Just worked with grade 6 and 7 students on a project that I call Personal Interest Projects....or Individual Projects. This is where students choose their own topic to research and create products of learning that demonstrate their understanding and passion of their area of study. For teachers in gifted education, a Personal Interest study is a project idea that we encourage classroom teachers to use. I often tell teachers that it is a great way to extend the learning of their students... and I give them strategies on how to create this process in their class. However, I am not really sold on the idea of just handing over this process to a student, and I really wanted to experiment with this project to see how it worked in a span of only four days. Although the process is interesting, I think to get a really detailed and stellar project from students, there needs to be a huge teacher directed component to this endeavour. This includes lots of scaffolding, breaking down the steps, and providing detailed feedback for students. Still, it was challenging. Although students were able to easily choose their topics, it was more challenging to refine the topic and push for deeper understanding, detail, and a well researched project. The topics chosen were: aliens, photography, the French Revolution, aerodynamics, coca-cola, Theodore Roosevelt, the Hunger Games series, Secretariat (the horse), Hip Hop dance, Mars Exploration, John Lennon, Apollo 13, and chocolate. Each student had an interesting take on their subject; most students created powerpoint or PREZI presentations. It was great to see how versed they were in making presentations using the smart board, researching their topics on line, and comfortably presenting their ideas to each other. Yet, I think that my unit on Images of Greatness was much more successful; simply because the topic range was not so huge.....in Images, a student chose an eminent person and I gave specific criteria that each student had to have in their project. However, in this unit, the range was huge....in trying to find out about their topic, many students did not know where to start or what to include. I met with each individually to help provide the structure and the format. The process of researching and presenting a topic of this nature is challenging for students. Some have never done this before, and for others, it is part of their regular curriculum... Over the years I have managed this process and the most successful Interest Projects where ones where I had lots of time to work with students. I required a written report as part of the criteria, and I would spend weeks on teaching students how to take effective notes, how to make an outline, how to write a rough draft, how to edit first drafts, and how to reference resources. Students would create detailed and well written projects, and then, I would have them make their presentations from here - using powerpoint, etc. This is so I would at least be guaranteed a well written and detailed document about their project.
However, with only 3 days of work ( needed the last day to do presentations), it was hard to get detailed drafts and I had to shorten the process.Overall, it was a great experience and the projects were interesting and wonderful! Thanks PIPer's! Teachers, have you done Personal Interest Projects in your class? Did it work for you and for the students? Was there valuable learning as a result?
I am very interested to know how this process works in other learning environments!
Just worked with grade 6 and 7 students on a project that I call Personal Interest Projects....or Individual Projects. This is where students choose their own topic to research and create products of learning that demonstrate their understanding and passion of their area of study.
For teachers in gifted education, a Personal Interest study is a project idea that we encourage classroom teachers to use. I often tell teachers that it is a great way to extend the learning of their students... and I give them strategies on how to create this process in their class.
However, I am not really sold on the idea of just handing over this process to a student, and I really wanted to experiment with this project to see how it worked in a span of only four days.
Although the process is interesting, I think to get a really detailed and stellar project from students, there needs to be a huge teacher directed component to this endeavour. This includes lots of scaffolding, breaking down the steps, and providing detailed feedback for students.
Still, it was challenging. Although students were able to easily choose their topics, it was more challenging to refine the topic and push for deeper understanding, detail, and a well researched project.
The topics chosen were: aliens, photography, the French Revolution, aerodynamics, coca-cola, Theodore Roosevelt, the Hunger Games series, Secretariat (the horse), Hip Hop dance, Mars Exploration, John Lennon, Apollo 13, and chocolate.
Each student had an interesting take on their subject; most students created powerpoint or PREZI presentations. It was great to see how versed they were in making presentations using the smart board, researching their topics on line, and comfortably presenting their ideas to each other.
Yet, I think that my unit on Images of Greatness was much more successful; simply because the topic range was not so huge.....in Images, a student chose an eminent person and I gave specific criteria that each student had to have in their project.
However, in this unit, the range was huge....in trying to find out about their topic, many students did not know where to start or what to include. I met with each individually to help provide the structure and the format.
The process of researching and presenting a topic of this nature is challenging for students. Some have never done this before, and for others, it is part of their regular curriculum...
Over the years I have managed this process and the most successful Interest Projects where ones where I had lots of time to work with students. I required a written report as part of the criteria, and I would spend weeks on teaching students how to take effective notes, how to make an outline, how to write a rough draft, how to edit first drafts, and how to reference resources. Students would create detailed and well written projects, and then, I would have them make their presentations from here - using powerpoint, etc. This is so I would at least be guaranteed a well written and detailed document about their project.
However, with only 3 days of work ( needed the last day to do presentations), it was hard to get detailed drafts and I had to shorten the process.
Overall, it was a great experience and the projects were interesting and wonderful! Thanks PIPer's!
Teachers, have you done Personal Interest Projects in your class? Did it work for you and for the students? Was there valuable learning as a result?
I am very interested to know how this process works in other learning environments!
At present, I am sick with a cold, and plowing through the referrals that I receive from schools.
I have just figured out the group for The Built Environment Challenge Centre Program being offered in December, and did I ever have a large amount of referrals! I have a huge wait-list for this program, and I always struggle with letting the schools and eventually the parents know that the student, their child, did not get in. Basically, the answer they did not get in is because there are so many referrals and so many students need to be serviced, and some have been applying for two years and haven't been able to get in, and others are in grade 6 or 7 and need to get in, and well there are just not enough spots! I receive a lot of emails from parents, asking about options for their children. If they can only get into a program, maybe once or twice during their elementary schooling, what else is there for them? I try not to make it a complicated answer, but eventually it is....I lay out the options from other public schools with special programs (French Immersion, Montessori, Fine Arts), to district services (challenge centres, mentorships, the multi-age cluster class), and finally, special targeted schools for gifted students, that usually come with a tuition fee...(now this is complicated because I work for the public school system and I believe and support a publicly funded system, but sometimes, parents need to find what is right for their child). So it is complicated...and frustrating.Sometimes we have too many options....and these options paralyze us. Although times have changed, I remember my parents picking my school because it was up the street and we could walk there. Going to another school was not even an issue - you supported your local school, come what may. And, the same went for high school. But, that was in the 1970's, and the world is a very different place. Our students' needs are different. Our society is different.So, there are many options for students, just keep exploring them and asking questions and being mindful of what your child or student needs. I will try my best to get them a place in a program!
At present, I am sick with a cold, and plowing through the referrals that I receive from schools.
I have just figured out the group for The Built Environment Challenge Centre Program being offered in December, and did I ever have a large amount of referrals! I have a huge wait-list for this program, and I always struggle with letting the schools and eventually the parents know that the student, their child, did not get in. Basically, the answer they did not get in is because there are so many referrals and so many students need to be serviced, and some have been applying for two years and haven't been able to get in, and others are in grade 6 or 7 and need to get in, and well there are just not enough spots!
I receive a lot of emails from parents, asking about options for their children. If they can only get into a program, maybe once or twice during their elementary schooling, what else is there for them?
I try not to make it a complicated answer, but eventually it is....I lay out the options from other public schools with special programs (French Immersion, Montessori, Fine Arts), to district services (challenge centres, mentorships, the multi-age cluster class), and finally, special targeted schools for gifted students, that usually come with a tuition fee...(now this is complicated because I work for the public school system and I believe and support a publicly funded system, but sometimes, parents need to find what is right for their child). So it is complicated...and frustrating.
Sometimes we have too many options....and these options paralyze us. Although times have changed, I remember my parents picking my school because it was up the street and we could walk there. Going to another school was not even an issue - you supported your local school, come what may. And, the same went for high school. But, that was in the 1970's, and the world is a very different place. Our students' needs are different. Our society is different.
So, there are many options for students, just keep exploring them and asking questions and being mindful of what your child or student needs. I will try my best to get them a place in a program!
Hope your Hallowe'en was specatular....ours was lots of fun, but it is shocking to be in November! I am busy figuring out who is coming to the next few challenge centres: Personal Interest Projects and Book it!, our first book club in the challenge centre!Personal Interest Projects will be held at the end of November, and here, students get to design and create their own project about an area or interest or passion that they may have. I will be working with a great group of grade 6 and 7 students, I am sure, and I am excited to see what they are going to study. As well, the response for Book It! was so overwhelming, that I am going to offer another section in the new year. I will be dividing the groups between a grade 5-6 group and a grade 4 group.For the book club, I am thinking of starting with The Mysterious Benedict Society, and then a classic, followed by an individual book of choice, and ending off with a group selected book. Any ideas for novels would be greatly appreciated.....
Hope your Hallowe'en was specatular....ours was lots of fun, but it is shocking to be in November! I am busy figuring out who is coming to the next few challenge centres: Personal Interest Projects and Book it!, our first book club in the challenge centre!
Personal Interest Projects will be held at the end of November, and here, students get to design and create their own project about an area or interest or passion that they may have. I will be working with a great group of grade 6 and 7 students, I am sure, and I am excited to see what they are going to study.
As well, the response for Book It! was so overwhelming, that I am going to offer another section in the new year. I will be dividing the groups between a grade 5-6 group and a grade 4 group.
For the book club, I am thinking of starting with The Mysterious Benedict Society, and then a classic, followed by an individual book of choice, and ending off with a group selected book. Any ideas for novels would be greatly appreciated.....
