Tasks for Ties
The Interactive Media class is in the middle of creating a walking tour of Cleveland based on stories about historic locations.
It's called Ties to Cleveland and is a sort of treasure hunt, with the goal being to find specific architectural details in locations that have interesting stories.
Today we tried to do the tasks written on the whiteboard. We got closer to choosing a "look" but still are not decided.
We did pick a style for an online game that you'll use to check your answers. We're working on photos for each location, and are close to having a design for the website that will accompany the game.
Trust, chaos and energy
This whole process, which started about a month ago, has been as much a learning experience for me as for the students. It's been guided and shepherded along by my colleague Angela, who's great at involving students in decision-making. It's not really my style, for the most part, and I've been out of my comfort zone much of the time.
I like the concept of involving students more. I'm OK with having them come up with ideas but usually play a more managerial role in deciding what to do with those ideas. As a teacher I feel like I should decide how to shape things to best meet the goals of the class. I have a tough time trusting that it will work out the way it should (whatever that means) if we all decide together.
Angela says that she has similar concerns, but simply has a higher tolerance for chaos. She also has more trust in the students' judgement, and I have to say that she's been right so far. There were days when it felt like we were floundering, that nothing was happening, and the frustration was showing on everyone's faces.
But... the last few classes have been different. People have grabbed onto various aspects of the project and are working with energy and enthusiasm. Every day we have new ideas to talk about, new pictures to look at. As a teacher that's the ideal situation: students working because they're interested, not because you told them to.
Ties to Cleveland
I'll give you more details about the project as we get closer to launch time. We'll have the first version finished by mid-May, and are aiming for an expanded version by the IngenuityFest in September.
In the meantime, take a look at the map that shows our East Side and West Side routes.
[View Ties to Cleveland in a larger map]
