Co-Design: Appendix

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Appendix A

6th Grade Learning Survey (viaSurvey Monkey)

1. What is your name? (Please write your first and last name)2. How do you feel about learning at school?

a. Really Excitedb. Goodc. Boredd. Unhappye. Other

3. Tell me about a time when you were excited about learning something (atschool or outside of school)?

4. Whats the best way to learn about a book/topic?a. A teacher lectures about a book and students take notes.

b. Students read independently and answer questions that the teacher hasprepared.

c. Students discuss books in groups of four and ask each other questions.d. Other

5. Whats the best way to show someone youve learned something?a. Get an A+ on a test

b. Make a presentation to your classmates and parentsc. Put a lot of effort into your workd. Create excellent work

6. Which way do you prefer to learn?a. Independently

b. In pairs (2 students)c. In groups (3 or more students)

7. Who should decide what you learn about in school?a. Teachers

b. Studentsc. Teachers and students togetherd. Parents


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8. Confidence is belief in yourself and your abilities. What is your level ofconfidence in the following subjects:

9. Who do you feel has the most control over your learning at school?a. Teachers

b. Youc. Classmatesd. Parents

10. What are you comfortable with? How comfortable would you be if yourteachers asked you to...

Very

comfortable

Kind of

comfortable

A little

comfortableUncomfortable

Create your own

deadlines for

work

Make a choice

about what tolearn in an

upcoming project

Make a choice

about what role

you will play in a

project

Propose an idea

for a project

Grade your own

work

Share your work

with visitors to

our school

High Medium Low None

Math

Reading

Writing

Science

History

Art


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11. What do you want to learn this year?12. What questions or concerns do you have about the world? (Write down as many

questions as you can in the spaces below.)

13. What questions or concerns do you have about yourself? (Write down as manyquestions as you can in the spaces below.)


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Appendix B

Interview QuestionsEngagement Curiosity Depth of Understanding

Whats working foryou in humanities?Whats not working

so well?

Tell me about a timewhen you were

really into learning

(like you didnt

want it to stop!).

Tell me about yourfavorite learning

experience in

humanities this year.

Tell me aboutsome of thequestions youve

developed while

working on our

project?

How have youused these

questions in your

learning?

What are somesignificant thingsyouve learned about

during this project?

Democracy / Collaboration

How have we been making decisions during this project? Hows it going for you? What would you improve in our class co-design?

Note: This list of questions expanded with each interview. Many of the questions I asked flowed

with the natural direction of the conversation or were triggered by observations in my journal.


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Appendix C

Dream Big

If there were ever a time to dare,

To make a differenceTo embark on something worth doing,

It is now.

Not for any grand cause, necessarily

But for something that tugs at your heart

Something that is worth your aspiration

Something that is your dream.

You owe it to yourself

To make your days count.

Have fun. Dig deep. Stretch.

Dream big.

Know, though,

That things worth doing

Seldom come easy.

There will be times when you want to

Turn around

Pack it up and call it quits.

Those times tell you

That you are pushing yourself

And that you are not afraid to learn by

trying.

Persist.

Because with an idea,

Determination and the right tools,

You can do great things.Let your instincts, your intellect

And let your heart guide you.

Trust.

Believe in the incredible power

Of the human mind

Of doing something that makes a

difference.

Of working hard

Of laughing and hoping

Of lasting friends

Of all the things that will cross your path

this year.

The start of something new

Brings the hope of something great.

Anything is possible.

There is only one you

And you will pass this way only once.

Do it right.


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Appendix D

WE ARE A SCHOOL

THAT DOESPROJECTS

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What happens whenstudents & teachersdesign a PROJECT

together?

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??

?Your QUESTIONS.

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Appendix E

Project Tuning with Students Protocol

Project Tuning Steps

1. Overview of Project Idea (10 minutes)Teacher will go over the idea for our project. Students can follow along on

their handout.

2. Student Questions (8 minutes)

Is there something that is unclear? Do you want to know more about a detail?

Students can ask teacher any questions to clarify the idea for the project.

3. Students Journal (10 mins) Before beginning our discussion, students take

some time to think and journal. They will use these ideas in the discussion.

4. Student Discussion (15 minutes)

Students will discuss the project idea in a circle (much like literacy lounge or

Ms. Wongs class meeting). Students can talk about the ideas they like or the

things theyd like to change.

5. Teacher Response (5 minutes)

While the students are talking, the teacher will take notes on the ideas they

offer. Now, the teacher will share those notes and their thoughts.

Project Tuning Roles

Conversation Captain Facilitates the conversation, calling on students who are

raising their hand to join the conversation.

Question Collector Writes down questions that emerge during the student

discussion. The questions should be written on a poster or whiteboard that is

visible to everyone in the discussion.

Time Keeper Keeps track of time for each step of the protocol. Notifies

students and teacher at the one-minute mark.


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Appendix F


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Appendix G


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Appendix H

Methods

When I invited students to become co-collaborators of our learning experience and

create a more democratic culture within my class, I was on the lookout for specificqualities in my students:

1. A sense of engagement2. Curiosity3. Ownership4. Confidence5. A shift in attitude towards learning and collaboration as we designed a semest

project together.

I utilized a variety of methods for collecting and analyzing data. It was important t

consider my students experiences, thoughts, questions, feelings, my own perceptions

and the work students produced. I used the following as methods for data collection: Surveys Interviews Journals (Teacher & student)

Photos Student Work Samples

Data Collection & Analysis

Surveys

Since I was looking at how a democratic approach affected the sense of

ownership of students, confidence and sense of curiosity, I wanted to gauge any changin their attitudes throughout the process. I used a survey (three times) to formally chec

in with students at the beginning, middle and conclusion of the study. At the onset of

my research I administered the survey to my class (56 students) that included a mix of

open-ended, multiple choice and rating/ranking questions. Data from the survey was

collected and compiled in a spreadsheet and then used to create charts and graphs that

visually interpreted the information and informed my findings.

InterviewsVery often, 6th graders produce writing that lacks insight or rich detail on the

first pass. When pressed about their lack of adequate detail, they simply explain, Iknow what I wanted to say, but couldnt get it all out in writing. I can tell you right no

though. Realizing this tendency for many students, it was important to use spoken

interviews as a means of delving deep into the minds of my students. In lieu of selectin

a focus group, I chose to check in with a variety of students throughout our

collaboratively-designed project. When I saw a moment I wanted to capture in my


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research, I often interviewed the student to gain further insight into their thinking and

experience.

I designed a series of open-ended questions (see Appendix B) that revealed

students attitudes, feelings and experiences about learning in a co-designed project. The

interviews were transcribed and mined for significant information. Throughout the

project, I met with a rotating self-selecting group of students whom I refer to as the

lunch bunch in my findings. I used the questions from Appendix B as a starting point,

but often improvised as the conversation took different directions. These interviews

provided a valuable dimension of evidence for my findings throughout the research.

Many portions of my findings are laced with their conversations, which construct a

student-centered narrative. As I analyzed theses interviews, I was on the lookout for

overarching themes and changes in the students narratives.

JournalsI used two types of journals throughout my action research:

1. Student Reflection & Inquiry JournalA central part of my action research was to encourage students to become

meaning makers and active participants in their learning. Reflecting on the

learning (understanding) and asking questions to drive their learning deeper

(sense of inquiry) were key components to these ideas. Reflection and inquiry

journals allowed me to access their ongoing mental and emotional process. The

journals also doubled as tools for developing deeper levels of student thought

and inquiry in the projects.

The journals allowed me to gauge what and how students were learning, and

offered significant quotes that revealed the effects of collaborative design ontheir learning.

2. Teacher Observation & Reflection JournalI used an observation journal to capture significant moments throughout my

research. Observations were primarily written, but often accompanied by

photos, video or audio segments. It was important to capture conversations

around learning in the classroom in order to better understand student attitudes

and the depth of learning that was taking place. Furthermore, descriptions of

student behavior and body language during projects helped me understand

how democratic processes affected student engagement. My journal providedquestions and topics for discussion in my conversations with students.

It also helped me to chronicle the unexpected. My journal captured snapshots of

my experience, and I was able to use it to better understand how the process

affected my outlook. By reviewing my journal entries regularly, I was able to

note my changing perspective.


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PhotosAnsel Adams once said, A photograph is usually looked at seldom looked

into. Throughout my action research I took hundreds of photos. There were moments

when something was happening that couldnt be described in a journal (or I didnt hav

the time to jot it down). At these times, I pulled out the camera and snapped a flurry of

shots. I knew that certain details (fleeting in the moment) might reveal themselves upo

further examination. The photographs I took each day helped me to put many of my

notes (sometimes just scribbles in a journal) in order. The photos helped me keep track

of which students were involved in certain activities or committees. As I wrote my

findings, I compared the photos with my journal notes and searched for subtle

dimensions of learning body language, expression, student interactions. I have

inserted many of these photos throughout my findings.

Student Work Samples

Throughout our semester project, students maintained a portfolio of work. Thiportfolio captured their growth of ideas, questions, writing and artwork. The

development and quality of work allowed me to assess multiple dimensions of learnin

Assessing their portfolio work led to the demonstration of qualities discussed in my

findings: mastery of content and quality of collaboration. I was able to chart the

development of each groups project (from the first days questions to the final draft of

their article). Two final articles are featured in Appendix F.

Painting A Portrait of the Students ExperienceThroughout my action research, I built a well-rounded portrait of my students

experiences with co-design. Through surveys, interviews, photographs, journals and a

examination of student work, I wove a story explaining what happened when I

collaboratively designed a project with students.


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For more information on the project described in this book go to

www.bobbyshaddox.com

Documents

Co-Design: Appendix