A couple of small truths rose to the surface. The process for sharing their projects and soliciting feedback worked really well. I'll outline all that below.
But first, the list of projects in the works in Room 706:
- Create an Instagram for teen vegans
- Learn watercolor painting
- Create a golf ball that returns automatically
- Learn American Sign Language (4)
- Create mini waffle pies
- Blog about pancake recipes
- Create a social media account to recognize the TW Art Department
- Create a video to teach Spanish
- Learn how to bell dance
- Create an Instagram for the Football schedule
- Give up junk food
- Create a volunteer program for kids
- Create a machine that reduces water usage
- Break a record in soccer
- Learn how to play the piano at a nursing home
- Learn how to do 200 pushups at once
- Create an Instagram to highlight Friday football games
- Learn how to make origami animals
- Create a program for kids who are bullied
- Learn how to create drawing collages
- Learn how to make a cake that’s full of vitamins
- Make art with recycled items
- Learn to write with the non-dominant hand
- Create a website for kids who are bullied
- Create a phone case that can stick to surfaces
- Knit blankets for shelter animals
- Create a custom T-shirt
- Learn to make healthy meals
- Create a post-workout protein bar
- Learn Portuguese
- Create a video about historical figures
- Create a youtube channel
- Write a book
- Create an organization to meet famous athletes (2)
- Learn to cook a variety of ethnic foods (2)
- Create an Instagram account to highlight TW teachers
- Learn to draw
- Create a video showing how to braid hair
- Compose a piece for the choir
- Learn how to work the Rubik’s cube
- Create a mixed tape
- Make dog beds for the animal shelter
- Learn to play the piano
- Become a vegetarian
- Create inspirational items
- Learn to play the guitar
- Volunteer at a nursing home
- Create a TW’s Worst Cooks Instagram
- Invent a pet bed-in-a-bag
- Learn to play the bass
- Create a cooking and fitness video for teens
- Create a compliments video
- Recreate a famous painting
- Create a new kind of bouncy ball
You see it, right?
1. My students are quite interested in food, particularly the healthy variety. Very cool.
2. There will be some awesome Instagram channels soon.
3. We may need a funding source ...
You may also have noticed that some projects are specific, and some are pretty vague. Others are ambitious, and some are fairly simple. That's OK. It's about the process, so I plan to give students just a little direction, even if I have some reservations.
Here's how I managed the 60-second pitches:
1. I assigned the 60-second pitches as homework, after explaining the concept of The Elevator Speech. Students were required to tell us: The planned project, why they chose that project, what materials and resources they will need, what obstacles they expect, how they will overcome them, why the project is worthy of their time, and finally, a gracious "thank you". Materials were
2. Students created their own Padlets that they set up so that they could see feedback, and I could see feedback, but other students could not. (Moderated, with me listed as a collaborator.) This worked for most students.
3. A shared Google doc posted on our Google classroom has a table with an alphabetical list of all the students and a link to each students' Padlet. As someone went up to give their pitch, the class clicked on the link and added feedback to the student's Padlet. (By the way, I use this table over and over and over again. This is how they share their blog posts, ThingLinks, etc. Making one for each class is a good investment of time.)
3. On Friday, students will have class time to review their feedback with me.
Next step:
Next week, students will receive their first blog post assignment.
Stay tuned ...
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