Get Schooled

By Robert

May 11, 2005 12:14 PM | Link to this

Like everything else, there are pros and cons to projects.

As a teacher, I assign projects with a clear rubric so that all students know what is expected. If a parent helps the student to turn in an exceptional project, then that project is not graded any higher than another project that has met the rubric’s criteria.

Hey, at least the parent is involved and is (hopefully) spending quality time with their son/daughter!

By Shauna

May 11, 2005 12:47 PM | Link to this

I sometimes have a problem with projects because some teachers require students to do a project that they are not able to do on their own.

The project should be grade level. Most of the projects need parental involvement. A lot of parental involvement. I want my child to learn to do a project from start to finish with minimum help. I support her and I am there for her, but I want the thought process behind the project to be ALL her idea. Sometimes the projects are too advanced for that.

And before anyone says anything, I check all my daughter’s homework everynight so I am an involved parent.

By Ernest

May 11, 2005 01:22 PM | Link to this

As Robert pointed out, I appreciate teachers that provide rubrics for assignments such as this. Not only that, I’ve had to sign them to indicate I understand the requirements. I wonder if teachers map these back to projects actually submitted.

Nonetheless, I think part of the unfair advantage is with the ‘judging’ of the projects. It’s easy to be attracted to projects with glitz and glamor then give them higher ratings. Subconsciously, I give greater consideration to those that appeared to have been done by a child with little parental involvement. Is that fair? Probably not, as long as I don’t penalize the fancy displays.

FWIW, I recall seeing a display on the effects of second hand smoke on children a few years ago. Part of the props included a small casket (one parent was a mortician) among other things. I’m not questioning the content of the presentation but it goes without saying this was a first place winner.

By Shauna

May 11, 2005 01:34 PM | Link to this

Ernest,

You sound like a teacher that I would love to spend a year with. You sound very fair.

What does FWIW mean?

By Amy W.

May 11, 2005 01:55 PM | Link to this

Yes, projects should be created “on grade level.” However, teachers should design projects that require students to THINK. one of the problems i’ve encountered while teaching is that students will constantly come to me for help when they actually have “answers” in front of them…they just choose to not put in the extra effort. then, when i direct them to the answer, they instead go to their parents for help, because yet again, they don’t want to do the work.

granted, not all children fall into this category. however, i find it frustrating when some parents complain that the “projects are too hard” for the students. would they prefer for me to create elementary-level projects for high school students, just so they can earn an “A”?

i also give clear rubrics to students so they have clear guidelines of what’s expected of them….the funny thing is, half the time they don’t follow the rubric!

By Dan

May 11, 2005 02:33 PM | Link to this

Actually Amy, and I am pretty sure you meant this, if you gave them an easy project the A really wouldn’t be earned now would it. Unfortunately too many people think they need to get good grades in HS to get to a good College so they can get a good job and make good money. They don’t seem to remember the real key is to LEARN, because all those things I mentioned may happen with grade inflation until that boss in the good paying job gives them a real task and they can’t do it and get fired. Then they turn around and blame the “system” for failing them

By Ernest

May 11, 2005 02:43 PM | Link to this

Shauna:

Actually, I’m not a K-12 teacher but a very involved parent.

For what it’s worth (FWIW) is a common computer acronym used as a short cut in communication. Go to any search engine and type in ‘emoticons acronyms’ as search words for sites explaining them.

G2G… :)

By FunkyGee

May 11, 2005 03:08 PM | Link to this

Projects are a pain in the butt.

By DB

May 11, 2005 03:38 PM | Link to this

Again, I can’t agree more with Dan. As a teacher, I do all the rubric stuff by giving them a copy of it. But some kids will have parental help, and there’s nothing you can do about that. I just know that sometime in the future(what I call college), mommy and daddy will not be there to bail them out. They will learn then. The few that go by the guidelines and do it by themselves are worth the effort. My projects only consist of presentations, i.e., real world applications where they have to present material by interacting with a group of peers. Also, in their presentations, I expect them to answer questions throughout as if the “grasp” the topic beyond their presentation. That’s where the real grading comes in, and it’s all built into the rubric. Content and delivery is much more important than flash. Also, With many parents being computer illiterate, I make them use powerpoint, which takes out the possibility of most parents being a helper. :) If they decide not to use powerpoint, the other option is the good old chalkboard(whiteboard).

By Gail

May 11, 2005 03:59 PM | Link to this

My kids’ school projects can be a pain. Most of the time it has been because of collecting the supplies for the projects. I had to drive across town to get the materials because the teacher assigned the same project to 200 students at the same time causing shortages in the nearby stores. I called three or four different Radio Shacks looking for a particular type of motor for a physics project.

I don’t mind doing my part, but here’s another beef: If each project requires one of something that comes in a large pack, it would be nice for the teacher to make a “kit” and let each kid buy one for a dollar. I had to buy whole packs of tongue depressors and skewers just to get one of each. A teacher friend of mine told me she bought the big packs and then doled out a makeshift kit to each student for $1 or less.

By Shelley

May 12, 2005 08:45 AM | Link to this

Gail,

As a concerned parent, why don’t you buy the multi-packs, put together kits, and sell to students or parents? Why is this the teacher’s responsibility?

By Amy W.

May 12, 2005 08:48 AM | Link to this

Actually Amy, and I am pretty sure you meant this, if you gave them an easy project the A really wouldn’t be earned now would it.

right. sorry if it came out weird. that’s what i meant. :)

By Shirley

May 12, 2005 10:45 AM | Link to this

My daughter is in high school now and can handle her own projects. When she was in kindergarten, her teacher gave her a Black History project. This was my homework!

By Shauna

May 12, 2005 11:01 AM | Link to this

Shirley,

I truly understand, when my daughter was in Pre-K, she (I) had to make a rocket. It took a long time and it was hard, but we had a good time. My husband and I just looked at it as a way to spend some quality time with our daughter. Every since then, we have made it a point to spend at least one night a week going over homework together. Usually I do it all but for one night a week, all three of us sit down and go over her homework packet.

If it weren’t for the project in Pre-K, we may not have started our new tradition.

I know it sounds corny but my daughter loves it and looks forward to daddy coming home early to help with her homework. So, all projects aren’t that bad.

By Meg

May 12, 2005 12:45 PM | Link to this

Part of the problem that I (as a teacher) see is that the project is not too “hard” for my kids, but rather that some parents are not willing to accept that a child working entirely alone can do the same level of work that the parent can do, so the parents take over some or all of the responsibility in order to make it look acceptable to them. Not every student will excel in every area, and it’s not a bad lesson for a child to learn that come project display time. This manifests itself in other areas, also. As a coach, come banquet time I do not give every member of the team an extra award- only those who truly did something superlative over the season. Most parents-including those whose children only recieve a certificate of participation (and varsity letter, if earned)- understand and appreciate the fact that it’s okay to show that some children have stronger talents than others, especially since it’s often more embarassing to be given a quasi-award than to not recieve one at all.

By Gail

May 12, 2005 03:34 PM | Link to this

Shelley,

I don’t think it’s the teacher’s responsibility. I just think it would have been nice.

After this happened the first time, I actually suggested to the teacher that the parents could get together on project supplies if we knew what to provide early enough. Unfortunately, due to various circumstances, it just never worked out. But that’s okay, my daughter and I had 4 hours of bonding time riding all over Atlanta to get the parts she needed.

By Sylvia

May 13, 2005 11:05 AM | Link to this

These projects are too much for younger elementary school children to do without a great deal of parental involvement. There seems to be too much Arts and crafts involved in constructing these things. My son had a 3rd grade book project that required 12 illustrations in addition to all the details needed about plot, characters, setting, et cetera. The actual book only had about 5 illustrations. Why not one really good one instead of 12 bad ones? This is a lot to ask of young children (maybe boys in particular) who are not artistic. They do not have the fine motor skills developed at that age and it takes forever to draw a single picture. When one then has to construct mobiles and things like that it is just too complicated and difficult, and just creates a lot of stress, anxiety, tears, and fights - not how I want to spend time with my child. What’s the point of all this stuff except to decorate the hallways? There is more effort relative to what is ultimately learned or gained. Maybe more choices need to be available to children who hate art construction projects? We just find the whole process to be torturous.