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Dreaming Big: Unveiling New Project Planning Tools

It’s the time of year that many teachers are thinking about, dreaming up, and planning end of the year projects. Model Classroom has been thinking about it too, and we’re excited to unveil some new project building tools to support the project-building process. (Much thanks goes to some of the stellar teachers in our larger Model Classroom community, including Jeri Powers and June Teisan, for their feedback in building these tools.) Choose your Own Adventure! Brainstorming Guide: Where do you start when planning a project? Teachers in our network tell us that they get inspiration from many different places. Many of you start project-building by using required standards. On the other hand, many of you are interested in learning how to use other sources of inspiration (including places in your school or community, topics students are interested in, and issues of local or global significance). This brainstorming guide has multiple entry points, allowing you to choose your own adventure and plan in a way that better supports your source of inspiration. The brainstorming guide is saved as a Google presentation on Google Drive. Challenge Template 3.0: The brainstorming guide connects you to the Model Classroom’s new project building template. The immediate goal of this template is to help you build a flexible framework and project toolkit. The long term goal is to streamline and improve how Model Classroom projects are documented and shared within the larger educational community. You can find the challenge template 3.0 on google templates. Here’s the catch: both of these tools are in beta. If you use either of these tools, please tell us what you think. Your feedback will be used to improve these tools for other teachers trying to do similar work. If you have questions or need help, please contact us through our Facebook group or by posting a comment here. Once you’re finished share your template with us! Model Classroom has rolling admissions for virtually supported projects.

Project SEAL Educators Are Thrown to the Sharks!

Kicking Off a Model Classroom Professional Development Partnership

Lincoln County teachers preparing to kick-off a workshop at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

PROJECT SEAL = Students Engaged in Authentic Literacy. PROJECT: 2 year Innovative Approaches to Literacy grant from the US Department of Education for the students and staff of Lincoln County, Oregon.  KEY PLAYERS: Ruth McDonald, Lincoln County Oregon School District Resource Teacher Doug Hoffman, Lincoln County Oregon Media Specialist Julie Crowell, Lincoln County Oregon Media Specialist PARTICIPANTS INVOLVED: 60 teachers, media assistants, teacher mentors, and school principals throughout the district GRADES: K-6 (2012-2013 school-year); 6-12 (2013-2014 school-year) LOCATION: Lincoln County, Oregon School District

CHALLENGE TO TEACHERS: Test and share strategies that engage students in relevant learning experiences, building examples of student-driven 21st century learning approaches, challenge-based learning projects, authentic technology integration, and real-world application. Lincoln County Resource Teacher Ruth McDonald set down her phone and exclaimed “The Bottom Feeders are on a seismic research vessel! They won’t make it back for this activity.” I glanced at the empty table in our workshop room and responded, “That’s great!” It didn’t really sound like they needed a tutorial on offline research. Afterall, they were in the midst of talking to a scientist aboard a research vessel. In case you’re imagining a group of bottom feeding leeches infesting a research vessel, I'll clarify by explaining that The Bottom Feeders were just one of several teams participating in an Oregon Coast workshop in early February. Other team names included The Jumbo Shrimp, Sole Train, and Not Hootie’s Blowfish. So, how exactly did the Bottom Feeders decide to board this research vessel? According to them it was quite simple. They just asked, and the answer was “yes!” Some Background: Project SEAL But, let’s back up a bit. When this occurred on February 8th, a group of 60 Lincoln County teachers, media assistants, mentors, and principals were all gathered together for a two-day Model Classroom professional development workshop at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. This experience is part of a larger project called Project SEAL. SEAL stands for Students Engaged in Authentic Literacy. It is a 2-year Innovative Approaches to Literacy Grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education for the students and staff of the Lincoln County School District (LCSD). The overarching goal of the project is that LCSD school libraries and classrooms will form a connected, “21st Century Learning Environment” that “enables students to learn in relevant, real world 21st century contexts (e.g., through project-based or other applied work) and allows equitable access to quality learning tools, technologies and resources. According to Doug Hoffman, Project Director, “ Project Seal will ensure that library resources for students, instructional strategies employed by teachers, materials and technology support teachers in helping students meet the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Day One: Investigating the Community During the first workshop day at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, smaller teams of educators were challenged to complete two connected challenges. The first challenge asked the participants to identify local examples of a global issue (for example, the local forestry industry as an example of the larger global issue of sustainable economic development), then form a hypothesis on that issue by conducting research with local community members, experts and other resources. The second connected challenge asked teachers to find ways to engage youth in taking action on that same issue. The goal of these collaborative challenges was to give the educators first-hand experience of being a student working in a team to investigate, discuss, and address a real problem. This firsthand experience allows teachers to think about what would happen if they asked their students to solve an open-ended and complex local problem. Through that experience, educators have time to collaborate with peers, flex their creative muscles, and figure out how to problem-solve using a variety of strategies and tools (for example, research skills and technological tools). This process allows teachers time to think, experience, then apply it to their own practice. Teachers brainstorm ideas for their local issue in the Oregon Coast Aquarium shark tank. Eddyville Charter School teacher Sean Bedell reflected on the experience: "The most inspiring and motivating part of the PD was going through the same steps my students would go through. As I went through the activity, going through the process of working with a team to address a local issue, I thought to myself, ‘I can do this with my students and they would love it!’ It was really interesting to hear all the different ideas that were based on the diverse backgrounds of my team members. Identifying our issue was fun. The dialog was creative, passionate, and constructive. You could tell when we had chosen our issue, because everyone was excited and motivated to explore our topic and become experts. Reaching out into the community to do research was very fascinating. Hearing the different sides of our issue and exploring outcomes made me feel connected to our topic and the community." Day Two: Connecting to the School While the first workshop day was about getting out into the community to explore the possibilities of real local connections, the second day took place at the Newport Intermediate School and addressed how teachers could bring these practices back to school. Throughout the day participants were asked to work closely with their school teams as they examined several topics and challenges including 21st century literacy, school space, and authentic technology integration. One key challenge expanded on the first day’s challenge, but made it even more local. How could a space within school represent challenges and opportunities for students to explore? In their teams, teachers selected from one of the following spaces: classroom, library, computer lab, multipurpose room, playground, or hallway. They first did a thorough documentation and description of the space. Then, they used this detailed look to ask questions about the space’s potential for 21st century learning opportunities. A team of teacher mentors exploring the hallway space observed that the hallways were very blank, and that they only utilized wall space. As they moved into asking questions about the space, they wondered how the hallways might facilitate collaboration and problem-solving among students. They wondered how the floors might be used to inspire kids to think about various topics of interest. In the meantime, a team of kindergarten teachers from Sam Case Elementary explored the school playground. As they discussed opportunities there, the conversation naturally shifted to their own playground. Teachers Jillian Becker and Kim Haddon explained that their playground has the benefit of backing up to two of the three Kindergarten classrooms. Despite this, they feel the mainly concrete space is not inviting to the kids. They realized that they want the space to become an extension of the classroom as well as a space the students can take ownership for. The team discussed how this space presented an opprotunity and a problem for their young students to tackle. Could they begin the process by asking the students what they wanted from a playspace, outdoor space, and learning space? Could they identify local partners- like artists and garden centers- who might work with the students on redesigning the space?  Moving Forward: Testing and Applying new ideas While the two day Professional Development workshop was a highlight for everyone involved, the real work begins now. As teacher Sean Bedell reflected: "The difficult part was trying to figure out, what the students could do at the school to engage the topic? We need them to go outside of just consuming information, but to process and produce information. We had some good ideas, but when pushed to dig deeper, it became difficult to narrow down the idea. As a teacher you always have classroom logistics rolling around in your head, but that is part of the challenge that pushes you to think more creatively." The educators involved have been challenged to identify a specific goal they’d like to work towards, then devise and implement a classroom test for this goal. After they run their classroom “test,” they share what happened with the larger group within a community Google Site. The goal of these smaller tests is to help us identify the smaller practices required to carry out projects that give kids real, relevant, and impactful experiences. With that said, many Project SEAL educators are working towards the bigger picture by implementing all these smaller practices-- student-driven learning, real-world challenges, authentic technology integration, and 21st century skills-- within a larger challenge-based project. The Sam Case Elementary teachers will begin their playground redesign challenge this week by challenging students to investigate their current playground and develop a list of ideas for improvement. At the same time, students at Crestview Heights Elementary will begin a variety of investigations related to ocean life and debris. For example, the challenge for Special Education students will be to develop an action plan for ocean debris in their local community. Finally, for educators in leadership and non-classroom roles, this is an opportunity to rethink their roles and support of teachers. A team of media assistants from different schools is exploring better ways to collaborate across the district. Likewise, school principals are thinking about their role. Sam Case Elementary principal Ryan Relken is working with his staff to build a shared mission and vision for the school. As a reflection on the weekend workshop, he shared: The inquiry based learning was a huge takeaway for me. Since the weekend of professional development, we have started a mission and vision team with teachers and staff who are collaborating to create a mission and vision for our school. We started with the question: "What are we about?" It is our goal that these meetings will result in a clearly defined, aligned, and realistic mission and vision for our school that points us in the direction we need to go. As we explore this together, we’ll be building and sharing examples and ideas. Please stay tuned for featured practices, featured projects, and the building of an educator strategy kit! Ruth McDonald proposed Project SEAL after attending the “Mission Possible” summer 2012 workshop at the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum. “While attending,” she says, “I realized the Model Classroom fit perfectly with my district’s focus on using authentic, contextual learning revolving around local issues and Ocean Literacy.” She was inspired to develop an Innovative Approaches to Literacy federal grant incorporating 21st Century literacy skills, digital tools, and challenge based learning into the proposal. Through Project SEAL participating teachers receive an iPad mini to learn to incorporate digital literacy and tools into instruction, each of the 10 district school libraries will have a mobile cart of 20-40 iPad minis, new ocean literacy library books and resources, and 30 hours of in-person and online professional development from the Pearson Foundation Model Classroom trainers.

 

 

Exploring One’s Culture | Evansville Advocates: Investigating the Value of One's Community

Exploring One’s Culture | Evansville Advocates: Investigating the Value of One's Community, Evansville, WI NAME: Beth Oswald TEACHERS INVOLVED: Meg Farnung, Library Media Specialist GRADE: 7th Grade SCHOOL: J. C. McKenna Middle School LOCATION: Evansville, WI CHALLENGE TO STUDENTS: Investigate and sell the unique and special cultural qualities of the city of Evansville and why it is a great place to live.

Evansville, Wisconsin is a great place to live. It’s a friendly small town. It’s safe, quiet, family oriented, and has good neighbors. Along with great schools and recreational opportunities, Evansville offers other unique aspects that bring people to their small community which is located near two major metropolitan cities, Madison and Janesville. But how would one describe the culture of Evansville? How would one sell the value of Evansville to make it attractive to those seeking a new place to live? Beth Oswald’s 7th grade students were challenged to find out what culture means to them and to their community and do just that. They explored the unique qualities of “culture” by investigating their families, their peer groups, school, and the community of Evansville. Then, they worked in cooperative groups to create digital products designed to “sell Evansville” - to encourage people to join their small community and keep it growing and thriving. At the end of their unit, students also investigated U.S. and world cultures, before creating a utopian culture of their own. Through this project, students explored how cultures differ in a variety of ways: language, rules, stories, legends, and symbols. But together, these unique cultural differences create the core of a community, what makes it special and unique, and how these cultural differences enhance their own lives. If one Googles the word “Culture,” there are so many definitions. Students began by exploring what culture means to them, defining their own personal culture. They started by looking at some of their favorite family members - cats and dogs, then branched out to the rest of their family, friends, and school investigating their traditions, rules, activities - even inside jokes - that make up the cultures they belong to. Finally, students researched the culture of the community they live in through interviews and online resources. Working in teams, Beth’s students designed campaigns to sell Evansville. Each design team had to determine what makes their community a unique place to live by selecting several aspects of their community's culture. Finally, they created digital persuasive marketing campaigns that they pitched to a panel of community experts - the mayor, local historian, alderperson and chair of the Evansville Community Partnership, retired educators, school administrators, and longtime residents - for constructive feedback and fine tuning. Their final persuasive products - Prezis and websites - will be linked to the Evansville Community Partnership website. This experience immersed her students into understanding the depth and breadth of what culture means, as well as the value and relevance that many cultures bring to our lives personally and as a community. Evansville Advocates | Example of Digital Artifacts                 Beth proposed this project after attending the “Mission Possible” summer 2012 workshop at the Smithsonian Museum. While attending the “Mission Possible” Community and Culture educators’ workshop through the Smithsonian’s Cooper Hewitt Museum of Design in New York City, she started thinking about the whole concept of culture, and how her seventh grade World History students really don’t get it. Although she teaches her students about many ancient cultures over the course of the year, the importance of “culture” eludes them. At the workshop, Beth was drawn into the rich history and vibrant culture of Harlem through guided walking tours with local community experts. What was most significant to her was going out into the community and talking with the people who live there. In small groups, they asked local residents what they liked, and didn’t like about living in Harlem. But it was through this public engagement she felt she learned more than any expert could have taught them. They used what they learned through these interviews to create design solutions to problems identified by residents and presented these solutions to community experts. Beth said, "The process of interviewing, investigating, creating, and presenting through the Mission Possible workshop was a powerful experience, and the springboard I needed to create a new unit on culture for my seventh grade class."  >> Read more about the Mission Possible workshop series.

Kids ‘School’ the Board of Education: A World Showcase in Wyoming

Teachers: Laurie Graves & Lamont Clabaugh Project: The Then and Now of Sheridan County Laurie Graves and Lamont Clabaugh’s 3rd grade classes were invited by the superintendent to “show and tell” their continent project to the board of education for their November 20th district board meeting.

On November 20th about 90% of the students came back to school with parents in tow. As the board came in, Laurie welcomed all with a brief overview of the project, explained the New Learning Institute’s Model Classroom partnership, and then turned it over to the kids. “It was beyond amazing because [the students] just took off!” - Laurie. The students shared their research of their continents, how they used various technologies to record audio, share it online, and how they used QR codes to embed their audio reports into their maps. The board members then spread out among the students to experience their projects. The students also took the board members into the classroom and shared how they were using wikispaces for their weekly reading prompts, along with other sites that they’ve posted on their third grade wall.

“We were blown away and the board and parents were very impressed with how well the students presented and interacted with the technology!” - Laurie

How do we understand our corner of the world? Laurie and Lamont’s 3rd graders are starting with the really big picture. . . . The continent project is a foundation to The Then and Now of Sheridan County project. Starting with a study of the continents of the world, Laurie and Lamont’s 3rd graders will then transition into learning about their own heritage along with the local history and culture. To get a more in-depth study of the seven continents, students divided the work into teams and developed presentations to teach their classmates about each continent. Students were given a specific area and continent to focus on and then were provided resources to research their particular focus. After organizing their notes into paragraphs, students recorded their findings using Soundcloud, attached them to a QR code, along with a picture of an animal taken at the local museum and incorporated them to a wall map that other students created. These maps were printed out like puzzle pieces and students had to fit them together, glue them down, color the maps, and then find supporting pictures from the Geographic magazines to create cut-aways. Once these maps were completed, they were hung in the hallways to share with visitors, other teachers and students in the school. RESOURCES: School field trip to local museum with animals from every continent National Geographic books and Magazines National Geographic online Encyclopedia.com  Mapping Our World

“It was so amazing to see how excited the kids were to present their own work to someone they have never met before. They really took off with it and was proud of their work. As the project continues, the kids are so interested in their community and how it evolved. They are real detectives in figuring out where they came from and how Sheridan county came to be.” - Lamont Clabaugh

Detroit 1933/2033: Imagine a Thriving Future for your City

Photo: Detroit Auto Industry Victim by Flickr user Bob Jagendorf

NAME: June Teisan, Future Think and Middle School science teacher TEACHERS INVOLVED: Alexandra Beels, student intern Kelly Herberholz, student intern  Christina Peltier, art teacher GRADE: Middle School SCHOOL: Harper Woods Middle School LOCATION: Harper Woods, Michigan (Detroit suburb)

CHALLENGE TO STUDENTS: Examine Detroit’s challenges and successes from 1933 to today, then think ahead to 2033 and plan for future redevelopment and your role in this transformation. Students in June Teisan’s “Future Think” class are conducting an in-depth examination of their city. Detroit is a famous icon and leader of the American auto industry. Yet, in recent years, the city has undergone a huge decline as a result of the industry’s collapse. As a Detroit-area native, June Teisan wants her students to take pride in their city and see the potential for its future-- and opportunities for their own future success in the city. She’s devised a unique place-based learning project which combines science, technology, engineering, art, and math (known as a STEAM project) for a comprehensive examination and problem-solving process. June has identified the Detroit Industry frescos as the centerpiece for this project. The murals, created by famous Mexican muralist Diego Rivera in 1933, are a celebration of Detroit’s industry. June’s class is partnered with the Detroit Institute of Art (DIA), which houses the murals. Throughout the year, the Future Think students will examine and revisit these murals from many perspectives, with the guidance of DIA curators, educators and docents.     June’s students observe the murals at the Detroit Institute of Art (DIA). The Future Think students will work with a variety of other experts and community organizations; taking tours of various buildings in Detroit including newly refurbished factories and abandoned buildings, hosting guests in the classroom - auto engineers and student advisors from the College for Creative Studies - and conducting interviews and visits with community members representing Detroit's vibrant entrepreneurial community. A huge proponent of “place-based learning” she seeks grant funding to take her students out of the classroom and into the wider world for experiential learning.     [June’s students visiting The Edsel and Eleanor Ford House] As an advocate of student “voice and choice” in their studies, June will ask her students to determine how they respond to the challenge based on personal interest or inspiration from their many community partners and field trips. For example, students might choose to: create an interactive mural depicting a better future for Detroit, build an online Tinker plot of future industry development (which may include auto and newer Green designs), build a website presenting solutions to the community, conduct an ethnographic history of the city’s population, among many others. What will they imagine? What does the future of Detroit hold for them? June Teisan was the 2008 Michigan State Teacher of the Year. June has attended “Mission Possible” workshops at the Smithsonian Institution for three consecutive summers and is a Model Classroom alum. Here, she describes the power of that experience: “Teaching improves with time and energies directed to reflection and creative innovation. My three summer workshops at the Smithsonian with the Model Classroom program offered just that – a supportive environment where I could stretch beyond my day-to-day practice, tap into the resources of fellow educators, and build project-based learning units supported by today’s technologies.” - June Teisan

Take a Stand on The Land Featured in Valley Reporter

Warren Elementary School, Vermont

The panel of Warren town officials at the forum on November 9th, from left to right, Margo Wade, Damon Reed, Dan Raddock, Kirsten Reilly and Andy Cunningham.

Katie Sullivan’s Take a Stand on the Land project was featured in the Valley Reporter, a Vermont local newspaper. A forum held at the Warren School on November 9th was featured in the story. Rachel Goff from the Valley Reporter writes: “At the forum, which took place in the Warren Elementary School gymnasium, students in grades three through six took turns asking questions about Eaton Forest before a panel of elected town officials. While many of their questions (“What will happen to all of the animals on the land?”) elicited smiles, they also demanded careful, thoughtful responses. What would happen to all of the animals if the town ever chose to develop the land?” Read the Full Story Here: http://www.valleyreporter.com/index.php/en/news/schools/8432-students-weigh-in-on-the-fate-of-eaton-forest Following this forum, students will be asked to form an opinion, take a side, and write a persuasive argument for what should be done with the land. We look forward to seeing what position Katie’s students take.      >> Read more about the Take a Stand on the Land project

Stewards caring for Sheridan County's history and culture

Big Horn Elementary School in Big Horn, Wy, a small rural community in the southwestern part of Sheridan County, at the base of the Big Horn Mtns.

The Then and Now of Sheridan County NAME: Laurie Graves TEACHERS INVOLVED: Lamont Clabaugh GRADE: 3rd Grade SCHOOL: Big Horn Elementary LOCATION: Big Horn, WY CHALLENGE TO STUDENTS: Share the history of Sheridan County, then and now, with the community, then take action to preserve it for the future.

Sheridan County, Wyoming has a unique history and culture. Sheridan County began in 1888, supporting cattle and sheep ranchers. In the early 1890’s, underground coal mining began. Many immigrants came into the area from several ethnic groups creating a diversified culture that is still present in Sheridan County. 3rd graders at Big Horn Elementary School will be challenged to investigate the history, discovering where they and their families fit in, and ultimately gaining a sense of responsibility in their community, realizing that they are the next stewards of the county's history, animals, land, people and culture. Through this awareness, they will communicate what they learned, share it with the community, and brainstorm ways to preserve it for their future. Now Open pit strip mining for coal that currently takes place just north of Sheridan County in Montana. It is a major source of economy for the people of Sheridan County. Then This is a picture of Carneyville, 1914. It was one of several small mining “camps”/”towns” that occupied the northern part of Sheridan County from about 1893 to the early 1930’s. These camps were built around an extensive array of underground coal mines. At one point, there was a combined population of roughly 50,000 people, compared to today’s total county population of about 20,000 people. Students will begin by investigating and understanding their own heritage, interviewing their parents, grandparents, and relatives. This foundational understanding of personal heritage will be connected to Sheridan County’s immigration history, helping students identify the many reasons for immigration. A big draw for Wyoming settlement was industries, specifically railroads, farming, cattle, sheep, and mining. In Sheridan County, the coalmines attracted many Eastern Europeans to the area. Students will utilize their county’s local resources, and conduct ethnographic research by interviewing local residents; visiting local museums, and deserted townsites. These townsites were deserted when strip mining was introduced. The ease of extraction with strip mining and the higher quality of coal caused the underground mining to cease. They will continue with research by visiting a local dude ranch; and researching Sheridan County history texts, archives and online resources. This investigation will develop an understanding of the evolution of local economy based on human need and better define students’ future role in the community. Using their findings, students will produce a public report predicting the county’s future. It is important for the students to understand how the county has evolved and the role people and natural resources have had as part of this evolution. From their research and experiences, students will end this project by using their own interests and motivations to decide how to preserve the resources and culture of their county. The Mercantile was built in 1881 and served the agricultural community of Big Horn, a small community in Sheridan County. It is still in service today, carrying groceries, serving ice cream, breakfasts, and lunches to the local community. It is one of the oldest establishments, in Sheridan County, still functioning as was the original intent.       >> Read more about Sheridan County's history. The Then and Now of Sheridan County involves many first hand experiences including museum visits to see artifacts of the past, but also local resident interviews and visits to places representing the current culture in Sheridan county. This local knowledge will give students a better framework for understanding the evolution of American culture, its relationship to the economy, and our current immigration debate. Laurie proposed this project after attending the “Mission Possible” summer 2012 workshop at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. "My participation in the Smithsonian summer workshop challenged me to dig down with my instructional approach. My learning curve was huge, but I came back to my classroom fired up to implement a "new look" for some of our "old" units. Being exposed to the Smithsonian resources was extremely helpful and will be a great tool for the students in our next social studies portion of county history. I was especially motivated with all of the ways to engage student learning through technology. Partnering with my co-hort, who is a tech whiz, we have caught the attention of the superintendent and the school board, not to mention our parents. Our third graders will be presenting to the board this next week - showcasing their continent study, using QR codes to share their research." -Laurie Graves

Make an Impact: Challenging students to solve a local water shortage

Bryan Coburn, Rock Hill, SC South Carolina is at risk of a water shortage. With $500,000 in grants available for innovative conservation projects, it was up to students in Bryan Coburn’s engineering course at Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, South Carolina to devise solutions. This scenario or “mission” presented to Bryan Coburn’s Introduction to Engineering students was only part historical fiction, based on the community’s very real drought, a drought so bad that cars could only be washed on specific days. South Carolina is not alone: approximately one-third of the US is at high risk for water shortage. Bryan’s students spent much of a semester on this hypothetical challenge. By the project’s end, they had created elaborate online portfolios showcasing their research, 3D designs, and multimedia presentations marketing their designs. Proposals included documentation of each stage of the design process, a design brief, decision matrix, a prototype using Autodesk Inventor 3D professional modeling tool, and a final presentation where they pitched their proposed solution to a grant review committee consisting of local engineers from the community, the city water manager and the school’s principal. The pressure was on. Team Water Ninja Turtles designed a dog water bowl to “redefine the way you give water to your pets by automatically giving them rainwater from a gutter.” This screenshot from their online portfolio shows the final product and an initial prototype. Team Water Ninja Turtle’s full presentation can be viewed here: http://prezi.com/wlknlxhhhcd2/water-conservation-project/. Students said they never felt so enthralled by schoolwork. Some were inspired to become engineers. “It made the class much more amazing,” Parker, one of Bryan’s students, said. “We didn’t just sit there and learn. We actually did fun and involving work. You wanted to be there.” And that’s the kind of school experience Bryan and the Model Classroom want to replicate. Lakasha, another student, was so inspired by the project that she spent a weekend learning to write HTML code to enhance her group’s Weebly website. She added “It would be great if it [these hands-on real world projects] could be spread around to other classes.” Coburn has long shunned rote learning in favor of hands-on projects. He prefers to teach fundamentals, then turn teens loose to learn on their own. Coburn said, “When it comes to definitions, which is more valuable: having them memorize a definition, or know how to use the word?” Bryan and his principal worked with a local reporter on an article that received prominent visibility in the Charlotte Observer on Super Bowl Sunday. As a result, the press coverage had some constructive impact. Rock Hill School District entrusted Bryan to explore professional development opportunities. In an age where schools tread cautiously with technology, Bryan worked with the Rock Hill district to open up a safe and secure way for educators to have more control of district technology filters, allowing them to bypass YouTube, Weebly, or Polleverywhere. The University of South Carolina Education Department reached out to Bryan to encourage other teachers to utilize technology in their classroom. They asked him to present, not only about the project, but how he integrated several technologies to engage students in their learning. They recognized that many times teachers and districts allow their apprehension about using technology to impede or entirely deny students an opportunity to develop the 21st century skills needed in a rapidly changing global economy. Bryan’s “Make an Impact” project illustrates the power of integrating real issues and challenges into the curriculum. By entrusting students to make difference they discover how school work can have an impact in the real world. Beyond his classroom, Bryan is building a coalition of change agents- other teachers and administrators across the state- who are embracing the value and possibilities of challenge-based learning. Class Website: http://engineeringcoburn.weebly.com/ Press from Make an Impact: National project aims to inspire the ‘model classroom’ eSchool News (February 6th, 2012) “The fact that Bryan is now having his kids think of the world around them as their classroom, while not new, is really at the center of what we’re trying to do with this program and with the New Learning Institute generally. And frankly, it has less to do with technology or digital media per se and more to do about a mindset. The list of digital tools they used is not nearly as impressive as the fact that they want to make an impact on the city water situation in their community.” - Steve Brown, General Manager, New Learning Institute Bryan Coburn attended both 2011 and 2012 “Mission Possible” Summer Institute at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.

Read. Write. Share!: Finding the Potential in Every Child

READ. WRITE. SHARE! Teacher: Jeri Powers, Reading Specialist Other teachers involved: Amy Fontaine, 5th Grade Meredith Malone, 5th Grade Kelly Lorey, 5th Grade Jill Roush, 5th Grade Ashley DeWitt, 5th Grade Traci Seyb, Technology Teacher Kelly Robinson, Learning Coach School: Riverview Elementary Location: Shawnee Mission, Kansas As the dust settled on the 2011-2012 school-year, reading specialist Jeri Powers met with a team of teachers to reflect on the experience of implementing the “Read. Write. Share!” project with the fifth grade class. She asked the team what stood out about the experience. What had surprised them? The teachers shared that the students who had not displayed academic potential prior to the project rose to the top, enabling them to see real areas of strengths in kids who had typically struggled-- strengths that had previously gone untapped. “Read. Write. Share!” was a yearlong project designed to engage and motivate students to read and write in more meaningful ways. Spurred by 2008 Kansas Teacher of the Year Jeri Powers, the entire 5th grade teaching team at Riverview Elementary collaborated on this effort. The idea was simple: throughout the year teachers would use a wikispace as a platform for proposing authentic challenges to students, while encouraging 21st century literacy skills. Over the course of the year, students would use the space to solve challenges in a variety of formats including podcasts, video PSAs and documentaries, and animations. The first “Read. Write. Share!” challenge was inspired by a Social Studies unit on colonization. Students had options to explore this 300 year-old piece of American history from a variety of angles. Would they consider the challenges of living in the Colonial Era, or would they consider our country’s most recent “colonists” by investigating immigration within their own community? Once they made their decision, students worked together to write, edit, produce and publish podcasts. Students Ally and Katie present a story about a family separated during the French Indian War. "Two Words" Ally and Katie by PearsonNLI Olivia, Josie, and Chloe interviewed a young man who immigrated to the United States from Russia where he lived in a foster home. Immigrating to the USA from Russia by PearsonNLI As the year went on, students had more flexibility in the media used to solve challenges. This approach created "expert" students who helped each other, creating an atmosphere of support and excitement about learning. Inherent in this environment was a focus on encouraging students to be risk-takers, to persist when new learning is difficult or unclear, and to understand the value of learning through trial and error. As the teacher team sat together reflecting at the end of the school-year, they realized that the learning opportunity had not just been for their students. They, too, had grown. The use of digital media and student-directed projects had forced them to relinquish control, allowing kids to problem solve along with them and become the experts. As everyone problem-solved together, each student- and each teacher- found a way to contribute. Press from Read. Write. Share! Podcast dispatches from the colonial age, courtesy of Riverview Elementary fifth-graders Shawnee Dispatch (December 16, 2011) Photo by Stephen Montemayor. Reflecting on how the summer workshop impacted her, Jeri said: “If I had not gone to Washington D.C. and learned about 21st century learning and how to incorporate technology in a way that deepens and extends learning, we would not be implementing these ideas in 5th grade. That workshop was the best professional development I have ever attended as it helped me conceptualize how to challenge children to go deeper in their learning. We still teach the state standards; however, I am learning how to embed “soft skills” into the content so that much more learning occurs. It even goes beyond creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. It involves trial and error, perseverance, dealing with frustration, consensus building, risk taking, allowing children to take the lead, and learning how to learn new things. These are all skills that children must have to be successful in their world. [The Model Classroom] workshop AND the ongoing follow-up support is what has inspired us to start and keep going on a venture that is very different from the way schools have traditionally operated.” Jeri attended the 2011 “Mission Possible” workshop at the Smithsonian EdLab in Washington, DC. In the summer of 2012 she returned with two teachers from her 5th grade team. This year Riverview Elementary is working with Model Classroom to implement a year-long school based professional development program. Stay tuned as the program kicks off in mid-November!

Rising to the Challenge: Students Seek Solutions to Protect their Community's Public Domain

Students explore the nature trail on the parcel of land that abuts the Warren School.	Take a Stand on the Land NAME: Katie Sullivan, 2007 Vermont Teacher of the Year TEACHERS INVOLVED: Prudence Krasofski & Heidi Hill GRADE: 3rd and 4th grade SCHOOL: Warren School LOCATION: Warren, Vermont CHALLENGE TO STUDENTS: Decide if our town should prohibit development on its publicly owned forest, then persuade voters on Town Meeting Day.
Next March the voters of Warren, Vermont will decide whether to put a town-owned parcel of land known as the Eaton parcel into conservation and forever prohibit development. The parcel abuts the Warren School property and is home to an interpretive nature trail used by the school on a regular basis. The Warren Planning Commission has already voted not to permanently conserve the land and the Warren Select Board has yet to decide. The question will come before voters at the town’s annual Town Meeting in March. Can the students at Warren School make a difference? Third and fourth grade students at the Warren School will investigate the parcel of land, decide how it will best serve the community and try to persuade the voters how they should vote at Town Meeting in March. Their investigations will involve visiting and documenting the parcel of land, talking to experts and community members, participating in a forum and conducting first hand research, utilizing local artifacts surrounding the trail and examples of other disputed land use cases. A special forum will be held at the school and will include members of the Warren Select Board who are especially familiar with the Town Plan as well as the workings of the local government, planning commissioners, the town planner, a representative from the Warren Conservation Commission (who made the request for conservation of the land), and a representative from the Vermont Land Trust (who would oversee the transfer).
Heidi Hill, Katie Sullivan, & Prudence Krasofski.	Just like the town's elected and appointed officials, students will be asked to listen carefully to all sides of the Eaton Parcel issue and take a stand on what they think is the best use of this important piece of land. They will use their voices to clearly communicate their opinions using supportive evidence gathered from town experts and stakeholders and have their voices heard by local government officials and community members at Town Meeting. This challenge actively engages students in exploring strategic forms of influence, strategies for getting and sustaining attention constructively, and civically working to achieve real world goals. But most importantly, the students are discovering that they have a voice. They have an opportunity to make an impact on their world and see the direct results of their actions.
Katie proposed this project after attending the “Mission Possible” summer 2012 workshop at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. She was inspired by stories of Native Americans’ connection to the land as well how appropriate use of technology and social media can motivate young students to go beyond their classroom walls to broadcast to a larger real world audience.       >> Read more about the Mission Possible workshop series.