Posted by Melinda Kolk on Fri, May 18, 2012 @ 02:28 PM
In an earlier post, I talked about the importance of the 4 C's (creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication) as well as the 3 R's in preparing students for life in the digital age. All to often technology skills, as well as curriculum standards, are taught as a discrete set of skills.
In a mindset of covering information (that will be on the test), adding in things like 4 C's seems like one more thing squeezing in our instructional time. This mindset does little to improve student learning and misses an opportunity to provide students with a rich learning experience that addresses both the 3 R's and the 4 C's.
Recently, I have been working on materials specifically designed to boost literacy (Building Literacy Resource Kit - New approaches with creative technology) through work that were relevant and meaningful, and utilized technology projects that encouraged collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and digital age communication.
So where does math fit in? As I was looking at ways for students to connect to literature through retelling, adapting, and writing, I came across a list of math books and project ideas I had created. The list included a lot of ideas that paired reading and writing with math through creative work with technology. What I liked about it most was how simple some of the ideas were and while not high-level, pbl work, a step in the right direction and easy to implement.
Great books for connecting to Literature in math
Five Creatures. Emily Jenkins
Have students write and illustrate their own Five Creatures story using the members of their family. Print the files as a booklet to take home or export as an HTML storybook.
The Grapes of Math. Greg Tang
Have students write and illustrate their own math rhyming riddles. Combine all of the class riddles into one book and export to HTML to share online.
The Greedy Triangle. Marilyn Burns
Have students write their own story about a geometric shape. Using the ideas in the book, encourage them to make connections to where the shape is found in the real world.
The Math Curse. Jon Scieszka
Have students write their own stories about the problems they encounter during a typical school day or the problems encountered by a fire fighter, police officer, doctor, etc.
The Best of Times. Greg Tang and Harry Briggs
Have students create their own simple rhymes to help them memorize basic facts. Students may use stickers and paint tools to illustrate each rhyme.
Math for All Seasons: Mind Stretching Math Riddles. Greg Tang and Harry Briggs
Have students create their own unique counting book with patterns using stickers and pictures. Student may publish their stories as short movies to share with others.
Math Fables. Greg Tang
Have students create their own counting fable using scenes and characters from familiar stories they have read. Print their stories to place in classroom library.
Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems. Lee Bennett Hopkins and Karen Barbour
Have students create their own math limerick poem for students to share. Compile each student’s poem as a class book.
Pigs Will Be Pigs. Amy Axelrod and Sharon McGinley
Have students create their own comic strip using basic money concepts for counting and making change. Other books in this series can help students explore math through travel, cooking, sports, and more!
Polar Bear Math: Learning about Fractions from the Klondike and Snow. Amy Whitehead Naqda and Cindy Bickel
Have students choose a daily concept like making lunch or time spent on homework to illustrate daily fractions found in the day. Student can create an HTML project to share with others.
Last to Finish: A Story About the Smartest Boy in Math Class. Barbara Esham, Mike Gordo and Carl Gordo
Have students create a step-by-step guide for problem solving. This guide could be shared with others for future problem solving situations.
I encourage you to come up with and share your entry level ideas which combine literacy, math, and technology to help students work on both the 4 C's and the 3 R's without treating them as specific skills or narrow standards we have to cover.
Posted by Melinda Kolk on Fri, Apr 13, 2012 @ 03:03 PM
When I am at a conference and a little burned out and don’t want to get stuck in a session for an hour, I head on over to the poster sessions. Poster sessions are a collection of specific projects grouped together in one area. You walk through the table and displays to see what interests you.
So rather than sit through a lecture, poster sessions allow you choose which ideas and student projects you want to learn more about, as well as have fantastic one-on-one, or at least small group, conversations with great educators.
Attending poster sessions
Poster sessions are usually offered in groups, so I start by scanning the topics in the program to see which time might be best for me to visit. I like to start with a brief walk through the entire group, scanning the visuals on the display boards to determine which I might like to visit and how much time I have to do so. Then, I go back and talk with whomever looks friendly and seems to have an interesting topic or project.
But posters are great opportunities to make new friends and expand your personal learning network (PLN), so don’t rush. If you end up having a great conversation keep talking! You may make a lifelong friend.
Want to share what you and your students are doing, but hate public speaking?
Poster sessions are a great place to get your feet wet and try out how to share your idea, since you are mainly talking one-on-one or in small groups.
But don’t take this to mean they are less work! Not only do you have to set up a great looking display, but if you want people to hear about the work you are doing, you have to “sell” your project to get them to stop and have a conversation.
Here are some suggestions from my experience as well as the experiences of Tech4Learning Innovative Educators Ellen Phillips, Amy Boehman-Pollitt, and Jamie Hagan.
What is provided?
Most posters give you a table, bulletin board, and power. Some also provide a computer, or at least a monitor you can connect to your laptop to show off student work. You may also get lucky and get a spot that has a donated interactive whiteboard or projector. If you really want people to see your stuff a projection device makes a big impact!
Be sure to take at least one laptop with your presentation and student/project samples. Be sure to have a back up of your presentation on a Flash drive or in the “cloud” so that you have a backup in case something goes horribly wrong. If your laptop requires a special dongle to connect to a projector or monitor, be sure to take it with you. If your projects have student voices, take your own speakers.
What should my poster session look like?
The board, or poster, for your session is the main thing that people will use to find you. Be sure to include the title of the poster and your name in text large enough for people to read from a distance, then fill, fill, fill the space with student work. The more colorful the better.
Run a slideshow of student work on a large monitor or over projection. The color, sound, and movement will attract people closer. This also gives people something to watch without having to talk to you, which helps if they are shy. Once they have a clearer picture of what you are sharing, they are more willing to ask questions and start a conversation.
Remember to have a high-touch table as well. While you don’t want to bring oodles of stuff, having printed examples of student work encourage people to approach and explore.
How do I prepare?
While you might be tempted to have a presentation ready, be sure that it is non-linear (why Share makes a great presentation tool!). Because you will be having lots of small group conversations, you should tailor your discussion for each participant. Share your story by referring to specific examples in the slideshow or by opening individual project files.
Ellen Phillips suggests creating a rough list of points you want to cover. She suggests being sure you share:
- how what you are sharing will work for their kids in the classroom, and
- how easy it will be for them to learn and use it.
In other words, while people are there to hear about your project, attendees really want to know if they can do it, how they can do it, and what it will do for their students.
Handouts
To save time, weight, money, and waste, put your resources online! Then, instead of carting around lots of stuff, give people a small card or bookmark with the URL address of your project. Place a QR code prominently so participants can capture, store, and retrieve both your contact information and your presentation materials.
If your session refers to commercial tools or resources, be sure to provide product pricing and company contact information. If the company is exhibiting at the conference, share their booth number so people can find out more information.
Be sure to let the company know about your session too! They will refer people to your session and may even be able to provide addition materials.
Delivery
Once the posters open, be sure to smile, smile, smile. Ellen suggests, “Assume everyone is dying to see what you've got.” They came because they WANT to hear from you, they wouldn’t have shown up otherwise.
Once you are talking, the posters are easy, and the hardest part may be getting people to stop and to start a conversation. A colorful board filled with student work, combined with a slideshow and printed examples they can touch will help to engage them.
If you are having problems connecting with people, starting asking lots questions that require more than a yes or no answer. Turn on your charming and funniest self, but be real. The posters are as much about meeting new people and making connections as they are about learning about new ideas.
Happy postering, Melinda
PS - I'd love to hear how you make attending or giving poster sessions a success. Please share your comments.
Posted by Danielle Abernethy on Tue, Feb 07, 2012 @ 01:46 PM
Two weeks ago I participated in conversations at FETC and on Facebook about the same topic, the Common Core State Standards. On Facebook the discussion was with a friend of mine who has moved to a new state. She is ready for the Common Core State Standards to be implemented fully because she’s tired of her children constantly having to be either behind or ahead of the curriculum. The topic was the same at FETC, where students have a high mobility rate, whether it’s changing schools within the district, around the state or around the country. However, while the teachers were excited, they were a bit concerned about how the standards were going to be implemented.
Unit plans and curriculum mapping of course come to mind whenever new standards are being introduced. As a teacher who went through unit mapping, I understood the hesitation I heard in their voice. For some, they fear that unit plans mean a prescribed curriculum and lesson plans that the teacher has no input or flexibility with, and they are not able to teach to their style and their student’s individual needs. One teacher even made a comment along the lines of how unit plans are a dead set play with no improv allowed, even when the heckler in the audience demands it.
With the Common Core State Standards being implemented though, the first step to understanding the standards is to map the curriculum. They must be broken down for the teacher to understand what is being taught, where the skills start and how they grow through the year. I don’t know too many people who get in a car and just wander to see where the roads take them with no destination in site. Most plan where they are going, the best route for either time or scenery, and how long it will take to get there.
As you are mapping out the standards to your curriculum, check out the guides from Tech4Learning on how Pixie addresses the Common Core State Standards. Each grade level includes activity ideas, success stories, and lesson plans. Use these activities with your unit maps as suggested ideas for how your students can use Pixie to show mastery. And of course, you can always customize these ideas for your needs.
This past summer another friend of mine in Mississippi was concerned because he had to start teaching these standards and there were no guides to help him get started, and the district wasn’t really providing the time to be trained on the standards. This is where the myth that teachers get all this free time in the summer and on weekends can be debunked. He worked with his grade level peers to map out the standards and to figure out what they were already doing that they liked and to brainstorm new ideas, along with the progression of the standards of the year. All of this was done before contract days were even started.
While the team came up with a few ideas and samples of what could be done to teach a unit, it was not a recipe that had to be followed to a “T”. Instead, the teachers knew that they could add an extra pinch of technology where their skills and available technology allowed, and the teacher that was into “arts and crafts” could have her students build models and displays to go with written reports. Just because the standards are now “common” doesn’t mean the teaching has to be “common”. It’s just as important now that a teacher adds their own touch to the lesson as ever before. Especially if you need to add a twist to the lesson for the gifted student, or extra resources and mini-lessons for the student on IEP or 504. The Common Core Standards did not change our education system to mean “one size fits all.” Instead, it’s giving us a clearer look at the expected destination for all students and the milestones that need to be reached on their education journey.
So while my Facebook friend might be happy that the skills her children are learning at the new school will be on target with the school her family will transfer to in three years (if the pattern holds), my teacher friends should not panic that they will have to lose themselves to teach a scripted curriculum. I hope they open their eyes and really see the wonders of what THEIR teaching will do with the Common Core State Standards.
Posted by Melinda Kolk on Fri, Feb 03, 2012 @ 03:10 PM
While there's lots of conversations around about engaging today's digital learners, the solution isn't simply to use technology. I don't think anyone will agree that playing Cow Clicker is the best use of our limited classroom time.
With the pressure of today's classrooms, students use of technology needs to help them progress towards a specific learning goal (content or process), as well as require them to apply what they know to create something new or solve a problem.
So what kinds of work can students do that meets content and process learning goals? Most importantly they need to be CREATEing and making, not just consuming. Here are five of my favorite ideas.
1. Develop a Public Service Announcement
Students today aren't lazy, they are as idealistic and passionate about issues that affect them. Climate change, privacy rights and freedoms, health and safety,the list goes on. If you don't agree, maybe you aren't listening.
A PSA is designed to get people to change their behavior, how much more real world can persuasive writing be? Use PSAs to help students explore content issues in depth as well as practice writing and communication skills.
Created in Frames. Find more videos like this on Connect.
2. Create a book trailer
Students in our classes don't want to use technology with the end result of simply filling out a digital worksheet. Yes, that boring book report isn't any better just because we published with technology. But what kid nowadays goes to the movies without seeing, or looking up, one of the trailers about it? Movie trailers are fast-paced and exciting. They have just a few minutes to share details about a story that will connect the viewer to it.
Created in Frames. Find more videos like this on Connect.
When making a book trailer, not only do students have to know the characters, settings, and events in a story, they have to consider them in light of what someone else might find interesting. To make a great trailer, they may actually have to read the book, not just read about it online.
3. Make your own TV Show
Students today spend more time watching TV each year than they spend in school. While they may not be watching high-quality educational shows, they have most likely seen great storytelling, watched a news broadcast that affected their mood, and see a video biography on a person who interested them, even if it was about an entertainer.
Ask today's digital natives to take their existing knowledge and media literacy to craft unique responses to content they are studying. The better the question you use to frame their work, the better their response will be.
Created in Frames. Find more videos like this on Connect.
4. Help someone else learn
There is a lot of talk nowadays about the flipped classroom, but consider asking students to create videos that teach others by demonstrating a process or explaining a rule. We all know when you teach something, you learn it better. You also have to think of many different ways to approach and share information so that others can understand it. This multi-faceted approach also helps the "teacher" cement the concept in the brain.
Created in Pixie. Find more videos like this on Connect.
"When I notice someone having a grammar problem, I refer them to a student-created tutorial designed by one of their peers... and when one of my students shows mastery of a concept, I know it’s time for them to create one of their own!” shares Katy Hammack, a teacher in Santee, California.
5. Tell a story
Yes, just tell a story, any story. When students write their own stories, they have a chance to apply everything they have learned about grammar, voice, organization, and audience. A polished digital storytelling product may be a great way to hook learners, but we all know the real learning happens during the process. Producing a digital story requires planning, writing, editing, composing, considering, analyzing, articulating... the list goes on.
Created in Pixie. Find more videos like this on Connect.
The next time you are at a party or family event bored to tears by the long story seemingly without end or point, you can rest assured you are helping to save numerous people from this horrible fate.
The best projects
The best projects aren't the ones targeted to meeting a specific or narrow standard, but ones that move students toward mastery of many different skills.
Posted by Melinda Kolk on Fri, Oct 28, 2011 @ 12:29 PM
As I was working with the Tech4Learning team for the past couple of weeks on the English Language Acquisition Resource Kit, I got to spend a lot of time reading, and rereading, up on strategies to support ELL students both core content learning and English language skills.
While it often seems like we keep adding more and more things to our list of expectations for teachers, strategies for supporting ELL's support students of all abilities.
Visual Supports and Nonverbal Response
Using Pixie's visual tools (paint tools and stickers library) with ELL students gives them the opportunity to provide a nonverbal responses to indicate comprehension. This is especially important when learners are at the early beginner or preproduction stage.
But diagrams and pictorial responses to show comprehension also allow our visual learners to show what they know in a way that may work best for them, since they often struggle with text-based or verbal responses. Robert Marzano's team also indicates that nonlinguistic representations (pg 82) of knowledge can help to cement understanding and improve student achievement.
Speaking and Listening Supports
ELL students have much stronger receptive than productive language skills. Using Pixie's Talking interface to listen to instructions or read written text aloud can help them work independently as well as listen for mistakes in their writing. Recording their voice to add to projects also provides practice in a safe and individual environment, since they can record, listen, practice, and rerecord.
These same features also support struggling readers as well as students with speech and language challenges. And when students capture themselves reading their writing and stories, you end up with a wonderful assessment of reading fluency, no matter what their level.
Vocabulary Acquisition
ELL students do not learn enough vocabulary merely by listening or naturally encountering words in the world around them; they need specific vocabulary instruction, especially in the areas of academic language. Again, all students benefit from specific vocabulary instruction since increasing a learner’s vocabulary leads to improved reading comprehension, benefitting performance in all subject areas.
Create vs. Consume
So much of the time, ELLs are tasked with computer programs that require watching and rote response. But to truly grasp a second language, ELL students must spend a significant amount of their time producing authentic language.
But producing media and information, rather than simply consuming it is the hallmark of a 21st century classroom! One of the tenets of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is that students show learning through multiple means of action and expression. Now there are many more ways of doing this, than producing multimedia, but creating with powerful technology tools provides an opportunity for authentic learning in your classroom.
What will your students create today?
Posted by Melinda Kolk on Fri, Oct 21, 2011 @ 07:49 AM
In the last post, I talked about the natural partnership of creativity and tinkering. Once again, I am inspired by Dr. Henry Olds and want to expand on the idea of play. In his article, Iconic Pattern Play, he finds, with Dr. Walter Drew, that "unstructured, child-initiated creative play can strongly contribute to children’s growth and development."
With two young children the concept of play is no stranger at our house. Besides what better excuse than an 18 month olds pleading eyes?
But in classrooms? All too often play isn't visible in learning environments designed for students above the age of 5. Play isn't silly, play isn't a waste of time. Play is essential to cementing concepts through application, but only when it is without outside expectations. This kind of intrinsic joy in figuring things out is easily seen in students in the Kinder classes, but with massive time limitations and content expectations, we rarely see open-ended, unstructured free play above this level.
Yes, we might often let students play or even experiment, but even when we do, we often inteject with questions that are leading, such as "Is that a pattern you are creating?" Even when we listen, are we "listening to them, or listening for something" we are hoping to hear? (Thank you ECOO presenter Jonathon Rajalingham)
Even if we try to ask questions that aren't leading, the simple act of asking requires a response and may be more teacher-centered than student-centered. Now what the child is answering us and is no longer doing something they initiated. The asking of a question means we are expecting a response, moving the focus off of the students back to us and our expectations.
I for one have a very, very hard time just listening and not trying to talk about what is happening. To help, I have been trying to label what is happening, rather than asking questions. In Parent Child Interaction Therapy, (PCIT), you describe behavior (only good behavior) and reflect (repeat back student speech). This simple act of stating what you see, not judging or asking questions, lets a child know that you are paying attention and focusing on them in that moment. You are there without judgement and expectations.
Play is most powerful when it doesn't come with expectations. This frees our mind from concerns about outcome and helps us take risks. Unstructured means the learner can be in the moment and better focus on process and see connections. This leads to serendipity - desirable discoveries by accident. Although maybe not quite as much by accident as we think.
I think this is true for everyone's learning journey, not just that of students. Henry reminded me of this again with his beautiful journey. Inspired by watching and supporting student learners, Henry has been doing his own pattern play in "retirement" with dazzling results! One example of his latest play is now the header for the Arlington Open Studio blog! Read the story and visit his web site.
Where will your play take you?
Posted by Melinda Kolk on Wed, Sep 21, 2011 @ 04:48 PM
"Tinkering is a uniquely human activity, combining social and creative forces that encompass play and learning." -- Sylvia Martinez, Tinkering and Technology
Tinkering is often associated with engineering, electronics, and programming. (Think Arduino, and if you haven't yet watched Sylvia's Super-Awesome Maker Show, don't wait any longer!). And while I love tearing apart broken stuff and can hold my own with the crafty-type, I am more of the daydreaming, doodling type. So I was struggling with how tinkering relates to my learning style.
But when I really started thinking about it, I couldn't stop seeing how tinkering is inherent in almost every creative endeavor! Doodling is tinkering with shapes and visual expression. Daydreaming is tinkering with new approaches to the millions of ideas running around in your brain. Now that I've thought about it, here are some of my favorite ways to incporate tinkering in your creative process.
Drawing with vector art tools
This may just be a shameless way to excuse my incessant need to play with the vector drawing tools in Frames, but drawing with vector tools really REQUIRES tinkering!
The more I draw with vector tools, the less and less I try to get it right on the first attempt. I usually just scatter a bunch of nodes in approximately the correct place and them move the node and adjust the curve to make it work. If you are new to drawing this way, here is a short video where I try to explain how drawing with vector tools works.
Pattern Play
In the spring of 2009, Dr. Henry Olds (with Dr. Walter Drew) contributed an article to Creative Educator magazine on Iconic Pattern Play, a process he was using with young students that combined play with recycled materials to form patterns and then extending the pattern play process on the computer with Pixie.
The process celebrates an affirms the power of play, and as Dr. Olds so eloquently describes, "Attention to possibilities leads to intention for possibilities, which equals creativity." Intention for possibilities... sounds like a great definition of tinkering to me!
I really got hooked on this process after watching Dr. Olds present on Pattern Play with Pixie and encourage you to watch the shortened video (link above) of his presentation and use these basic instructions to get started on your own creative pattern play.
The Editing Process - Beyond Fixing Grammar
For those of you who write for publication (blogging or otherwise) know, getting ideas down on paper for a first attempt gets you only about 20% of the way through the process. If I am in the zone when I am editing, my changes will transform my first thoughts into something almost wholly different.
Transforms are fun and rewarding (albeit a lot of work), but editing? So many times I see students view editing as fixing grammar and mechanics mistakes, not playing with word choice, order, and voice. But if you approach the editing process as a session in tinkering, we make it a fun and playful process full of possibility, not drudgery.
Not, did I put in all the grammar, but how does word choice affect my reader? What if I considered the perspective of ____ when writing this section?
Hmmm. Tinkering might be a great approach for writing in general. We already tinker with other peoples ideas when a group of students has fun writing circle stories. A currently hit is Gregory McGuire's Wicked, which is the result of tinkering with perspective in The Wizard of Oz. Because most forms of poetry minimize language, poetry is tinkering with words.
The more I write, the easier it is to see how tinkering promotes and supports creativity and creative endeavors. How do you use tinkering to build creativity? Please share your comments!
PS - Here is a great list tinkering resources from Gary Stager and Sylvia Martinez.
PPS - Thanks Amy Clark for participating in the Animate-off in the Tech4Learning booth at ISTE 2011. My "chicken" was awesome, but your tornado RULED!
Posted by Melinda Kolk on Fri, Sep 09, 2011 @ 05:18 PM
"Whether they’re just starting to write or are already accomplished writers, the motivation to write better and write more grows exponentially with the promise of a published product." --Linda Oaks, Tarbut V'Torah School, Irvine, California
I came across the idea of a bloginar this week and thought I should try it out. A bloginar is essential an short version of a webinar. Choose a specific idea, share examples, strategies, and resources that make it easy for someone to digest and implement. So what topic to choose? Lots of things made me want to focus on encouraging literacy.
My son started Kindergarten this week and of course a big focus of their classroom is fostering a lifelong love of reading. I love the projects they have already done which focus not on letter sound correspondence or memorization, but on encouraging them in their journey toward literacy.
One project he recently took home was a book he created of things he can already read. Again not just sight words, but his names, signs he knows the meaning of (like stop), and other SUCCESSES. So often in class, we focus on things students don't know (if we assess prior knowledge and they know it, we move on!) and forget to celebrate what they do know.
This combined with recent conversations with Linda Oaks and Bernajean Porter led me back to the idea of Connecting to Literature through making or creating or authoring or own works. So, in other words, this blog post boils down to: "If you want to connect to what students are reading, have them start writing!"
If you are looking to get started with ways that students can write, create, retell, plicate, and extend what they are learning, follow these steps!
Step 1: Watch - Making Literature Connections with Pixie
Step 2: Read Linda Oaks article that inspired the video!
Don't miss her suggestions for children's books that are easy for students to create on their own.
In this project, Miss Alia's 2nd grade class at Woodward Academy wanted to create their own book. As a class they brainstormed all of the superlatives they could think of. Then, each student chose their favorite one, wrote a sentence that provided a clue to the meaning of the superlative, and illustrated their page in Pixie. All of the student pages were then combined into their class's unique story.
Having each student recreate one page in the repetive style of many children's books makes it easy to accomplish a creative technology project because individual student work is combined to create a class project.
Step 4: Come up with your own connections!
Once students become more confident with their writing and with Pixie, you have them create their own stories or maybe even book trailers.
Perhaps to much of a blog and not a succinct webinar type idea, but as I work on that, please share your successes! I look forward to learning how you connect to literature.
Posted by Melinda Kolk on Fri, Sep 02, 2011 @ 07:04 PM
I had the pleasure this week of working with Jamie Wittig from Cielo Vista Charter Elementary school to explore how project-based learning might look in a Kindergarten classroom. While I have been leading ProjectLearn Academies which focus on implementing project-based learning with technology for over ten years, each workshop is unique because discussions during the process about how to address a particular subject/topic, grade level, culture, or site needs.
As I was preparing for this workshop, I was scouring my files for not only great examples of project-based learning done with a primary grade tool like Pixie, but also great examples of what authentic tasks, essential questions, and big ideas looked like at the Kindergarten level. I found that most of my examples focused on upper elementary and secondary.
This got me thinking: Which age is the best for project-based learning?
Students at a high school level have thinking skills that are capable of complex, ill-structured problems and I find that they often come up with the best questions when they are being the most contrary. If an authentic task should tackle something in the "real" world, these students are also closest to it. Some are ready to graduate, some already take care of the rest of their families, some even have almost full-time jobs. As educators, we also assume these students are more capable of managing a project, deadlines, teams, and complexity.
Students at a middle school level tend to be highly idealistic. If provided with a great authentic task, many of them simply can resist the hook and go above and beyond time and effort expectations to really prove they have reached adulthood. These students are growing cognitively, but often aren't asked to really apply their skills and show off their expertise.
In many elementary classrooms, one teacher is responsible for teaching multiple subjects or at least participate on a team that works together. This makes scheduling the extra time and overlapping disciplines easier. Because students aren't segmented into different classes for each subject they are often more easily able to think across disciplines as well. Elementary students also love to play and this leads to increased willingness to try new things and take risks.
But what about primary students? Can we expect kids to think at a high-level to solve real world problems? As I was looking through my notes, I definitely found that the best projects still centered-around or related to things that students knew (leaders=principals, heroes=family members).
But then when I really started thinking about it, while we do build academic foundations in Kindergarten, so much of what we also cover are life skills - how to wait in line, how to take care of myself and my property, how to treat others, what I can expect from others, and that I should expect different things from different people depending on what I know about their jobs, etc. The "soft skills" (a misnomer in my mind) that are taught along with academic skills during the pbl process).
I am reminded of the great book by Robert Fulghum - All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten (excerpt).
And no matter what age you are implementing project-based learning or which you think is the best age, remember, "it is best to hold hands and stick together."
Enjoy your pbl journey!
Posted by Melinda Kolk on Tue, Aug 23, 2011 @ 12:22 PM
You may already be back to school or just beginning to get your classroom and plan for 2011 in order. If you are like most technology-using educators, you probably have a few tried and true first technology projects that you return to year after year. You know, the projects that are light on content and fairly light on technology skills so that you can get students started out on the right foot and begin to learn their abilities communicating with various technology tools.
As I was working on the Making Claymation in the Classroom eBook, I was reminded of a fun first Frames project (claymation rock videos!) that helps to teach the claymation process.
Claymations can get complicated and messy, so getting a handle on the process before working with new and heavy content is important. Rather than developing an extensive script and storyboard, a rock video claymation engages students by actually asking them to share their current interests and requires them only to make a single character (or work together to make a band).
Students need only to capture 8-12 photos and then can repeat them to create movement throughout an entire song. Students can get more or less elaborate with characters, pictures, and movements, but putting it all together is quite simple. Working in small groups makes the process even easier and also saves you time when it comes to showing them all off!
But you may not have access to the time and resources it takes to do a complete animated video. If you are working with younger students or new technology users a more basic project is perhaps the best. You can always fall back on the nearly universal "All About Me" project. Pixie even includes a couple of different templates for this to make the project almost run it self.
An All About Me project can also be used to introduce students to one another (and don't forget to do one of your own to also set expectations as well as let them know who you are!).
First projects can include content learning as well, but remember successful learning with technology requires balance. If there are a lot of technology skills to learn (how do I launch Pixie?, what is my computer login?, where do I save? what printer do I use?), keep the content light or something that is previously known.
For primary students, you could have them create and print a table tent with their name and picture. To add a content dimension, have students find stickers or clip art with initial sounds that match each letter of their name. You will need to give them time to explore your clip art resources (helpful for future projects) and you can talk to students working to help them brainstorm and listen to their existing initial sounds proficiency.
Remember to save and store work that students complete. If students have taken the time to draw a self-portrait, have them export the page or file as an image to use in other programs. You might also want to use this as a baseline for skills as the year progresses and have them create new images as they grow and change.
These are just a few ideas of my favorite jump-start projects. What are yours? Please share you ideas!