Friday, September 30 | Research

The continued focus today 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.)

Students with Year Long Projects, check Erin's blog: Year Long Projects 2016-2017


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:

• All students will be doing an annotated bibliography this semester. The deadline is next Friday, October 7. 
• 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?

Thursday, September 29 | Research and Annotation

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. 

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.

Please take attendance using the spreadsheet.

DO NOW: Professional Model (continued from yesterday, optional)
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.
Staff can choose from any of these possibilities, or explore your own:

• Solipsism
• Cymatics
• Kinetic Art

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.

1. Students with year long projects: check Erin’s blog: Year Long Projects Blog
2. All students: communicate with advisors, document, document, document your thinking.
3. Staff: add notes to the spreadsheet, for helpful ideas on possible advisor moves.

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

NOTES:

1. All students will be doing an annotated bibliography this semester. The deadline is next Friday, October 7th.
2. Some reading and annotating may need to take place outside of project block time.
3. 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. 
4. If this is not the case, what do you need to do to modify your project focus?

Wednesday, September 28 | Revisions and Research

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 spreadsheet. A friendly reminder to read proposals of your group members and provide feedback.

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.

Monday, September 26 | Proposal Revision and Initial Research

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

DO NOW: Gathering in Ideation Groups [10:00-10:10]
Purpose: Transition from Ideation Groups to Disciplinary Groups.

• Check proposals for feedback from new advisors
• Disciplinary Group lists are in the advisor’s tabs on the spreadsheet.
• Transition to new Disciplinary Groups

DO NEXT: Another GATHERING : Now in new groups [10:10-10:20]
Purpose: Get to know the other people and projects in the group.
Metaphor:

• 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 [10:20-10:30]
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). 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 do 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 [10:30-11:05]
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.

YEAR LONG PROJECT BLOG

Students who are working on Year Long Projects should clink on the link above today, and conference with Erin tomorrow.


CLOSING: Two Word Wave [11:05-11:15]
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 September 26-30 | Proposal Clarity & Research Phase

We will be meeting in project disciplines this week. The student-staff pairings 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.

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 spreadsheet.

OBJECTIVES THIS WEEK

• Build community within disciplinary groups - learning about each other as wonderers and project managers.
• Refine project ideas and articulate thorough 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>>
Start with ideation groups, then 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>>
Reading and conferencing day.

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


As we enter the research phase of IDEAS Block, consider these elements of our learning community:

Freshmen: All freshmen complete an extended bibliography during Fall 2016 semester. During the Spring 2017 semester, freshmen complete a traditional annotated bibliography along with a traditional research paper.

Research Paper: All sophomores, juniors, and seniors need to complete a research paper UNLESS they have had another formal writing component pre-approved by Addie based on the needs of their project. In order to receive this pre-approval, students need to set up a formal writing conference with Addie in The Writing Center.

Unfortunately, students have tried to use other writing endeavors in order to "get out" of truly demonstrating writing standards. Summaries of projects or "persuasive" arguments that merely supply the student's opinion are NOT accepted.

Acceptable formal writing endeavors are listed under the Academic Writing tab on the Humanities website.

Friday, September 23 | Proposals Due Today

The 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.

Consider the elements of a successful proposal, and the assessment standards to which those elements correspond:

• Driving Question -- Wondering
• Personal Connection -- Connecting
• Research Plan -- Reasoning/Interpreting 
• Creative/Innovative Project/Art Form -- Innovating
• Overall Proposal - Deadline -- Habits of Work

Please take attendance using the spreadsheet. Next week, we will be in disciplinary groups, to be determined at tonight’s proposal meeting.

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: Finish Writing Proposals [10:25 - 11:10am]
Purpose: Engage in a conversation about projects through interpreting feedback.

• Staff should share feedback with students’ proposal drafts submitted yesterday.
• Students consider that feedback and revise as needed.
• What is your next step?
• Complete missing proposal pieces.
• Revisions of Proposal - What specifically?
• Communicate with staff, seeking help and clarification.
• 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 proposal status.

• Have you submitted the Proposal Submission Form and attached your completed Proposal?
• If yes, GREAT! If no, state how you will get this completed by 3pm today.

Thursday, September 22 | Proposals Due Tomorrow

Please take attendance using the spreadsheet. Staff, please consider taking notes on this spreadsheet about students' project ideas and possible project advisors. 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, and tomorrow's. Tomorrow 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.  Today, you will submit a draft of your proposal to your current project block advisor.


DO NOW: Participate in this survey  [10:00-10:02am]

Purpose: To provide data and help Ethan with his proposal.

Thoughts of Breakfast and Food

DO NEXT: Review Proposal Page [10:02 - 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 your proposal, in whatever state of completion it is in, to your current P-Block advisor for preview.


Staff, please remember that we will meet tomorrow 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, September 21 | Questions

There has been a range of conversations this week, spanning the spectrum of our Habits of Learning from a fixed position about what does make a project (because that's what we've always done) to the fluid thinking of 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 on the 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, September 22.

DO: Questions [Time: 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 | Fall 2016 and create a table with two columns. Label one "Open Questions" and the other "Closed Questions."
• 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 in your doc.
• 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 [Time: 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.

Tuesday, September 20 | 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.

Please take attendance on the spreadsheet. Staff, please consider taking notes on this spreadsheet about students' project ideas and possible project advisors. The more information we have about each project, the better we will be able to assemble groups.

Note Regarding Student Surveys: Do not send a mass email to collect student opinions. If you need survey data, create a form and share it with Erin (ethomas@etudegroup.org) first. She will help you with revising it, so that it meets IDEAS standards of data collection. Your survey will then be posted here, as a Do Now. This protocol helps them with their project, and it helps the community because the project they share with us will have more meaning and a stronger impact on our learning.

DO NOW: Provide Data [10:00-10:02]
Purpose: Help Casey and Bianka with their proposal

• Skin Disorder Survey

DO NEXT: Organize [10:02 - 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. 

Year Long Projects: If you have not already filled out this application, do it by the end of the day TODAY. Also make sure to email your proposed panel members as early as possible.

Year Long Project Application

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.

Monday, September 19 | Organization, Ideation, and Proposals

Today it is important to look for opportunities to tie up or connect to the work of your groups last week.  To ensure effective communication between students and staff during proposal week, please document all thinking. Today's organization will help.

Please take attendance using the spreadsheet. Staff, please consider taking notes on this spreadsheet about students' project ideas and possible project advisors. The more information we have about each project, the better we will be able to assemble groups.


DO NOW : Organization [10:00 - 10:10am]
Purpose: Establish a common organizational system that will ensure clear communication and house evidence of learning.

• Inside your IDEAS Block folder created last week, create a blank document called : Firstname Lastname | Habits of Learning 1 | Fall 2016
• Also create a blank document called : Firstname Lastname | Proposal | Fall 2016

DO NEXT : Habits of Learning Reflection [10:10 - 10:20am]
Purpose: Reflect on how the Habits of Learning apply to the ideation process and development of project proposals.

Use your document called Firstname Lastname | Habits of Learning 1 | Fall 2016 to write an informal paragraph about how you used each Habit of Learning in the process of creating or revising example remix projects last week, in the process of ideation, and in the process of becoming a group member. Which Habit of Learning is your strength? Which is most challenging to you?

• Habit of Learning : 1) Approach tasks with an open mind
• Habit of Learning : 2) accept challenges
• Habit of Learning : 3) seek to understand when we do not understand
• Habit of Learning : 4) use evidence to document learning

When you are done writing, turn to the person next to you and share out your strengths and weaknesses.

IDEATION: Studio Time [10:20 - 10:30am // 10:30 - 11:00am]
Purpose: Generate project ideas that connect with the personal interests, preoccupations, passions, and feelings of students. Provide time and space for discussing project ideas with possible staff advisors.

10:20 - 10:30 >> As a group, recall past experiences and use the ideation page to create a Menu of Ideation Options. Students should share out what has helped in the past that might also help others come to a project idea? If you are going to remix, where can you discover your inspirations?

For example, make lists that help you remember things about yourself - just listing favorite places or smells can inspire so many ideas. For students who love galleries - when you look at other people's art, try to think about how to connect. You might look at Stuart's curated Pinterest boards, or use Google's Cultural Institute to visit global galleries, or look at TEDxTeen for idea starters.

Each person should identify what forms of ideation they think will help them most, and list them on the outside of their Manilla folders. Even if they don't get to them today, they will be there for tomorrow.

10:30 - 11:00 >> Studio Time and Staff Conferences. Students are encouraged to use this time to use an ideation method from the menu of options and/or start a conversation with a staff member or potential project group. In order for this to be productive, students should set a goal for this time. This goal should be written in a new digital document in the newly created Google Folder or by hand on Manilla folders. Examples:

• I am going to talk to Mike about videos use zombies to pose solutions to environmental problems. I will have a list of videos to watch and research when I get back.
• I am going to create a list of my favorite aspects of camping, because I realize that camping is a topic and I'm not sure how to make it into a concept or project idea. I just need to understand it better as a project idea. I might talk to Beckah about this, because I know she like to camp.
• I am going to talk to my friends to figure out if we still want to do the project we talked about last month. If we do, then we need to make sure that the project is really a project that addresses a problem or expresses something meaningful. How can we get it to meet the expectations we talked about last week?

Staff should engage in 1:1 conferences with their group members while balancing the students who may visit and need assistance.

All students should return to their groups at 11:00am.

TICKET OUT : Reflection [11:00 - 11:15am]
Purpose: Document thinking and progress. Identify next steps outside of Project Block time and for tomorrow.

Students should write and share reflections on their studio time goals. How effective was the choice for how to use time today? How do you know? What will be necessary tomorrow?

Week of September 19th - 23th | Ideation, Initial Research, and Proposals

This week, we will focus on developing our own project ideas through remembering, reflection, and refinement. Proposals are due on Friday. Staff is encouraged to prioritize time for students to ideate during project block. 1:1 conferences are the reason we have such small groups. Some questions to guide 1:1 conferences:

• What are you working toward as a person, a professional, an artist? 
• What inspired you to do, say, write this? 
• How did you get to this idea? 
• How would this idea be different if we remixed it to one of the concepts in the hallway? 
• Why is this project more meaningful, impactful than existing work on this topic by you or other people in the world? 
• Who could you talk to stretch or strengthen your thinking about this idea? 
• So what? 

We will continue to make thinking visible throughout the ideation process, 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 the manilla folders we started last week.


OBJECTIVES THIS WEEK

• Accept the challenge of stretching projects toward greater extents of innovation and more profound creativity. 
• Reflect on Habits of Learning: As part of our lifelong pursuit of learning, in the face of unprecedented technological, global, and professional changes that will require continual learning, we strive to... 

1. APPROACH TASKS WITH AN OPEN MIND 
2. ACCEPT CHALLENGES 
3. SEEK TO UNDERSTAND WHEN WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND 
4. USE EVIDENCE TO DOCUMENT LEARNING 

• Apply and name Habits of Mind through the creative process 
• Analyze and select professional models and inspirations related to a particular concept in academic content or creative form. 
• Develop generative and focused questions. 
• Engage in open dialogue with peers and professionals about project ideas. 
• Make Thinking Visible in order to understand details of passions, skills, interests, etc that might seed incredible projects. 

MONDAY>>
Continued ideation toward project proposals. Students will collect inspirations from their own experiences and from staff suggestions. Initial project ideas will be tested against the criteria established for creative and innovative projects.

TUESDAY>>
Focus on questions. Students will sift through ideation notes, narrow their project focus and begin developing open and closed questions to guide their projects. All of this is done with an emphasis on proposing a project that addresses a meaningful problem and/or expresses an essential idea, feeling, or thought.

WEDNESDAY>>
Write project proposals. They are due tomorrow to your current advisor for review.

THURSDAY>>
Review and revise project proposals for final submission.

FRIDAY>>

All students will use the Proposal Submission Form to submit their proposals. Staff will gather after school to determine project advisors and provide feedback. Students will receive feedback on their proposals and make revisions, clarify details next Monday.



Who are we as an intellectual community?
How do we analyze and share academic research?

Friday, September 16th | Ideation & Initial Research

Who are we as a community of thinkers, innovators?

What do I need to know about myself and my community, in order to develop a project?
How can I document and share my thinking through effective routines and organization?

Please remember to take Attendance.

At the end of this week of exploration, we begin narrowing ideas toward a driving question and a course of research.

DO NOW (10:00-10:10): Five Minutes of Research, and then SHARE OUT
On a scale from 0-5, how much information did you find? Share out, including one piece of new information and the source. Consider, the quality of the source.

SEE. - What did you notice in your 5 minutes of research? In our share out?

THINK. - What do you think a lot/little information in 5 minutes means? What do you think about the quality of sources found in 5 minutes?

WONDER: What does this experience make you wonder about your own research process.



EASYBIB SETUP (10:10-10:30): Set up an account and new project in Easy Bib by following these directions. 

• Click login on the EasyBib website. 
• Click Sign in with Google so that your new Easybib account is associated with your Etude Group email. Click allow. 

• Click +New Project 

• Title your new project: First and Last Name | IDEAS Block | Fall 2016 
• Example: Addie Degenhardt | IDEAS Block | Fall 2016 
• Click Share on the right side of your new project. 
• Share your project with adegenhardt@etudegroup.org or hsheets@etudegroup.org (depending on your English teacher). 
• Once you have been assigned a formal IDEAS Block advisor, also share the project with them. 

MORE QUESTIONS (10:30-11:05): Working toward a driving question.

• Create a new document in your Project Block folder. Name it : Firstname Lastname | Driving Question | Fall 2016 
• Read the Driving Question page on the Humanities Website. 
• In your document, generate clear lists of Open and Closed questions on a topic. 
• When you begin the research phase, answer the closed questions first. This will provide you with some basic background knowledge about your topic before you begin attempting to research and synthesize your open questions. 
• Remember, there are multiple ways to answer your driving questions. The research phase is about finding all of those ways BEFORE you provide one viable answer based on your own beliefs and understandings. 
• Share your questions with your current IDEAS Block advisor. **NOTE: The Writing Center will be up and running next week. Please watch for an announcement about time, location, and appointment protocol.

The Writing Center | Writing Conference Appointments

ANNOUNCEMENT
The Writing Center will open next week! As of right now, conferences will be held in the former Etude Studies (also known as The Ansel Adams room).

Writing Conferences will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. by both Addie and Heather. Conferences will be ten minutes in length, allowing for six conferences each day, twelve conferences total for the week.

To request an appointment, please review the directions on the Humanities - Writing Center page.


APPOINTMENTS

• Check the calendar to make sure date and time is available.
• Fill out request form.
• Place hard copy of rough draft in Writing Center mailbox (currently being developed). 
• Accept Google Calendar invite.

REMINDERS

• Conferences will be held in a shared spaced that does not belong solely to The Writing Center. Please be respectful of the students constructing beautiful poetry next door as well as the storage that belongs to other educators.
• Please be on time so you don't disrupt other writing conferences.
• If you do not accept Google Calendar invite, your appointment will be left empty for other students to fill. 

Thursday, Sept 15th | Organizing & Questioning

Who are we as a community of thinkers, innovators?
What do I need to know about myself and my community, in order to develop a project?
How can I document and share my thinking through effective routines and organization?
Thank you all for engaging conversations about professional models yesterday.
Please remember to take Attendance.

So far this week, we have had the opportunity to brainstorm different topics and survey different art forms. It is valuable, at this point, to have more than one topic to take deeper into ideation. Please keep in mind that many considerations go into a successful proposal, and project advisors will only approve viable proposals.

Today we will set up an organizational system used to capture thinking as well as communicate thinking to project advisors. We will also generate questions and consult different advisors to test our topics.

DO NOW: (10:00-10:10)
As a group, walk through the process of creating and curating a Google Drive folder for the semester.

Google Drive >> New > Folder

• Name this folder : Firstname Lastname | Project Block | Fall 2016
• Example : Jacob Bartz | Project Block | Fall 2016
• Share this folder with your current project advisor.

Inside the folder, please place any documents already created and name them clearly with your name and a title for what the document is/says/does

• Example : Jacob Bartz | Ideation Lists | Fall 2016
• Example : Jacob Bartz | Ideation Mind Map | Fall 2016

DO NEXT: (10:10-10:30)
Use Question Starters to begin generating questions about a topic.

• Click on the link above.
• Rename the document: Firstname Lastname | Question Starts : Topic | Fall 2016
• Move the document into your new folder for Project Block.
• Use the document to generate questions - keeping in mind that we are still seeking possibilities, ways of framing the topic that will lead to a project. Driving questions will emerge after some initial research and conferences with advisors.
• Repeat this process for each topic you are considering (more than one)

Q&A: (10:30-11:00). Students should check the list of advisors on the Ideation Page. They should prepare specific questions for certain advisors, based on content area.  Communicate with a purpose.  In a professional email, students should contact at least two different advisors with specific questions.  Students need to understand that a reply will not be immediate, and that the conversation may continue over the next few days, either in person or through email.  Students considering Year Long Projects need to email Erin NOW about proposal expectations. Students working with collaborators need to email those partners right now.

Sharing: (11:00-11:15) Students share out their progress - What questions were answered? How did that stimulate your thinking? What questions remain unanswered? What are your next steps?


Tomorrow, we will set up structures for initial research and begin working toward driving questions. .

Wednesday, Sept 14th | Professional Models

Who are we as a community of thinkers, innovators?
What do I need to know about myself and my community, in order to develop a project?
How can I communicate my ideas?

Please remember to take Attendance.

INTRODUCTION:
Today, students will travel to two different disciplines to engage in observing and thinking about a professional model in those disciplines. Students are encouraged to visit disciplines other than the one that they were in for the mini-project week. Everyone should be mindful that this is an exploration, not a commitment to a discipline.

8:05 - Transition to first discipline for professional model.
8:08 - First Discipline Professional Model
8:28 - Transition to second discipline for professional model
8:31 - Second Discipline Professional Model
8:51 - Return to original Ideation Groups
9:00 - Town Hall begins

An approach to looking at model projects: Document Your Thoughts and Observations

• SEE: What do you see? What choices can you see the artist(s) make?
• THINK: What do you think the artist(s) value? What did the artist(s) think about in order to create their piece?
• PUZZLE: How does the work puzzle or challenge you? What questions would you ask the artist(s) if they were standing in front of you?
• EXPLORE: What did you see or hear that you would like to explore more through a project or process of your own?

Tuesday, Sept 13th | Ideation

Who are we as a community of thinkers, innovators?

What do I need to know about myself and my community, in order to develop a project?

What's possible?

Please remember to take Attendance.

DO NOW: (10:00-10:10)
Locate your brainstorming from yesterday. Take a different color font or ink, and highlight the words, phrases, concepts that stand out to you. Turn and Talk. Tell at least two other people about the ideas that stand out do you. Discuss connections. A few people share out to the whole class.

IDEATION: (10:10-11:10)
As a group, clarify the purpose of ideation. Remember that everyone and every project benefits from brainstorming first, because it allows us to see new and many possibilities. What is the best way to proceed? Decide. It is helpful to know all that is happening in the room we are thinking in, in case we need help thinking or changing our thinking.

Try a mind map. Use one of the ideas, phrases, concepts that you selected in the "do now" and expand your thinking. Spend 20 minutes filling the page, before inviting someone else to view your mind map and share their connections. You can choose if you'd like to include their connections or not. Continue connecting, expanding possibilities.

When a mind map feels full or complete (somehow), use post-it notes to begin generating questions. Place the questions on the areas of the map that connect to them. Remember, right now, anything is possible. Imagine. Wonder.

If something sticks to you, try the Beane Protocol next...

Keep all notes, possibilities, options for future reference!

TICKET OUT: (11:10-11:15)
Is there an art form that is emerging in your thinking, envisioning? What is it?

Tomorrow, students will have the opportunity to view model projects in different disciplines.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

Where do ideas come from? by Steven Johnson

6 Creative Ways to Brainstorm

Monday, Sept 12th | Reflection on Mini-Projects and Beginning Ideation

Who are we as a community of thinkers, innovators?

What do I need to know about myself and my community, in order to develop a project?

֍ START IN MINI PROJECT WEEK GROUPS FOR REFLECTION

֍ GATHERING: (10:00-10:15)

Circle up! In a go-around, share an appreciation from mini-project exhibitions on Friday. Students are encouraged to share an observation of another group, rather than something from their own group.

֍ SWITCHING INTO IDEATION GROUPS: (10:15-10:20)  

Some students will be switching to IDEATION groups.  Groups will, for the most part, remain constant.  A larger group will be joining Tim in the engineering room as a part of Design team ideation.  

֍ COMPASS POINTS: (10:20-10:35)

To make the transition from mini-projects to independent projects, go through the process of developing compass points and discussing/addressing specific points in a conversation.

• E - Knowing that you have the opportunity to choose and design your own project, what are you most Excited about?
• W - What are you worried about?
• N - What do you need to know, before moving forward or to be able to envision the semester?
• S - What suggestions to experienced students have for the semester? For ideation?

֍ IDEATION: (10:35 - 11:05) 

As a group, review the approaches to ideation that we have looked to in the past weeks and semesters. Also, see if there are other ideas or experiences or suggestions for ideation out there. Capture and share new ideas.

Suggestion: Begin with lists or mind maps of passions, interests, skills, and transformative experiences.

֍ TICKET OUT:  (11:05-11:15)

Headline: If someone was writing an article about you during ideation today, what would their headline be?

Week of Sept 12th - 16th | Reflection & Ideation

Who are we as a community of thinkers, innovators?
What do I need to know about myself and my community, in order to develop a project?

This week we will reflect on our mini-projects and begin ideation for independent, self-directed projects. Groups will shift from collaboration and consensus-building to more personal explorations, with advisors as guides. Advisors will help facilitate some brainstorming and some looking at model projects, but each student must commit to ideation in order to explore, expand, and then narrow thinking in the direction of a project. Students who have a project already in mind will also be expected to participate in all aspects of ideation.

֍ MONDAY 
We will reflect on mini-project week and anticipate year-long projects, using compass points. Experienced students will share out from their experiences with ideation in other projects, and we will get started with brainstorming lists and mind maps.

֍ TUESDAY
Brainstorming continues, exploring and expanding possibilities for projects.

֍ WEDNESDAY
Advisors will curate a single model project or a gallery, and guide students through a Think. Puzzle. Explore. thinking routine as an introduction to disciplines.

֍ THURSDAY
Ideation continues, with efforts to identify specific topics. We will introduce structures for initial research and creating driving questions..

֍ FRIDAY
Students will begin developing proposals, meeting with advisors, getting feedback, and beginning research. 

Friday, September 9 | Mini Project Week, Day 4 | Presentations

Exhibitions of Learning - The Short Version

Note: Please mark attendance on the spreadsheet. Help students who were absent find a home. Add their names. Please be mindful of group sizes.

How can we improve our Super Natural world?
Who are we as a community of thinkers, innovators?

DO NOW: (7:55-8:15)

Review roles in EOL and rehearse!

DO NEXT (8:15-8:30)

IF LOCATION IS ON SCHOOL SITE:

Last minute tweaks, adjustments, revisions and maybe a second run of the presentation

IF LOCATION IS OFF SITE, THEN THIS IS WALKING TIME.

Exhibitions of Learning - Mini Version

Time	Group	Topic
8:35-8:40	Introduction to EOLs - Mini Edition
8:40-8:50	Timi
8:55-9:05	Tim
9:10-9:20	Molly
9:25-9:35	Mike
9:40-9:50	Heather & Beckah
9:55-10:05	Erin
10:10-10:20	Erica
10:25-10:35	Dan
10:40-10:50	Becky & dREW
10:55-11:05	Addie
11:05-11:15	Whole Group Reflection