Any student leaving high school should know what they know
and what they don’t know. Unfortunately we have spent 13 years telling them
that filling out a worksheet and passing a multiple choice test is a way to
prove of what you know. While that is a way to prove something and it takes
information and knowledge to complete and pass, it doesn’t really show you can
do something with your knowledge.
I have spent this year in my senior science class on a
single project. Select, build and fly a quadcopter. We have completed the first
two goals. And you could argue that they flew, but not for more than 45
seconds. We are in repair and relearn phase with only 7 class periods to master
this task.
Today I asked students to define their own objectives for
the day knowing the status and final goal. They did a great job, dividing and
conquering. Weather permitting we can fly on Wednesday (this week N. Texas is
not cooperating with weather!). When I asked the same question in January, I
was met with blank stares. Students have spent this semester in a course driven
by a task and executed with plans they have made. I have allowed them to
stumble and fix the problem. It has been a challenge to step back and let them
succeed or fail. We crashed both quadcopters with 7 days left in the year and
they are fixing them and figuring out how they will get them flying for
graduation. I know that when the success happens, they will feel triumphant!
I am hoping that this experience has helped them learn about
themselves, their learning styles and how to learn. The reality is that I am
still struggling with some that have learned to play school with expertise. I
still have some who whine and complain that they “don’t get it” when the sad reality
is that they don’t really know how to learn. Others have run with the challenge
and it has changed their minds about their future (I win!). Asking students to
prove they know something and write about their experience has changed my class
for the better. The other important piece is allowing students who realize they
have missed the mark to go back and learn. Both together have made my class
better for me and the students. While I am adjusting for next year, one big adjustment
will be more time to prove and think about what you have learned.
