I promised an update on my project so here it goes:
I teach high school geometry, so we will be designing mini-miniature golf courses. We will be talking about angles of reflection, shapes, slope, etc. and they will create a course to display their understanding of these concepts. To design their course, each team (2-3 students, not sure yet) will be using Geometer's Sketchpad (GSP), geometry software that allows the students to manipulate shapes, measure their lengths, angles, etc. (I think this will be my other Cool Tool Demo). I use GSP throughout the year so the students become fairly proficient with it. Once their "blueprint" is complete we will be posting them on a wikispace or something where the other students and classes can electronically view and post comments/suggestions on their designs. Some of the restrictions are that it has to be the size of their desktop, have at least one turn, and have to bounce off at least one wall.
After that, they will build their golf courses using household materials and we will play the courses with a marble for the ball and a popsicle stick for their club. We will vote/give awards for the most difficult course, most creative, team with the best score, etc.
As far as assessments go, I will be grading their blueprints on their use of the software, following restrictions, etc. I will also grade their participation on the wikispace, kind of like how we are graded on our blogs. I will also use a rubric to grade their final construction.
I think rubrics are the best way to grade projects. First, I really like having the requirements/components up front (as a teacher and as a student!). I just think it's easier to start with the end in mind and go from there, and there are no surprises! Also, as a teacher I think it's easier to use a rubric when grading something so objective as projects can be. It makes me focus more on how close did they follow the requirements (the real knowledge we are assessing) rather than how much money did they spend to impress me!
Hope you all have a great week!
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I really like your project idea and can't wait to hear how it turns out! I'm sure you'll get some really great and creative ideas!
ReplyDeleteOne idea for when students electronically post for comments-- have you heard of Flickr? You upload pictures and have the option to tag a particular part of the picture and make a comment. That could be an interesting way to get feedback! Or you could even try the VoiceThread website I showed in class last night...just some ideas! :)
Yes, I've used Flickr before. I didn't think of that, but that would probably work...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the ideas!
Again, I love this project idea. I love golf and I can only imagine what some of the holes would look like.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of using a wikispace, or something like it, to allow the students to show their design and get feedback from other groups and/or you.
Look forward to seeing some of the designs.
I really like this idea, Lance! I like the idea of creating a wikispace for students to use and create posts and questions on. It would be beneficial for them to get used to using that type of thing now before they get to college! The idea of having a rubric upfront in the beginning of assignment is a great idea. It is soo much easier to grade, in my experience. If a student wants to argue their grade, you can explain it to them using the rubric they had all along. It's not personal or judgmental...it just IS. That would also keep them from trying to spend a lot of money to impress you, like you said. I always thought that was so annoying in high school when people would spend a lot of money on something and do 0% of the work and still get a higher grade than me.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, great idea! I can't wait to hear how this goes. Post some pictures of it, too!
This sounds like a great project! I would love to be in your class making this. You are incorporating a wide variety of technological tools here. Hope you can scaffold well so students are not overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteWith much anticipation,
Eunbae