[This will probably be one of my last posts on this blog. Head over to my other blog for more regular posting!]
Since I posted my course 5 video, we finished up our unit, I completed IB MYP Next Chapter category 2 training in Design, had an amazing summer in the US and now I’m back in Kuwait tech-coaching it up and working on my UKSTL MEd. Let’s just say this update is long overdue! [Actually at the moment I’m writing this from Addis Ababa where I’m attending Learning 2.014 and connecting with lots of people I’ve only known virtually!]
A quick refresher: We integrated the Design Cycle into a 7th grade visual arts class (unit planner). Students chose to either increase tourism to or decrease littering in Kuwait by creating a social media campaign using photography. Students used Tumblr as their Design Folder. I provided them with information and modeled their Design Folder using my own Tumblr. We found that TO-DO lists were essential for the students in order to help them create their own Folder. For some of the students, it was the first time they were really diving into Design so we tried to scaffold it for them. [All my course 5 posts.]
Although I followed all of the students, it was difficult to keep track of all of their posts. So I created a checklist (from a form) that I could fill out as I read them. We also printed these out periodically and shared them (individually) with the students. I used conditional formatting to automatically change the colors of the boxes based on what I entered. It worked really well for keeping track of and sharing their progress.
Final reflection: We had to RUSH at the end. We could have gone a couple more weeks. I think some of the students were a little overwhelmed at times – we asked a lot of them in such a short period of time. But I hope that the idea of creating a positive digital footprint and using social media & photography for good will stick with them. Probably my favorite part of the entire unit was connecting with Photohoku.
We would love to see what this unit could be a) if we had more time and b) if we did it in a higher grade level. I would be very interested to see what 9th or 10th graders could do with a unit similar to this! During my MYP Design training in May, I had the opportunity to spend time creating the Next Chapter Unit Planner for this unit. I chose to write it for MYP year 5 students.
Check out their final products –
te(a)ch french 