Students spent time researching the needs for the RMS playground by talking to other students. They also explored creative playgrounds and ideas on the internet. Students collected sites and printed images they found useful and appealing.
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We have an interesting situation at RMS. We are not an upper elementary or a junior high school. We are not even a typical middle school. RMS houses 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students. The need for a playground, or at least an area for the students to socialize outside, is apparent.
To energize students we circled up around the room and quickly went around the room recalling our favorite memories of recess/playground as an elementary student. Students recalled using their imagination often, playing on slides, swinging from bars, playing tag, and the excitement of kickball. Our current playground consists of a parking lot with a few four-squares, three leaning basketball goals on a small pad of concrete, two tether ball poles, and one large gazebo. The students noted positives about our current playground:There is ample room with a huge field and outdoor classroom with many paths. The gazebo is beautiful and was built by our technical school students. There are three basketball goals and always games going. But the problems the students came up with were interesting:
Students posted problems they wanted help solving or wanted to tackle in order to make life better for an RMS student. After all problems were posted, students were placed in small groups of 3 to 5. Each group selected one problem they wanted to solve. Through a large group discussion, we talked about how some things can seem worse than they are. I asked each group to come up with two positives about their problem. I believe this was important because of the topic involving ways to make their life better. I didn't want everything to seem negative. Using the Design Thinking process, students collaborated to discuss the problem. They defined and focused the problem and then they began brainstorming to come up with creative solutions. I encouraged students to do more research outside of class by interviewing others, online discovery, and observation over the weekend. The problems the students selected and defined include: 1. Crowded halls 2. Feeling tired 3. Crowded gym 4. Announcements are too long 5. Lockers are too small I created a handout, What Bothers You, to assist students with things that bother them. Students kept a log of challenging things throughout the day. Some of their "problems" surprised me.
Top Ten 7th grade Problems: 1. Too tired to get out of bed 2. Crowded bus 3. Crowded gym, not enough space in the morning 4. Crowded halls 5. Boring lectures 6. Lunch is too short 7. Study Hall is too short 8. Too much homework, not enough time to finish homework 9. Lockers too small and too crowded to use them 10. Announcements start too early, can't hear announcements My husband reminded me: You don't look for anything, but you watch for everything! Thanks, Jamie!
1. I envisioned the kids tackling a BIG project. I have discovered they are more open to and more excited about smaller projects that take less time. They are extremely excited about each project, but seem more focused on the problems where we spend 3 days as opposed to six days. 2. When I allowed the students to pick their own partners or groups, they always migrate to the same people in which they feel comfortable. When I have played games to pair or group the students, they are actually more focused and more successful with their work. Groupings have occurred through commonalities such as eye color, height, birthday, color chips, etc. All students have been respectful with their groupings. One day a student came in late. Without being told or asked, another student asked the late student if they wanted to join their group. These were not kids who commonly were friends. This made me smile! 3. I have discovered the girls want to solve problems more with talking, writing, and sketching, while boys are quick and eager to solve problems by constructing three-dimensional prototypes. When I mixed girls and boys together, students were more successful than if genders were separated. 4. I witnessed two of the quietest girls step up on their own and lead a group to solving a problem after others were unsuccessful. 5. The number of students asking for my help has diminished considerably since the first week of learning the Design Thinking process. They have turned more toward each other for help and brainstorming. The fear of failure has also diminished. 6. Good character traits such as responsibility, acceptance, leadership, perseverance, consideration, and cooperation have been evident in each student. Students have not argued or been negative. I have only witnessed two kids debating why one idea was better than the other. I have been pleasantly surprised at how everyone else has been open to all ideas and easily come to agreements on final decisions. 7. The class meets 3 days a week for 25 minutes. We meet on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. This has proven to be a challenge as kids are also pulled out every two weeks. Therefore, every two weeks, the groups change. The inconsistency of meeting times have made me realize the smaller, shorter problems are more successful. Given the opportunity to research outside of class, students typically do not respond. They tell me it's because they forget because they are so busy with everything else! I do have quite a conundrum going on with my research and implementation of Design Thinking within my classroom. First of all, there is so much information and so many wonderful ideas that I feel like I need an entire year to fully master this subject. Secondly, I have selected to implement these ideas and develop this curriculum with a group of students I only see three times a week. This makes it difficult to move as quickly as I'd like. Finally, my district is pushing me (in a good way) to fully develop My Big Campus. This spreads my time and information over a larger space which makes me feel my work here is not the quality I'd like it to be. I've been journaling in a notebook, but have not taken the extra time to blog. So I will be catching up on that TODAY! Hmmm...well, I'm certainly learning during this process! Here is a video I shared with my students. I warned them to be prepared for the nudity! ;) They loved it and it helped them understand the design process better. This week students have continued activities involving getting to know each other better, practicing communication skills, and teamwork.
One activity, FIND SOMEONE WHO, involved finding classmates who could fill in specific squares on a handout. Another activity involved putting the students into groups according to the color of their clothes. Each individual of each group used their pointer finger to lift and lower a hula hoop, keeping it level. Each time the group succeeded, a member was removed until only two members remained. We had a good discussion about teamwork and students noted things can be better with help from others. Students had a short hula hoop competition, just for fun, after the activity! At the beginning of the last class this week, I asked students to make a list of things they can contribute to a group as well as things they believe they do well. Next, I asked the students to make a big circle around the room. I started the circle by saying I could be an encourager or cheerleader for a group. We went around the circle quickly as each student said one or two things they could add to a group. Of course I cheered them on all the way around! The most challenging activity of the week involved the Human Knot. I numbered the students off in groups of three. Students were instructed to get shoulder to shoulder in a group, reach across the circle and grab opposite hands of two different people. The boys weren't too excited to take a girl's hand but they didn't resist when the girls stepped up and took their hands! From there, the kids were on their own to "untie" the human knot without dropping hands. The smaller groups accomplished the tasks fairly quickly. I then put all the kids into one large group. The group was so large (over 20 kids) and the time was too short, making the activity unsuccessful as far as "untying" the knot. However, the kids tried hard, laughed often, and I was pleasantly surprised by two kids who stepped up as leaders. I will have them attempt it again in two groups next week and then in the larger group if they would like. The only problems we've had so far is a lack of time. The first few days of my Design Thinking class have been spent explaining the parental permission slip and student assent form and a brief overview of Design Thinking. The students have spent quality time interviewing and introducing each other after I paired them up by height. I believe the more the students know about each other, the more likely they will be successful together. Everyone seems to enjoy talking about themselves and each other. Everyone listened respectfully and were willing to be introduced to the group. It appears students are forming new bonds with each other. Students were also instructed to find someone who they were not sitting by and discover what they had in common and their differences.
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Laurie Myers
University of Florida, graduate student. Archives
June 2013
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