“Remember that you are the
someone in the phrase ‘Somebody ought to do something about that.’ Each of you.
Me too. We are all the someone who needs to take action.” (Ghost Dog Secrets
by Peg Kehret)
The students
of Cindy Evans (cindyevans66), Nancy Hehir (HehirNancy), Rebecca Karatsikis
(BeckyKaratsikis), and Kelley Payne (@grayfin77) each read Ghost Dog Secrets
by Peg Kehret. The novel focuses on a boy who wants to rescue a dog that is
being abused while his class at school focuses on helping dogs rescued from a
puppy mill. After reading the novel, students investigated animal-related
causes of their choice. They researched the issues, relevant laws, measures
being taken to address the issues, and developed proposed action plans.
Check out
this video created by
Jennifer Thomas (@JennThomas75) inviting parents and other community members to
the Action for Animal Awareness Community Night.
This event
illustrates four reasons to exhibit student work.
1. Increase Student Engagement
Students felt great ownership of their work because they wanted to make a
difference and they knew their work would have an audience beyond their
teachers. One student explained, “I liked this project because I knew I was
actually helping and not just doing it for a grade.” Another student commented,
“I like making a difference.
I worked hard because I wanted my project to be chosen as one that all of 6th grade will work on.” As one teacher tweeted, “I loved that students were so involved and invested in it.”
I worked hard because I wanted my project to be chosen as one that all of 6th grade will work on.” As one teacher tweeted, “I loved that students were so involved and invested in it.”
2. Increase Student Learning of Significant
Content
This was not a fluff project. Significant content and skills were at the
heart of this project-based learning. Students learned skills required by state
standards, such as “the student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a
variety of fictional texts, narrative nonfiction, and poetry” and “the student
will find, evaluate, and select appropriate resources for a research project.”
Students experienced great success in meeting these standards because
they were compelled to prepare for the exhibition and to work to address an
authentic problem. Their academic success was obvious at the exhibition. As one
community member observed in an e-mail, “I cannot believe that these were sixth
grade students. . . I asked many questions and could not believe that they
answered with no hesitation. These students sounded as if they had studied
animal laws for years. . . I was totally blown away that these young students
are now so knowledgeable of the animal laws and problems. . . This is the type of
project that these students will remember for years to come.”
3. Promote a Shared Instructional Vision
Among Staff Members
The energy level was through the roof at the exhibition. Not only were
students and parents energetic, but teachers and administrators were incredibly
enthusiastic. They were appropriately proud of their students. They already
were speaking of changes they would make next year so that the project would be
even more successful.
Given the positive experience of the exhibition, the 6th grade
teachers are more committed to our instructional vision of providing students
transformative learning experiences in which they learn the content and skills
of the curriculum while making a difference locally, nationally, or globally.
Because of the high profile success of this exhibition, our vision of
transformative learning is more likely to be embraced by other teachers in our
district. Exhibitions can help schools and districts scale up effective
instructional practices by showcasing these practices.
4. Develop Parent-Ownership of an
Instructional Vision
Exhibitions provide parents with insight into the instructional vision of
a school or district. This expanded understanding is crucial for generating
support for initiatives. Too often parents view projects as fluff. John
Larmer and John Mergendoller of the Buck Institute for Education emphasize
the importance of distinguishing main course “project based learning (PBL) from
the short duration and intellectually lightweight activities and projects to
many classrooms.” Exhibitions of substantive student projects help parents make
this distinction. Furthermore, because of this exhibition, parents are more
likely to support our School
Board’s call for changes in state assessments and accountability.
5. Experience the Joy of Teaching and
Learning
Exhibitions are hard work, but they are also joyful. In an era of
high-stakes testing, exhibitions provide teachers and students with the joy of
teaching and learning.
The votes are in! The parents and
community members at the student exhibition selected elephant poaching as the
cause on which students will focus. The students are narrowing down their
fundraising ideas and plan to hold several small events this semester with a
culminating awareness and fundraising event in May. The team of sixth grade
students that made the successful pitch for this cause included Gracie Cannon,
Kaylyn Rivera and Gracie Roberts. These students understand the phrase from Ghost
Dog Secrets that one group of students displayed at the exhibition: “We are
the someone!”
Here is the project
overview that Cindy Evans created with assistance from her colleagues after
attending a PBL101 workshop presented by the Buck Institute for Education.
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