Overcome and Be Surprised

So earlier this week I vented about the frustration (Here) I was having with technological roadblocks due to my districts' policies and lack of fully understanding the speed at which a flipped classroom can move. Well the latest is that while most of my district is onboard and willing to trust those of us that are pioneering this digital age in the classroom, there are a few that are holding on to old ways of doing business.

But we've overcome, we have found ways to work within the system we have now and still fight for more access. It'll take time.

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Switching subjects, students were creating video projects advising Clark Kent on how to solve an economic problem he uncovered while researching the use of kitten tears as a diet supplement (I know strange set-up but I use superheroes in the business world all the time to teach my economics class). Here are some observations I've noticed this week, keep in mind this is the first big project my students have taken on using the new technology (we got the class iPads just a week ago) ...
1. As a teacher, it is hard to give up control (at least for this OCD control freak) of exactly how and the pace of the students gain the knowledge needed to complete their projects.
2. I've learned quickly the importance of having built in check points on long the road to completion. I knew this going in, but having these check points gave me the ability to see if the students were on the right path, and to keep them moving down the road.
3. I was surprised, pleasantly surprised by the level of knowledge my kids gained from this project. They looked forward to working on the iPads everyday, and while they were on task 100% of the time (and be honest who of us is) they did a lot of work to complete their project. There were times when I doubted whether this was going to work, did I not give clear directions, was my expectation for them too high, and so on. But as they are turning in projects today, I'm seeing great work, with thought and insight.

In the end - I'm sold on blending my classroom and using project based learning!