Week of February 29th - March 4th | Drafts & Drafts

This week we continue to develop our disciplinary group culture - sharing progress and obstacles through goal setting and reflection, revisiting the core motives or preoccupations of our projects through do nows and gatherings, translating our research and argument through dialogue, conferencing, and peer review.

As individuals, take on the challenge of creating original arguments by recognizing that no one has ever read the same combination of research or looked at any individual piece of research through the lens of your projects. Use professional interactions with your group to deepen your understandings and craft a clear, logical argument.

This is a writing week. Students are encouraged to set up writing conferences with Addie or Kimberly and their IDEAS Project Block Advisors. Writing conferences can occur at any stage in the writing process, reflecting on a thesis statement, outline, or draft.

HUMANITIES WEBSITE (use it):

• MLA Formatting and Style Guide
• In-Text Citation
• Research
• Thesis Statement
• Research Paper
• Writing Conferences 

SURVEYS are an appropriate form of research, providing community-based insight and data for your project. We have a great opportunity to work with experts on our staff to understand surveys, revise them for validity, and analyze results that will legitimately inform projects. Right now staff is in the process of developing guidelines for surveys that all students distributing surveys (via paper or google forms) to the school will follow. All students who have already or who intend to distribute a survey are required to attend a 10:30am meeting with Erin on Monday. (There is a list of known students under Monday's summary.) As a school, we will commit our Thursday Project Block do now to filling out revised surveys.

MONDAY>>

Reflect on which Habits of Mind you would like the audience of your paper and project to use as they interact with your argument and creation. (For example, your intent may be to get your audience to WONDER about how their dietary choices impact their academic performance.) Students should focus on thesis statements and outlines for their papers. 

10:30> Required Survey Meeting in 3307 for all students who have or who plan to send out surveys as part of their project: Valencia, Kahlena, Alyssa, Rachel B, and ... 

TUESDAY>>

No Class. On your personal GWT day, seek out professional models, create some sketches or prototypes of your project. Juniors, apply your close reading and argument writing to the ACT.

Asiah will host an Open Mic at the ARTery tonight as part of her project.   

WEDNESDAY>>

Extended time today. A great time to peer review or workshop thesis statements, outlines, or drafts as a Project Block group. 

THURSDAY>>

If you complete your first draft by the end of today, there are great opportunities for feedback from IDEAS Project Block Advisors and your own revisions with a long weekend ahead. Your projects should press and provoke you to seek clarity, even outside of the class period and certainly outside of school. Ticket Out: What will you do in the next four days that will bring something new to your project? (For example, go to the library to look at old newspapers; visit the Arts Center and look for a visual connection to my project; send a professional email to a community member who works in a field related to my project, asking them to meet with me...)

Thursday, February 24th | Survey Workshop After School

All students who have or who plan to distribute schoolwide surveys as part of their IDEAS Block Projects this semester must attend a brief meeting after school on Thursday, February 24th in Becky's classroom. Prepared surveys will be part of Friday's Do Now in Project Block. We hope this will ensure better data and numerous responses.

Please respond to the calendar invite.

Week of February 22nd - 26th | Synthesizing Research

Synthesis. With a range of quality sources and thoughtful annotations, synthesis will yield a thesis that is specific and unique to the context of your project and reading. Research papers are actually exciting when they grow out of an authentic thesis. 

Addie and Kimberly will use Jupiter to communicate the progress of Annotated Bibliographies. 

Please note that the resources on the Humanities website include example, details, and links to additional resources. All of those things are there, so that writing conferences can focused on the ideas and structures of arguments. Students who would like a writing conference during Project Block this week should send a professional email to their Humanities teacher stating the reason for the request and the progress of their research, thesis, outline, or paper. (It's not too early.) Links to documents in-progress are welcome. We will confirm appointments by responding to email and calendar invitations. Staff is also welcome to help facilitate this process through email.

Again, each disciplinary group should determine the conditions for research and writing this week. Incorporate gatherings, do now, studio goals, reflections, feedback, and professional models at your discretion. We are all still working toward building intellectual community, developing our habits of mind and professionalism, practicing academic research, clarifying our ideas and asserting them through a supported argument.


MONDAY>>

Define synthesis. As a do now, consider sketching the definition of the word "synthesis" and discussing patterns. How can you take the pieces of knowledge, argument, and perspective that you gained through research and synthesize it for a thesis? Try printing out your annotated bibliography and cutting it into pieces, categorizing, connecting, asking yourself "So what?" ...synthesizing. Many students still need to complete or revise Annotated Bibliographies. 

TUESDAY>>

Create a thesis statement, discuss it, get feedback on it, and make it public in your space. (At some point this week, it would be interesting to compare the "synthesis" sketch to a sketch interpreting your thesis.) Begin outlining your argument.

WEDNESDAY>>

Analyze a professional model in your discipline. Identify the argument that the artist, engineer, scientist, advocate is trying to make through their work. What is their evidence and what is their "So what?"  More outlining.

THURSDAY>>

Writing day.

FRIDAY>>

Writing day. Throughout research and writing, it is important to envision, draft, and prototype what you are creating. So your home thinking for the weekend includes reading this interview by Jon Mueller (a former speaker at our IDEAS Baccalaureate) and, then, answering the interview questions for yourself and your project and your city. Bring these insights back to your group on Monday. 

 

Friday, February 19th | Annotated Bibliography Deadline

Annotated Bibliographies are due for all students on Friday, February 19th. Please follow the directions below.

PREPARE

• EasyBib : Review your project in EasyBib
• Are all of the sources you read cited?
• Are all of the sources you cited annotated?
• Have you proofread all annotations?
• How well do your annotations convey content?
• EasyBib : Export
• Open your project in EasyBib
• In the upper right corner of the project, click "Export" and then "Google Docs"
• Google Docs : Organize
• Change the name of your new Google document to Firstname Lastname | Annotated Bibliography | Spring 2016
• Change the title of your new Google document from "Works Cited" to "Annotated Bibliography" (Remember that a Works Cited consists of just the sources you cite in an essay. A Bibliography consists of all the sources you considered throughout your project; it should continually grow. An Annotated Bibliography is the same as a bibliography but each source has an annotated paragraph with it.
• Move your new Google Document into your Project Block folder in Google Drive
• Change sharing settings to "Anyone with the link can comment."

COMPOSE

• Gmail : Set Up
• Create a new email
• In the To: field, enter the email address of your Humanities/Language Arts teacher (Addie or Kimberly)
• In the CC: field, enter the email address of your IDEAS Project Block Advisor and Beckah, if appropriate.
• In the Subject field, enter your Initials | Annotated Bibliography | Project Title
  (Example:  TT | Annotated Bibliography | Neither Rock nor Refuge)
  (Note: Project titles are an important indicator of your interest in your project and your developing understanding)
• Gmail : Content & Guidelines
• Create a greeting to Addie or Kimberly
• In the first paragraph, explain that the purpose of the email is to turn in your Annotated Bibliography. Provide a description of the status of your Annotated Bibliography: Is is completed to your own expectations? Is it partial or incomplete? Explain what the factors are and communicate your plan for completion, including your expectations for quality and a timeline.
• In the second paragraph, share an overview of your research process so far. Tell us about how well you feel the sources you read match up with the intention of your project. Give specific details about especially enlightening sources or challenging sources. If they don't match up well, tell us what you feel is missing from your research. (We would like to help you find what you are looking for.) Finally, include any specific questions you have or feedback that you would like. 
• In the third paragraph, share a reflection on your Habits of Learning throughout this first portion of the Research Phase. What are your strengths as a learner? What is your area of growth as you approach writing a research paper?
• Hyperlink your Annotated Bibliography Google Doc into your email.
  (Note: This is how you are turning in the evidence of learning.)
• End your email with a closing and your name.

SEND

• Gmail : Check
• Double check your email set up
• Proofread your email
• Make sure you have included a hyperlink to your Annotated Bibliography Google Doc
• Send

Note: We sincerely appreciate your attention to detail and the thought you put into your email. Please send only one email. We will do our best to get back to everyone in a timely fashion. If you submit your work late, be patient in getting a response.

Week of February 16th - 19th | Annotated Bibliographies

This is a reading week. We'll search and re-search...

...Research is a recursive process that allows for the rethinking, rephrasing, reimagining, and reframing of an idea. It involves careful searching and, as the idea becomes more clear and simultaneously more complex, more and more searching. Successful research will create an enormous gap between what you knew at the beginning and what you understand at the end. This understanding can only be accomplished through reading; real reading means immersing yourself in the ideas and experts surrounding the original idea. You should even go beyond this by thinking in new and divergent ways about your idea, by allowing the inevitable spiral of questions to emerge, by searching laterally for topics next to your ideas, and by persisting. Research is adventure. 

This is also a writing week. We'll compose our analysis and responses to what we find in our searching. Annotated Bibliographies should show a range of sources: foundational scholars and artists (like if I'm studying cubism in visual art, I better annotate a writing and/or painting by Picasso or if I'm studying Buddhism, I should definitely look at Siddhartha...am I right!); contemporary discussions of the ideas, including opposing perspectives (like if I'm looking at immigration, I better annotate a speech by President Obama and an article or op-ed by Donald Trump); personal inspirations for the project (like if I've listened to Run DMC since I was 8 and now I'm making a Hip Hop Opera, I should include "My Adidas" as a source and professional model).

Our Research Page has supporting materials for research and annotation. Deadline for turning in Annotated Bibliographies to Humanities teachers, Addie and Kimberly, is Friday, February 19th. 

We strongly suggest annotating a source right after reading it.
(Do not wait until you've read all of your sources and then go back and annotate.) 

Each disciplinary group should determine the conditions for research this week. Incorporate, gatherings, do nows, studio goals, reflections, feedback, professional models at your discretion. We are all still working toward the same things: building an intellectual community within our groups, developing our habits of mind and applying our habits of learning, practicing academic research, developing creative and innovative projects that are relevant to ourselves and our communities that we will share them with.

ALPHA should be updated this week; until we get word from Sam; please continue to use the attendance sheet.

MONDAY>>

Reading day...at home.

TUESDAY>>

Reading and annotating day.

WEDNESDAY>>

Reading and annotating day.

THURSDAY>>

Reading and annotating day.

FRIDAY>>

Reading and annotating day. DEADLINE for Annotated Bibliography

Note: All students/groups with year long projects should schedule panel discussions with staff in the next week. We will want to know your specific project plans for the semester, how you are building meaningfully on first semester, and who would be good professionals for you to work with.

Friday, February 11th | So what? Reading Day

Attendance sheets are updated. Please help students get to their project homes. Remember to remain familiar with proposals and update Jupiter Semester 2 is in Trimester 3.

The continued focus this week is on research and annotation. Please use your group norms and emphasize the importance of documenting thinking: studio goals and reflections, annotations, concept maps, definitions, sketches, prototypes, professional models and thinking routines. Keep it all.

GATHERING: So what?
Purpose: Reconnecting with the significance of projects, going beyond what is already known and made. 

• Quick Jot (write for 5 minutes without stopping): What is it about your project that prevents anyone from saying "So what?" after you tell them about it? What is your personal commitment to the ideas, emotions, and outcomes of your project? If someone took this project away from you, what would you still be fighting for? If someone were going to provide $100,000 of funding to just one IDEAS Block Project, why should it be yours?
• Highlight 10 key words/phrases
• Share out (Challenge each other...so what?)
• Compare these 10 words/phrases to your Headline from last week. 
• Pair Share: How are you doing? What do you need?

STUDIO TIME: Replicate your agreed upon norms for setting and documenting goals, generating/suggesting studio time activities, and reflection at the end of the time.
(Note: Staff are encouraged to share sources with students.)

REFLECTION: Credibility of Research

Purpose: Provide an opportunity to confirm or challenge quality of research sources.

• Circle Up
• Share one source, explain the characteristics that make the source credible
• Document characteristics of credible sources for the group.

NOTES: 

• Don't forget about the VisArts mind map. Posted in the hallway outside of the office. Aspire!
• All students will be doing an annotated bibliography this semester. The deadline is next Friday, February 18th. This means that some reading and annotating may need to take place outside of project block time....check it, if you can't stop thinking about your project because you are so intrigued by its potential to solve, change, impact, express something important to you, then reading should be something you want to do. If this is not the case, what do you need to do to modify your project focus?
• Students with year long projects, your staff would like to meet with you. Please arrange a time to meet with your project block advisor, Kimberly, and other staff members who have some background in your project. We'd like to discuss the following:
• What were tangible and intellectual accomplishments from Semester 1?
• What is your specific plan for this coming Semester 2?
• How are you challenging yourself to be creative and innovative beyond what you have already done and what others have done?
• Who are the professionals or professional fields that you would like represented on your end of year panel?
• Probably an EoL will not be enough to share a year of work, so what makes the most sense for a time, space, and environment to share your work? 

Thursday, February 10th | Reading Day

Thursday morning Kimberly will check in with staff and students to solidify student groups. Attendance sheets will be updated before IDEAS Block Begins. 

As groups begin to understand who they are, regarding practices, personalities, and projects it's important to continue incorporating gatherings where students can articulate their thinking and commitments to their projects and intent. Stuart shared a map he created that showed the relationships between each person's projects. It is color coded, labeled, and inclusive. I suggest stopping in VisArtland to see how you might create something similar as an evolving visual reminder of what connects your group.

The continued focus this week is on research and annotation. Please use your group norms and emphasize the importance of documenting thinking: studio goals and reflections, annotations, concept maps, definitions, sketches, prototypes, professional models and thinking routines. Keep it all.

DO NOW: Professional Model (continued from yesterday)

OR

GATHERING: Sentence starts
Purpose: Share and reconnect with the larger vision of the project and Habits of Learning.

• Circle up and complete the following sentence by taking turns.
• "When I become famous because of this project, it will be because..."
• "Something that I need to gain an in-depth understanding of, in order to do this project well is..."
• ...

STUDIO TIME: Replicate your agreed upon norms for setting and documenting goals, generating/suggesting studio time activities, and reflection at the end of the time. 

REFLECTION: Share out a key word from your research and its definition. 

NOTES: 

• All students will be doing an annotated bibliography this semester. The deadline is next Friday, February 18th. This means that some reading and annotating may need to take place outside of project block time....check it, if you can't stop thinking about your project because you are so intrigued by its potential to solve, change, impact, express something important to you, then reading should be something you want to do. If this is not the case, what do you need to do to modify your project focus?
• Students with year long projects, your staff would like to meet with you. Please arrange a time to meet with your project block advisor, Kimberly, and other staff members who have some background in your project. We'd like to discuss the following:
• What were tangible and intellectual accomplishments from Semester 1?
• What is your specific plan for this coming Semester 2?
• How are you challenging yourself to be creative and innovative beyond what you have already done and what others have done?
• Who are the professionals or professional fields that you would like represented on your end of year panel?
• Probably an EoL will not be enough to share a year of work, so what makes the most sense for a time, space, and environment to share your work? 

Wednesday, February 9th | Professional Model & Reading Day

Please be patient with students finishing proposals and those needing to join or leave your group to get individualized support. Our goal is to get everyone in the right spot by Friday morning.  

Please take attendance using the Attendance | Research Phase | Spring 2016 document. A friendly reminder to read proposals of your group members, provide feedback, and update Jupiter.

DO NOW: Revisit Norms
Purpose: Provide an opportunity for all students to have voice in and to commit to norms.

• Take some silent think time to observe yesterday's chalk talk or other products from norms discussion
• Clarifying questions?
• Values? 
• Concerns? (Things you can't live with?)
• Suggestions? (Missing things you can't live without?)
• Vote

STUDIO TIME: Reading Day

Purpose: All students should refine proposals to the extent possible, organize research resources and plans, and get to a point of reading today.

• Use established norms for setting and communicating studio time goals.
• Possible Studio Activities:
• Refining proposals, establishing clear project expectations between students and staff
• Set up EasyBib project for Annotated Bibliography
• Identify reading list, search terms, open/closed questions to answer
• Locate a source
• Read
• Annotate
• ...
• Reflect on and communicate progress on studio time goal

PROFESSIONAL MODEL: Staff Selected (if time...this could also be a Do Now for tomorrow)

Purpose: Look closely at professional work in order to gain insight on how the creative process is used to fulfill an intention; gain inspiration for projects; discuss how professional models serve as part of academic research.

• Introduce professional model
• Share model
• Thinking Routine
• Together, try creating a citation and annotation for this model as a piece of academic research. Annotate it as you would any article or book. Do this in a discussion format to expose the kinds of thinking involved.

Tuesday, February 8th | Research & Norms

Today's focus is to establish organizational structures for research and norms for studio time. Students should be involved in these choices as much as possible, but it is helpful to have consensus.

Please be patient with students finishing proposals and those needing to join or leave your group to get individualized support. Our goal is to get everyone in the right spot by Friday morning.  

Please take attendance using the Attendance | Research Phase | Spring 2016 document. A friendly reminder to read proposals of your group members, provide feedback, and update Jupiter.

GATHERING: Return to Compass Points
Purpose: Understand how the group is feeling about their research.

• Look at Compass Points, created yesterday
• Circle Up
• Each person shares out one worry and one excitement 
• Debrief by discussing how the group might address the worries

SILENT CONVERSATION / CHALK TALK: Research Structures and Studio Time Norms

Purpose: Expose prior experiences, make connections, and establish effective research structures and Studio Time Norms for the group.

• On a large piece of paper (available in the office) or whiteboard, write the question: "What makes the research process and studio time experience effective?"
• Students are invited to, at any point during studio time today, to contribute to the silent conversation. It is valuable to draw from prior experiences and generate as many ideas as possible. 

STUDIO TIME: Complete Proposals & Begin Research

Purpose: Clarify project intentions, define key terms, become with research resources (again).

• Capture notes on the following on the chalk talk poster/board:
• How do you know what your studio time goal should be?
• What makes a studio time goal meaningful?
• Where do you like to write your studio time goal? Why?
• Generate a list of possible goals for this Studio Time today
• Complete or revise proposal, request feedback from staff
• Define key terms from multiple perspectives
• Find artists who use a technique or form I am interested in, catalogue their work
• Tour the Academic Research resources on the IDEAS Humanities website
• Set studio time goals. Share them.

SILENT CONVERSATION / CHALK TALK : Research Structures and Studio Time Norms

Purpose: Build consensus about research structures and studio time norms.

• Bring everyone's attention to the chalk talk. Use some silent writing time to add to the map and, most importantly, annotate the map. Underline, circle, star meaningful portions of the conversation. Raise clarifying questions. Staff should participate.
• Step back. 
• What do you notice? What does this conversation and our experiences with research and studio time suggest we should do each day, in order to make the most of our time? What can we agree to?
• Write a list of "must haves"

...

-Staff should prepare to share a professional model with a thinking routine tomorrow (Wednesday). 

-Please bring recommendations for students moving to new groups to the staff meeting Wednesday afternoon.

Monday, February 8th | Community, Organization & Refinement

Today we will meet in disciplinary groups  for the first time. In this transition it is important to be attentive to details and communication. 

Staff are reminded to pick up folders in Kimberly's room before school and take attendance using the new Attendance | Research Phase | Spring 2016 document.

DO NOW: Relocate
Purpose: Locate disciplinary groups. 

• Group lists are available above and student email.
• Students who are not listed in a group should go to the office.
• While waiting for everyone:
• Share IDEAS Block folder with staff member
• Open proposal document 
• Read your own proposal and prepare to share project idea/question

GATHERING: Metaphor (found objects)

Purpose: Get to know the other people and projects in the group.

• Each person should choose an object from the room that represents their project idea/question. Take a few minutes to choose something meaningful and prepare an explanation of what problem you are trying to solve or what emotion, thought, or idea you are trying express through your project.
• [Example: My project is like an old photo of sturgeon fishermen, because I am taking on the heavy concept of institutionalized racism. I want to harpoon it by pulling racism out of systems, exposing it like this man with his fish above the ice. I also want to anthologize important stories and perspectives from the past.]
• Circle up and share these metaphors.
• After everyone has shared, debrief the gathering by discussing patterns and connections.

STATUS UPDATE: Compass Points

Purpose: Students will look closely at the evidence of their thinking and learning, in order to create a detailed summary of their progress and identify next steps.

• Independently, all students should look at their feedback on their documents (physical and/or digital) and in Jupiter. Staff should respond to or collect clarifying questions.
• Independently, all students should complete a detailed compass points for their project or their role in their group project. Emphasis on detailed! This can be digital or on paper.
• N >> What do you need to know? Clarifying questions you have for staff or about your own topic? What are your priorities going into research?
• E >> What are you most excited about now and in the near future?
• W >> What are you worried about? What specific obstacles are you facing in your project? 
• S >> What are your immediate next steps? What does your feedback suggest that you need to do? What suggestions to you have for yourself?
• Students should share these with at least one other student, getting feedback, additional suggestions, and adding more detail.

STUDIO TIME: Next Steps

Purpose: Students will refine proposals or begin research, according to the next steps identified above. Staff will check in with each student, giving emphasis to students who do not have completed or approved proposals. 

• Identify a studio time goal. Share it.
  (Note: This will become a routine. Where will students in your group document studio time goals and progress? How and when will reflection take place? Tomorrow's gathering will be focused on this.)
• Staff will set priorities for conferencing during studio time.
• Reflection on studio time.

CLOSING: Two Word Wave

Purpose: All voices share a reflection on their studio time.

• Circle up
• Think Time: What is one word to describe how you feel about the transition to research today? What is one word to describe your next step tomorrow?
• Share two words

Week of February 8th - 12th | Proposal Clarity & Research Phase

This week (Tuesday at 7pm) we will go in front of the Board of Education to renew our charter school contract. As we contemplate the significance of having a choice in our education, it seems appropriate that we are in the process of designing our own projects!

We will be meeting in project disciplines this week. The student-staff parings are based primarily on student proposals, some of which are still being revised and completed. If changes need to be made to disciplinary groups, they will be made collaboratively starting on Wednesday and concluding on Friday morning.  [Student List] [Staff Annotations]

It is a priority to make thinking visible throughout the research phase, so that we can see how our thinking changes, what influences us, what challenges us, and how we use our community and resources to learn and create. Keep group thinking alive in the room. Keep individual notes in manilla folders and Google Drive.

Please take attendance using the Attendance | Research Phase | Spring 2016 document.


OBJECTIVES THIS WEEK

• Build community within disciplinary groups - learning about each other as wonderers and project managers.
• Refine project ideas and articulate through proposals.
• Engage in Academic Research and utilize the IDEAS Language Arts Research and Annotation Guide to 1) Locate credible sources for projects, 2) Read and annotate sources, 3) Manage an EasyBib project.  
• Analyze and select professionals models and inspirations related to a particular concept in academic content or art form.
• Reflect on Habits of Learning.

MONDAY>>

We will meet in disciplinary groups for the first time today. We will get to know the people and projects in the groups in order to begin building community. Students will identify specific needs, refine proposals, and begin research.

TUESDAY>>

Groups will establish norms for research in their space and with their resources. This will be a reading and conferencing day - working toward Annotated Bibliographies.

WEDNESDAY>>

Staff will share a professional model, establishing structures for collecting professional models as part of research. Adjustments to disciplinary groups, if needed.

THURSDAY>>

Make connections to the Indie Lens film, as a professional model. Reading and conferencing day.

FRIDAY>>

Reading day. Students will share Annotated Bibliography drafts for feedback and recommendations. 

IMPORTANT

Annotated Bibliographies are due on Friday, February 19th 

All students/groups with year long projects should schedule panel discussions with staff in the next two weeks. We will want to know your specific project plans for the semester, how you are building meaningfully on first semester, and who would be good professionals for you to work with.

 

Friday, February 5th | Proposal Review & Initial Research

Thursday night, staff reviewed and discussed proposals. Feedback was provided through Jupiter, comments on physical documents, and comments on digital documents. The general impression of the projects are that they are intriguing, approaching topics in new ways and reaching beyond the level of projects we've seen in the past!

We've asked several students for revisions, ranging from projects that were not approved or not complete to projects that need minor adjustments. The main focus of Friday is the continual work to clarify thinking about projects through writing. These proposals are essentially the criteria against which students can measure their own success and growth. At the same time, they serve as a map for how we will use staff and school resources to support each project. 

Jupiter Overview - Project Block T3
[The person designated as Advisor will be the person responsible for updating the students' Jupiter.]

• Proposal - Driving Question (Wondering)
• Proposal - Personal Connection (Connecting)
• Proposal - Research Plan (Reasoning/Interpreting)
• Proposal - Approval of Creative/Innovative Project (Innovating)
• Proposal - Habits of Work (Deadline)
• Advisor (no grade, see comment)

Please take attendance using the Spring 2016 | P-Block Ideation Attendance spreadsheet. On Monday, we will be in disciplinary groups. These are still being developed.

GATHERING: Headline [10:00 - 10:15am]
Purpose: Isolate and share the essence of your project to focus revision.

• Imagine you've finished your project. Write a headline that announces what you have accomplished, solved, found, expressed, or otherwise done. 
• Headlines must have a noun and action verb; they are short but specific; they bring attention to the most important information; the report newsworthy happenings.
• Share headlines

READ ALOUD: Student Blog [10:15 - 10:25am]

Purpose: Reconnect with purpose and opportunity of Project Block

• Read Ted's Student Blog Post on Creativity
• Clarifying Questions? Values? Concerns for your project? Next Steps or Suggestions for your project or projects in general?
• Optional: If you look closely at your headline, how might you revise it to make a greater connection to the blog post? What might you need to add, revise, question about your current proposal to push it even further?

STUDIO TIME: Revisions & Initial Research [10:25 - 11:10am]

Purpose: Engage in a conversation about projects through interpreting feedback.

• Staff should return physical copies of proposals, direct students toward Jupiter feedback and some Google Document comments. Please note, that students may have different kinds of feedback...not all the same in the same places.
• Students share out what their impressions are of the feedback. 
• What is your next step?
• Complete missing proposal
• Revisions of Proposal - What specifically?
• Communicating with staff through professional email, seeking help and clarification.
• Initial research - Beginning to answer closed questions.

Please stay within project block rooms. Staff may arrange collaborations, if needed, through Google Hangouts. 

TICKET OUT: Evidence of Learning [11:10 - 11:15am]

Purpose: Share evidence of learning with new project advisor.

• Place printed copy of proposal and all feedback into your manilla folder.
• Share digital IDEAS Block folder with new project advisor, if known.

Thursday, January 4th | Proposal Deadline

Please take attendance using the Spring 2016 | P-Block Ideation Attendance spreadsheet. Staff, please consider taking notes on this spreadsheet about students' project ideas and possible project advisors. (See my sheet as an example.) The more information we have about each project, the better we will be able to assemble groups. 

It is important for everyone to understand the importance of meeting today's deadline. This evening, the entire staff will look at each proposal, providing feedback and direction.  It is rare and valuable to have all of our great minds focused on you! The more information we have during that conversation, the better we can support you and your projects for the rest of the semester.  

DO NOW: Review Proposal Page [10:00 - 10:15am]
Purpose: Clarify directions and expectations. Generate suggestions

• Read Proposal Page independently
• Open your proposal document in Google Drive
• As a group, discuss the parts and purposes of the proposal. Clarifying questions? Please consider that this is a formal piece of writing. What will it take to effectively communicate your ideas, so that the proposal is approved and you end up with the advisor who has the expertise/resources you'll need?

STUDIO TIME: Write [10:15 - 11:10am]

Purpose: Complete proposals for creative and innovative projects.

• Set up norms for Studio Time writing based on your space and group. 
• Determine noise level.
• Determine location for conferencing with staff and create an order/sign up for conferences needed.
• Students should stay in their project block rooms today. Since everyone needs their own proposal, groups can share documents with one another or email if needed. Staff should keep Hangouts open, in the case that exceptions need to be made. 
• Write proposals.
• Make sure no one wants to say "so what?" when they read about your project idea. 

TICKET OUT: Share [11:10 - 11:15am]

Purpose: Submit proposal for review.

• Share proposal document with Kimberly Johnson kjohnson@etudegroup.org

Staff, please remember that we will meet at 4:00pm to review proposals. Please gather as much information about students' intentions with their projects as you can. This can be done through project block, advisory, and classes.

Wednesday, February 3rd | Questions

There have been a range of conversations this week, spanning the spectrum of our Habits of Learning from very fixed position about what does make a project (because that's what we've always done) and what could make a project (because it's never been done before). Please remember that a project "topic" (like painting the life cycles of sturgeon) needs your personal attention and affection.  So what? (Why paint life cycles if you can already google them? Who cares about sturgeon anyway?) You must defend your purpose. Keep the wheels spinning for the next 24 hours...and more.

Today's focus is questions. Questions lead to discovery as well as clarity. We would like all proposals to include open and closed questions.

Please take attendance using the Spring 2016 | P-Block Ideation Attendance spreadsheet. Staff, please consider taking notes on this spreadsheet about students' project ideas and possible project advisors. (See my sheet as an example.) The more information we have about each project, the better we will be able to assemble groups. 

The following agenda is to be used at staff discretion. It is important that students follow up on their work from earlier this week, sharing out progress or getting feedback/extensions, but it is also important to make time for developing questions.  If you haven't already shared out initial project ideas as a group, start with a gathering. If students need more time to organize and ideate, start with studio time. Please make sure that the group gets what they need.

The plan is to write proposals from beginning to end during IDEAS Project Block time tomorrow, Thursday, February 4th. 

DO: Questions [You decide]
Purpose: Create and capture questions to guide and clarify thinking about a project.

• All students should create a document in their Google Folders called Firstname Lastname | Questions | Spring 2016 and create the following table :

•  Review the questions page on the Humanities Website.
• Try to create 20 open and 20 closed questions for your project idea. 
• Begin by describing your current project idea above the table.
• Start listing questions, as many as you can.
• Ask for input using a pair share, move chairs, or conferences.
• Read questions and make sure they are in the right category of "open" or "closed"
• Highlight or bold the 5 most significant questions in each category

DO THIS, TOO: Ideation, Studio Time, & Proposals [You decide]

Purpose: Get real with yourself. Commit to a project idea. Prepare to write a proposal.

• Set studio time goals.  What will you do? Why? What evidence will you have?
• Share them with peer or advisor.
• Use studio time
• Reflect on studio time...what will you commit to doing/thinking/deciding between now and 10am tomorrow (Capture these intentions in a public/shared place.)

Please remember that GWT is a good opportunity to continue to develop these ideas. Students are also encouraged to discuss project ideas with their Humanities teachers, who will be helping with the writing of proposals and revisions.

February 2nd | Ideation

Today's focus is to continue ideation. Students should have a purpose for the ways in which they choose to interact with their own ideas and be prepared to show evidence of thinking. After some studio time we will come back together as a group to offer feedback and to push each other's ideas toward clarity and creativity.

DO NOW: Organize [10:00 - 10:10am]
Purpose: Review evidence of thinking and learning, prepare a mindset for ideation.

• Organize and review evidence of thinking and learning from where you left off yesterday. 
• Prepare one piece of evidence to share with the group. Now that you look back at your thinking from yesterday, what stands out to you and why?
• Review the lists created by your group:
• 1) Yesterday we developed a menu of different ideation strategies. Each person shared something that has worked for them. Look over this list as you decide how to spend studio time today.
• 2) On Friday we developed a list of qualities of memorable, important, creative projects. Look at that list as a reminder of what we are working towards this semester. All are challenged to go beyond the obvious, beyond the first idea, beyond what you think you know now.
• Create a studio time goal and write it down in the same place as yesterday. Be specific about who, what, where, when, why you are doing what you are doing. Name the evidence you expect to have at the end of the time.
• EXAMPLE: I intend to use today's studio time to collect news stories related to the idea of caring for elderly parents. I will create a list of bookmarks.

GATHERING: Share [10:10 - 10:20am]

Purpose: Utilize the group to make best use of time and resources today.

• Go around and share evidence of thinking and learning from yesterday as well as studio time goal for today. 
• For each person, highlight values and suggestions for their goals. 
• EXAMPLE (for the goal above): I value that you are looking for more perspectives on the topic "caring for elderly parents." I suggest you try to find about how elderly people view their lives; find out what they want. Try ideation by using the of circle of viewpoints thinking routine.

STUDIO TIME: Ideation [10:20am - 11:00am]

Purpose: Develop an understanding of ourselves and the world and transform that understanding into a project idea.

• Follow your studio time goal, intention.
• During studio time, students are encouraged to spend some time in independent ideation but may travel to other rooms to meet with staff or students. (Please do not gather in hallways.)
• Remember to collect evidence of your thinking. This includes notes from conversations with peers and staff. 

EXTENSIONS: Ideation [11:00 - 11:15am]

Purpose: Share ideation with peers who know your intention in order to get new ideas. Remix.

• At 11:00am everyone should return to their rooms and "set up" their evidence of thinking and learning from today and/or yesterday, by placing it in a spot on a table next to your manilla folder. It should be "set up" in a way that others can look at it. 
• As people return to the room, they should do a gallery walk - looking at the ideas of others and placing post-it notes with probing questions and extensions. How can this person get their ideas to really great project ideas? What might be an interesting remix?
  
  EXAMPLE: If I created a mind map for prehistoric sturgeon, I would place it on the table. Other people in my group would come over and read my mind map. They would leave post it notes with questions like "I wonder what the geography of the Wisconsin River and Mars have in common?" or "What if you designed a dress inspired by the way sturgeon look?" They might also challenge me with extensions like "How are you going to get people to care about sturgeon?" and "What are you trying to express through a project on sturgeon?"
  
• Collect all feedback and evidence.