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Collaboration was the name of the game at all three schools this week. At each school, I was working with my gifted students on projects that required cooperation, communication, creativity, and critical thinking, the 4 C’s of 21st Century education.
At school #1, students were working on “Mood” stories. With the celebration of Halloween, most stories took on a scary mood. Some of my students asked if they could work together. I considered it and decided to let them, but I was skeptical about whether they could truly collaborate. I was pleasantly surprised. They gathered together and used a story board to plan their stories. They talked and wrote, wrote and talked. The class was buzzing with the sound of collaboration.
Dawson was writing on his own. He asked for big paper to use for his story board. He wrote his “longest story ever!” I enjoyed his use of text features to create the mood. This was his favorite part to read aloud.
They all sat down and chanted,”Oh Ouija Board, oh how do you do, show us the spirit that lives here too.” Their hands moved and spelled L I G H T S O U T. At that exact moment the lights went out and the tv came on with static.
In the static they could make out a man that said,” III WWW III LLL LLL KKK III LL LL YYY OOO UUU!!!
At school #2, we are working on podcasts about endangered animals. Each student chose an animal to research. One of the best things was when we were able to talk on the phone with a local bird expert. My students are powering through the steep technology learning curve. I am hoping we’ll be ready to publish them next week. We are looking forward to a call with a marine biologist this Monday.
At school #3, we worked with Mystery Science lessons and made a chain reaction machine. After many tries, I was sure it was going to work for this video. I ended up giving a little hand in the chain.
I am a strong believer in project-based learning experiences. My students become motivated and engaged, and they own their learning. It doesn’t get much better than that!
Reflections on the Teche 