Scarlett Tannetta

Kelly Knopf-Goldner

Liz Leidel

This week we thought we’d send you THREE STUDENT-CENTERED PROJECTS that are high on engagement , low on preparation . In particular, we thought about what might appeal to you and your students.  The Reviews Are In! “Curate” a Virtual Tour Learn from an Expert “Student-centered” is key with these three projects! One thing we’ve learned in the past month is that we have to meet students where they are with distance learning (metaphorically-speaking). Through research and teacher feedback, we have come to believe that high quality distance learning meets these FIVE CRITERIA :  Flexibility Simplicity Interest Consistency Connection Click on any of the five criteria to see a one-page PDF with a more in depth explanation of what we mean by these five criteria.

#1: The Reviews Are In!

In our consumer world, we have grown used to reviewing everything .  In this project , students REVIEW something: a book, streaming series, movie, video game, song, recipe, youtuber, podcast, app, etc. through a SHORT TALK . Right now, your students are likely engaging in one of these activities in their free time anyway, so why not tap into those activities and passions?  For this project, we took the idea of a “Book Talk” and made it broader.  In a BOOK TALK , students talk for one to two minutes about a book they have read: They give the title, author, genre. They show the audience the book. They summarize it briefly but avoid spoilers. They read a short passage to give the audience a “taste” for the writing. They support their recommendation by presenting reasons/evidence for why they liked it. For a REVIEW, students talk for one-two minutes about ________________ (anything they want!). They give the basic facts: who, what, how to access, a visual, etc. so the audience knows where/how to find it.  They give a brief overview/summary (no spoilers). They share something specific to give the audience a “taste” for the show, recipe, game, song, etc. They support their recommendation by presenting reasons/evidence for why they liked it. "The Reviews Are In!" Student Assignment Sheet  Check out a sample here: Book talk about Tuesda y Moone y Talks to Ghosts (password is Bolling6)

#2: Curate a Virtual Tour

One thing we know that many students (and adults) are doing with their time right now is browsing the internet!   T his project gi ves students the chance to expand upon their initial interest in a topic by conducting more intentional RESEARCH and then creating a “TOUR” through what they’ve learned. They can use Google Tour Builder or present in a more familiar platform, using Google Slides, for example. * For more background on the idea of student curation, see this Cult of Pedagogy post Steps: Pick a TOPIC you are interested in learning more about: you can explore a certain art form, musical genre, current or historical event or development, scientific topic, technological advancement, cultural phenomenon, or any person, place or time period that you are curious about.  READ and RESEARCH about this topic and while you do, consider narrowing, shifting or expanding your focus as appropriate based on new learning.  After you have learned a lot more about the topic and defined the scope of your research, COMPILE the most relevant information & resources, organize in a logical way and weave your thinking and reflection throughout to create a multimedia tour of what you've learned.   "Curate a Tour" Student Assignment Sheet Check out a sample here: Street Art Google Tour

#3: Learn From an Expert Students (and adults!) often don’t think of themselves as experts on anything. That’s not true. We all have expertise about something . It might be knowing where the best hiking spots are in your area, making homemade pasta, strategies for fantasy football, or creating the perfect eyebrow.  In this self-contained lesson, students effectively SYNTHESIZE AND COMMUNICATE their expertise on something of their choice through a “ TUTORIAL .” Your students will be interested in this content because they get to choose it! By letting your students pick the best medium to share their expertise, it gives an additional layer of freedom to explore and create.   Step 1 : Think about something you are an expert on: skateboarding, baking, making lasagna, makeup, making the perfect Tik Tok, identifying bird types, Fortnite hacks, ANYTHING! Step 2 : Create a presentation that teaches us about it. Use any platform: google slides, screencastify, a youtube video, Flipgrid, Loom, ANYTHING!  Step 3 : Be sure to include the following criteria:  identify what the skill is share why you enjoy it break down the steps to being good at this skill come up with and answer a question you have always wondered about your skill or topic using the internet (ex: How does a cosmetic company get the label “cruelty free?” provide us with 2-4 resources (websites, articles, videos) where we can learn more about this topic if we choose "Learn From an Expert" Student Assignment Sheet Check out a sample here: Chocolate Chip Cookies: And a few things I wish someone told me about baking

Teaching Notes

The FIVE CRITERIA in these three projects :  All three projects rely on a great amount of FLEXIBILITY , in terms of the content, process and platforms used to demonstrate learning. We assume that students will choose content that is of HIGH INTEREST to them, since they are being given this choice and you can focus on supporting the critical thinking and higher-order skills involved in the task, pushing them to do the more cognitively demanding tasks involved in each project (see below for more). By prioritizing SIMPLICITY in the project design, students aren’t likely to be confused or struggle to know what is being asked of them. And since you would likely give students some time to work on these projects, you can maintain CONSISTENCY in terms of continuing to hold class meetings or one-on-one and small group check ins, focusing on supporting students with the time management and productivity skills they need to be successful. Finally, all three projects set students up to create something personally meaningful that they will be asked to share with their classmates, thus building in CONNECTION and strengthening their sense of community. If you didn’t get a chance to see our two earlier newsletters, you can find them linked here for more ideas about building and maintaining connections and community and teaching students important skills related to healthy routines, time management and productivity .

We also wanted to make sure you had the " WHY " behind each of these projects, in terms of the skills and value they would add for students. As we see it, here are the biggest benefits of each of these assignments: REVIEW = EVALUATION Through a teaching lens, a review is an evaluation of something. You make a value judgment -- “I give this movie five stars!” -- and you make an argument -- “Go see it!” -- in the form of a recommendation. Along the way, you use a set of criteria to shape your judgment and argument, and you give evidence to support your evaluation. Reviews involve higher order thinking! Bonus. CURATING = RESEARCH In order to research effectively, students need to consult many sources and go farther than just picking the first 3 websites that pop in in their google search. In other words, they need to "read widely," Creating a tour or presentation for their peers requires summarizing, synthesizing, evaluating, analyzing and communicating clearly what they have learned. By asking them to reflect on which sources they chose, why they explored different aspects of the topic or how their ideas or understanding changed over time, you are encouraging students to build those meta-cognitive skills as well. EXPERT TUTORIAL = SYNTHESIS and CLEAR COMMUNICATION Learn from an Expert requires students to work through and decide how to synthesize and communicate their expertise about a topic. Students will have to decide the most appropriate way to convey their information to their audience. By synthesizing and “teaching” their classmates, students are figuring out how to make the information relatable and exciting to someone other than themselves.

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Be in touch if you have stories, suggestions or challenges you'd like to share: Kelly Knopf-Goldner - Liz Leidel - Scarlett Tannetta Teens in Print COVID-19 Perspective Series If you didn't see it last week, the Teens in Print youth journalists have written their second articles in the COVID-19 Perspective Series. Check it out!

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