New Idea
Posted by drpezz on January 2, 2008
I’m thinking about giving my students a choice with their final novel projects. The students may compose a second literary analysis paper, or they may create an alternative project which incorporates an analysis and a visual. They will have to decide on the option and what they will create by Monday and get my approval before proceeding.
This way I can chat with the kids individually and give them some freedom.
mrschili said
I gave my lit class the option of choosing their own final project last term. I gave them some criteria that needed to be met, but let them choose how they were going to get there.
It went relatively well. One student wrote another chapter to Frankenstein. One did an excellent in-depth comparison of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Zeffirelli’s movie, and Disney’s The Lion King. Another wrote and illustrated a children’s book that incorporated, no lie, A Christmas Carol, Frankenstein, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (after leaving Walton’s ship, the Creature wanders aimlessly until he stumbles upon the Island of Misfit Toys).
A few students totally phoned it in, but those who didn’t really brought in new ideas and excellent perspectives on the work we did that term. It’s worth giving them that freedom just because some of them are going to knock your socks off….
Alwaysawigiril said
Choice is a great idea! This gives them a sense of ownership to their projects. It can be two-fold. They can really embrace the project to prove they can do it start to finish, and if they end up hating it in the end, well, they chose it, not you! After all, do you enjoy doing something (and thus do a better job) when it is your idea, not your boss’s?
Alwaysawigiril said
Choice is a great idea! This gives them a sense of ownership to their projects. It can be two-fold. They can really embrace the project to prove they can do it start to finish, and if they end up hating it in the end, well, they chose it, not you! After all, do you enjoy doing something (and thus do a better job) when it is your idea, not your boss’s? In addition, won’t it be better grading various projects with different angles, rather than the same thing over and over again!?