not without me!” meeting, but I live in Philadelphia and am only in town during some weeks. If you think there’s a possibility of useful collaboration, I’d love to find a time to talk in the next week or so. Thanks!

Chris Proctor PhD candidate Stanford Graduate School of Education Learning Sciences & Technology Design cproctor@stanford.edu chrisproctor.net 323.230.0313

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