My Final Reflection

Getting students to take in an interest in their work can often be a challenge in any classroom.  This is why I love incorporating projects in my lessons.  I think anything unique will gain their interest.  I always like having completed projects to show as examples to get their attention to help them become excited and motivated to make their own.  There are several projects that I implemented in my 6^th-grade practicum placement.  The students were in an ecology unit and learning about different ecosystems around the world.  It is necessary for students to have background knowledge before doing the projects in order for it to be truly meaningful, so we spent several days learning vocabulary, doing interactive activities (such as making food webs), and applying their knowledge to homework lessons.  When my cooperating teacher and I felt that the students had a strong background of the material, I introduced the project.  One of the projects was to create “Lapbooks,” or mini-portfolios.  Each pair of students chose an ecosystem to research and create a Lapbook for.  I made a sample of a Lapbook to get their interest and brought in lots of books from the library for them to use, this was another way to get them interested.  We spent several days collecting information that was required to include in their Lapbooks, creating their booklets, and decorating them.  I told students that when the Lapbooks were completed, they would each present their Lapbook to the class.  I think knowing this made them want to make quality projects.  The projects would also be displayed for parents on open-house night.  Knowing that their hard work will be shown to other students, around the school, and to family members encourages them to really try their best.  Although I made basic requirements for information and number of booklets in the Lapbook, I left room for creativity, so that each project is unique.  I think that caring about the final, unique, product naturally causes students to have interest in their unique process.  Students worked hard to gather information for their Lapbooks.  My cooperating teacher said any extra time they had, they asked to work on their Lapbooks.  Some even took them home, which was not a requirement.  The end result was incredible.  Students were so proud to present their Lapbooks to the class and the teachers.  I was so impressed.  We did a walk-through so each pair of students could look closely at others and gather information.  They were very concerned about getting to keep them, and were hesitant to even let me take them home to grade them.  You can tell from the pictures I included how unique each Lapbook was.  The teacher said she would like to start doing this project each year.  This was also a proud moment for me!

After the success of the first project, I wanted to try one more while I had the opportunity.  I should mention that part of the reason the first project went so well, is that the teacher had already set up a community of individuality, creativity, and project-based learning.  The teacher brought science to life, and it was clear that the students loved coming to her classroom each day.  It was everything I envisioned my classroom to look.  During an ocean unit, the class turned the classroom into an underwater oasis.  Murals of ocean creatures roamed the walls, the windows were painted blue, and a kelp forest hung from the ceiling.  Connecting to the ocean unit, I planned a sea turtle tracking project.  Students each chose a live sea turtle, which was being virtually tracked from an interactive website to follow.  Students mapped and recorded their turtle’s migration, noted any patterns, and made predictions for where their turtle was headed.  They then worked in small groups to create a life-sized model of a type of sea turtle, including interesting facts about each species.  At the end of the unit, we had all eight models of sea turtles displayed in the hall, as well as a giant world map with each student’s sea turtle migration path plotted.  Students became so engaged in this unit that they even decided to start a school fundraiser so that they could virtually adopt an actual sea turtle that is being tracked.  This was a valuable learning experience for me, and hopefully a meaningful experience that students will remember.

In both of these cases, another important factor was that everyone’s work in progress was visible to all.  Students were able to see the projects others were working on, which encouraged and inspired other groups.  Seeing the quality of some Lapbooks or turtle models made the other groups want to create a quality project as well.  Once again, allowing for individuality meant that each project could be unique.  Students weren’t copying each other.  They just were all interested in their process, product, and subject that it was a really enjoyable experience for them.  Continuously, knowing that their projects would be displayed around the school also motivated them.  It was rewarding for them to hear compliments from other teachers, students, and parents on their hard work.  They loved this project and so did I!  Both of these projects have greatly influenced my teaching philosophy and the kind of environment that I want to have in my classroom. 

Some teachers may find that having too many projects going on at once is chaotic, unorganized, and too much for their students to handle.  However, after experiencing how it can be done effectively during these past two weeks of Art Methods, I have seen, first-hand, how beneficial it can be.  We had several projects that we were working on throughout the two weeks.  One project we started was creating a design that we selected from a packet of ideas (being allowed to choose what to design on is an important aspect).  Although we all were given time to work on these at once, each group was working on a different project.  We were not all creating the exact same thing.  This added excitement and interest to the project and classroom, both to see our own final product, and the products of other groups.  Another project we started was making rods from newspapers.  We all made them at the same time, but in different ways.  We knew we would make domes with the finished rods on another day, once again adding excitement and meaning to the process.  On another day, we walked in expecting the usual routine, but were intrigued to find the classroom transformed.  I was excited to start a new project, a classroom mural.  We had all of these projects going on at once in the classroom, yet it didn’t feel chaotic or unorganized.  In fact, it was the opposite.  It was like every table around our room had something that we were creating.  It added a natural, creative atmosphere to the classroom.  Continuously, I think our products ended up nicer because we had time to work on them, step away from them, grow from other activities, and revisit them with fresh eyes.  I think this can be done in the classroom. Routines are important for children, but can lead to boredom and lack of interest.  The main components of a schedule can remain set, such as reading time, math, recess, lunch, and centers; but there can also be guaranteed time, each day, for students to spend with their projects.  This could be more of an open time so students can select which projects to work on.  This may take practice and time, but the benefits make it worth it.

Finally, in my last practicum, I discovered the power of plays in a classroom.  Research is proving the benefits of children doing plays on their learning, especially their reading.  This was a 1^st grade classroom, where most of the students were early readers.  Their curriculum provided multiple miniature plays for students to read, practice, and present to the class.  They loved this!  Practicing reading aloud, repetition, and acting, this is such a powerful activity!  It is also an excellent way to provide experiences that involve tapping into memories, imaginative projections, and the power or narrative.  Students can recite plays that are already written, and eventually write their own!                                                                                                                       At end of the semester, we had a goodbye party with the class.  As a surprise, small groups of students each presented a play for us.  They created background scenery, costumes, and some even had dances.  What I noticed so much, was how much they grew as actors.  They went from reading the lines, to acting them, and creating their own narratives.  Once the acting begins, this experience involves all of the senses, as well as bodily movement for students, two more crucial learning elements.  This was such a proud moment for the students, their teacher, and us.  It is something I would like to make a consistent tradition in my classroom.  

A food web we made.

The front table set up for the introduction of the Lapbook project-when students see this, they become interested in what they will get to do!

Making the classroom look like the theme they are studying changes the atmosphere of the room.  It makes students feel like they are in another place.

Another ocean project the students did with their teacher.

The front table I had set up for the sea turtle tracking project -  once again, gets students' attention and interest.

A mural the students created during their ocean unit.

Our sea turtle tracking map and models in the school hallway.

I gave each student a sea turtle card that corresponded to each slide.  They read their fact to the class.  This made them more engaged in the Powerpoint, instead of just me talking the whole time.  They enjoyed this.

Students tracked their individual sea turtles and plotted their information a worksheet and map I created.