As part of my end of year survey I wanted to know what things went well, and what didn't. I asked for two things that the kids liked, and one thing they might change. Here are some of the results, and some quick thoughts.
What Went Well?
--Using the netbooks/technology was universally liked. We used them on a near daily basis for research, typing, project creation.
--Lots of reading. Most mentioned enjoying our novel study, book clubs, or 20 Book Challenge.
--Projects. Loyalist/Patriot Speeches, Designing a County, Evaluating Explorers.
--Our issue research (CBA). Kids enjoyed researching a topic and then making a presentation that advocated for people to do something.
--Having choices. I let kids sit where they wanted (unless they made poor choices/negative learning choices), choose their presentation format, and read books of their choice. Big hit.
--Memoir/Memory Writing. Kids liked being able to reflect on their time, and write with feeling about it.
Quick thought 1: None of this information is groundbreaking. I expected these to be common themes. We stuck with them because of the enthusiasm kids had for the various projects, and typically worked hard to wrap up in a reasonable timeframe so that we didn't burn out (see the next session for more on this).
Quick thought 2: I need to find a way to leverage my technology time so that it isn't necessarily about using new toys or tools. If I can integrate them earlier on in short projects (not necessarily integrated), then it will shorten some of the time needed for the projects. Part of the project time was spent teaching the tool since many of the kids hadn't used Audacity or Photostory at all (or much) previously.
What Could Be Done Differently?
--Extended deadlines. Deadlines approached and toppled some of my kiddos that work slower.
--More writing. Yep, more writing.
--More projects/technology/presentations.
--More than 20 book challenge/different novel study books
Quick thought 1: The extended deadlines was an expected piece of feedback. I have wrestled with this issue before- how long to go since you have the vast majority of kids that are done and others are not even close? I know I need to do a better job of making modifications to help those kids ensure that projects are done in a timely fashion (and well, with the content understanding).
Quick thought 2: Writing sometimes ends up being the odd item out. I embed writing into everything, but the large scale writing projects are often lost. I need to find a way to tie those in around the same time I do novel study- read and then do some writing projects.
More reflections on the school year later.
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