At my new school we have a high student turn-over, with many students arriving suddenly, and sometimes with little to no English. Last week the EAL/ESOL teacher came to see me to get support with some of her students and the Personal Project. We decided to make a template worksheet for these students, which she could support them to work through. This template goes strand by strand and has spaces for them to add additional information from their Process Journals. It should help them a lot when they come to write the report too (we may also do this as a video instead). I did not simplify the language too much, as I wanted it to follow the MYP's objectives, but because I am really only showing key pieces of information, they should be able to easily translate anything they need.

Here's a copy of the template
​(I would only recommend this for ESOL/EAL or maybe learning support students.)

​

I recently started working at the International School of Stuttgart. Just over a week ago, I accepted the position of Personal Project Coordinator too. Last Wednesday I did some training for the MYP teachers at the school. It is always difficult coming into something not at the start (The students started their PP at the end of Grade 9) and it is hard not knowing what teachers already know - BUT I have received positive feedback, so will share my little training session with you!

The week before I had worked with Grade 10s, to make sure that their goal was:
1. Not focussed on the product/outcome
2. The Global Context was a key part of their project, not an after-thought.
After doing that session with Grade 10, I asked 'how many of you are sure the Global Context you picked is still the right one?' - only a few students raised their hands!

My session for teachers was basically the exact same session, so that they would know exactly what I had gone over with the students.

I added two different activities.
 
1. After going through the examples showing how a project about cars could look very different explored through different Global Contexts - I had teachers imagine how a project about cookbooks could also look very different!

Scientific & Technical Innovation

• Cooking with a solar power lamp
• The impact of sterilisation techniques on mass food production
• The impact of GMO's on weight gain in America
• Cooking on a Trangia (Duke Expedition Cook Book)!
• Explore the relationships of certain recipes as kitchen appliance technology has developed over time
• Explore the impact of technical innovations in the coffee industry and it's process and development.
• Explore the old cooking assumption of 'the best way to cook a steak' through the science experiments.

Orientation in Space & Time

• Learn how geographical location influences diet by creating a regional cooking.
• Explore how American diets have evolved over time
• Looking at the single development of a single recipe as it is passed down between generations. What led to additions, extractions and process changes?
• The relevance of cookbooks in the modern kitchen
• Look at historic cooking methods
• War time recipes from my great grandma
• The evolution of national dishes throughout history
• How can you use local resources in a healthy diet?
• Explore how gender roles have evolved, related to how much time women spend in the kitchen

Fairness & Development

• Expensive kitchen, nice cookbooks, no food - how has the world developed.
• Finding the best methods to make recipes available to blind people (or people with other disabilities)
• An exploration of recipes which reflect the limited edible resources in developing countries
• Explore the value of free/reduced rate lunches for students in poverty
• Learn about the importance of breakfast clubs in schools for infants - look at solution to provide breakfast for all children.
• How does poverty influence diets in different countries (countries with different economic profiles)

Globalisation & Sustainability

• Review of food choices and impressions in multicultural environments
• Cooking off the grid (back to basics)
• Learn about food waste (and design a cook book that recycled 'food waste/scraps' for a more conscious consumer)
• Explore which ingredients have that least negative impact on the environment
• Focussing on local farmers and seasonal produce
• Focus on learning about recipes which can be made with food available at the local food bank
• Discovering recipes that have zero waste

Personal & Cultural Expression

• Exploring cultural specific spices in their use in various dishes
• Explore a variety of foods that have religious significance
• Exploring recipes in a particular country/region
• Unique recipes, using unusual ingredients

Identities & Relationships

• Exploring people's diet choices (vegan, gluten free, etc)
• Recipes from different family members, in different languages
• Recipes from different people from our school, showing different cultures
• Recipes that are used for different cultural ceremonies or holidays
• Learn how the design of a cookbook influences the audience
• learn how different recipes connect to social gatherings (and vice versa)
• Recipes for a happy life / the good life!

2. At the start of the session I had teachers imagine they were doing a Personal Project - what would it be about? At the end of the session, they shared their ideas with the group on MentiMeter

• Designing a car which is user-friendly for deaf drivers
• Learn how to build a dug out canoe
• learn about Mexican embroidery and it's symbolism
• Gather reflective stories from teachers about their first year of teaching
• Learn how geographical location impacts regional dishes, by making a 'local eats' cook book
• Research and design the 'ideal school' for the modern student
• Exploring the history of oriental dance - a means of female expression
• Learn how to build a sense of belonging and community for refugees, by starting a community centre 
• Learn about preservation of a historic site
• A digital baby book for third culture kids
• Learn the best way to take care of cats (and make a book about it!)
• Learn how online tools can can aid all types of learners
• How culture effects your preference in automobiles
• Explore how colour and fashion choices woman in Zambia make and how it has evolved over time

I really enjoyed running this session and was excited to see the teachers ideas.
Here is the presentation I used - feel free to make a copy and use this in your own schools.

We watched this short, funny video, where everything manmade is falling apart and vanishing! This started a good conversation about design. With students saying things including 'design is everywhere' and 'without design we would not be so advanced'. I used this video to show them how interdisciplinary design is, and that many people, who don't think of themselves as 'designers' still use design, (the example I pointed out, was the musical instruments falling apart. Maybe the person who made them would call themselves a musician, instead of a designer - then I spoke to them about people who made medicine, maybe identifying as scientists, or doctors, but still using the design process to make their product/solution). 

Our next activity was a game, where students had to come up with lots of questions about mystery objects. I said they did not have to worry about the getting the answer, they could think of all sorts of weird and wonderful questions, and that shortly, I would reveal what the objects were.

After students have some time to think about the objects, we go one by one, discussing, then revealing what they are! 

Pollutoys!
This is a toy which helps educate little children about plastic pollution in the oceans!
​The students who have been looking at this object know that there is a zip in the bottom. I have one of these whales, so I show them, but I don't  let them see what is inside till the big reveal!  After students share their ideas, I slowly pull out all the plushy litter from the inside of the whale! Students seem to really like this, and it was not what they expected at all! My grade 8s will be doing an educational toy unit in a few weeks, so this also plants an important seed!

IceFin!
"Icefin is a hybrid remote or autonomous underwater vehicle (ROV/AUV) that is both modular and field-portable; it is essentially a small, long-range, deep-water, under-ice robotic oceanographer. "

• IceFin is a project being worked on my GeorgiaTech
• It's main mission will be to explore Europa (one of Jupiter's moons!)
• Unlike most submarines, IceFin can hover, which means it can take better photos and videos of the things it discovers!
• It has been exploring the bottom of our oceans (somewhere that has been explored less than our moon!)
• The team who work on IceFin are super young - the oldest member is in their mid-thirties!
• Check out IceFin's Twitter!
• Check out "Icefin robot: Today, exploring Antarctica's depths. Tomorrow, Jupiter's moon? As part of a NASA-funded program, a needle-like robotic vehicle is plunging the icy depths at our planet's poles. Jupiter's moon Europa could be next."

In a couple of my classes, a student guessed that it was a spaceship, then were told by their team, that it 'must be a submarine' - those students were pretty pumped when it was revealed that IceFin will be going to Europa! Also Grade 7 don't know yet, but in a couple of weeks they will be starting a project about space and robots...so here I am also planting a seed!

Students were so pumped when they found out what this does...and even more pumped when they found out I have ordered one for the design room! Students were impressed with the video, mainly because 'it looks so satisfying' and 'the thread is soooooo strong'!  We had a little discussion about how this 'cuts out the middle man' when it comes to recycling - and how this could mean we would never have to buy string again!

In one class a student then reminded me of the Adidas Parley - a shoe made from ocean waste - so we watched this video too:

I don't tell the students straight away what this is, but I tell them "I spent some time in India this summer, and saw these everywhere in north India. These were the only thing I really wanted to buy, and I fell totally in love, but could not find them anywhere! Eventually Anshu Sharma (MYP Coordinator at Noida Pathways) saved the day, but taking me somewhere to pick these up... Her driver took me to a place where a few trucks were stopped and a couple of people were selling these off of a small cart. What are they?"
After some more guessing I reveal that these are tassels that people use to decorate their trucks. Often truck drivers are away from friends and family for eight months a year - so when they first buy the truck, the family decorates it beautifully - by hand painting it, even adding poems, and adding tassels! It's also a way to take pride, and show off that their truck is the best! 
​Photographer Dan Eckstein documented these trucks beautifully in his book "Horn Please - The Decorated Trucks of India"www.hornpleaseindia.com/

With this last object students came up with some brilliant ideas! They could see that the product was called "Air Ink", so thought it could be:

1. Spy ink, that vanishes!
2. Spy ink, that is only visible in sunlight
3. Ink that is lighter than air
4. Ink that you can write in the air with!

When I reminded that that the theme of Design class this year (in fact...all years) is: “How can we use Design to make the world a better place?” a few students were able to guess that it is ink, made from pollution!

I also really like this video because:

• It shows how different artists create
• It shows the collaboration between science and art
• I can remind students of the discussion at the start of the class - showing that the people who made this product, probably would call themselves scientists - but they they are also designers!
  
  

Lastly we ended by looking at one of my favourite objects together as a class:

After a few minutes of discussion I have every student hold out their hands to show me how big it is! Some people think it is tiny, some people think it is giant! Many students thought it was a Taiyaki pan (something I also own...!). Some students thought it was a paper weight!
Before watching the following video I remind students of the design cycle, and how we might have an idea, but our research and testing, and when we know our clients better, means that we go back and change and improve our product. I also remind them that the man featured, but also not call himself a designer. If you only watch one video in this blog post...I recommend this one:

We end the lesson by doing the following activity, which helps them answer the big question "What is Design?"

I am actually itching to go! I can't wait to meet my new students and want to get teaching again. I need a routine and to be busy, so I am one of those annoying teachers who is ready for the summer holidays to end. (Sorry...not Sorry).

However - I am well aware that the start of a school year, especially if you are new, or working with new staff, can be a little stressful, so I have put together some links to old blog posts to get you started off on the right foot!

• Ice Breaker Activities (For MS/HS students...but you could also use these with teachers!)
• Culture Shock (Some visuals to help you discuss culture shock with all your newbies!)
• Approaches to Learning Posters (Remember, if you don't change displays often, they almost become invisible!)
• Global Context Posters (You can print off the ones with a blank box, to describe how you are exploring this with your students - or to add your specific exploration)
• Global Context Training 
• ATL Training
• TOK Training
• MYP Interactive Unit Planner (this was made by my good friend Carmen Samanes. I have this open every time I am writing curriculum)

​and lastly - this fantastic video: "Weird, or just Different?". This is a great video to start a discussion a out international mindedness. It's also great to show people who are going through transition/culture shock!

Send me any great 'Back to School' resources. Also, this year, I hope to blog more. Give me a nudge when I need it!

I use Calvin and Hobbes comics often to illustrate what I am talking about during presentations. I swear there is a strip suitable for everything. I recently used them to give some top tips for being a good Personal Project supervisor!

Although the Personal Project is an independent, student led project, and students should be in charge of reaching out to supervisors...sometimes we need to give them an extra nudge. A good way of making this still feel like the student is leading the way, is just sending them emails relating to their project instead of telling them what they need to do. For example 'I saw this great article, which reminded me of your topic, let me know what you think', instead of '...why haven't we had a meeting recently'. 
If there is ever a time where you feel you need to reach out to parents, then I recommend sending a formal letter to the student, with the parents cc:ed in, instead of addressing it to the student. 

During the very first meeting it is really important to have some essential agreements. These can include:

• How often you want to meet
• Where you want to meet
• How you want to be contacted (email, calendar invite, face to face)
• How far in advance you want them to contact you for a meeting
• and this is also a good time to find out where students feel they might struggle (for example, procrastination) and also a great time to learn about what other things add to their work load (clubs and sports).
  
  I've had some supervisors who have also told students about drop in times, for example 'every Tuesday during lunch, I am doing duty on the basketball court, so you can come and see me casually then'. 
  

Some tips for further meetings:

• Make sure you talk about academic honesty and document this
• Make sure you are not just checking if they are 'on track' - you don't want students to avoid you, or be afraid to come to you if they are struggling.
• Make it enjoyable - then your student will relax around you (I recommend a cup of hot chocolate and starting off the conversation by asking them about their weekend, sports club or something else non-PP related!)

This is one of the things students struggle with the most. It is likely their first long term project, and so they may put other work as their priority right up to the end. Sometimes it is very obvious when students are struggling with this, so you can easily support them. However, some super high-function students, who do extremely well in their classes, often struggle with time management too - the reason they do well in their other classes, is that there deadlines are always close and so they work towards those. A good way to mange this is to really make sure students are documenting all the work they are doing and that they are creating and sticking to their own mini deadlines.

I've shared these two videos before - but want to share them again - as they are so perfect for PP! The first one is a short advert (actually for a bank) and focusses on the 'Museum of Procrastination'. The second video is a very funny Ted Talk, 'Inside the Mind of the Procrastinator'.

Although the Personal Project is process focussed, and not product focussed....you still have students who either:

1. Know exactly what they want to make and want to skip to it, without doing research
2. Are afraid that they don't have a solid idea, and think they need to on day one - they don't realize their ideas should evolve through time and by doing research
3. Students who think that research is just reading books or journal articles in the library. I have students who have talked to a family friend who is an expert in their topic, they have done workshops, watched endless youtube videos, etc...and they don't see that this is also research.
   

As a supervisor, use the word 'research' a lot. For example, when students are coming up with their criteria, ask them how their research helped them make it. Also ask them why their topic or goal is important and for them to tell you with information from their research. Another way to really get students to talk about this, is to keep bringing it back to their Global Context!

Students are asked to reflect on all five Approaches to Learning skills (ATLs) in their report. Many will find talking about some, like communication skills quite easy. However some challenges they have might be:

• Being unsure of talking about their collaboration - as they are told over and over again that this is an independent project, they get a little afraid to say who they have collaborated with, as they worry that this is cheating. Just remind them that every great designer, leader, maker etc had to collaborate
• Self-Management skills - Students think this is just time management - steer them away from just talking about this. I supervised one student who was very overwhelmed and stressed...but was relieved when she realized she could actually write about how she has overcome this. (Affective skillS)
• Thinking Skills....If you ask a student to just write or talk about how they have improved their thinking skills...they will often be stuck. 'Thinking Skills' can sound so vague. However, if you look at the way the IB breaks this skill down, they will easily see that they have developed this. Some types of thinking skills students often develop when working on the Personal Project include:
  • "Use brainstorming and visual diagrams to generate new ideas and inquiries"
  • "Create original works and ideas; use existing works and ideas in new ways"
  • "Apply skills and knowledge in unfamiliar situations"
    
    

I have this ATL spreadsheet, which I share with my students, to help them reflect on this.

Make sure your student is documenting everything! This will make writing their reports so easy!
If a student turns up to a meeting without their process journal - reschedule!
​Make sure your student is taking notes in your meetings too!

The most stressful time for the student! Make sure they turn in a high quality first draft. Then give them feedback, but instead of just writing on the report and adding comments - give them feedback strand by strand. You might read a report, which sounds fantastic, but if it is not linked to the assessment criteria, then it might not get a good grade. 

The exhibition is a time to celebrate the success of the student. Although I am normally a super positive, happy person...I do get slightly miffed when supervisors don't come to the exhibition. Supervisors have been working with that student for the whole year, and they are possibly the only person who knows exactly what went into the project. Be your students champion. Show up and support them. (Bonus for giving them a nice card to say how proud you are!)

I recently had an idea to get supervisors to make their own mini comics, using Calvin and Hobbes comics with the words taken out. Some fantastic teachers at Pathways School Noida produced these excellent comics:

Here are the comic strips with the words taken out.
I can't wait to use these comics in my regular MYP classes too!

Enjoy!
Comment and let me know if and how you use them. ALSO let me know your top PP tips for supervisors!