Action: The Voices of Our App Generation Students

• Students are facing semester examinations~ and teachers are facing a time of reflection about the semester's work. Are our classes meeting the needs and interests of our App Generation students; how are we activatinglearning? How do we know if we have been successful in our efforts?
• 1. Are the voices of our students being heard in authentic ways?
• 2. How are we as teachers asking them to partner with us in their learning?
• 3. Are students empowered by their learning?
• 4. How are students enhanced by our teaching and their learning?
• 5. Are we engaged together as learning teams in our problems and purposes?
• Rich discussions surrounding a problem-based question and research model are activating my Petri dish at Williamsburg Christian Academy. My students are preparing multiple projects simultaneously; a literary magazine with a scheduled trip to the VirginiaMuseum of Fine Arts to review the new Hollywood Costume exhibition for their fellow students~ a literature review about our nation's infrastructure for a video to C-Span~ a brief video clip to the President of the USA on why technology is impacting modern students~ a Socratic Seminar series on ancient mythology and its impact on contemporary life~ and research on seven monuments and memorials in DC for their ING grant. It has been a task oriented and unusual semester; but~ I think that as the students move ahead~ we can answers some of these questions with assurance that teaching and learning are moving forward.

Results:

• 1. My students' voices propel authentic problems. They select the problems from a menu of possibilities I research.
• 2. I am partnering with them in research and production problems while seeking experts to guide us. We have invited two design specialists and an attorney to problem-solve with us.
• 3. My students are empowered and cooperative; they are asking to meet over Christmas break to be certain deadlines external to us are met! Deadlines in the external world from school have meaning and monetary impact as we apply for grants and honors from our work.
• 4. My students find that debriefing their own successes and limitations in a project are as important as my feedback; they are listening to one another. Teaching them how to give peer feedback is essential to a civil conversation.
• 5. We are selecting meaningful projects from a list of potential ideas and together moving forward in a positive direction. The list is amazing when you start linking products to educational goals.
• In my judgment~ it has been a great semester because students are partnering in meaningful ways with adults in whom they have confidence~ respect~ and trust!
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