Features+Monster+Discussion


 * ======Why did you choose this project? ======

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As a beginning internet project, the interaction requirements are manageable. Students will be able communicate with other students around the country or even elsewhere in the world. This can provide the opportunity for students to learn about the area their partner class is from. Students will need to think about clear communication, especially important when communicating online. This project is about listening to instructions, an area that is applicable to every classroom. This is a project that is also K-12 and provides new experiences with every attempt. We chose this project because we felt that it best applied to a broad range of subject areas and that following instructions was an area that every student could use improvement.======



 * ======How, specifically, will this activity meet your learning objectives? ======

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I teach in a wood shop so my main concern no matter what topic I am teaching is safety. In order to be completely safe all the time the most important thing I stress to my students is following directions. If the follow my directions, they will be working safely and will be less likely to get hurt. I would use the monster exchange in my class as an exercise to make my students realize this fact rather then me repeating myself 100 times. I am often looking for new ways to make them come to these conclusions on their own because it means more than when I just tell them. ======

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I teach Drama and the main component of this internet project is imagination. It is almost as if each child opens their mind to one another while participating in this project. I think free play and imagination are so lost in today's children and since these are key ingredients to Drama, this project meets many of my objectives. I also love that it asks a kid to focus on details, in art it is often the details that really shape the big picture. ======

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Mary: Writing - clear communication, organization, all aspects of writing. Science - emphasis on how important it is to be specific when you are describing results in order for others to understand. ======



 * ======What do you feel are the strengths of the project? ======

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The Monster Exchange project seems simple at a first glance, but it can be used for so many different subject areas and at any learning level. This project can be used to enhance students creativity with the beginning steps of designing their own monster. Thinking skills are important for every class and throughout life. As teachers, this is something that all of us stress on a regular basis. The next part of this project where students have to describe their monster in great detail can be very difficult for many students, and is another skill that most teachers try to emphasize in their lessons. It is important that students learn English, not only in their English class, but the importance of using the correct words to get your point across to any audience. Learning to speak and write properly is an asset to anyone in any field and it is important that people learn this at a young age. The final part of the monster exchange is to recreate the monster using only the description that is given to you. This step will prove the importance of following directions. Students will realize that if they skip one tiny step or even misinterpret something, the end result will be completely different than what they wanted. The ability to follow directions is yet another skill that all teachers are constantly trying to get their students to improve upon. ======



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In what ways does this project promote higher order thinking? How will teachers provide students with ample opportunities for meaningful feedback? ======

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In order for the students to effectively replicate a drawing using the directions from another student, they will need to be able to analyze the information and translate the words into shape, color and line. In some cases, students may be communicating directions from a culture much different from our students, so it will be challenging for them to design an image based on words that could be interpreted in many different ways. In the end, all the students will need to be able to evaluate the results and determine what changes need to be made in the future for better communication to take place. Though the pictures in this activity appear to be simplistic, it will require higher order thinking skills to complete the activity successfully ======



 * ======<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; display: block;">Are there any constraints you will need to address? ======

<span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">The teacher must make sure that students understand the purpose of the project and how they will be graded. To do so, the teacher must take into account language or cultural differences that may make the project more difficult for some students. The teacher must also make sure that there is adequate technology for all students for scanning and posting pictures to the internet and obtain permission for students to post online if required.