Tuesday, January 31, 2017 | Ideation Day 4

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?

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

DO NOW: FIVE MINUTE SPEED RESEARCH [5 min]

Spend five minutes researching. Google the topic or a question you have. Be ready to share out what you researched and how it went.

DO NEXT: SHARE OUT [8 min]
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 [7 min]

Set up an account and new project in Easy Bib by following these directions.

1. Click login on the EasyBib website.
2. Click +New Project

3. Title your new project: First and Last Name | IDEAS Block | Spring 2017

Example: Addie Degenhardt | IDEAS Block | Spring 2017

MORE QUESTIONS [10 min]

• As a group, read the Driving Question page on the Humanities Website [3 minutes]
• Clarifying questions?
• Create a new document in your Project Block folder. Template
• Name it : Firstname Lastname | Driving Question | Spring 2017
• Move it to your P-Block folder
• Generate clear lists of Open and Closed questions on a topic.
• These can be copy and pasted from yesterday’s brain dump on your Question Starts document and added to throughout your process. Think of this document like your parking lot for the questions you need/want to answer throughout your process.

ADVISOR CONTACT [10:30-11:00]

Students

Advisors

Before you leave to discuss topics and ideas with advisors, create a list of 1-3 questions you want the advisor to consider. Be patient. If the advisor you are seeking out is busy, you might have to send them an email instead. Use your time during this 30 minutes wisely. If and when you discuss with an advisor, document your conversation. Be mindful of your advisor’s time. Please make sure you are back in your ideation groups by 11:00.

Make sure that you honoring the time of your p-block people and make sure they have the 30 minutes. Ensure your advisee have a clear picture of who they will be speaking with and what they will be asking before they leave. When speaking with students during this time, make sure they are documenting the conversation and that you are keeping an eye on the time. Please make sure all students are back in their ideation groups by 11:00.

SHARE OUT CONVERSATIONS [15 min]

• 1 interesting thing you learned or discovered OR 1 powerful question you asked for your research
• 1 next step for home learning tonight to be ready for proposals

Proposals will start tomorrow. Please be ready with your questions, initial research, etc.

Monday, January 30, 2017 | Ideation Day 3

DO NOW: CREATE QUESTION DOCUMENT

• Make a copy of the Question Starters document
• Rename the document: Firstname Lastname | Question Starts: Topic | Spring 2017
• Beckah DeYoung | Question Starts: Women’s Rights | Spring 2017
• Move the document into your Project Block folder.
• Repeat this process for each topic you are considering (more than one)

DO NEXT: GENERATE QUESTIONS

• 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.

GATHERING: WHIP AROUND

Share out a topic and 1 question you generated during your do now and do next

INDEPENDENT IDEATION

What do you need today?

• Continue your mind map?
• Make connections and ask questions?
• Expand or explode a topic further to break it down?
• Complete a Beane Protocol?
• Do initial research to make sure there is something out there about the topic?
• Email an advisor or staff member to discuss your topic?
• Check the list of advisors on the Ideation Page
• Prepare specific questions for certain advisors. 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.
• Do you need to bounce ideas off of a collaborator?

REFLECTION

Share out your 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.

Friday, January 26, 2017 | IDEATION Day Two

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Please DO NOT start your proposals. Proposals expectations are continuously in a state of a revision, because that is how your school evolves. We are committed to making the proposal process as meaningful as possible and not something that you feel holds you back. Trust us.
• We would typically review proposals on the following Friday, but we have considered pushing back that deadline. For those who have strong feelings about the deadline being Friday, February 3rd or would prefer a later due date, please email or talk with Tim about this matter.

GUIDING QUESTIONS:

• 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?

DO NOW: (10:00-10:10)
Locate your brainstorming from Wednesday. Take a different color font or ink, and highlight the words, phrases, concepts that stand out to you. Write that on a Post-It note

MIX AND MINGLE (GIVE ONE TO GET ONE):  

Mix around the room and mingle with different people continuously. Spend a minute talking to someone about what is on your Post-It, listen to the other person's carefully, because you will trade with them and now it is "YOUR" idea/topic. Continue doing this with the group for 8-10 minutes. Do your best to remember the ideas. Share them all out at the end of the time set by your IDEATION Advisor. Discuss connections. (When everyone shares, someone should act as a scribe, creating a list of ideas from Wednesday).

ORGANIZE YOURSELF AND YOUR PROJECT

• Google Drive >> New > Folder
• Name this folder : FirstName LastName | IDEAS Block | Spring 2017
• Example :  Jacob Bartz | IDEAS Block | Spring 2017
• Share this folder with your current IDEATION advisor (and Beckah if necessary- you should know who you are)
• 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 | Spring 2017
• Example : Jacob Bartz | Ideation Mind Map | Spring 2017

INDEPENDENT IDEATION: SET AN INTENTION

What do you need today? (Whiparound to share your intention with your group)

• Continue your mind map?
• Make connections and ask questions?
• Expand or explode a topic further to break it down?
• Complete a Beane Protocol?
• Do initial research to make sure there is something out there about the topic?

TICKET OUT:

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

Thursday, January 26th, 2017 | Continue conversation from Monday (Teachers in the Fish Bowl)

Today will be the second half of our conversation from Monday.  Now, the teachers enter the fish bowl to go through the protocol. Check in with your IDEATION Advisor asap at 10:00 and then head to the drama room, where the conversation will be facilitated by Ted.

Wednesday, January 25 | Ideation Day 1

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

DO NOW: GENERATE [5 minutes]

Write list of all your ideation tools you have used in the past

Share out and compile a class list

DO NEXT: DOT VOTE [5 minutes]

Review the approaches to ideation that we have used in the past.

Green: Your ideation tool of choice

Yellow: Ideation tool that confuses you or you need more clarification around

Red: I haven’t heard of that before

GATHERING: WHIP AROUND [10 minutes]

What is 1 project you saw last semester that inspired you? What was the topic? Why did it inspire you?

(Capture these topics and ideas)

IDEATION: REINTRODUCTION [5 minutes]

• 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 clarification do you need about the types of ideation tools from the dot vote?
• What is the best way for you 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.

QUICK JOTS: EMOTIONS LISTS [10 minutes]

• 3 min quick jots
• What are topics, ideas, happenings in the world around you that make you….

Sticky note 1: Angry

Sticky note 2: Excited or Happy

Sticky note 3: Curious

INDEPENDENT IDEATION [20 minutes]

1. Begin with lists or mind maps of passions, interests, skills, and transformative experiences.
2. Then, try a mind map. Use one of the ideas, phrases, concepts that you selected in the quick jots or your other lists and expand your thinking.
1. 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 now.
2. Continue connecting, expanding possibilities.
3. 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.

Keep all notes, possibilities, options for future reference!

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

Where do ideas come from? by Steven Johnson

6 Creative Ways to Brainstorm

TICKET OUT  [5 minutes]
1 topic that really stuck with you from your brainstorming today.

Monday, January 23rd, 2017 | Town Hall

Please check in with your last semester Creation Advisor and then head to the Drama Room for a Town Hall.

Friday, January 20th, 2017 | Final Day of the Semester and Last chance to revise

Year-Long Project Announcements

• Panel Check-Ins must be scheduled this week for next week at the latest. This is an opportunity to, again, demonstrate Habits of Professionalism and follow up on the expectations set by the panel initially. The panel will determine if the project is viable to continue through second semester.
• Also, please set up a meeting time for Heather or Addie for a writing conference that will setup for your next formal writing component.  Schedule it for the beginning of February at this time.

Announcements

• Anyone who missed their Exhibition of Learning presentation time must email Tim, your creation advisor, Mike, and Ted with an explanation and a scheduled time for a make up presentation time.
• Feedback forms are counted and scores are located on Skyward under IDEAS Block.
• This week, teachers will be sharing feedback forms from EOL's and your rubrics from last week.  As they share them, grades will also be entered on Skyward.  If you are not seeing grades coming up for you, please contact your creation advisor.  DO NOT EMAIL MOLLY!
• Grades are final on Friday.  Any missing evidence of learning will not be accepted beyond Friday for this semester.  Please be in contact with Addie, Heather, and your creation advisor if there are gaps in your gradebook.  They can resolve any issues or inform you about what you need to do.  Friday grades are final for the semester.
• Be ready to return to your original IDEATION groups from this fall.  The major changes to ideation involve Becky, Heather, and Tim.  Heather will team up with Addie while Becky will take over her group in Beckah's Room.  Tim will be going through the IDEATION phase with Year-Long Projects.
• Reflective Essays are Due Friday via the Google Classroom link located in the right-side widget bar.

Do Now

• Submit your essay to the Google Classroom assignment Reflective Essay if completed.  This is another ELA component that is required for IDEAS Block. 

Do Next

• Gathering - Choice of Creation Advisor

Studio Time 

• Set a Goal for Your Reflective Essay and make your document. A stretch goal of completing your first paragraph is reasonable.
• Your creation advisor will be conferencing with your colleagues at this time, so use this time effectively to make progress on your reflective essay.  
• If you finish your reflective essay, feel free to start a Mind Map or Idea web to start your IDEATION process for next semester.  
• Revise any IDEAS Block evidence that may be not proficient evidence.

Ticket out

• Show your creation advisor evidence of progress on your studio time goal(s).

Thursday, January 19th, 2017 | Reflective Process - Day 2

As you are reflecting and looking over your feedback forms from Exhibitions of Learning, think about how you want people to react to your next project.  How will you challenge yourself to take your self-discipline and innovation to another level?  What type of topics inspire you?  You will begin IDEATION next week. Are you prepared?

Year-Long Project Announcements

• Panel Check-Ins must be scheduled this week for next week at the latest. This is an opportunity to, again, demonstrate Habits of Professionalism and follow up on the expectations set by the panel initially. The panel will determine if the project is viable to continue through second semester.
• Also, please set up a meeting time for Heather or Addie for a writing conference that will setup for your next formal writing component.  Schedule it for the beginning of February at this time.

Announcements

• Anyone who missed their Exhibition of Learning presentation time must email Tim, your creation advisor, Mike, and Ted with an explanation and a scheduled time for a make up presentation time.
• Feedback forms are counted and scores are located on Skyward under IDEAS Block.
• This week, teachers will be sharing feedback forms from EOL's and your rubrics from last week.  As they share them, grades will also be entered on Skyward.  If you are not seeing grades coming up for you, please contact your creation advisor.  DO NOT EMAIL MOLLY!
• Grades are final on Friday.  Any missing evidence of learning will not be accepted beyond Friday for this semester.  Please be in contact with Addie, Heather, and your creation advisor if there are gaps in your gradebook.  They can resolve any issues or inform you about what you need to do.  Friday grades are final for the semester.
• Be ready to return to your original IDEATION groups from this fall.  The major changes to ideation involve Becky, Heather, and Tim.  Heather will team up with Addie while Becky will take over her group in Beckah's Room.  Tim will be going through the IDEATION phase with Year-Long Projects.
• Reflective Essays are Due Friday via the Google Classroom link located in the right-side widget bar.

Do Now

• Submit your essay to the Google Classroom assignment Reflective Essay if completed.  This is another ELA component that is required for IDEAS Block.

Do Next

• Gathering - Image Cards (Creation Advisors: Grab image cards from your advisory bins).
• Find two cards, the first one represents you at the beginning of this semesters iteration of the creative process.  The second represents you now that you have completed your Exhibitions of Learning.  Share out your responses in a circle up with your group.

Studio Time 

• Set a Goal for Your Reflective Essay and make your document. A stretch goal of completing your first paragraph is reasonable.
• Your creation advisor will be conferencing with your colleagues at this time, so use this time effectively to make progress on your reflective essay.  
• If you finish your reflective essay, feel free to start a Mind Map or Idea web to start your IDEATION process for next semester.  
• You can also send your reflective essays to Heather or Addie for feedback to improve them before you submit final drafts.

Ticket out

Show your creation advisor evidence of progress on your studio time goal(s).

Wednesday, January 18th, 2017 | Reflective Process - Yearlong Panel Scheduling

Exhibitions of Learning for this first IDEAS Block portion of the 2016-2017 school year are completed! It was an amazing success with dazzling projects, learning opportunities, and newly developed partnerships.  This semester, we want to emphasize the reflective process.  You all will be completing a formal, written reflection.  Be ready to meet with your creation advisors as well.

Year-Long Project Announcements

• Panel Check-Ins must be scheduled this week for next week at the latest. This is an opportunity to, again, demonstrate Habits of Professionalism and follow up on the expectations set by the panel initially. The panel will determine if the project is viable to continue through second semester.
• Also, please set up a meeting time for Heather or Addie for a writing conference that will setup for your next formal writing component.  Schedule it for the beginning of February at this time.

Announcements

• Anyone who missed their Exhibition of Learning presentation time must email Tim, your creation advisor, Mike, and Ted with an explanation and a scheduled time for a make up presentation time.
• Feedback forms are counted and scores are located on Skyward under IDEAS Block.
• This week, teachers will be sharing feedback forms from EOL's and your rubrics from last week.  As they share them, grades will also be entered on Skyward.  If you are not seeing grades coming up for you, please contact your creation advisor.  DO NOT EMAIL MOLLY!
• Grades are final on Friday.  Any missing evidence of learning will not be accepted beyond Friday for this semester.  Please be in contact with Addie, Heather, and your creation advisor if there are gaps in your gradebook.  They can resolve any issues or inform you about what you need to do.  Friday grades are final for the semester.
• Be ready to return to your original IDEATION groups from this fall.  The major changes to ideation involve Becky, Heather, and Tim.  Heather will team up with Addie while Becky will take over the group in Beckah's Room.  Tim will be going through the IDEATION phase with Year-Long Projects.
• Reflective Essays are Due Friday

Today's Lesson

Do Now:

• Quick Jot (Write your response on a Post-It or Notebook) 
• What was the high and low of your own Exhibition of Learning?

Do Next:

In an individual reflection, use color or another form of annotation tool to review and respond to the feedback on peer feedback forms as well as staff rubrics.

• Use three colors to highlight what you see: 
• Use one color to highlight areas that you CONNECT with or agree with. 
• Use another color to highlight areas that EXTEND your thinking about your project or yourself. 
• Use a third color to high light areas that CHALLENGE your thinking about your project. 
• Write your own notes on these feedback forms, so that you can keep track of your thinking to share in your written reflection or staff conference.

Whiparound: 

• Share one word that captures the essence of the feedback you received

Group Reflection:

• Contribute to group reflection on quality projects and quality Exhibitions of Learning. Use the following shared document for the following lists: (Please only have one scribe for each group and use your specific tab based on Advisor names for recording for your group.)
• KEEP : What should absolutely stay the same about projects, exhibitions?
• CHANGE : What should absolutely change? In what specific ways could they be improved?
• SUPPORT : What (existing or needed) resources are essential to this process? 

Studio Time:

• Students may be engaged in any one of the following.
• Write the formal reflection essay for this semester. Please take time to review the assignment on the language arts website, organize your thinking, be honest with yourself, and write the essay. Please keep in mind the expectations are modified for our shortened timeline. While we would like you to address all four pieces of the reflection, we are only looking for about 300 words or one page of writing. Published to your ELA blog. Due Friday.  
• This is something that you should begin planning today and be able to finish in the time allotted for Project Block on Tuesday....one hour!
• Conference with your advisor to review the details and annotations on your rubrics, to discuss opportunities for and experiences of growth, to expose and distill all that you accomplished through your project and exhibition.