Set The Hook.
Follow me:
  • Home
  • Fishin' Solo Blog
  • MTBoS
  • Table Talk Math
  • The Classroom Chef
  • Would You Rather...?
  • Meet the Fisherman
    • Resume
  • Flipping 2.0
    • Flipping Your Classroom
    • Troubleshooting a flipped classroom
  • Choose Your Own Assessment
    • Student Work Samples
  • Apps In Class
  • Pre-made Math Lessons

20% Experiment - Week 9

5/7/2013

1 Comment

 
When students plan their own path for learning, the amount that is learned has the potential of being far greater than anything I could've planned out myself.  This is true, in part, because of the great students that I have this year.  However, it also speaks to the culture of my classroom and the expectations that have been set since day 1.  Everyone in the room knows that I will do everything I possibly can in order to help you succeed.  Week 9's update is rather brief, but very powerful in the sense of letting go of the control and passing it on to the students.
Picture
Photo Credit: arquera via Compfight cc
As we approach the final turn of the school year, complete our state testing regiment, and plan out to the numerous activities at the end of the year, it is still our job to plan high quality lessons that will engage and challenge our students.  In the past, it has been about fun projects that get them thinking toward the opportunities they will have in high school and beyond.  

This year, with the introduction of the 20% project, students are learning about their passions and beginning to form a foundation of who they want to become.  Instead of suppressing a child's curiosity, why not encourage it?  That's the premise of 20% time.  But what if 20% isn't enough time?  After the pummeling of CST review, we've moved beyond 20% and into 40% time.  Yes, 40 percent of the school week in my room is dedicated to students learning about what interests them.  Is it hard for me to let go of that control?  Nope.

I've paced it out to where we have 6 more days of the 20% project remaining.  It isn't much, but it still gives the groups a bundle of time to work through their projects and be proud of a product.  Instead of me doling out the requirements, I had them reflect on what they needed to accomplish.  Each group was to create an objective for each of the 6 days that they will be working.  From there, I can monitor them based on their intended agenda and support them to finish on time.
We have also reached the point in the project where more students are asking about the grading of the project.  They are relieved when I tell them that each group will be grading itself based on an honest reflection of whether or not they have met a certain set of criteria that we develop as a class.  I'm hoping that they come up with (each based on a scale of 1-10 or something similar):
  • Quality of research
  • Quality of message being delivered
  • Depth of knowledge about the topic

Worded all like an 8th grader, of course. With emojis.

Happy Fishing
1 Comment
Denise Krebs link
5/7/2013 05:05:35 am

John,
Good job giving up control. I wrote a blog post about that yesterday, how I tend to waver on my ability to give up control.

I love the Google form you had them complete with their planned agenda. That is helpful for them, and it gives you a talking point if they aren't gettin' 'er done.

Great work! Thanks for sharing your blog with Valerie and me today.

Denise

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Picture

    Author

    Math nerds tend to have a reputation for being math nerds.  I'm here to continue that trend.

    For more blog posts, click HERE

    Picture

    Archives

    August 2021
    April 2021
    October 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos from timlewisnm, leppre, KristinNador, Jarosław Pocztarski, Martin Pettitt