EDIT 6600 Project Proposal Update

Originally, I was planning on using this web site with two different audiences. The first was going to be high school French students. The other audience was adults interested in Haiti, or more specifically the organization Haiti Cheri. I quickly realized that trying to meet the needs of two audiences was much more difficult and that neither need was going to be met adequately. Because it was going to be difficult to coordinate with the French teacher, I decided that I would focus on the adult audience. I also decided to simplify my compare and contrast question section. I would like to present several situations and have readers look at a range of possible responses. After making a mental note of how they would respond, the user could click next and see a common Haitian response. These questions would address communication styles, organizational styles, and intellectual styles rather than typical clothing, food, and types of houses used. Below is the revised version of my project proposal.

1) Issue

As a result of a trip that I took this year, friends, family, and other Cumberland Community Church members have been interested in learning more about Haiti. Many have asked to see videos, to hear stories, to see pictures, and to see a map of where we went on our trip. They would also like to learn basic information about Haitian culture. One issue that I noticed after returning from Haiti was that many people either know so little about Haiti, or that what they do know is very skewed by what they have heard through the media.

2) Objective

I would like to provide a way for people to experience Haiti so that they can see both the differences and similarities between Haitian lives and our own. Through a web site that I will design, I will focus on the people of Dolval, a village located east of Cap-Haitian. I will help others to have a better grasp on life in Haiti through video, pictures, guided questions, and links to outside resources.

3) Description

Subject:

The people and daily life in Dolval, Haiti.

Audience:

Adults that might be interested in the site could include members of Cumberland Community Church, as well as people who are interested in or have donated money to the non-profit organization, Haiti Cheri.

4) Culture

Often when we think of culture we do not see beyond differences in food, clothing, homes, and other external expressions of culture. This web site would allow students and others to see the external, through pictures, videos, and music, but would also allow them to see a little bit deeper. It would show them about typical Haitian communication styles, organizational styles, and intellectual styles through guided questions that compare and contrast these styles with a reader’s styles.

5) Timeline

I will speak with the Director of Haiti Cheri to see if they have suggestions about information that should be included on the site. These conversations will take place the first week of class. I will then begin the design and development of the web site the second week to get the framework of the site roughed out. Next, I will begin adding the video, pictures, questions and other details to the site. To assist in the implementation and evaluation phase, I will be getting the help of several members of Cumberland Community Church.