March 13-17
The Goal |
in this week is to create some hype. In teaching, we call this "springboarding." The goal is to create interest and excitement, to share enough information but not too much because they'll overload quickly.
|
You have to know your kids well to do this right because what might not be enough "jazz" to get one kid excited could make another kid have a def-con 4 nuclear evacuation.
My plans are Monday: springboard the project and help them organize their ideas around 3 main concepts: research, fundraiser, challenge.
My plans are Monday: springboard the project and help them organize their ideas around 3 main concepts: research, fundraiser, challenge.
A "research" project centers around an interest. These are driven by exercises in asking questions. Have the student come up with 10 questions that they'd like to pursue through their investigation. Happiness comes in many different shapes and sizes, so don't let the focus slip away into a traditional "research" assignment. The topic should be one that they're giddy about, something that really sparks their interest. Some examples include zero energy home design, favorite sports teams, or current events.
I suggest this kind of project for students who like to work independently, are self-motivated, and who express a genuine interest in learning. |
Fundraisers are a ton of fun, require a lot of work, and don't always turn out to be the "huge" impact that the student at first envisions. I consider a fundraiser anything that collects money. Most students in my school chose to go with something philanthropic and to help already established organizations like St. Jude and The Children's Hospital, yet a small few want to start their own business. While some create a product to sell like cupcakes, survival bracelets, or birdhouses, others raise interest in an organization and donate their time to animal shelters and hospitals. A fund doesn't have to be money either. Students can collect cans, spend time at the assisted living shelter, or put on a talent show to support a local dance group. As you can see fundraisers come in may shapes and sizes, and so long as they're passionate and connected the the organization they'll stay motivated.
Fundraisers are suited for students who will be able to enlist help. They need to be able to see a "big picture" and be able to hold onto motivation for an outcome that is sometimes farther away then they're used to. Athletes do well with fundraisers because they have practice with routine and sports' seasons that end with a climax. |
Challenges are a mix between the fundraiser and the research projects. They can range from students who want to do do-it-yourself projects centered around arts and crafts or others who want to set a goal to run a 5k or half-marathon. I've had students center their challenge around learning how to play a different song on their favorite instrument and others who wanted to learn how to pick up a new one.
The challenge should be something in which the process will bring them happiness. Because challenges don't always end up where we want them to, it should be mentioned to a student that the "process" of the challenge should be something that they already know they love to do. Challenge projects rely on practice and routine, so musicians and athletes do well with these projects. Absent-minded students may struggle without something to keep them accountable. I like to think of this project as progressive documentary. Each addition to their page should reference what they've accomplished and what step comes next. |
HOMEWORK
For this week, students create a sales pitch that they'll share with the class. Their notes will be a collection of responses from the audience giving them some insight and opinions when they say, "It'd be cool if your project..." did this.
When more than one student comes up with too similar a project, challenge them to sort it out so that there is something unique to separate them. In my class, all arguements are settled with a game of RPS (rock, paper, scissor).
I encourage student so enlist the help of their friends and family, but every project is an independent project. No 2 or more students can create a webpage for their project. "You're out there on your own," I tell them.
I also write a letter home to parents this week to update them on what's about to go down in the 4th quarter.
Another assignment they have during this week is to do an informal presentation of their project to their parents at home. I ask them that they record it and share it with me. In their informal presentation, they're asked to share "project name, goal, a calendar important milestones on it, the expectations of their challenges, and 5 steps they plan on taking to accomplish their goal. They turn this in to me through Google Classroom, email, or airdrop.
When more than one student comes up with too similar a project, challenge them to sort it out so that there is something unique to separate them. In my class, all arguements are settled with a game of RPS (rock, paper, scissor).
I encourage student so enlist the help of their friends and family, but every project is an independent project. No 2 or more students can create a webpage for their project. "You're out there on your own," I tell them.
I also write a letter home to parents this week to update them on what's about to go down in the 4th quarter.
Another assignment they have during this week is to do an informal presentation of their project to their parents at home. I ask them that they record it and share it with me. In their informal presentation, they're asked to share "project name, goal, a calendar important milestones on it, the expectations of their challenges, and 5 steps they plan on taking to accomplish their goal. They turn this in to me through Google Classroom, email, or airdrop.
Recycling old projects
In this week I also invite back to our classroom the students who have moved on from this project. I plan ahead, emailing them if they'd like to come back and share their project to the class. I then follow up by emailing their 8th grade or HS teacher asking permission that they be allowed to come back for 1 hour and be part of a select Q and A team for the project.
I share with the class old student presentation videos and then give them a link to explore on their own. Their HW for the night is to explore the previous pages, watch videos, and tell me tomorrow, whose project they liked the most. |
|
Get them on Weebly
The last thing I do in the week is get them onto Weebly to create their own account and to start playing around with the tools. I ask them to make a page about something irrelevant to the project so that they don't feel stressed and overwhelmed. They don't publish it to the web, so it never goes public, but they're allowed the chance to explore the page and see just what they can do on their own. This self-exploration time is important because it sparks interest. They'll declare their domain for their Project Happiness at a later time.
Journals entries from this week
Proudly powered by Weebly