Viva La Mexico!

Summary

As a comprehensive project for the 10th Annual International Night, students participated in a project on Mexico that embraced research, technology, art, music, and P.E. Students were tasked with becoming tour guides of Mexico and persuading the audience at International Night to visit the country. Students make sombraros in Art class, learn the Mexican Hat Dance in P.E class, and various music of Mexico in Music class to enhance their study of the country. Then while in library, students have a lesson on research tips and how to maintain a bibliography of sources. Students choose from 3 areas of research about Mexico – History, Culture and Geography. In this way, they form groups of 4 or 5 to first generate five questions to help guide their research. Students select from four project options to showcase their research – Thinglink, Prezi, PhotoBooth, and ScribbleMaps. The technology projects are shared first to the whole class, as well as with the entire Longan Community as a part of the 10th Annual International Night, along with the Art, Music and P.E. components of the project.

TIPC Ratings

Ideal:
Students formulated their own questions to guide research and used several information sources both print and online (Advanced Google searches, kid-friendly search engines, databases, etc.) to accomplish an authentic task. The teacher facilitated the research and assessed the groups as they performed their on-going research.

Ideal:
Students worked in groups where they established their own group norms and organized their own roles using digital tools of their own choosing to accomplish an authentic task, often even on their own time at home. They presented to their class and shared with the larger school community. They reflected on their roles as communicators and collaborators. The teacher faciliatated and assessed an authentic task where students are engaged in meaningful communication and purposeful communication.

Ideal:
Students used collaborative problem-solving to create a final project with technology that was previously unfamiliar, utilizing help menus/videos when stuck rather than asking the teacher. They generated and responded to their own purposeful questions, justifying their approaches within the group. They selected their own digital tools, questioning, critical thinking, and problem solving strategies to solve an authentic task. They reflected on their role as a critical thinker. The teacher facilitated their work as critical thinker.

Ideal:
Students were engaged in multiple activities to synthesize their existing and new knowledge around a research topic. They created new ideas and products beyond assignment parameters and took risks that supported that innovation. They reflected on their processes and set goals for future growth. The teacher facilitated and assesed the environment where students were engaged in creativity and innovation.