ImagineIt Timeline
I can definitely say that my ImagineIT idea has changed a bit from the start. As stated before, I think I was being to general and needed something more broad so my students has more choice in what they needed to do. I am still focused on the idea of demystifying magic and I am excited about the work I will get from my students around their view of this theme. If I were to start over again, I would definitely add my digital presence as a teacher at the very beginning of the year so students are comfortable posting their work before the project stage even begins. Some students have not attempted to post work digitally and I think if I started the routine of posting students work digitally right away, it would be a lot easier to get students to do that with the projects they create.
As this project progresses, I would like to see more student leadership. For instance, I would love for students to bring ideas to me instead of me bringing ideas to them. I would love for students to bring me articles, videos, etc that discuss or show phenomenon that seems magical so we can demystify the magic with our scientific knowledge. I want all my students to be involved in these discussions and even have them without my pushing them to do so. Many students find science scary so even when they have a sense of understanding they don't necessarily share their thoughts in fear of being wrong. I would like my students to make statements without fear of being wrong because they best way to draw scientific conclusions is to make errors, but think aloud/share your thoughts in the process. In addition, I want to see a true sense of understanding from my students. I want to see they can truly discuss the science behind the phenomenon taking place and that they have a sense of comfort in explaining their ideas. I want them to collaborate to draw these conclusions and use each other, not me, to gain more understanding.
My wildest hopes (maybe not so wild) would be related to my students taking the control. Seeing my students discuss phenomena on the Schoology website until they all gain a sense of understanding without feeling like they have to ask me about what is right and what is wrong. I would LOVE for my students to look at one another's projects posted and give constructive feedback on the projects so the student that owns the project can improve their project or see how their project helped others understand something they did not before. In May, the science department plans on hosting a science expo and it is my hope that my students will share what they have learned through the ImagineIT theme and also share the work they have created to those that visit. I would love to hear my students explaining the science behind magic to their peers and family and see their confidence in scientific understanding grow.
As this project progresses, I would like to see more student leadership. For instance, I would love for students to bring ideas to me instead of me bringing ideas to them. I would love for students to bring me articles, videos, etc that discuss or show phenomenon that seems magical so we can demystify the magic with our scientific knowledge. I want all my students to be involved in these discussions and even have them without my pushing them to do so. Many students find science scary so even when they have a sense of understanding they don't necessarily share their thoughts in fear of being wrong. I would like my students to make statements without fear of being wrong because they best way to draw scientific conclusions is to make errors, but think aloud/share your thoughts in the process. In addition, I want to see a true sense of understanding from my students. I want to see they can truly discuss the science behind the phenomenon taking place and that they have a sense of comfort in explaining their ideas. I want them to collaborate to draw these conclusions and use each other, not me, to gain more understanding.
My wildest hopes (maybe not so wild) would be related to my students taking the control. Seeing my students discuss phenomena on the Schoology website until they all gain a sense of understanding without feeling like they have to ask me about what is right and what is wrong. I would LOVE for my students to look at one another's projects posted and give constructive feedback on the projects so the student that owns the project can improve their project or see how their project helped others understand something they did not before. In May, the science department plans on hosting a science expo and it is my hope that my students will share what they have learned through the ImagineIT theme and also share the work they have created to those that visit. I would love to hear my students explaining the science behind magic to their peers and family and see their confidence in scientific understanding grow.