Google Project Reflection

MaryKathrynGates,LindseyHancock,&KarenTeel

Whatdidyoudo?
ThroughourexperienceswithMorningDutyintheprevioussemester,wefelt
compelledtoinvestinthestudentsatTraceCrossingsElementarySchoolwho
waitinthecafeteriabeforedispersingtotheirclassestostarttheday.During
thistime,weprovidedtheopportunityforstudentstoengageinpuzzles,
doodles,andgames,thatarecompiledwithneededmaterialsinwhatwecalled
BrainBuckets.Theactivitieswerenotintendedtobeworkforthestudents
anddidnotrequirestudentstoparticipateiftheywereuninterested.Each
memberonourteamgatheredtheappropriateresourcesforeachgradelevel
andcompiledtheminbinders.Wedistributedthebindersandbucketsof
crayonstoeachofthe15tableseveryTuesday,Wednesday,andThursday
morningfortwoweeks.Initiallyinthebinderswehadavarietyofactivities,
however,wefoundthatthestudentspreferredcoloringoverthepuzzlesand
games.Aswecontinued,wefocusedmoreonprovidingmorecoloringactivities
thantheothers.

Howdiditgo?Whatwouldyoudodifferently?
Weassumedthatthestudentswouldenjoytheseopportunitiesbecauseofour
observationspriortoimplementation.Wespoketovariousstudentsduringour
planningprocesstogatherideasofhowtheywouldrespondtohavingan
activitytoengageinastheywaitedtogotoclass.Throughoutthese
conversations,therewasasharedconsensusthattheywouldlovesomethingto
doduringthistime.Wewereveryencouragedbytheirinterestinouridea,but
wewerenotsuretowhatextenttheywouldappreciatetheactual
implementation.FromthefirstdaysexperiencewiththeBrainBuckets,the
majorityofstudentschosetoparticipateandthesupervisingteacherswere
supportive.Becausemostofthestudentsshowedinterestincoloring,we
recognizedthatweneededtogathermorecoloringtemplates.Returningwith

morecoloringoptions,wefoundthatitwaseasiertomaintainandrestockthe
binders.Oneobstaclethatwefacedwashowtocleanupthematerialsina
timelymanner.Becausethestudentswerenotusedtopackingupbefore
dismissal,itwasinitiallyfrantictryingtogatherthecrayonsandputtheirpapers
intheirbackpacks.Lookingback,wefeelthatacountdownorothermethodof
timemanagementwouldhavedecreasedthisdistressbeforedismissingtoclass.
Thoughwethoughtmoreoptionsoftheactivitieswouldbebeneficialto
accommodateavarietyofinterestsofthestudents,therewassomedrama
whenresourceswerelimitedandstudentsdidnotgettheirfirstchoice.Wenow
feelthatfewerchoiceswouldeliminatestudentsbecomingupsetwhenthey
receivedadifferentsheetfromtheirfriendsaroundthem.

Whodiditbenefit?Howwasstudentlearningimpactedandwhatwerethe
measurableoutcomes?

Studentsweretheprimarybeneficiaryasthisalteredthestartoftheirdayat
school.Nolongerweretheycomingintosit.Theycametobeengagedina
relaxedenvironmentbeforejumpstartingtheirlearning.Weinterviewedthe
studentsatthebeginningofourprojectaskingthemhowtheywouldfeelifthey
hadsomethingfuntodoandtooknotesastheysharedtheirinitialreaction.
Aftersittingwitheachtableofvariousgradelevelandwalkingthroughwhatit
wouldbelikeiftheyhadpuzzlesorcoloringpageswhentheycamein,students
respondedwithgreatexcitementandeagertobegin.Thiswasevidentthrough
theirstatementssuchas,So,whenarewegoingtogettodothis?,CanIhave
themnow?,andWhenareyoucomingback?Attheclosingofourtimewith
thestudentsinthemorning,wegaveafollowupsurveytomeasureifthe
studentshadagreaterlevelofenjoymentinthemorningsandhowtheywould
feelwithandwithoutthemorningactivities.Theresultsofthesurveyswere
unanimouslyinfavorofhavingsomethingtodointhemornings.Wealsowere
abletodeterminethroughourobservationsthatthestudentspreferredcoloring
overpuzzles.Wealsocasuallyspokewiththesupervisingteachersonourlast
dayandtheysharedwithusthattheylovedthestudentsbeingabletoengagein
schoolfromtheverystartoftheday.Theywerehonestintheirresponsesand

saidthatitdidseemtobealittlemoreresponsibilityontheirparttomonitor
suppliesanddistributingthematerials.However,theyalsoagreedthattheyhad
lessdisciplinaryissuesandsawstudentswhowouldnormallyjustputtheir
headsdownwhentheycameinbecomeveryinteractivewiththeirpeersasthey
wereallsharingsimilartasks.Knowingthis,welearnedthatitisbesttostartthe
daywithengagement,evenifthatmeansbeforeclassofficiallybegins.We
discoveredthatteacherscanprovidestudentswithopportunitiestoactivate
theirmindswithoutthetasksseeminglikeachoreorannoyance.Wefoundthat
sometimes,studentsdowantsomethingtodo.Thesesomethingstododonot
havetobecomplicated,justanythingtogetthemexcitedtobethere.The
amountofstudentswhowereabletoparticipateshowedusthatasteachers,
wehavetheoptiontocreateapositiveatmospherewherestudentsarefreeand
safetolearnatanyandeverymomentoftheday.Wenowaskourselves,why
wouldwenotmakethemostofsuchopportunities?

Howcouldyouusethisprinciplewithyourstudents?

Wecouldusethisstrategyintheclassroombyprovidinganactivityorgameto
warmupstudentsbrainstostartofftheday.Thisactivityshouldbesomething
thatisfunandengaginglikeapuzzleorvideoplayedastheyarewalkingin,but
itdoesnthavetobeachoreorsomethingtheyhavetocomplete.Overall,
havingamorningroutinethatisrelaxedbutintentionallyactivatingstudent
mindscansetthetonefortherestofthedayandtheiranticipationtoreturnto
schoolinthefollowingdays.

Timeline
Date
1/28/16

2/3/16

2/10/16

Actions
1st

officialgroupmeeting
Developedpossibleplanofaction
(1hour)
Mettodeterminewhotocontactintheschoolaboutimplementation
SpoketoDr.Birkenfeldabouttheoverallexpectationsofthe
projectandthemosteffectivewaytocommunicatewithMs.
Stone
Determinedmaterialsneeded
Determinedhowtogatherresources
Determinedwhatandhowmanyoptionsforeachbucket
Determinedhowmanytotalbucketsandbindersneeded
Discussedgradeleveldifferentiation
(2hours)

Mettodiscussresourcesandwhowillbeinchargeof
gatheringcoloringpages,games,andbrainteasers.
Splituptheresourcesamongthethreeofus
Discussednumberofpagesneededofeachoptionwithineach
category
Games:15sets:2optionsforlowergradelevels,2
optionsforhighergradelevels,5pagesofeachoption
Coloringpages:15sets:2optionsforlowergrade
leveland2optionsforhighergradeleveland5pages
ofeachoption
BrainTeasers:15sets:3optionsforlowergradesand
3optionsforuppergradelevels
(2hours)

2/16/16

EmailsenttoMs.Stone

2/18/16

Collaborativelygatheredresources
(1hour)

2/22/16

2/24/16

Materialspurchased
15binders
9packagesofsheetprotectors
15buckets
30packagesofCrayons
(1hour)
Preparedbinderspergradelevel
(1hour)

3/1/163/3/16

Firstweekimplementation
Overallstudentsenjoyedthecoloringpagesthemost,sowe
focusedmoreonprovidingcoloringpages
Weranoutofcoloringpagesquickerthanwethoughtwe
wouldbecausesomanyofthestudentswantedtocolor.
(3hours)

3/8/163/10/16

Secondweekimplementation
Printedmorecoloringactivitiesforthemtohaveinthe
mornings
Changeditfromupperandlowerleveloptionsto2
boyand2girloptionsforthestudents
(3hours)

3/17/16

SurveyingStudents
(1hour)

3/17/16

PotentialplanforwhenweleaveTCES

Student Results

YUCK

MEH

GOOD

AWESOME!

Total

BEFORE

15

30

WITH

15

14

30

Proposal