Student Engagement

For the last two weeks I have set up a scenario with a small group of 14 year old 8th grade students. These students represent the top 10 of their graduation class.  I shared with them that the next project will be a project of their choice.  They may complete a presentation project on anything and they can have as many slides as they want or as little as they want.  The goal would to learn something new and show the class what you learned.

The purpose of this was for me to analyse how students select their free choice topics and how motivated they will be to turn in challenging work without being prompted or pushed.

My students finished up their project.  They all had great looking slides with lots of information on it. However, their presentations lacked challenge.  3 out of the 10 students chose a topic they truly did not know much about and challenged themselves.  The topics included GMO's, Color Blindness and Thor Project.  7 out of the 10 students chose topics such as animals or sports and included expected information such as records, animal behaviors and traits.  I did not see anything information in their presentation that was new information or deep on the topic.

After everyone was done with their project, I shared with all my students that they did a great job and they all earned a 100.  These kids expect to earn a 100 and I did not disappoint.

I then instructed that they gather around for some candid conversation.  They know that I am always trying new projects and asking their feedback.  They are used to this sort of thing.

I asked, "How much time did you spend selecting your topic?"  Most said very little time, a few minutes.

I asked, "How did you select your topic?"  One responded Google and one had been to a GMO rally and wanted to learn more.  Two responded that they wanted to know more about the sport and shared a genuine interest.  The others were not really sure and just came up with it.  Though they did not say exactly, I would assume that they chose their topic by merely imitating what those around them were doing and chose what they did.

I candidly shared with them that their projects in general were good but not very challenging overall and the information was on a general level for the most part.  I know that they have interests that are very complex and aspire to work in impressive fields.  I asked, "Did you chose these topics because they are easy or because we truly have an interest?"

Most were not sure how to answer this.  They are trained to say that it was their interest.  They are honor kids.  They are supposed to challenge themselves, right?  I can be argued that I should be the one to question their project level.  I should intervene and give more directions.  But wouldn't it be great that students work hard on something that they are interested in?

Yes, they are good students and kids.  They are bright but still need our help in figuring out what motivates them.  Just letting them choose their topic proved to NOT be the solution for motivation; however, paired with guidance outlined in Inquiry And Innovation in the Classroom by AJ Juliani, we can get ALL kids motivated to learn.  Specifically, Juliani suggests the use of a basketball bracket as way to help students find their motivation.  I will for sure start here next time and will propose this to my students to see what they think.