What Makes a Good School Project?

Two very useful articles by Gary Stager: “[...] Elements of a good project: Purpose and Relevance, Time, Complexity, Intensity, Connected, Access, Shareable, Novelty… – Is the problem solvable? Projects often begin with a problem statement. Too many school projects are based on problems unsolvable by students. That is not always a bad thing, since a student might learn a lot before appreciating the enormity and complexity of a problem. That is a worthy outcome in itself. [...] Asking kids to solve world peace is a dopey project idea because they can not get their heads or arms around such ill-defined, infinitely complex problems.

Even when those elements are present, I fear that our standards are sometimes too low. All too often, we are enchanted by the technical merit of a project and forget the importance of relevance, meaning, and sufficient evidence of understanding. Adults are often quick to celebrate students’ success with technology and neglect to consider the overall impact of student project work. – Artists, musicians, filmmakers, authors, poets, crafts people do not set out to produce or consume content. They work tirelessly to draw, write, paint, film, compose, play, build, knit, sew, act, or direct to create personally meaningful objects, sights, sounds or memories. In the rare instance, others will value such personal expression. I suggest that educators plan and evaluate student projects based on a loftier set of goals. Teachers should embrace the aesthetic of an artist or critic and create opportunities for project development that strive to satisfy the following criteria. Is the project: Beautiful? Thoughtful? Personally meaningful? Sophisticated? Shareable with a respect for the audience? Moving? Enduring? – That last variable is the highest standard of all. Does the student project have a chance of enduring? Will it make a contribution to knowledge or be a source of student pride? Will a parent frame the work or preserve it in a scrapbook? Artists have no idea if their creation will endure, but that is their aspiration. Should student projects aim for less? Think about the sorts of projects that parents love and cherish. The best projects endure in the minds of students and on their parents’ refrigerator door. – Projects are what students remember long after the bell rings. Great teachers know that that their highest calling is to make memories…” – PDF 1: What makes a good project? – PDF 2: Raising Our Standards – (Source: Stager.tv – Thanks for the tweet to “TeachaKidd” Lee Kolbert)

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