Classes in the makerspace study literature, write essays, explore essential questions, prepare for English exams, etc., just like any English class would. The difference is an overhauled and interlocking system for instruction, assessment, and feedback.
Like the course itself, this post is based on inquiry. Questions can be asked in the comment section or emailed directly to me (meure@brewsterschools.org), but the list below should help answer almost any question.
With that in mind, this FAQ isn’t structured like a normal FAQ. Instead of questions and answers, you’ll find the means to answer questions. Want to know if a “Humanities makerspace” is in line with the high school’s English Language Arts skills framework? Here is the answer. What about the district’s Strategic Coherence Plan? Covered exhaustively. Wondering how “grade abatement” works? Read the guides and testimonials. Heard that feedback looks different? I’ve included hundreds of examples.
Students in the space learn through direct and online instruction, with ample opportunity to experiment and ask for help. For every other stakeholder, this FAQ is a way to be informed. My goal is 100% transparency about what we do and how effective it is.
Note that the syllabus and orientation links are for AP English Language and Composition. That is because prospective AP students need information on the unique College Board curriculum, since it is implemented with the same fidelity given to the ELA framework and SCP.
Resources
Sisyphean High | Main site for materials, instruction, and online discussion. (You’re on it right now.)
The Humanities Makerspace | Google Site with testimonials, classroom pictures, student work, and much more.
Testimonials | Direct link to testimonials that connect the makerspace to the SCP and ELA skill spiral. Critical for student buy-in.
Engines That Could | Student self-analysis assignment built on the SCP and ELA skill spiral.
Syllabus | Explanation of the makerspace and overview of the AP course.
Course Orientation | Interstitial instructional post that covers the basics for all courses at the beginning of the school year. Updated for 2018-2019.
The GAP Process | Protocol and materials for grade abatement. Explains the entire assessment process. Updated for 2018-2019.
Clarifying Grade Abatement | More perspective on profile-based assessment. Updated for 2018-2019.
Mind the GAP | Unpacks the biggest previous updates to pedagogy in the space. From 2016.
Profiles, Skills, & Traits | Direct link to PDF of the profiles, skills, and traits that drive our learning.
Pre-GAP Triage: Overview | Overview of how exhaustively student data are collected and used in the space. For a direct link to evidence of this: tinyurl.com/gap-triage-218.
The Big Sky | Explanation of how the first quarter of each year is used to build skills that enable us to study content.
The Writing Process | Complete writing process. Built for responses in any genre or mode, but used most frequently for essays. Updated for 2018-2019.
The Reading Process | Complete reading process. Built for any assigned text, but used most frequently for literature. Updated for 2018-2019.
Well, Why Read? | Part of the reading process post. Specifically addresses how literature, nonfiction, and online reading factor into students’ futures.
Reading Calendar | Current schedule of canonical literature in all courses (2019).
The Pareto Project: Complete Guide | Protocol and materials for our Humanities “20 Time” project. Includes links to student work. Updated for 2018-2019.
Pareto Project: FAQ | Set of frequently-asked questions about the Pareto Project.
Pareto Project: Final Self-Assessment | How these “20 Time” projects are assessed in the makerspace.
Molecular Learning | Essay on risk-taking in the makerspace.
The Interstitial Classroom | Essay on the use of technology in the Humanities.
Head Training | One of many essays on the importance of face-to-face work in the makerspace.
Objects in Space | Instructional post about the physical space and how students arrange themselves within it. Includes notes on a mindfulness-based daily check-in form.
Inclusion and Co-Teaching in the Makerspace | Includes screenshots of the feedback process. Informative for students in non-ICT courses, too.
Stakeholder’s Guide | Updated and given directly to parents each year. Useful for all stakeholders, including students. Updated for 2018-2019.
A Better Form of Feedback | Complete overview of how feedback works in the makerspace. Links to other guides.
Mongering and Congeries | One of the links in the above essay. Counters misinformation about the makerspace explicitly and directly.
A Better Kind of Quiz | Overview of quiz-like assessments in the makerspace. Updated for 2018-2019.
Galvanizing Feedback: How to Sisyphean High | Student-generated discussion on how to use the makerspace effectively. Includes more testimonials. Note: In progress as of February 25, 2019.
Twitter: Sisyphean High | Course Twitter account. Used to share student work and course pedagogy with parents and other stakeholders. (Students don’t use Twitter.)
Medium: Sisyphean High | Course Medium account. Used for instructional essays.
How to Use These Resources
Again, it’s about inquiry and exploration, but for prospective students especially:
- Don’t read them all.
- Read the ones that seem to answer your question or concern.
- Read those carefully.
- Ask questions.
You can also put your question or concern below, as a comment on this post.