Mini Asynchronous 9th Grade English Course Centered Around Identity
This mini online course is proposed as a summer school option for incoming 9th graders, allowing them to complete a semester of the yearlong 9th Grade English/English 1A/1B sequence. Covering the 1A (Semester 1) portion, the course mirrors the rigor, experiences, and demonstrations of learning found in the in-person setting throughout the school year. It provides online flexibility and accessibility, enabling students, including those traveling outside Hawaiʻi or Oʻahu, to engage asynchronously while maintaining meaningful interaction. All students are equipped with one-to-one learning devices and must have internet access to enroll in the asynchronous course.
Guided by the essential question, “Who am I?”, students explore their identity through reading, writing, discussion, and reflection, engaging with texts that function as mirrors, windows, and sliding doors.
Mirrors: Students see themselves and their experiences reflected in the texts.
Windows: Students gain new perspectives by observing unfamiliar situations, plots, characters, and themes.
Sliding Doors: Students apply their new understandings to “step into” the story and analytical approach, navigating new scenarios.
Leveraging a design-thinking process that incorporates empathy interviews and learner feedback, the course fosters meaningful peer interactions as students explore identity through mirrors, windows, and sliding doors. Facilitated through the Canvas learning management system and enhanced by educational technology tools such as Pear Deck, Padlet, Canva, Google Suite, and Nearpod, students navigate self-driven competencies, collaborative work, and deep reflection within the asynchronous environment. Using multimedia elements and interactive educational technology tools can enhance engagement and support in deepening online learning environments (Lierman & Santiago, 2019).
Purpose: This course is designed for rising 9th-grade students to take during the summer before entering high school. The asynchronous format is crafted to match the rigor and challenge of the semester-long in-person course offered during the academic year. It serves both students seeking enrichment and those pursuing credit recovery. A central tenet of the course is relational connection in an online environment (Ong & Quek, 2023), equipping students to engage meaningfully with challenging literature centered on the theme of identity. The instructional framework includes mirrors, windows, and sliding doors (Bishop, 1990); the TEA writing structure; 6 + 1 Traits of Writing; UH Quality Online Standards; and a suite of educational technology tools.
Kaelin Tancayo-Spielvogel, LTEC Student, University of Hawaiʻi, US
Kaelin Tancayo-Spielvogel (he/him) is a PhD student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a secondary educator from Hoʻolehua, Molokaʻi. Grounded in a Native Hawaiian upbringing that emphasizes ecological connection and the power of storytelling, Kaelin leverages these ancestral values to navigate modern learning technologies.
His research explores the intersection of English Language Arts (ELA) and Educational Technology (EdTech). At TCC 2026, Kaelin shares his work on developing an online asynchronous ninth-grade English course modeled after the year-long, in-person curriculum. This project seeks to replicate robust learning supports and skill acquisition within a digital format, ensuring that asynchronous learners receive the same high-quality, high-engagement experience as their in-person peers. He looks forward to discussing how purposeful digital design can bridge the gap between traditional instruction and the future of accessible ELA education.
