Thursday, April 30, 2015

Brit Lit: Design Challenges: Discovery & Experiment Phase

We'll start today with a ten-minute blog prompt to serve as part of our Discovery phase of our MUDDING SIGNAGE and THERMOSTAT CAR STARTER design challenge.

PROMPT.  Why did you choose the design challenge topic you did?  What experiences have you, or people in your life, had that led you to this topic?  What experience can you bring to the table that will inform possible solutions?

Then we'll complete DEEP dt Adventure Grids to game plan the next stages of the design challenge.

Then, we're going to jump right into some Experiment phase and make some low-rez prototypes of possible solutions.  We're going to use our Adventure Grids to guide us into Empathy work next week.  Expect to experiment each day going forward though.

The other thing to expect next week is a spreadsheet in Google Drive and assessments on PowerSchool  that will give you a checklist of exactly what you need to do between now and the end of the year.

ASSESSMENT.

Req'd Blog Post.  
Why did you choose the design challenge topic you did?  What experiences have you, or people in your life, had that led you to this topic?  What experience can you bring to the table that will inform possible solutions?
Due. Thursday, April 30.

Humanities: Little Things Essay: Discovery & Experiment Phases

We continue Discovery phase of designing our Little Things essays today.  We also jump over Empathy phase and start Experiment phases.  (We'll come back to Empathy when we do some peer feedback sessions & have some empathy conversations about readership,  details, storytelling)  

From Ms. Boiselle:

Below are station options for today’s class. You are required to do three of them today.

1.     Dialogue
In this station, you will use the pictures below to re-create dialogue for the scene presented. Then when you have finished writing dialogue for the scene, I want you to read it to a friend, without showing them the picture, and have them guess which picture you created the dialogue from.

For example:
“Sally, can I tell you a secret?”
“Duh Jane, I love secrets!” Sally replied.
I leaned in close and started to whisper my deepest, darkest, secret into my friends ear, when all of a sudden I hear, “Oh no Jane! If that is your secret, I’m gonna have to tell my mom!”

Can you figure out which picture that goes to?




2.     Setting a Scene
Using legos, rebuild the scene you are trying to create. This can be either literally or figuratively.
3.     Timeline Station
  Take index cards and write down the key things that happen throughout the scene that you believe are really important. Then with the index cards, put them in order, change the order around, and see what the best timeline of events would look like. When you feel you are comfortable with the timeline, take a picture of it so you can have it during the essay writing process.
4.     Topic Refining Station

 Finish the Rose Bud Thorn activity if you haven’t already. If you have finished that, use this station time to write down the most important pieces of the little thing that matters to you most. This can include the reason why it is important, the setting and time that makes it important, whatever it may be. Create these ideas on a stickie note, or index card and take a picture of what you write so you will have it during the essay writing process.


ASSESSMENTS.

BLOG. 3+ Posts
Req'd Post 1.  Students Making a Difference Playlist.
Create a playlist of three videos showing students making a difference in their local, national or global communities.  Post these videos on your blog and explain what the student did and why you chose to include it in your playlist.   Be intentional.

This playlist is only one of your posts for the week and will be our pre-work for our final project of the year.

Req'd Post 2.  Composition & Culture.  Create a slideshow or video of your presentation that can be shared with a wider audience.  Post it on your blog.  Include voice over or typed commentary and music -- the qualities that you know will appeal to your users based on our empathy conversations.

Due. Friday, May 1st.

Culture & Composition.  
Export your slideshows as QuickTime movies OR PDFs and put in your Humanities IN folders along with your rationales and self-assessment (Four Corners).
Due. ASAP.

ROOTS 12. Quiz.
Due.  Thursday, May 7

WRITE. Baltimore story.
Based on slideshow
Due. Today, April 29

LITTLE THINGS ESSAY.
Discover Phase:  Brainstorm, Rose/Bud/Thorn.
Post to Blog.
Due.  Wednesday, April 29.