Focus by: Jack Michael

We are not always at our top focus. In ever instance whether it be in a lecture or during class work, we are not always at 100%. Consequently, when students go home they need reinforcement of the subjects they have been taught. This way, when a test rolls around, students will not fear the test because they have had reinforcement of the lesson. One method of reinforcement I believe is extremely helpful is a project. Most students groan when they hear about a project. Yes, projects can be a lot of work, but they truly help to reinforce a topic that has been taught. If a project is done correctly, students will enjoy working on the project and it will help them fell more confident about the test. The focus of this blog will be to inform the reader on how to create good at home individual projects that are fun and useful for the student.

When a student sits down for a project, they often complain and fear the amount of hours or days it will take them to complete the project. A large and demanding project can make it extremely intolerable; this can lead to student apathy towards the project and less application and reinforcement during the project. The first step to creating a painless and fun project is to make it quick. If a student is able to finish a project over the course of a few hours or a day, they will find it more enjoyable. Projects like writing a minimum one-page essay or making a small booklet or even making a small PowerPoint are all tasks that can be completed in a few hours. When students spend only a few hours on a project, it will let them minimize mistakes, apply themselves more towards the project, become more engaged in the project, and finally retain more information during the project. Doing this will allow students to retain more information and enjoy the project more.

            Something I truly do not enjoy is doing the same thing over and over again. Sadly though, a lot of the projects I am assigned require me to do the same four things.  Either write an essay, create a PowerPoint, Make a poster board, and sometimes to create and iMovie. What I would enjoy seeing more of as a student would be differentiated platforms for project display. Doing things like creating a comic, making a stop motion, even building something would make the project more expressive and different to the student. As a teacher you should also create your own fun ideas for projects, this way students have a wide variety of platforms to display their work. Also allow students to propose their own ideas for projects, the project will be more useful to the students if they enjoy the platform they are doing it on. As long as students are retaining information and displaying understanding of the topic, then why should we confine them four platforms.

In this classroom where small projects are common, I believe every student would do exponentially better. Not only are students retaining more information from lectures and notes, but they will also inquire more about the lesson. School shouldn’t just learn what their teachers say without trying to learn more, school should foster more learning outside the classroom. I believe that these projects would foster learning outside the classroom.