In my previous post I commented that I had planned a professional learning session and was giving the outline a little time to settle in my brain before finalizing my plans. So, my plans are finalized. Of course, I don't have to offer this session until November 8 so there is still time for improvement!
Here is how I envision the 90 minute session unfolding:
Session Focus: Assessment
General Directions:
The room will be arranged into six groups of 4 team members each. Each group will be assigned a particular type of assessment and content. Duplicate groups can be added as necessary. The groups are:
Board or Card Games with a science unit
Travel Posters for an English (literary) setting study
Memes for math principles
Superbowl Commercials for world language
Song Parodies and Music Videos for a health topic
Movie Posters and Video Trailers for social studies
Participants can choose to work in interdisciplinary or departmental teams.
Procedure:
For this exercise, each team will be assigned a content focus and a product to create. Working in teams of no more than four, they will follow the directions that accompany their assigned topic.
All teams will be given a model to unpack. They may identify or locate an alternate model if it pleases the group members. (10 minutes)
All teams will be given prompts to guide them in creating their assigned project.
All teams will have time to work to devise a project plan (25 minutes)
When plans are complete, groups will discuss what skills are required for successful completion of the project, to what extent the project assesses required content knowledge, how to evaluate the projects, and how to apply the concept to their curricula. (15 minutes)
Closure:
Each group will share the content they were assigned, the project they had to develop, and how the group approached the task. (20 minutes)
Participants will discuss the skills necessary for each assessment, how project-based learning changes the students’ experience, how BYOD supports this assessment approach. (10 minutes)
Recommended Rubrics:
Here are the specific directions that will be provided to each group:
BOARD or CARD GAMES
Purpose:
Demonstrate knowledge of the structure and function of a cell
The Process:
Start with a game you know and like and unpack it
What is the objective of the game?
What strategy or skills are required?
What background knowledge or experience is necessary?
What materials are included? (Don’t forget about the directions!)
How many players can participate?
What obstacles do players encounter?
Do you play against the clock? Against other players? Something else?
Consider your content
How can a player show mastery?
What are the parts of the whole?
What obstacles can a player encounter?
What symbols related to the content can the game include?
Tech tools
Brainstorm in Google docs
Plan your board and/or cards in Google Slides or Draw, Canva or Adobe Spark
Go for broke: make your playing pieces with the 3D printer
For Discussion:
SKILLS: what skills are required for successful completion of this exercise?
CONTENT: how does successful completion of this project show content knowledge?
RUBRIC: how can you evaluate this project? How can you create assessment checkpoints throughout the project?
TRAVEL POSTERS
Purpose:
Show how setting can function as a character in literature
The Process:
Start with a poster about a place you have been and unpack it
What is the goal or overall message of the poster?
What words are used to convey the message?
How are images and color used to convey the message?
What is enticing about visiting this place? How does the poster make that clear?
Having been to this place, what would you add to or remove from this poster?
Consider your content
Where is the story set? (start big: country; then narrow it: city, town, street, building, room)
What is the mood of the setting? How does being there make you feel?
How do you get to this place? Is anyone allowed there?
Consider your senses: what would you see, taste, touch, hear, smell in this place?
Tech tools
Brainstorm in Google docs
Image search online or use phone to take pictures
Use Google Slides or Draw, Canva, or Adobe Spark to layout your poster
For Discussion:
SKILLS: what skills are required for successful completion of this exercise?
CONTENT: how does successful completion of this project show content knowledge?
RUBRIC: how can you evaluate this project? How can you create assessment checkpoints throughout the project?
MEMES
Purpose:
Show the connection to a key math theorem, equation, or principle to a real-world situation
The Process:
Start with a meme that you find interesting; be sure it has people or references that are familiar to you
What is the goal or overall message of the meme? What essential truth does it illustrate
What words are used to convey the message?
How are images and color used to convey the message?
If a person is depicted, what do you need to know about that person to understand the meme?
How do the words and images work together to deepen the message?
Consider your content
What is your equation? What is the essential truth it represents?
-
ax+by+c=0
A=½ BxH
What place, object, or person can also represent or experience this truth?
In what sticky situation will people find themselves if they don’t understand this principle?
Tech tools
Brainstorm in Google docs
Image search online or use phone to take pictures
Use Google Slides or Draw, Canva, or Adobe Spark to layout your meme
For Discussion:
SKILLS: what skills are required for successful completion of this exercise?
CONTENT: how does successful completion of this project show content knowledge?
RUBRIC: how can you evaluate this project? How can you create assessment checkpoints throughout the project?
SUPERBOWL COMMERCIAL
Purpose:
Rebrand a country in which the target language is natively spoken to improve its global reputation
The Process:
Start with a notable, memorable re-branding campaign (think Eminem and Detroit)
Find the ad on YouTube
Who is the audience?
What behavior is the ad trying to prompt? (What do they want the viewer to do?)
What attitude are they trying to change or create? (What do they want the viewer to believe?)
What do they want the viewer to repeat to other people? (tag line)
What is the overall message?
What attitude is being changed or created? (What do they want the viewer to believe?)
Who is the spokesperson? What impact does he have on the message? Does the ad work even if the viewer doesn't recognize the spokesperson? Explain.
How does the soundtrack work? How does it work with the spokesperson?
Consider your content
What is current perception of the country you are studying? Why?
What about your country do people with this perception not know?
Who represents your country positively?
What new message do you want to convey? Does it work in your target language and English?
How will non-speakers understand the message? Can they repeat it?
What new associations are you trying to build?
How can the soundtrack work to enhance your message?
Will you use humor? Horror? Tug heartstrings? Hit with facts? What thoughts or emotion will each evoke from your audience?
Will you use Metaphor? Symbols? To what end? What will they make your audience think or feel?
Tech tools
Brainstorm in Google docs
Consult music websites and YouTube for audio files or use digital tools to create a soundtrack
Moovly, PowToon, WeVideo are online forums for video composition or students can use a program that is resident on their device.
Students can use phones to record video and the green screen in the library
For Discussion:
SKILLS: what skills are required for successful completion of this exercise?
CONTENT: how does successful completion of this project show content knowledge?
RUBRIC: how can you evaluate this project? How can you create assessment checkpoints throughout the project?
SONG PARODIES (and MUSIC VIDEOS)
Purpose:
Explain the clues that someone is experiencing violence in a relationship and how to help
The Process:
Start with a song that tells a story
Find the lyrics to the song
What is its structure? Does it have a chorus? A repeated refrain?
What is the tone of the music? How does it enhance the story?
Consider your content
How can a story teach this lesson?
What are the clues you need to highlight?
Can you write a dialogue that will highlight these relationship issues?
Is there a common refrain that suits this situation that work in your lyrics?
Remember, you are only bound by the original melody
Consider creating the music video that goes with your song parody
Tech tools
Brainstorm in Google docs
Consult music websites for lyrics
YouTube will have audio files for rehearsal and karaoke soundtracks
Moovly, PowToon, iMovie can all be used for video composition
Students can use phones to record video and the green screen in the library
For Discussion:
SKILLS: what skills are required for successful completion of this exercise?
CONTENT: how does successful completion of this project show content knowledge?
RUBRIC: how can you evaluate this project? How can you create assessment checkpoints throughout the project?
MOVIE POSTERS (and VIDEO TRAILERS)
Purpose:
Illustrate the process by which a bill became a law
The Process:
Start with a poster about a movie you have seen and unpack it
What is the goal or overall message of the poster?
What words are used to convey the message?
How are images and color used to convey the message?
What is potentially exciting or informative about seeing this movie?
Who had a hand in the creation of this movie? (producer, director, soundtrack, cast, etc.)
Consider your content
What are the steps in the process of a bill becoming a law?
Who can claim to have had a hand in the creation of the law?
What were the obstacles to this law’s passage? How can that drama be conveyed?
What slogan can represent the saga of this bill becoming a law?
What images can capture the impact or importance of this new law?
As an extension activity, students could make the movie trailer about this bill.
Tech tools
Brainstorm in Google docs
Image search online or use phone to take pictures
Use Google Slides or Draw, Canva, Adobe Spark or some art program to layout your poster
For Discussion:
SKILLS: what skills are required for successful completion of this exercise?
CONTENT: how does successful completion of this project show content knowledge?
RUBRIC: how can you evaluate this project? How can you create assessment checkpoints throughout the project?
Some students found the container or box they want to use and are letting the form of the box dictate how their other choices evolve. Other students are building their box out of a particular material because of what the material will say about their chosen character. Still others are beginning with the form or shape they want their box to be and then coating, layering, and transforming the shapes of the inside and outside of the form to become the appropriate container for their character.
Many people have responded offering all sorts of materials from the items on the list to all sorts of other materials. We will soon be flush with new resources! And many people are offering to deliver their donations which will increase traffic through the space and hopefully result in more teachers bringing their classes to work in the Garage!
Some students found the container or box they want to use and are letting the form of the box dictate how their other choices evolve. Other students are building their box out of a particular material because of what the material will say about their chosen character. Still others are beginning with the form or shape they want their box to be and then coating, layering, and transforming the shapes of the inside and outside of the form to become the appropriate container for their character.
Many people have responded offering all sorts of materials from the items on the list to all sorts of other materials. We will soon be flush with new resources! And many people are offering to deliver their donations which will increase traffic through the space and hopefully result in more teachers bringing their classes to work in the Garage!
