Conferencing with students

So this week I began conferencing with students about the topics they were going to choose, the person(s) they were going to work with, and their ideas for how to present their project. Our classroom functioned as usual with students getting their research done and working on a set of goals, but I began asking for people who were ready to conference to come and see me. And they did. Some students chose to work on their own, some chose to work with a partner, some chose groups of 3. The majority of students have decided to work on a project dealing with some part of the orchestra, though a few have decided to work on a project about Mozart, Scott Joplin, and Amy Beach. We talked through the rubric together in these little conferences, they were given a version with the requirements to receive a proficient grade highlighted. Students were then asked to come up with an idea for how they would present the information. I have heard so many good ones! Some students are making books. Others are going to pretend they are the instrument players themselves and interview each other about the instruments over the DoInk Green Screen App. Some are creating posters, writing speeches, creating slideshows, you name it, they've come up with it! It is awesome to see creativity and an excitement to teach their other students about a topic they are truly interested in. They are taking ownership now and seem to really be enjoying what they are learning. I am excited to see how they can keep the focus and work going through the next month as they complete their projects. Look for some of the project highlights here as they start to come up!