by Marian Brown
The activity, “What Do You Value?” (page 103 in the GWTK) was covered over two weeks at Arlington. Cheryl devoted two class periods, one hour each, for the activity and accompanying synthesis. In the first period Cheryl presented the activity. Students were asked to create a map of their own beliefs and values while thinking about the roles they play in their families, in school, and outside activities. They were also asked to think about and draw parallels between the varying roles and sectors they played in their lives.
The students were enthusiastic and many commented on the enjoyment of working in representational form. Zach said, “I like getting the opportunity to share my particular views and beliefs, and to have the space in school to actually think about these things. Often times our (the students’) opinion is rarely asked for.” Cheryl further encouraged this self-exploration and reflection by telling the students to, “Have a ball. Get out the colored pencils, spread out, make yourselves comfortable and spend the hour engrossed in your own thought.”
Any high school educator can tell you how difficult it can be to keep a room full of students quietly engaged with a project for an entire hour. Well, that engagement was not an issue for the students here. The students busily and quietly worked on their diagrams with dedication. The final result was impressive. Please take a moment to look at the student work exemplar below. As you’ll notice, the maps are all incredibly unique, showing the individual student voice and value, as well as differing learning modalities and strengths.
