Spring Break is in the air!

It's been a while since I posted, so here is a brief look into what we've done in ALC 9 over the last few weeks: 

1 - Challenge Proposal - students had to complete a CTF geared checklist description of what they will be completing over the next 4 months. Students were asked to connect their Challenge to career areas and skills associated with the CTF curriculum. They shared it with me via Google Docs. 

2. Budget and Resources List - students were also asked to make a list of ALL supplies they would need to complete their Challenge. They were asked to write down ideas of how much each item would cost and if here was a possibility for them to get the item for free. *We talked a lot about finding items for free, but also finding items to reuse to add to the outcome of environmental stewardship. Budget sheets then needed to be printed and signed by both myself and the parent/guardian of the student. 

3. Timeline - Each student was given a copy of the timeline to fill out. With this group, I've decided to use this more in conjunction with their logbooks. I want the students to be describing, in detail, what they do each class and what they need to prepare for future classes. Especially with almost two weeks off for Spring Break, it's a good idea for them to have specific notes about what they've done and what they still need to do. 

4. Challenge Ideas - I took a class to tour around and see what Challenges the students have decided to take on. From travel planning, to neurological science research, to building a drum kit, the Challenges are very unique and interesting. I am excited to help the students complete their chosen Challenge! 

Students' Challenge Ideas! 

Starting their Challenge production! 

Research!!! 

Helping each other out - Lydia is doing a photography Challenge! 

We are off for Spring Break and classes will resume April 4th! Looking forward to completing the students' midpoint evaluations to see how each of their Challenges is going. 

Unpacking the CTF Outcomes

Fresh from my CTF Train the Trainer Session on Monday, I was inspired to have the students get to know the actual CTF outcomes before they even finalize what Challenge they are going to complete. I printed off a copy of all 14 outcomes for them to cut out and paste on a large piece of paper. I then had them work in pairs to discuss and decide what they thought each outcome means.... They were able to add their understanding in keyword, picture form or any other creative way they thought of :) 

For example: I communicate my learning. We discussed how this could mean HOW you actual decide to "present" their challenge at the Trade Fair. Is it a written research report? A Blog documenting their progress? A traditional posterboard presentation? A fully produced music video? The list goes on and on. 

As I circulated around, it was clear that they were achieving a better understanding of what they will need to be doing over the next 4 months. They were collaborating with each other and having good dialogue about what the ALC 9 expectations are. My hope is that having them unpack the outcomes themselves will allow them to focus their Challenge planning, budgeting, resource gathering and time management more quickly and with more gusto. 

Up next, The Research Challenge... Which I have a sub for, so hopefully all goes well ;)

Here are some pics... 

These clever guys built a house out of the CTF Outcomes :) 

Round Two Begins....

I haven't posted much lately as I have been busy getting to know my new batch of ALC 9 students. Introducing this course the second time around has not gone as smoothly as I had originally thought. The students don't seem to be as motivated as my first bunch. Is it the fact that we're halfway done the year and they're tired? Is it that they have heard bad things about the course from other students? Is it the combination of the kids in the class? Who knows... I feel as if the next 4 months will be a little more challenging than I had expected. 

The first Instant Challenge we completed was the Antiques 2511 Challenge where students had limited supplies and a time restraint and had to build an "antique" from the year 2011. I divided them into 5 random groups and waited for the magic to happen. Instead of fireworks of creativity, I got crickets... chirping in a distant wheat field. I was blown away at what little interaction was had between the groups. Barely anyone talked with each other... Ideas were not flowing like a majestic waterfall. There were few ideas circulating at all. One group didn't even talk to each other for the first 10 minutes! As I was walking around, taking pictures, dropping advice/ideas, I tried my best to stay positive and encouraging even though I was feeling quite the opposite. After 20 minutes, the groups presented their ideas with minimal gusto and a real lack of detail. Man, I think they hated the challenge! We talked briefly and reflected on the Challenge - what went well; what did the group struggle with; what would they do differently next time. And again, I had very little feedback or interaction. I walked away from this class feeling pretty baffled and defeated. I had to take a different approach with these guys... 

So today, I roll into class pretty confident that they are going to be more engaged and actually like the Gumdrop Structure Challenge I have planned. I was right... kind of! They did seem more engaged right off the bat and had no questions about the task after I gave instructions, but once it began, the real lackadaisical attitudes came out and I was again circulating, trying to keep everyone engaged. Some kids were frustrated with others and their lack of participation, while others were really interested and trying their best to make their group successful. The overall structures were pretty good (I made them easier than last time) but the discussion afterwards was again lacking in gusto. There were a few important points brought up that generated some discussion. 

At this point, I am hopeful that we are all in the "warming up" stage, just trying to figure things out. I am positive that once the students feel confident about what Challenge they have chosen to do, and understand that I am here in a supportive role, the kids will open and buy into ALC a little more. At the end of class, I had the students tell me about what project they would like to complete throughout this course... I showed them an exemplar of what a strong (proficient) logbook looks like for their reference. 

Fingers Crossed! 

Here are some pics from the last two Challenges... 

Antiques 2511

Gumdrop Structure Challenge

Summative Feedback From My Students!

Yesterday, I asked the students to provide me with some feedback regarding the course (layout, content, speed) and their overall learning that took place over the duration of the course. I used a basic pencil and paper format and will be considering a computer generated form for my next class. 

Here is what the kids had to say: 

I learned more about the job I plan on doing. I also learned that I am not very good at independent projects without guidelines. 

I learned that I do have more talent than I thought. 

I liked how we got to pick whatever we wanted because in normal classes like Math, you don't get to chose what you learn. 

Mrs. Woronuk was a fantastic teacher; she applied pressure when pressure was needed and she helped when help was needed. This course was fun and enjoyable and I'm glad I chose it. 

I learned that I need to use my time better. 

The atmosphere was good; it was a good learning opportunity and I am happy with what I did in the end. 

One thing that I didn't really like is having to write a log every class because I always forgot to and I felt like if it was once every 2-3 classes I could have more to write and look back on. 

Complete student freedom is a double-edged sword and while it allows the student to explore his/her interests, it can also cause major indecision. I actually never selected a topic until well after the creation stage began. 

Bringing in people more familiar with a student's project would be very helpful. The same goes for students. Student to student feedback is very helpful.

This class was fun and exciting and was cool to do something that you enjoyed. 

In this course, I learned a lot about what I'm interested in. It was an amazing experience and I wish I could do it again. It was fun and educational at the same time. 

I honestly loved this course; we basically made our own class and got done what we needed done at our own pace. I think it would be enjoyable for everyone being able to pick what we wanted to do; everyone doing something different. Each project was unique. 

All in all I really loved this option and hope to see my younger siblings take it as well. 

I only had one concern about this option, the log books. I didn't like how we had to do it every class. 

I think that I can honestly say that I loved this course. It allowed me to pursue what I loved at school and not on my own time. I also loved that fact that we were completely on our own unless we asked for help. It's easier for me to work when there isn't a teacher always looking over my shoulder. 

I enjoyed going around and looking at the other students projects. It's amazing how everyone has a really cool talent and I'm really glad I could share mine. This course is a great opportunity to take that talent and improve on it. 

This course allows us to do things we want; there is no limit to our creativity. 

This class was awesome! It was so fun to have all this creative freedom to be able to do what I was interested in. Most classes just give you a worksheet and a lesson, expecting you to remember facts and dates and equations. ALC was different. 

Wow! I am overwhelmed by the response to my course and I am so glad that the students were able to be honest about their experiences in ALC. The one thing that got brought up a few times was the use of the log books. I like the idea of reducing it from a daily log to a bi-weekly log so the students have more solid content to add. A co-worker and I were also discussing the use of a video log, where students who feel comfortable doing so can record their progress through a video recording. 

Now that my first round of ALC 9 is done, I'm excited to work on improving the course for all of the creative students taking it in the future. 

Our last class together...

Today marks the end of our time together and I want to thank all of my amazing ALC 9 students for the many things they taught me over the past 5 months... 

1. Students are very capable of taking their own risks (and experience safe failures) - and though it is scary at first, they come out relatively unscathed and with more knowledge about themselves and what they are able to do, on their own. 

2. I really like being a Facilitator, rather than just a Teacher. Taking a step back and becoming more of a Guide for my students has really made me rethink my pedagogy. How can I be more of a "Guide" in the other courses I teach?

3. You can do a lot of meaningful work in 5 months... You can also do very little. Thank you for showing me the scope of work production and providing me with some useful exemplars for my next batch of kids! 

4. Your interests, talents, skills, and abilities were overwhelmingly cool! I learned so much about what YOU are passionate about. And now that you know a little bit more about both your passions and yourselves, I am excited to see how you apply this to your life in the future. 

5. Lastly, but not the least important, I LOVE seeing my passion becoming a reality and I'm glad you were here with me on my journey. I Challenged myself over the past 10 months in planning, pitching, preparing and then finally implementing a course that I have dreamed about for a long time. I took my own risk and came out relatively unscathed, with a lot more knowledge about myself and my pedagogy. Thank you for being my guinea pigs :) 

I've compiled a video showcasing the hard work we did! I hope you enjoy it: 

https://www.wevideo.com/view/572509933

For our last class, we wrote in our logbooks for the last time and focused on what amazing things were accomplished in our time together. I also had the students word on a 6 Word Memoir, focusing on what they took from the ALC course or what advice they would give to new students taking it. I am excited to put them up on my bulletin board for everyone to see! Here are some examples of what they came up with: 

Here are some pics from our Celebration of Challenge Success that took place today:

Thank you for reading! Check back in February for my next ALC 9 adventure! 

Until then... 

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.

Albert Einstein

ALC 9 Challenge Trade Fair - SUCCESS

Well the day finally arrived... Down to the very last minute (1:08 to be exact!) I had students putting final touches on their amazing projects. We all met in the library and quickly got ourselves set up and ready to present. I quickly toured around to see that everyone was good to go, and then took a step back to let the magic happen... 

The first class that toured through was a grade 7 class. They were curious enough to take a peek at each project, but didn't really ask too many questions. It wasn't until the grade 8s started to pour in that the interesting conversations started to happen. I circulated around to eavesdrop on what my students were talking about and was impressed with what I was hearing. Here were my grade 9s, my "guinea pig" first class from September, talking in depth about the Challenge they chose to complete. They were answering questions eloquently and providing lots of detailed reasons as to why they chose to do the Challenge they did, among others. One of my favorite moments was hearing a grade 8 student say to another, "Next year, I'm going to build a carburetor." If that's not evidence enough that this class was a hit, I don't know what is... In talking with my students about their projects, they were incredibly happy that they got to spend the last 5 months working on something they were actually interested in. And though some students projects were clearly stronger than others, each one was completely unique and you could tell that they each learned something about not only their Challenge, but themselves. 

When I dreamed of pitching this course to my principal, my vision was very clear: allow the students the time to, with my help, complete a meaningful challenge in a supportive environment. I'm happy to say that my vision has become a reality. My students learned a lot, but so did I. One of my students at the Challenge Trade Fair said to me, "You need to do a project of your own Mrs. W." I told him that I did; the past 5 months has been my own Challenge and I too also learned a lot about myself and what I'm most passionate about: engaging, meaningful, life-changing teaching. 

Wednesday is our last class together. After we spend some time reflecting, we will spend some time celebrating our successes! I also want to take the time to thank my "guinea pigs" for all of their hard work. I am so excited that next week I get to start again with a new batch of students and a new set of Challenges! 

Here are some pics from today's Challenge Trade Fair: 

The Countdown Is On!

Invitations have been sent. Promotional Posters have been created and are ready to go up. Challenges are receiving their final touches. It's hard to believe the End is Nigh! 

Today, students worked harder than I have seen them work before. I pumped some inspirational Friday afternoon Songza Jams and they busily worked on adding details, pictures, and other final touches to their Challenges. I am starting to feel less nervous about the final results and definitely more excited! I am so incredibly PROUD of each student and what they have accomplished over the past 5 months. 

Next week I will be opening my classroom each lunch hour for the "mad dash" to the finish line... Our Challenge Trade Fair on Monday, January 25th. Also next week, we will be using our class to present our Challenges to each other in a safe environment. We have all bonded and supported each other over the past two terms, so it will be nice to present our Challenges to each other first. 

Here are some pics from today's class: 

10 days to go!!!