There is a lot of interest in 3D projects right now. This includes dioramas, mini books, collages, posters and the like. I think the kids have always enjoyed these types of activities. Those who were able to participate in I.I. (Independent Investigations) at Deephaven always loved those projects. Unfortunately, they were reserved for those kids who were set apart at “gifted” when I think a lot of different kinds of learners would enjoy these. There have been opportunities to do dioramas and stuff in some cases but I believe that a good amount of the joy got taken out of them when the topic was too strictly dictated and the grading rubric became a burden. These self-chosen activities have been interesting for the girls to do and informative for me to see how they work and process information. These projects have shed light on their attitudes toward products vs. process. They have been part of the transfer of learning choice and responsibility back into their own hands as they begin to see that they can pick how they want to show information they’ve gathered – not only the type of project but all the material choices. They demonstrate some fails along the way as discovery is made about how materials work and what kind of planning is needed to pull off a successful result (which is determined by the student, not me) There is a lot more going on here than just gluing some things into a box!
