Similar to the cardboard challenge, some teams readily worked as a team, completed the review, and came up with a creative idea, but the same individuals that struggled with the cardboard challenge also struggled with this activity--an activity I felt was more structured and accessible.
What's a teacher to do?
First, I'm not giving up on these young learners, learners who may not have had a lot of choice over their learning in the past, and learners who may not understand themselves well enough to choose a good venue for creativity and presentation. It could simply be that they haven't had a lot of experience making decisions and choosing too.
So today, I'll start by talking to the whole class with the following questions to think about.
- How did you and your classmates work as a team? What worked and what was challenging?
- Did you come up with a project that everyone liked and that's doable at school and/or at home?
- Will your project help you and those you present to learn?
- What do you need today in order to successfully complete the project?
Then I'll meet specifically with the teams that struggled. I'll find ways to help them work together and come up with a project that fits their learning needs and interests.
After that, as I design future learning experiences, I will need to provide more scaffolded opportunities for these students when it comes to creativity, choosing, and project work. My goal for these children will be to find a project they can't resist--one they feel that they just have to work on in school and at home. It's that kind of project that will teach them what great learning is all about.
