The Unprojects are done

Finally the last unprojects are done. I am impressed with my students and their ability to communicate mathematically. I have tried to have students keep math journals and do paper based projects but these always met with groans and moans.

Giving students the power to choose the project and do what they want the "un-ness" of it produces higher quality work. Web 2.0 applications are the new playground for these students. Give them a toolbox and they will choose the tools to fill it with. Here are a few of the excellent unprojects that were turned in this time. There are more at the unprojects wiki but these are best. Please take time and comment on them at the wiki.

Movies
Algebra
How about a movie that uses the Sims (eerie but the students look like their avatars!!)

Here is Danny's excellent Ratio Movie


Finally would Grade 8 boys not want to do a movie like this, potty humor, mock goofy battles and yes....... math!!

Click To Play

Spresent

Jeopardy Game
Algebra and More

Songs
Algebra Song

Blinged up Wikis and Quizzes
Camille's Unproject
Algebra Quiz
Geometry Quiz
Jake and April
A quiz from QuizMaker Rainer and Matt

A student who had not participated much this year asked me if it was O.K. to do a Pizco unproject. I had only one responce.... it is an unproject. YES

Pheanix

I teach math. The subject people at parties say they hated. I hope my students enjoyed math this year!!

Super Duper UNPROJECTS

It was warm. No it was boiling the past few days. Why would you want to work on math? Beats me but my students have been working to the wee hours of the night.

Many chose spresent or many have made videos. Here is one I really like.



They are doing an excellent job. There exam has been done for a week and they have worked at home and in my lab to create excellent work at spunproject07.pbwiki.com.

Please check out this terrific work.

No rules, just a topic. Tons of terrific work.

Mash ups I want my kids to make Mash ups

From Drakes Takes he talks about mash ups and their possible educational uses. I want my students to create mashups. They won't look like this but they could be fun to do. He gives some great advise on using tools and sites that are cc friendly.




Here is another from the same artist rx2008



There are just a few weeks left in school. This would be a project that some of the kids would get a real kick out of. Putting a bunch of videos together that show off their math skills.

Stay tuned. I think there will be some new unproject final works coming up!!

Darren Makes me think

Darren as per usual had a great post a few days ago. He was talking about pedagogy and how it can change. It has changed for Darren. I feel confident in saying that he was an excellent teacher before 2.0 and an even better teacher using 2.0 tools. His thoughts often fall back on this question:

"What can I do now that I could not do before?"

Darren and I are not technology teachers. We teach math using the technology. Well he really teaches math, the high school kind, I teach middle school kids how to be good citizens.... and teach some math as well ;-)

Math is one of those subjects that kids either love or hate. I want to share with them the beauty of math not the 2 x 2 =4 type of math of our past. Using 2.0 tools and the ability of my class to be there 24 hours a day has made math more accessible for students. Why assess them only on tests. They will have enough of those as they progress through high school. I give them projects, Spfractions or UNprojects. The students are learning math but having a good time doing it.

We have dilemmas in our classes. We have the over achievers and the lumps. Using 2.0 projects allows both to do more. Darren in a recent comment said:

Darren said...
Chris & Sophie: Like Chris, I think students enjoy learning this way ... when they apply themselves to it. But I'm also thinking about those students who don't. The ones who sit in class, or in groups, watch through glazed eyes what's going on around them without ever really trying to learn.

I think it is important to celebrate the ability of kids to do excellent work. I have a hard time enriching students education. I am trying to save the ones with "glazed eyes" too much. Doing these projects lets students set their own standards and goals. The best go further than you ever could imagine and the other extreme..... they either do something instead of the ususal nothing or don't do anything at all.

When I first heard about Darren's Developing Expert Voices I knew this was a great idea. I created my version Spfractions or UNprojects and the results speak for themselves. Kids excel and participate in math speaking and communicating a difficult subject. I have tried math journals before but kids did not do them with any feeling. Their projects have feeling and voices too.

Darren also comments

Just today a colleague from across the hall shared with me how some of her students are trying to figure out a way to take a math class next year where they won't have to blog ... anything to avoid blogging. I contrast that with what my students are writing in the reflections at the end of their Developing Expert Voices projects where many of them say they have learned more than they thought they were able. Many say they were unable to do the material when it was covered in class but after doing their projects they have mastered it.

I know some of these students. They "hear about" blogging and complain. This is just what students do. As teachers we have to show them the power of their work. Sell them on the idea that blogging and online projects enhance their learning. You are going to be doing homework, don't you want to do homework that is "different" and fun.

The last bit of Darren's post that resonated with me was the following:

But you know, we don't really need these new tools to improve our teaching. We need to ask different questions. Not "What is 6 times 4?" but "How many ways can you multiply two numbers to get 24?" Not "Are there seasons on Mars?" but "What season is it right now on Mars? Is there any time of the year you could comfortably wear a t-shirt and shorts on Mars?" Not "List the parts of a cell." but "Design your own version of a cell that efficiently takes in food and excretes waste? Include a diagram of all the parts and describe how they work together."

Students need a reason to come to school. They need a reason to learn. When we ask the right questions and give them the tools to be creative in answering them, they will want to be in our building LEARNING. Once you have them..... you can go anywhere.

Take a risk, let them learn their way. You will go further than you think.

The Unproject continues

Friday was the "teacher directed" part of my students UNproject. Most have completed this task. With this being the busy season at our school, sport windups, exams and life in general, I was worried that many students would give this UNproject a pass. I was mistaken. Most students have done the "mundane" parts of the project and I am looking forward to the student created part of the UNproject.

I scheduled the lab in my room to be used for the week after their math exam. I hope that the students who have not participated yet will choose to participate now. I will be fighting an uphill battle with most students feeling that the year is over since they have written their exam.....



The next experiment is how will student who are highly motivated choose to spend their time. I hope they will wander around the school grounds making movies on their phones, and cameras. I hope they create animations, I just want them to solidify their math knowledge. Perhaps even edit and add detail to the background information at their wiki.

Time moves on and I hope they continue to have fun. This is the best group of 2.0 kids I have had. Hey they are my second group. I am curious where they will go next year. I am training other teachers in the art of 2.0. I hope those teachers use it. I hope the kids continue to use it in spite of their teachers. That is next year. Need to concentrate on this year.

Darren Draper has edited his very popular Pay Attention Video. This is a great video to show at a parent night or to staff who still "don't" get it.

Spring a season for Growing???

For the past few weeks the burden of work and family have been high. I am not complaining but why do we do this to ourselves. I have been procrastinating on this post but found a few moments to write.

Graham wrote about a similar phenomenon in Australia.

In Winnipeg where I live there is a very short season for kids to complete in a variety of activities before the official "lake" season. From April to June the kids just go go go (most have multiple extra_curricular activites) and on the Ist of July they then stop and go and smell the roses during their summer break. Why do we cram so much into such a short time.

If you put this season under the microscope even more we are finishing up the school year and expecting kids to complete projects and be prepared for exams. Yeah right lets make them do even more.
Are we expecting to much?
Should we change our teaching to have different activities planned for this time of year?

Hmmmm makes you wonder.


I am putting this season into the pedagogical lab and under the microscope. I had great success with a project called the UNPROJECT. The snow was on the ground and the air was frozen, kids had nothing better to do. I was impressed with their finished products.

Now as the flowers are in bloom and the silly speed season is upon us I have asked them to repeat the project. They are doing a second UNPROJECT. The two due dates fall before and after their math exam on June 6th.

Will they continue to work after their exam?
Will they use the unproject as a study guide?
Is this the wrong season to have a student initiated project?

I hope that having a student project where they set the rules of engagement and level of accomplishment will create projects