Students Show Flexability and Creativity When an App Doesn't Work as Expected

Last week I had the pleasure of working with one of my favorite classes on a project dealing with the regions of the United States.  In short, the class has been learning about the 5 different regions of the US and what states are in them.  In addition they are learning about natural resources, population,waterways, etc.. So I suggested that the class use Screen Chomp as an assessment tool. Basically the app would be used to capture their writing and speaking as they explain everything they know about their region of the US.

However, as sometimes happens when one uses an app for the first time, we ran into a few bumps in the road.  So instead of freaking out and punting on the entire lesson, I let the students figure out how to get the end product in a different way.

This is what they came up with:
1. Take screen shots and label each one in Skitch
2. Take screen shots, put them into iMovie and do a voice over
3. Use Brushes to label the map and then annotate in Skitch
4. Use Brushes for all the labeling and then put the picture in iMovie for voice recording.
5. Use Screen Chomp exactly how I expected them to use it. (only 1 student could get it to work perfectly)
6. Use Explain Everything to label and record (I am the only one that has Explain Everything since it is a paid app.)











So what did I take away from today's lesson?  3rd graders can be incredibly flexible and creative when given the opportunity.  I think back to the days when I would hear a teacher explain a project to a class... "You must create a 5 slide PowerPoint. It must include 7 pictures, 2 voice overs and 5 special affects. It may not be longer than 2 minutes." and my skin crawls.  Today I was reminded that we (the teachers) are facilitators to learning, not the sage on the stage.

So if you are thinking about presenting a project to your class why not do it in reverse.  Call it, backwards by design... wait I think that is already a "thing"... let me google it.  Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it.  Anyway, I am getting off the point. Imagine if you told the class that you wanted them to present information about "X" and the only requirement was that it must include at least one digital element, just imagine the kind of amazing things you would get.