Week of October 26th - 29th | Beginning Creation Phase

Please note that some students may be shifting Disciplinary Groups this week Monday and Tuesday. Project Advisors should reference my Sunday, October 26th email for details on how approach a change. Remember that the new Advisor will be the one determining whether the change is appropriate, based on the evidence of research and creative intent available to them.


INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS

Students need to Self-Check and manage the following:

• Language Arts evidence
  Annotated Bibliography, Extended, Research Paper, Revisions
• Creative Intent
  At this point, you should be able to articulate what you are going to create, why - what are the parts and purposes of those parts in communicating your research, who will be impacted by the creation, and how you will go about creating it.
• Project Calendar hard copy
  Each person will have a hard copy calendar (provided by advisor) to plan and track project progress each day. Start by mapping out a plan, using the Project Block and IDEAS School calendars as a starting place. Best practice is for each calendar square to have two parts 1) An intention for the day 2) Actual progress/activity for that day.
• Exhibition of Learning vision
  In the next two weeks we will be requesting your vision for an Exhibition of Learning - Including your project 1) Title 2) Driving Question 3) Short Description 4) Exhibition Format/Venue

DISCIPLINARY GROUPS

Establish and use daily  routines for the following:

• Sharing out intentions and clarifying steps for studio time
  (Example: Any period of studio time will begin with the group physically circled up, and intentions will be documented on students' personal planning tools as well as a public whiteboard.)
• Documenting and reflecting on progress
  (Example: Engineers use physical notebooks - every engineer has an engineering notebook, where there is a page per-day that is dated, signed off, and documenting progress.)
• Identifying needs, supports, experiences
  (Example: Any period of studio time will conclude with the group physically circled up, and progress will be shared aloud and documented on the public whiteboard. There will be one area of the board marked "parking lot" where students will identify needs, like "looking for an example of how different artists draw eyes" or "looking for a 20 minute conference with someone who has created a production schedule before.")

Establish and use weekly routines for the following:

• Analyzing professional models
  (Example: Every Monday we will spend 30 minutes looking at a professional model and analyzing the choreographer, dancer, and/or audience perspective. Sometimes Molly will choose the model and facilitate, but students might also take this role - especially when the model is one they've studied as an extension of their project.)
• Facilitating workshops on disciplinary skill or process
  (Example: Each Wednesday we will have a 15 minute exploratory do now where in we will try something new in our or a related discipline.)
• Preparing for and facilitating feedback
  (Example: Each Tuesday we will have small group feedback, using the ladder of feedback to structure and document feedback. Each Friday we will have whole-group feedback, using a plan created by the project creator or group and facilitated with the assistance of an Advisor. There will be a schedule.)
• Additional disciplinary needs
  (Example: Schedules for using computers in editing room or dance studio.)
  

SUGGESTED SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK

MONDAY>>

Focus on writing down and sharing out creative intent for all projects, to make sure that each student is with the right advisor for their project and their learning needs. Publish these in the room to revisit as creation continues. Students may still have writing revisions, however the best use of their time today is to begin creation. They should revise and write on their own time now. The one exception is that they may use this time to meet with Addie.

TUESDAY>>

If new people have joined the group, find out what they are working on and share what you all are already working on. Take time to discuss either daily or weekly routines needed. Continue the process of clarifying creative intent if needed. Have students seek and pair share professional models.

WEDNESDAY>>

Analyze a professional model for the first 20 minutes of Project Block. Then discuss creative process, having students consider the steps they'll need to take to create what they hope to create. Compare these steps with their calendars.

THURSDAY>>

Confirm all routines and ways that you'll document progress individually and as a group. Begin a compass points to clarify: What is Needed? What are the worries? What are suggestions for the group? What are we excited about? 

 

 

 

Week of October 19th - 23rd | Revisions, Envisioning, and Planning

Researching and designing an argument for your topic through a Research Paper and Annotated Bibliography should prepare you with the intellectual fuel for the Creation Phase of your project. Of course, it is not as simple as this. Some researching, revising, and envisioning is still needed. Some is ongoing. With the hope that the individuals and groups will continue to interpret plans for their needs and continue a discussion of Habits of Learning, this week is designed to give everyone the contemplation and accountability needed for this transition.

Objectives

• Students will use reasoning to synthesize their research for themselves and a specific audience, creating an original argument, thesis, and claims.
• Students will reflect on their Habits of Learning, Work, and Self-Discipline.
• Students will observe and analyze professional models in related disciplines.
• Students will create and share connections between their research and art form.
• Students will envision a process for their creation, including accountability in the form of feedback, deadlines, and publishing.

MONDAY>>

All will complete Self-Assessment 1 on Habits of Work and Self-Discipline - by making a copy of the document, renaming it to include individual names, and moving it to personal IDEAS Block folders in Google Drive. The status of the group will drive the week. Writing and revising are a must for the majority of people. Before leaving today, determine and share out the status of each project, so that a multi-faceted work environment can be created for the rest of the week.

TUESDAY>>

UPDATE CHROMEBOOKS! Advisors will facilitate the observation and analysis of a model project in the discipline. If research is complete, today's goal is to develop/clarify approaches for collecting and interacting with professional models. How will models be selected? Where will we keep our thoughts about professional models? In a ritualized week during Creation Phase, when will we look at professional models as a group? Students still envisioning their own projects are encouraged to look at many, many professional models and use a Think/Puzzle/Explore thinking routing to capture their thoughts.

WEDNESDAY>>

UWM trip for Grade 9. Today is studio time for revisions. If complete, then students are working toward creating a connection between research and art forms. Some may be ready to make materials lists and create (physical...yes physical) calendars for the creation phase.

THURSDAY>>

Here's that conversation about feedback. As a disciplinary group, generate formats, conditions, and timelines for feedback. These ritualized weeks will be shared out to other groups. (Examples from last year.)The planning, timelines, and making will begin to take shape, so that we can begin on Monday. Addie is available for drop in conferences. Physical copies of calendars are available in the office.

FRIDAY>>

Given all of the thinking, planning, envisioning....what is the essence of your project? Time to make it public. Addie is available for drop-in conferences. The deadline for revisions is now Tuesday, October 27th.

Week of October 12th - 16th | Synthesizing Research in Writing

Who are we as a community of thinkers, innovators? What do I need to know about myself and my community, in order to develop an argument? How does the world work? How do the needs of my community and audience influence my research and writing?

This week we all make the transition from exploration and analysis to synthesis and assertion in the research phase, and, while this does not look the same for each thinker or project, we share the same intellectual challenge of crafting logical arguments in academic writing. 

Advisors, please make sure that there are goals set for studio time and structures for reflecting on habits of work and self discipline each day. 

We will continue to use the spreadsheet for attendance. Some students will still move this week, with communication coming from either Beckah or Kimberly. Please use Jupiter for approving and noting feedback on proposals. Additional evidence will be added this week as well.

Students proposing year long projects must have full documentation and approval by November 1st.

Objectives:

• Disciplinary groups will collaboratively interpret the language and expectations of academic writing in the context of projects. 
• Students will maintain academic research practices in order to revise and build on to Annotated Bibliographies. 
• Students will engage with models throughout the writing process, advocating for themselves by using the Writing Center and advisors.
• Students will use reasoning to synthesize their research for themselves and a specific audience, creating an original thesis and supporting claims.
• Students will reflect on Habits of Learning:

Habits of Learning: Learning is a lifelong pursuit. Students today will face unprecedented technological, global, and professional changes that will require them to be continuous learners. At IDEAS Academy, we strive to...

...approach tasks with an open mind

...accept challenges

...seek to understand when we do not understand

...use evidence to document our learning

MONDAY>>

All students should look ahead to their next step of synthesizing their research. Grade 9 students and those proposing year-long projects and have not been in the Introduction Workshop for Extended Annotated Bibliographies will attend the workshop with Addie in the cafeteria. Other students should begin work on Research Papers, beginning with a focus on Thesis work. The example with Creative Hunt posted on October 8 is an important resource as well.

TUESDAY>>

Each group should take time to reflect on their Habits of Learning by creating a list of evidence that aligns with each of the components listed above. The rest of the time should be studio time for writing and conferencing. Reminder to all that some of this work may need to be done outside of designated Project Block time.

WEDNESDAY>>

Studio time for writing. Extended Annotated Bibliography Conclusion workshop with Addie. Advisors should conference with students to nurture habits, studio goals, and progress.  

THURSDAY>>

Extended Annotated Bibliography Conclusion workshop with Addie. More studio time for writing and conferences.

FRIDAY>>

Deadline: Extended Annotated Bibliography AND Complete Research Paper Drafts. (Google Classroom)