Rock The Class with John Hardison and Kasey Nored: PBL

Showing posts with label PBL. Show all posts

Ahh Yeah! The Slow Jams Are Back

“Ah, yeah! The Slow Jams are Back” (Part 2) (originally published here on GettingSmart on 8.3.2016)

Ahhhh yeeeeeahhh! It's that time again, my brothers and sisters. Time to kick back and show the world how to rock out poetry the Jimmy Fallon way. Yep, it's time to "Slow Jam the Poem." And everything you need to create an awesome classroom experience is right here.

Step-by-Step Video Tutorial

The Cue Cards

A Behind-the-Scenes Look

Example #1: In the Style of Jimmy Fallon

Example #2: A Father Teaches His Son

Example #3: With Katy Perry, Hailee Steinfeld and Pharrell Williams

Example #4: The President and a Guitar

Example #5: With Keyboard and Saxophone

For more, see:

Stay in-the-know with all things EdTech and innovations in learning by signing up to receive the weekly Smart Update.

Slow Jam the Poem: A Jimmy Fallon Inspired Lesson

“Slow Jam the Poem: A Jimmy Fallon Inspired Lesson” (originally published here on GettingSmart on 3.20.2015)

Jimmy Fallon is just too talented. In fact, I believe he could do just about anything sometimes. Now, I don’t want to step out on a limb here, but I bet he could even be a high school educator. Think about it. With awesome ideas like “Thank You Notes,” “Hashtags,” “Wheel of Impressions,” “Catchphrase,” “Box of Lies,” and “Evolution of Hip Hop,” Jimmy Fallon and his team at The Tonight Show could surely energize and challenge a class of fun-seeking and knowledge-hungry students. But of all the aforementioned skits, there is one that has already been proven to be a hit in a Language Arts classroom. “Slow Jam the News.” So, before we dive in and take a look at the awesomeness created this week by Studio 113, an innovative American Literature class at East Hall High School, let’s watch the inspiration for the first-ever “Slow Jam the Poem” presentations.

“Slow Jam the News” with President Obama, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots

The Lesson Plan

Teams of three-to-five students were assigned either a Walt Whitman or Emily Dickinson poem to analyze with the help of this TP-FASTT guide. After dissecting their assigned poems, students were shown the above version of “Slow Jam the News,” and they were instructed to use these guidelines to construct cue cards that would help them present an authentic interpretation of their poems in “Slow Jam the Poem” style. Of course, like always in Studio 113, students were encouraged to put their own unique touches on the final project. For a thorough “Slow Jam the Poem” how-to-guide, please view the video at the bottom of this blog post. Let's take a look at some "Slow Jam the Poem" presentations from Studio 113.

An Acoustic Guitar and Authentic Song

A Military Version

A Poetic Version

A Blues Version

A Green Screen Version

A Country Version

Care to see some more? Feel free to choose from the following versions or just visit our YouTube channel: a 3-song mix, a rapping version, and an artistic version. A “Slow Jam the Poem” How-to-Guide
If you are interested in the work involved in "putting the class back together," click here to watch a time-lapsed video that proves that teaching can be physically stressful. And that...is how...you rock out the class. Thanks, Jimmy Fallon. For more blogs by John, check out:

Need to Energize Your Class? Just Add Wax and Be Still

First published here on GettingSmart on 11.6.2012

There are many ways to mix things up in a classroom and inject enthusiasm. From blended learning to project-based learning to time-tested traditional methods, teachers today have nearly unlimited resources and ways of livening up a stagnant classroom. These stagnant classrooms, indicated by boredom-induced silence, constant class disruptions, or mediocre student work examples, benefit greatly from the implementation of interactive learning structures. One such learning model that is sure to invigorate any lesson is the "Wax Museum" learning structure created in Studio 113. It may sound a bit odd, but the main ingredients needed to jumpstart a group of uninterested students with this learning activity is a bit of wax and stillness. Please take a look at this example, and I'll explain.

Allow Students to View a "Wax Museum" Example

I understand the argument stating the most effective strategy for implementing this structure would be to present the students with their learning tasks before mentioning the end result, which is a symbolic and frozen pose that serves as the summation of the students’ understanding. However, since attempting our first "Wax Museum" structures in American Literature years ago, I have witnessed a profound enthusiasm from the students for any class assignment when they are shown a video example of a past class performing the learning model. Being such visual learners, they understand immediately where they are headed before determining how they will get there. Hence, a flame will be lit.

Assign the Lesson

After viewing an example of the “Wax Museum” from their peers, students should then be given the learning prompt. For the video shown above and the one immediately below, students used a Venn diagram to note similarities and differences in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” and Thomas Jefferson’s “Declaration of Independence.” Working in teams of three and totally aware of the required, kinesthetic outcome, students worked for two class periods to extract the essentials from these two famous documents. It was amazing to see such intense and engaged reading. The same enthusiasm is easily generated with any prompts. Whether it is from a math, science, history, art, physical education, or band class, the only limiting aspect of the “Wax Museum” is a non-challenging prompt or learning assignment. Make no mistake about it, however, the beauty of this structure is actually not the end product. Instead, it is the collaboration and heavy-duty thinking beforehand that is so impressive.

Discuss the Parameters of the “Wax Museum”

Inform the students of the following guidelines:

Each team’s symbolic pose must be class appropriate.
Each “Wax Museum” pose must be representative of the team’s synthesized learning. Depending on the prompt, students may illustrate a theme, a direct quotation, an essential question, a real-world connection, and just about anything imaginable that demonstrates mastery of the assignment. If appropriate, allow the students to co-create the prompt. Enlisting their help allows the students to amaze you at the beginning, the middle, and the end.
Students may use any appropriate props that will add to the symbolism and overall, intended message. For the first two videos shown on this post, I allowed students to use any of my classroom objects and bring any appropriate props from their homes.
Each team will be still, as if sculpted from wax, and hold the symbolic pose for the duration of two rounds.
The first round requires the students to be quiet (with the exception of thematic music) while the teacher uses a video recorder to capture the learning activity. Students are made aware of the various camera angles and close-ups.
The second round requires the students to remain still while adding verbal comments that shed light on the overall purpose of the team’s pose. Again, examples of these comments range from a simple theme to the relationship between the prompt and a current event. The only moving parts during the “Wax Museum” structure are the students’ lips and eyelids.
All students will remain still until given the cue to break out of the “Wax Museum” poses.

Share Video with Students and the World

Obviously, students will be ecstatic to see the video of their creations as soon as possible. This is perfect. How fitting is it that the enthusiasm beginning with the introduction of this interactive structure carries into the viewing of the students’ own “Wax Museum” statues? But don’t let the enthusiasm end there. In fact, share it with others via YouTube and watch the excitement cross into other schools and states. Take a look at this example from my colleague and good friend, Dave Guymon, an innovative educator in Idaho Falls.
In fact, my students were so proud of his students that we put together a congratulatory video to show our appreciation.
Asking students to move not at all for close to ten minutes sounds like a ridiculous demand, but with the right prompt and the freedom to create, these energetic learners can and will melt their understanding down to a brilliantly created, symbolic statue of wax. Just don’t be worried if their energy sparks a flame of excitement. The stillness will contain it.

Hut 1, Hut 2: Literature on a Football Field

First published here on GettingSmart on 2.1.2015

To me, it is indisputable that literature is meant to be brought to life. Easier said than done, though. Such organic rendering of the written word involves courage in the shape of improvisational and planned acting. That is enough to make teenaged students as nervous as Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in a room full of NFL wonks and football pumps. In fact, when faced with a case of the jitter fingers just before turning literature into lifelike visuals, our students attempt to deflate any nervous pressure by responding with the class motto: "<a title="Studio 113's motto "Life is a stage. Step UP."" href="https://twitter.com/JohnHardison1/status/543156745712197632" target="_blank">Life is a stage. Step UP.</a>"

However, sometimes a stage does not suffice for such an arduous task. A location that combines necessary guidelines, exudes toughness, and provides the freedom of a wall-less classroom seems to set the tone for any literature and acting assignment that demands rigor. And one such taxing activity would surely involve demonstrating mastery of the literature by merging collaboration and creativity in a timely manner.

Yep. If you are carrying what I am handing off, you guessed it.

A football field is the perfect space to tackle a gargantuan opponent, such as the <a title="Forrest Gump in 1 Minute and 1 Take" href="http://youtu.be/nOvgJ0TxdfI" target="_blank">1-to-2 minute summary</a>.

Quick. You go long and dive into this blog, and I will pass you the notes.

Break.

<h2><strong>Hut 1: The Assignment</strong></h2>

No need to scream and holler about snappy details like the Dolphins' field goal kicker in <a title="Ace Ventura on Wikipedia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Ventura:_Pet_Detective" target="_blank">Ace Ventura</a> who cries "Laces out!" However, it is definitely a sane practice to put the purpose of the lesson before the activity. What were my intentions with <a title="Studio 113 at East Hall High School in Gainesville, GA" href="http://teacherpages.hallco.org/webpages/jhardison/index.cfm" target="_blank">Studio 113</a>'s latest assignment in American Literature? To study Dark Romanticism by analyzing the symbolism and numerous themes in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "<a title=""The Minister's Black Veil" on Wikipedia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Minister%27s_Black_Veil" target="_blank">The Minister's Black Veil</a>." <a title="60 Seconds & a Camera: Essentials for a Culminating Activity" href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/2013/04/60-seconds-a-camera-essentials-for-a-culminating-activity/" target="_blank">Two years ago</a>, the class challenge was the same but involved Bret Harte's "<a title=""The Outcasts of Poker Flat" on Wikipedia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outcasts_of_Poker_Flat" target="_blank">The Outcasts of Poker Flat</a>," a story of Realism and Naturalism set in the Sierra-Nevada Mountains.

Click <a title=""The Minister's Black Veil" 1-2 Minute/1-Take Summary Assignment" href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1lB_nRJcUHF1uo0M57IJsFx9f9ljGoyEgDkzMjVx00PQ/edit?pli=1#slide=id.g5cb2964df_085" target="_blank">here</a> to see the most recent assignment details. Want to see the video that inspired this project? Click <a title="Forrest Gump in 1 minute and 1 take" href="http://youtu.be/nOvgJ0TxdfI" target="_blank">here</a>. Also, make sure you visit the <a title="60 Second Recap YouTube Channel" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/60SECONDRECAPcom" target="_blank">60 Second Recap YouTube Channel</a>. It rocks.

After it is all said and done, the students should create 1-to-2 minute summaries that condense their teams' collective analysis of the prescribed literature. To show the students what a glorious score looks and sounds like, I have them view this 1-minute, 1-take summary of <a title="Forrest Gump in One Minute, One Take" href="http://youtu.be/nOvgJ0TxdfI" target="_blank">Forrest Gump</a>. Of course, if you want to really get their attention, witnessing a successful completion from <a title=""The Outcasts of Poker Flat" in Roughly 90 Seconds" href="http://youtu.be/TlnuMfUsZCo" target="_blank">their own peers</a> and their own <a title="East Hall High School in Gainesville, GA" href="http://ehhs.hallco.org/web/" target="_blank">school</a> is the ultimate motivation.

<h2><strong>Hut 3: The Process</strong></h2>

Before the students begin reading the assigned literature, class volunteers are asked to huddle up and participate in a private draft. Of course, it depends on the specifics of the task, but I usually ask the team leaders to select a diverse team of ten to twelve students. I always remind the leaders to pick peers, not just friends, who can build a well-rounded team that is capable of completing a 60 to 120 second analysis. Before wrapping up the drafting procedures, I ask the students to take an oath that all drafting details will remain in the drafting room.

After all teams have been chosen, I give the class some relevant background notes and a few pointers. Then, I turn over the entire process to the team leaders. It is a blast to stand back and watch how each team leader approaches such an intimidating <a title="The 1 to 2 Minute/1 Take Summary Assignment" href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1lB_nRJcUHF1uo0M57IJsFx9f9ljGoyEgDkzMjVx00PQ/edit?pli=1#slide=id.g5cb2964df_085" target="_blank">assignment</a>. Whether all leaders start out loose or too controlling, they all eventually realize that organization, flexibility, and collaboration are the keys to success.

I marvel as students' personalities and talents collide as they follow their peer leaders through the reading, analysis, brainstorming, rehearsal, and eventually, the performance. Talk about a mature and tough assignment. It is a wonder they do not ask for helmets and pads.

<h2><strong>Touchdown: The Examples</strong></h2>

<h2><strong>The Point After: Pros and Cons</strong></h2>

Creativity takes time. I guess that is why no standardized test ever spawned a major invention. Honestly speaking, if you are concerned with how much you cover in class versus the depth of knowledge and creativity, this assignment should probably be removed from your playbook. But if offering real-world challenges that transcend the "A, B, C, D" multiple-choice bubbles sounds like a game plan, you should call an audible and pass off a 1-minute analysis to your students.

Believe me, it is sure to be an <a title="The NFL and the Pittsburgh Steelers: Naming the Immaculate Reception" href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/pittsburgh-steelers/0ap2000000113831/A-Football-Life-Naming-the-Immaculate-Reception" target="_blank">immaculate reception</a>.

For more blogs by John Hardison, check out:

<ul>

<li><a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/2015/01/students-spoken-will-listen/" target="_blank"> The Students Have Spoken: Will You Listen?</a></li>

<li><a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/2014/12/bringing-literature-life-can-square/" target="_blank">Bringing Literature to Life Can Be Square</a></li>

<li><a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/2014/12/todays-educator-jack-trades-master-one/" target="_blank">Today's Educator: A Jack of All Trades and Master of One</a></li>

</ul>

8 Examples of Classroom Musical Magic

(The Studio 113 Microphone and John Hardison)

"8 Examples of Classroom Musical Magic" (Originally published at GettingSmart.com on 10/14/12)

I believe it was J.K. Rowling's Albus Dumbledore who said, "Ah, music. A magic behind all we do here!" This quotation comes to mind so many times when I witness the effect of catchy tunes and powerful lyrics on our creative students in Studio 113. Whether the classroom malady is a group of lethargic, uninterested students, a bulky reading assignment of seemingly ancient pages, or the misunderstanding of key literary characters, a solution often lies at the intersection of a crafty jam and a thematically connected excerpt of literature. The result? Classroom musical magic.Yeah, it sounds funny, but many times a reputable piece of writing can be much improved by the creative use of a common song. Think of Metallica’s “The Unforgiven” magnifying certain guilt-ridden characters from The Crucible, Five for Fighting’s “Superman” flying upwards with a cape of inspirational prose from Ralph Waldo Emerson, B.O.B.’s “Magic” versus Beowulf’s proud boast, or Rage Against the Machine’s “Maggie’s Garden” to capture the same determined focus found in many revolutionary documents. Music and literature are naturally symbiotic. The partnership just works. But perhaps the most influential musical force is the one created by the student. Whereas a Whose Line Is It Anyway? “Greatest Hits” skit will surely liven up the class and audibly highlight the brilliance of the written word, a scrupulously written song by talented students will move a class of learners from disinterested to amazed in the drop of a beat. A literary soundtrack is then created, and the standards carry a tune. Although the contracted and Project/Passion-Based Learning examples below stem from our Language Arts classroom, the same musical approach can be easily applied to any classroom, as confirmed by thousands of original YouTube videos.

Create a Spark: A Skit Featuring Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Getting Back Together”

Do you ever need to wake up students first thing in the morning and get them interested in the assigned standards? Try Whose Line’s “Greatest Hits” improvisational skit. Watch as this class gets primed to learn.

Showcase the Students’ Talents: A Brad Paisley Parody Covering Anne Roiphe’s Essay

When students were asked to augment their assigned teaching sections from “A Tale of Two Divorces” with a creative component, these two musicians knew exactly what to do. By embedding Google surveys on my webpage and by continually encouraging authentic evidence of learning, I was already aware of this duo’s potential.

**Make a Music Video: The Crucible Rap**

To fully appreciate this project, one must understand all that was involved in making the final product a reality. Tasks included writing an original song that covered the assigned poetry and literary standards, using Mixcraft software, selecting a background beat, using a live microphone to record numerous tracks as one .mp3 file, filming multiple video clips that successfully lip synced the song with the performers, and mashing all clips into one polished music video. To say the least, it’s a demanding project.

Ask & Listen: A Team’s Opinion of a 21^st Century Student’s Needs

When confronted with assessing the mistakes of education in preparing teenagers for an uncertain future, these students highlighted unlimited technology resources and a strong desire to create as a demonstration of learning. Take a look at these two engaged students as they create an original rap in Mixcraft 6.

Here is the final product, a song appropriately titled “Creativity.”

Never Underestimate a Silent One: A Lyrical Representation of Dark Romanticism

I’ll never forget this student. What a talent! When asked how he wanted to represent his understanding of literature from Edgar Allen Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne, this student’s wish contradicted his quiet demeanor in class. On the microphone after school? Well, that was a different story. His lyrics, tone, mood, and mastery of various poetry terms reflect the misery and pain illustrated by the Dark Romantics. Click here for his original rap.

Use What You Have: An Of Mice & Men Parody

All you have is a camera or a smartphone to record? No problem. Go with what you have. Take a look at this Bob Marley remake in the back of a cafeteria. No high technology. No musical software. Just three brave souls performing in front of their peers.

Reenact the Literature with Lyrics as the Guide: A Condensed Version of a Play Set to Famous Verses

Using household lyrics as their benchmark, this class of twenty-plus students recreated Arthur Miller’s famous play with four cameras, a catchy soundtrack, and a final, authentic song from Studio 113. The planning, props, clothing, and video editing gave rise to creative tension, but the music soothed out the rough places and left this class with a harmonious product of understanding.

Lead by Example: “The Declaration of Independence” (“The D.O.I.”) by Three Courageous Teachers

All I can say is, “Hey, we tried.” At least, the students respected our attempt at busting out a cool rap. Never mind the fact that we showed absolutely no musical talent or rhythm. We simply wanted to lead by example.

Whether teaming up with Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, and Maroon Five to label a fictional character as static or dynamic, or carefully selecting appropriate lyrics from rap masters Jay-Z, Eminem, and Tupac to juxtapose with The Police’s poetic “King of Pain,” the connection students make with literature is palpable. The excitement of creating original tracks to show comprehension is immeasurable. In fact, the energy is enough to fully illuminate all the “a-ha” light bulb moments. Just don’t be surprised if the light flickers to the rhythm of the beat. That’s just the tune of an inspired class. It sounds something like magic...classroom musical magic.

8 Project-Based Learning Videos by Students

(Originally published at Gettingsmart.com on September 28, 2012)

I recently wrote about co-authoring and signing project/passion-based learning contracts with my American Literature students. Well, just a few days have passed since viewing the final presentation, and I must admit our experiment was an overall success. Although students in Studio 113 have engaged in this method of learning since opening our classroom doors five years ago, this particular assignment featured our most detailed and formal contract.
To say the least, I was eager to see the merging of the standards and the students’ talents and interests into cohesive and didactic team presentations. With the exceptions of only a couple of subpar presentations, all teams exhibited responsibility and efficiency when given class time for their projects, communicated outside of class to expedite their visions, worked from their contracts with the standards as the foundation, and had an absolute blast creating their 10-20 minute presentations.
With the help of a few tech-savvy students, I will surely have all recorded and successful presentations mashed-up and posted to our school’s newly established YouTube Viking Channel in the very near future. Please follow me @JohnHardison1 and our classroom @Studio113_EHHS for any updates.

A Few Tips for Projects & Presentations

I have made many mistakes over the years when facilitating a project-based learning environment. Here are just a few of my recommendations.

Have all students complete a rubric/checklist for all presentations. At the end of each presentation, students are encouraged to offer constructive criticism, praise, and standards-based feedback. If certain objectives aren’t successfully covered, students are directed to question the misuse or absence. Presenters aren’t finished until they are given the “go ahead” by the entire class.
Pick your most energetic student, one who can’t stand to sit still, and ask him/her to record the students’ presentations. To be fair to all the students, be sure to include the video recorder when critiquing and questioning the teams following their presentations.
Have a spare camera battery fully charged at all times. I constantly rotate between two batteries and sometimes between two cameras.
When necessary, use a tripod to record better quality videos.
Ask for student volunteers to help mash-up the videos. Once completed the videos can be placed in a repository for future classes to study as exemplars.
Allow the next presenting team to work out any kinks or nerves while “on deck.” We are blessed to have a second room of computers and a recording booth. However, I used the hallway as our “on deck circle” when I was located in another building my first nine years of teaching.
Adopt an open-door policy to allow students to continually polish and perfect their presentations.
Make rehearsals mandatory for any team planning a high-tech presentation. It is crucial to become familiar with any slates, projectors, volume controls, etc.
When possible, encourage students to present even if a team member is absent. Since each student has his/her own responsibilities, there should rarely be any problems.

Below are a number of exemplary presentations from our recent American Literature Unit 1 PBL contracts. If you decide to “skip around” while viewing the video clips, please take note of the different components for most presentations.

“I’m on a Boat” Musical Parody

This team consisted of three, very busy softball players who effectively managed their extra-curricular responsibilities with their academic assignments. Their dedication and enthusiasm for their project was validated by their attendance in one of our afterschool, open-door sessions immediately following a two-hour practice. Imagine, if you will, three female students who shake off the diamond dirt from their softball pants only to step into a recording room and rock out their understanding of Olaudah Equiano’s slave narrative in a song on MixCraft 6 and MovieMaker Live.

“I’m on a Boat” Complete Presentation

Note the effective, standards-based delivery of their complete presentation. Very mature, responsible, and well planned.

A Diverse Presentation

What makes this presentation so impressive is understanding the amount of time it took to create the green-screen effect for the video parody that merges Anne Bradstreet’s “To My Dear and Loving Husband” with a scene from The Titanic. Using a few props, hidden scripts for the actors, a Sony Cybershot, a classroom wall painted Chroma-Key green, and MovieMaker Live and Pinnacle software, these students rocked out an interesting interpretation of this famous Puritan poem. As if that were not enough, this amazing team added another video examining Edward Taylor’s “Huswifery” and an originally written rap song covering the entire reading assignment.

A Punctual Presentation with a Virtual Professor

At first, this presentation may seem a bit dull. Give it time, and you will see the ingenuity behind it. These three students wrote a script demonstrating their mastery of the standards and two Puritan poems and represented this understanding in a live conversation with a virtual character named Samuel from GoAnimate. The effect is awesome. The writing, planning, and timed rehearsal required for this project are exhausting. With the omission of one minor speaking mishap, this presentation would have been nearly flawless.

An Original Rap Song

To jump into the mind of Olaudah Equiano requires a comprehensive understanding of a slave narrative. Read these lyrics, listen to this song, and ask yourself, “Did these students understand the writer’s purpose and use of rhetorical strategies?” Also, please remember these three students sacrificed their lunchtime and worked in our recording booth for approximately three total hours. Mixcraft 6 was their creative tool of choice.

A Live Performance On-Stage

This team chose to show their understanding of two Puritan poems in a collaboratively written script performed in our theater. They did so quite fearlessly, if you ask me.

Courage on Display

Isn’t it amazing what talented, but terrified, students reveal when given the opportunities? Watch these students find the courage (with their peers’ eyes closed in a dark classroom) to triumph over fear and nervousness while allowing their true talents to speak so much louder. Please take note of the creative uses of WallWisher and GoAnimate also.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Want to make students think deeply and analytically? Simply have them write out thought-provoking questions and the corresponding, multiple-choice possibilities. These students did exactly just that, and they presented their understanding in “Game Show” fashion. Just to jazz it up, they even tossed in a quick commercial alluding to “A Journey Through Texas.”

Tune in two weeks from now to see the power of music within Studio 113. A dream team of talented writers, singers, and rappers is currently working on a song that highlights the necessities of a 21^st Century student. As a matter of fact, I better double-check their contract. As awesomely as their project is coming along, I should make sure they didn’t sneak in a compensation clause. After all, I can’t expect talent to sign for free too long. For now, we’ll just consider standards mastery and the promise of an engaging classroom to be payment in full.

Want Engaged Learners? Sign PBL Contracts

(Originally published at gettingsmart.com)

There was a time when my sole purpose for living and breathing, my ultimate dream, was to sign a contract — a contract to play professional baseball. I simply wanted the opportunity to work hard in order to create a better me for the entire team. “Give me that pen,” I remember thinking. “I’ll sign for a Coke and a smile,” I told anyone who would listen. That day never arrived.
Thanks to two amazing educators and baseball coaches, William Booth of Hartselle High School and Joe “Jabo” Jordan of Southern Union State Junior College, I learned the meaning and value of sacrifices and team rewards. These two, highly positive and tough teachers challenged me to surrender selfish goals in order to accomplish a larger vision, one that benefited the entire team.
Ironically, however, one of their shared techniques for molding a greenhorn baseball student into a selfless teammate was to set up a creative, engaging, and rigorous learning environment that highlighted my various strengths and weaknesses. It was not uncommon to complete a multi-hour practice only to wipe away the diamond dirt and grass and reveal a truer self. Afterwards, I knew what I could do. I knew my talents. I knew my faults. I knew my place on the team.
Although I often marvel at the fact that many of my greatest classes and lessons as a student were encompassed by chain link fences and boisterous team supporters whose loud cheers were muted only by the demands of two, farsighted leaders, I try my best to create a similar environment in our Language Arts classrooms. Only without the dirt, the grass and the fences. So far, the most masterful lesson I have to offer is one that is predicated on signing a contract — a problem/passion-based learning contract.
An American Literature Contract
Recently, our American Literature class began a contract-based, project-based learning (PBL) assignment by determining the required literature and accompanying standards, while offering all students a chance to demonstrate their mastery through any appropriate project of their choice.
It’s as simple as this: The standards and literature are mastered while students ultimately learn about their talents, interests, strengths and weaknesses through student-prescribed projects that challenge, engage and invigorate our team learning environment.
Students often choose to create songs, parodies, video mash-ups, green-screen newscasts, thematic websites, fictitious products, slideshow presentations, and live drama skits. For tech projects, our creative gallery of technology links is shared via a Symbaloo webmix on my teacher page. For any non-tech project, I revert to Coach Jordan’s simple, but powerful, field directive, “Find a way to make it happen.” We do just that. Whether raiding the drama department’s closet for character clothing or bringing in our own props, students in Studio 113 are encouraged to make no excuses while finding a way to make their vision a reality.
Co-Authoring the Contract
After introducing the literature sections, related standards and literary terms, students are encouraged to suggest the structure and guidelines of the project. The decision to include the students during the drafting of the contract is powerful. By giving students a creative voice throughout the entire process, the classroom-learning environment is shared. All present are stakeholders. With their priceless input, we agreed on the following sections for the contract:

An abbreviated list of the standards/literary terms
An assigned literature section with matching numbers for associated standards
The project and presentation grading criteria
A larger area for a handwritten project proposal
A contractual agreement that solidly sets a foundation for each team’s attitude, project appropriateness, responsibilities, and collaboration
Materials and/or additional help needed
Names of team members and their mutual responsibilities
The due date
A link to our Symbaloo webmix of technology resources
An area for the teacher’s and students’ signatures of agreement

The Sacrifices with PBL Contracts
Anyone who says project time for students affords teachers time to catch up on grading must be a superhero. Maybe it’s my inquisitive nature, but I continually found myself involved in riveting discussions with individual teams about their shared vision for the original project.
It seems with each new seat I took, I was allowed to share in the excitement and strategic planning of a new rap song, a dramatic rendition of a Puritan love poem, or a silent film set to colorful placards. Simply put, I witnessed the inner workings of creativity. But to be perfectly honest, I would be misleading you if I didn’t list my sacrifices, all of which I will gladly relinquish for a classroom of ecstatic learners:

The illusion of classroom control: On any given day, I would rather manage students’ creative energy that originates from an engaging assignment than to discipline minor classroom infractions that stem from boredom.
The pressure to be the creative leader: Need a spark for a new lesson plan? Take a look at your students. They will provide the ignition for a real-world project. Just ask them.
The door lock: I quickly realized last week the classroom doors were going to be virtually invisible during our project. The day after announcing the assignment, students were beating down the doors before, during, and after school. To my amazement, we had a team of three come to an afterschool help session immediately after a two-hour softball practice. How could I lock the door on such dedication?
Time: Whether eating a five-minute lunch, staying after work a few hours to help students, or communicating with parents to invite them to the upcoming presentations, your time will be affected by a challenging PBL assignment.
Inflexibility: Yeah, you read that one correctly. However, let’s drop it like it’s hot. Isn’t it quite challenging to work so hard on developing a golden lesson plan for several years only to have it challenged by students’ creative directions? Well, don’t hold on too long lest you get dragged. Besides, the students’ end result will be better than you could ever imagine.

As I ponder the above sacrifices, I am again reminded of my two, kick-butt, hard-nosed teachers who taught me the values of maintaining a selfless attitude in hopes of success for all. When presentation week begins, there will surely be technology glitches, unfulfilled responsibilities, and clarification of the assigned standards. In a nutshell, there will be problems. I am not worried. I’ll coach them through it.
I’m just pumped I finally got to sign the contracts, and I can’t wait to see what our team produces.

Interactive Learning Structures