Educational Need/Opportunity
Each year in my 8th grade language arts class, students research and write a 4-6 page essay about a topic of their choosing. The only limitation is that the topic must be based on Gandhi's quote, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." From that, students are encouraged to think about a local, national, or worldwide problem that they are truly interested in and truly want to see change. Students pick everything from animal abuse to effects of Hurricane Katrina to saving the arts in schools. This has consistently been a valuable research project that has helped the students to look beyond themselves and their own needs. I am always impressed with the depth in which they explore their topics and what they learn from them. However, after all that researching, I feel it is important for the students to share with each other what they have learned about this problem and what solutions are possible. In the past, each student has created and presented a PowerPoint to share information about their paper. After two years of having presentations done this way, I learned that no matter how interesting the topic, all of us become bored after seeing slideshow after slideshow. I knew there had to be a better way to approach these topics. The real educational problem faced is that students presenting and those viewing were not getting much benefit from the presentations. I want the presentations to be meaningful for all involved and of course for students to learn about problems affecting our world. This year I decided that it will be more effective if my students create a public service announcement. Not only will this meet multiple standards within the NC Standard Course of Study, it will also make the presentations more authentic and important to both the student creating it and the students viewing the PSA. With the point of a PSA being to grab viewers' attention and urge them to take action, it will create the challenge of deciding how to create the best argument for their cause. It will cause students to have to think critically and persuasively. While they have done this within their writing, a PSA would cause them to have to think of their topic from a completely different perspective and in a new format. They will need to write a script, identify the problem immediately, speak persuasively, use appropriate images, text, and music to persuade, and present plausible and practical solutions all within a minute and 30 seconds. Some of the standards within our curriculum that will be addressed by this assignment are:
2.02 Use multiple sources of print and non-print information to explore and create research products in both written and presentational forms
3.02 Continue to explore and analyze the use of the problem-solution process
3.03 Evaluate and create arguments that persuade
Adding in Technology
My plan to use technology to help with this project is to use video cameras to film PSA's and iMovie to edit and finalize them. Another option is to just use iMovie to create the entire PSA (using images, music, text, voiceovers only). I think that creating a PSA will be a more authentic experience for students than creating a PowerPoint and repeating what they already said in their research paper. A PSA will allow students to think creatively about how to best approach a topic in a way that will touch viewers and at the same time motivate them to take action. The level of planning and thinking involved with a PSA will be a much better use of their time than simply restating facts from their papers onto a PowerPoint. Furthermore, a video PSA will be more effective than presenting this as a live skit. Students will have had time to edit their message and include film/images/music/motivating text.
Logistics
While I truly think this would be best for all students, the amount of technology I have for this type of project is limited. Due to this, I will have to limit the PSA portion of the assignment to my AIG students (Academically/ Intellectually Gifted) because it will provide them the extra challenge that AIG students are required to receive in class. In the future I hope to be able to open the PSA assignment up to all students. In the meantime, this year I will give other students the option of using Glogster, Prezi, or making their own website, as opposed to requiring just a PowerPoint. I will also provide multiple formats for other students to present with (ie. from perspective of someone who has experienced the topic). This will still allow them to analyze the key parts of their papers and they will still be required to identify proposed solutions and to give viewers ways to take action.
Other logistics for my AIG students making the PSA's will be as follows:
3 flip video cameras (1 from Donors Choose and 2 from Digital Wish-they have a 2 for 1 special for teachers!)
2 team Canon video cameras
10 Mac computers with iMovie (in the computer lab)
6-8 days of class time
There are anywhere from 5-10 AIG students per class
Students will be allowed to film around the school within the first 2-3 days and will be required to begin editing by the 4th/5th days. I will provide a tutorial in class ahead of time on how to use iMovie, but most students are already familiar with this program from a 7th grade iMovie project they completed. Although 5 video cameras won't cover every AIG student in each class, they will also have the option of using just text/music/pictures, which would not require a video camera. Also, they will be allowed to use their own video cameras if they choose and have parent approval. In the past, students have preferred to bring their own technology (laptops/iTouches/video cameras/digital cameras) for projects and it has not been a problem.
Research/Resources
http://web.utk.edu/~impact/iMovie.html - This site gives great tutorials for how to use iMovie, using iMovie lesson ideas, and sample videos made with iMovie
http://kathyschrock.net/psa/index.htm - This site has many, many sample student PSA's as well as great resources for how to make a PSA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gspElv1yvc - This site shows a Sarah McLachlan PSA that has been on television lately. I plan to use this to introduce students to the concept of PSA's.
http://www.flipvideospotlight.com/resources/shooting.aspx - Tips for how to shoot using a Flip video camera
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/03/20-ways-to-use-flip-cameras-in.html - This site gives ideas for various ways to use Flip Cameras in the classroom
http://www2.facinghistory.org/Campus/bethechange.nsf/home?OpenForm - This site tells stories of others who made a change. I plan to use it as a starting point.
Plan for Implementation:
My students will be completing their research papers this week, so they will begin this project as soon as they turn in their papers. To begin, students will be required to complete a story board and script before they are given a video camera or permission to work on iMovie. I will approve their story board/ script to ensure that it truly is a PSA and it meets the guidelines I have set out for them. They will have about three days to film and three days to edit and finalize their videos. All videos will need to be burned, uploaded to YouTube, or saved to a flash drive to turn them in. Students should be completing the entire project during the duration of this CEP course as it is only a two week project.
Indicators of Success:
I will know that the project has been successful if it is clear that students are able to critically analyze the information from their essay to create a persuasive, motivating video that clearly identifies why their topic is a problem and what viewers can do to help solve the problem. I will grade the videos with a rubric that will look at things like a clearly identified topic, the information is presented as a problem, statistical information presented, a clear solution presented, organizations that can help presented, the video is a PSA in nature that uses appropriate video/images to motivate, etc.
As with all new projects, I'm sure there will be some challenges in starting this one. However, I believe my students will thrive because they love the opportunity to be creative, especially when using new technology. I'm looking forward to seeing their public service announcements as a way of spreading the message about a topic they genuinely care about.
Hi Lisa! It sounds like you have an interesting dynamic of students! I have a few questions that came to mind as I read through your Wicked Project:
ReplyDelete1.I wanted to make sure that you are meeting the needed criteria. Your overall “problem” that you are trying to use technology to solve would be the method your students present their research projects, correct? I am not sure if the Wicked Problem is supposed to focus on one lesson alone or focus on a larger classroom problem. For the purpose of this post, I will assume that you have been told by Chuck that a problem within a lesson is sufficient.
2. You mentioned that previously students used PowerPoint (a form of technology) as a way of demonstrating their work. Do you have any research or reasons why this new technology should be more effective than your previous technology?
3.I wanted you to be cautious about placing more focus on the technology you have chosen and how it will improve your lesson, rather than talking about how using a PSA will improve the lesson. At times in your write-up I felt like more of the “change” being created was the type of assessment you would be using (PSA), rather than the type of technology you would be using to improve student achievement. I just want you to be cautious to not make it sound like you are placing more emphasis on why a public service announcement would be valuable.
4. In the template Chuck gave us, there is a portion of questions that we are to respond to about the resources and our research component. I will attach that link so that you can get full credit: docs.google.com/previewtemplate?id=1ZtVahKJoSXJ8ZErPFLEB6elRIwD_WfmrVEtwxJGTvEM&mode=public
Hope these questions that I brought up help you in finalizing your project. It sounds like the kids will have multiple ways of demonstrating their knowledge. They should really enjoy the lesson!
Debbie
Awesome idea. Having done similar projects with 7th grade students, I can attest that kids will be much more engaged and motivated (as creators and as the "audience"). As the teacher, managing the project will be a challenge. However, it appears that you have things well laid out. When the kids begin filming (if they choose this option), I would strongly suggest using tripods (or monopods). Good luck. I look forward to seeing the final products!
ReplyDelete~chuck
Lisa,
ReplyDeleteI don't know how much i can add to this as it is a great idea that is very well thought out. You have all of the parts and pieces already.
My only question is do the macs you have at school come with a built in camera and microphone? Many macs these days come standard that way and it might be a helpful way to get around only having 5 flip cameras, though the images is also good like you said.
Using the PSA is already a great way to engage the students, but you could also have the other students choose the project that they would want to support after hearing about all of them. It would keep the other students extra engaged and give more incentive to the AIG students to be really persuasive.
I actually ended up using iMovie to create the movies to use while a sub is present. It was really easy, though I didn't do too much editing. I'm actually probably going to use some of your resources, they were really great :)
Good luck with everything, can't wait to hear how it went and hopefully you can post some of the movies so that we can see them too!
Have you ever thought about using iPod nanos or iTouches (soooo many kids have them these days) to record? One kid could record the PSA while the others perform. This could be easily transferred to iMovie since they are both Apple products.
ReplyDeleteI'm just thinking how I could do this in my building! :)
Stacy