October 25, 2010

By: sudha s. from Bryn Mawr, PA
Comments: 25

Posted By: sudha singh
On: 6/6/2007 9:47:13 PM

One of the culminating ,end of the year designs I have asked my learners to do is a self reflection/portrait piece on themselves incorporating images and work samples of what they were in the begining of the school year in September 2006 , and display their growth: physical, intellectual , technological,emotional etc ovet the passage of time. This ties in into our generative topic of understanding who am I? What do I want my city to look like, and their vision of themselves and their future to be?. The Microsoft Publisher is being used by the learners to design this voyage into their own growth and development with an imaginative design, graphics, and colors. The learners have been encouraged to make use of the twenty first century wheel of competencies that they are expected to develop over time. They will self assess how far they have progressed in these diverse areas of developmental skills .They are expected to review their own progression objectively and design pathways that will lead them to redesign their learning experience into this journey towards their future.

Posted By: Deborah Klose
On: 6/18/2007 8:15:58 PM

We have our students create a portfolio over the course of the school year which reflects where they started and what they have accomplished. The contents are to cover all areas of the curriculum and use the elements and principles of design when compiling the portfolio. Students will add and subtract work each year of high school so that when they graduate they will have a clear view of their total learning experience.

Posted By: Catherine Perry
On: 6/19/2007 1:52:51 PM

One of the projects I did in September with my 6th graders of this year has a similar theme. It's called "Do Not Open Until..." and should be posted on this site shortly. Our school is a 6- 12 th grade, early college model school, so I have the advantage of seeing my students over the long term. For this lesson, I have students bring in any amount of special objects, such as childhood toys, diaries, pictures, CDs, etc. that describe some aspect of their lives at this point in time. We then store all of these objects in a shoe box or other appropriate container, which we papier mache and then collage and/or paint over it. Included in the box are several pieces of student writing. One thing is a list or description of the students as they are at this moment: things they are listening to, wearing and watching; their friends and family; pets; travels, etc. They also are asked to write 2 letters: one to themselves as a 12th grader, and one *from* their 12th grade selves back to them at their present age. They had a bit of trouble with the idea, until I read excerpts from Richard Bach's "One". When they got the gist, they couldn't be stopped! Their letters were amazing. Before I sent them home with their time capsules, I gave a letter to their parents asking them to help the kids find a secure place that their boxes could be stored. My ambition is to have the students save their boxes until their high school graduation. This is the second year I've done this, and we're all really excited about it!

Posted By: Stephanie Mulvihill
On: 6/19/2007 10:21:20 PM

What a great spin to a self-portrait. I'm always looking to give a commonly used project a new twist.

Posted By: Barbara Nikoomanesh
On: 6/20/2007 9:45:49 AM

These are all great ideas. I really like the fact that students have to reflect on their work and their views in order to complete these assignments. Getting them to think is the key.

Posted By: John Galt
On: 6/20/2007 12:58:08 PM

The activity Catherine mentioned can be done at any scale. A small scale version would be to give the students some nice stationary and envelopes where the write to their future selves. Then you wait for a time (week, month, year) and then mail them.

Posted By: Dorothy Ahoklui
On: 6/22/2007 12:22:03 AM

This year I will be teaching a ninth grade class and I think that this would be great activity so that they can see their growth over the year.

Posted By: sudha singh
On: 6/22/2007 11:39:21 AM

Catherine, I love this idea and it is amazing that learners can get totally hooked to the idea as it becomes a beautiful memoir moment for the future. Bravo.

Posted By: George Latos
On: 6/22/2007 4:52:49 PM

We could incorporate this into our autobiography project.

Posted By: sudha singh
On: 6/25/2007 9:18:16 AM

Folks , we as educators do need sites like these where we can get a wealth of ideas off of each other as a team aiming for the same goal . Now, this is learning!!

Posted By: Alberto Romero
On: 7/9/2007 3:34:22 PM

This is a great idea that I can incorporate in my Language class. I usually start the year with a written assignment that we can revisit throughout the year. The writing is usually about the students’ personal goals, dreams, aspirations along with concrete plans that they have made for success. I can see how incorporating design in my lesson can be beneficial. It may be as simple as a self portrait at the start and end of the year, or perhaps more complex. Has anyone ever tried having the students design a logo to represent them. I wonder how many skull and crossbones I would get, or how many flowers, hearts and rainbows. It would be an interesting assignment, especially at the end of the year when I ask them to revisits their designs and make changes to highlight their growth.

Posted By: Jill Granberry
On: 7/9/2007 6:08:57 PM

I really like Alberto's logo idea, and I have since it was mentioned at our recent CON workshop. It would be a fantastic beginning-of-the-year assignment. Since I teach freshmen, I know that quite a few of them would struggle with what to include in the logos. As much as they complain, ultimately, they take pride in struggling through something and coming up with a successful final project. Also, I agree that it would be interesting to see how their logo designs would change at the end of the year. It would be an excellent indicator to the students (and to me) of how they have grown and matured over the year.

Posted By: Barbara Nikoomanesh
On: 7/10/2007 10:05:18 AM

We do a logo design with our students. One way to get away from the symbols they are used to seeing is to require them to come up with an original design. If you have them review the principals of design, and look at and discuss good and bad design in logos, they do a much better job with their designs. We also remind them, that this design is one they will use for years to come. Having students think about was was important to them 5 years ago, and evaluating how important it is in their life now, sometimes helps them see that they are will mature and change. Some of the students have really taken ownership in their logos, and use them outside of class.

Posted By: susanne donahoe
On: 10/7/2008 3:08:31 PM

This is indeed a great idea. I have over the years asked students to design a logo depicting their place in life as they saw it presently and then one that they could envision as their "grown up" symbol. They loved this activity and involved family and friends with their input. Susanne

Posted By: Curt Uebelhor
On: 11/26/2009 10:26:12 PM

I do a self portrait project with 8th graders early in the semester . A portrait of themselves working from a photo i take in class. They add a background of a place they would like to visit using downloaded photos thy finish the portrait with a 2 inch border collage of images that the artist's feel represent themselves and their interests. I'm now contemplating photographing all the portraits, saving them to a DVD and time capsuling it and sending it to the high school that our middle school feeds into. The capsule would be opened in their senior year.

Posted By: Mercedes Kuehner
On: 11/27/2009 12:17:28 PM

What a great idea! How easy is that, with the border and them inserting pics? Sometimes technology in the classroom is a little behind the times. I would love to know more!