Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. - Sarah Bertucci, Eagle Rock School, Colorado Phew. So much happens in two weeks.
It feels really good to get learning plans solidified and to see everyone start really digging into their work. My goal was to have all learning plans fully approved by today and we are really close. Students need to make final revisions on some plans still but for the most part, they are finding resources, writing, reading, painting, making videos, etcetera! Quarter one exhibitions will be happening between October 23--27th which means there are only three weeks for students to complete work, write their first narrative of the year, and develop an online portfolio. Looks like these busy weeks are going to become a trend. Quotes of the past two weeks: You can’t be an artist unless you are willing to be mad at yourself. - Conor Cooley ...the first step in everything is the hardest. - Izzy Poulson I just think it's so great that I've had all these people to help me along this journey and while it's just the beginning of a long trek, I hope great things lie ahead. -Kayla Beard I think it's just hard work and dedication to simple things. - Noah Witke Mele You're letting the judge come in too soon. Learn to shake the judge's hand - know that you need the judge later. - Chris Blackburn, Emeritus Pilot Advisor
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I've never done something like this before. - Scott Gallison It's the third week of the semester and the Pilot students that are just trying this program out for the first time have come to realize something. Learning is different when you design it for yourself. One major theme I see emerging is the care and attention they put into making it "right". For some it is a huge challenge to share work with others that they truly care about. The work can feel really personal and it often means something more to them. They are not just showing what they know about a topic, they are portraying themselves. It's something to get used to. Even when my brain says you don't have to work right now, I'm like, but I want to! -- Gräe Moriath In the past few weeks we've been diving into writing learning plans and most people have made a lot of progress designing what they want to study. This part of the process, designing curriculum and finding resources, is typically done by the teacher before the course begins. Since some students are new to engaging with this work we take a few weeks to complete plans and work out the kinks. Learning plans are expected to be fully drafted by the end of next week on the 22nd, with final approval by September 29th. Meg Allison and Laura Abbene, our teaching Librarians, have been helping students find resources and guide them through the process of developing their own research strategies. Last week Laura led them through the question formulation technique. Students produced and improved questions by identifying open and closed ended questions and recognized the importance of each. Asking good questions is a huge part of the Pilot students process. It is best if we all stay curious. Next Monday Meg and Laura will return to show students how to turn these questions into the most effective search terms. Their online research can go deeper with this knowledge as they add resources to their bibliography and learn the importance of annotation. In my meeting with Kristina this week, she wondered how to recognize a good recourse when she finds it. When time allows, we will get into that discussion as well.
Along with researching online, students will soon be finding a treasure trove of resources with their mentors, if they haven't been doing so already! Thanks to Kim McKeller for all the hard work it takes reaching out to our community members and finding the experts that will guide the Pilot student's in their studies. As you can tell, independent does not mean alone. We're all in this together. Be well, amyK |
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