Project Orientation

 Project Orientation: Ensuring Successful Learning for Each Student

The most powerful and purposeful way to differentiate instruction is through projects and long term work. Indeed, the one question to ask our students that will ensure deep differentiation is: “In what way will you show us how you connected to this material?” In this way, students have the power to choose the most personal way to respond. Let’s look at how a project orientation can enable all participants success and purpose.

Project Orientation

A project is work that needs to be completed over time and so requires a level of commitment usually not necessary for daily activities such as filling in a worksheet, finish reading one more chapter, etc.    This type of commitment can be inspired in the students when they are allowed to choose what they want to create. Just as in other areas of literacy, the teacher’s passion is a major key to success. Let’s look at some possible projects:

• original drama production that includes script writing, inclusion of music/dance, practice, and performance before an audience
• poetry recital which can include already published poets and original poetry written by students
• visual art exhibition including painting, photography, sculpture, documentary, personal logos, crafts, etc.
• cultural fair which can include research and presentation of information on a certain culture-their food, dance, music, etc. related to culture under study.
• newspaper for larger community
• individually published books
• group published book (i.e., anthology)
• work within the community with young children, senior citizens, local business owners

            Projects usually connect all aspects of literacy into one meaningful whole, address a range of literacy skills and can be adapted to any age group. Drama, for example, incorporates writing a first draft, revising, editing, publication (final script), and performance (oral development). Of course, the participants need to read the script as well. This is a powerful way to motivate students to acquire the skills they need for success for a number of reasons:

• it is meaningful work and has a genuine purpose (i.e., performance)
• students want to complete the work because it is significant for them and they have had an active part in choosing the project
• students are internalizing literacy skills because they are using them in a meaningful, purposeful context
• literacy skills become relevant for the students because they begin to understand why they are important and how they are used in every day life

            While community projects at first glance might not seem like literacy, when such projects are examined more closely the literacy connections become evident. For example, working with younger children and/or senior citizens could easily encompass reading/writing/performing activities. Working with local businesses would enable students to learn the financial literacy necessary for success in this area.

            Working with others in their neighborhoods goes beyond specific literacy skills and encourages students to see themselves as connected to and responsible for a larger community. This type of responsibility enables them to:

• look beyond themselves to a larger vision
• have a positive influence on the community around them
• view themselves as community change agents
• understand that without them the community would be less.

It is imperative that students are allowed to be a blessing to others for it is in this way our youth and the larger community will be blessed.