Proposal+Form

This is a working form used in the development of the project.

[|Link to Proposal Form on Google Docs]

I created a direct link to our Google Doc. and copied and pasted it below. - Cindy

[|Google Doc Website]

Project Based Learning EDIM502 ** **
 * Group 4 Members**
 * David Draus
 * Dianne Meskauskas
 * Doug Butchy
 * Cindy Pawlowski

The Big Idea ** Improve the appearance of our city and build a sense of pride in our community family by cultivating a volunteer relationship between students and residents to create something useful for all talents and interests there by addressing a community need that can be entered into the 'Pepsi Challenge'.

How can we bring our community together and promote the arts? How will community needs determine size and scale of amphitheater? How can the best location for the amphitheater be determined? How will zoning laws effect the project plans? How can government grants and local businesses help fund the project?
 * The Essential Question**

Design a community amphitheater on Google Sketch Up. Develop and work within budget constraints. Research government grants for funding or fundraising through local schools. Research corporate donations of land and/or materials: Lowe's, Home Depot, Pepsi "Refresheverything.com" project etc. Involve United Way, Boy and Girl Scout Troops, and other volunteer organizations.Work within a scheduled time frame for completion.
 * The Challenge**

Any ideas for this big idea? I would like to do something with google sketch up. What do you want to do? - Cindy

-Google Sketch Up sounds cool! I have never really worked with it, but could be very neat. How about if we have our students re-design a playground for one of our elementary schools in our district or something similar? Something like this could really involve all kinds of subjects - math, art/design, geometry, etc. It could even involve calculating cost, etc. They should do it as if they were going to pitch their idea to the school...though similar to what we saw in one of the videos...we may want to do something different. -Doug

I've never worked with google sketch up either my students seem interested in trying it for the first time too. Your ideas of how to expand into multiple subjects are good. - Cindy

- Have you heard "Story Corps" on NPR? We could have students do something similar to that. Maybe research the history of our towns. This could lead to interviewing local "old timers" and setting up podcasts of their stories. This could be done in a social studies situation, and would also give the students an opportunity to work with some recording and sound and/or video editing technology as well. - Doug

I just Googled it. It sounds like a good idea! It is unique. I'm all about something different. I wonder how/if we could include multiple subjects? Compare stories and pictures of the past. Is there anything we could change in our towns? Could we make improvements in transportation, traffic patterns, community involvement, volunteer network, litter crew, transform an empty lot into a park setting, cost, etc.? Create an amphitheater for music, concerts, choirs, G-rated family film night?- Cindy

I've never used google sketch myself, but I'm up for trying something new! Maybe we could look at a project that is environmentally friendly, which could add the component of possibly researching the concept of government grants/funding? That would be easy to integrate with the idea of changing our towns. Maybe transforming a vacant lot into an eco-friendly amphitheater, funded by the government. Or at least, this could help with one essential question toward the challenge of funding our amphitheater using a "budget" which you listed for the challenge of our project. - DJ

Sounds good to me.- Cindy

Cindy, is all we need to do by monday is submit our challenge to Karen? - DJ

DJ, we must submit our whole Proposal Form. - Cindy

I love the idea of building the amphitheater!! I say we go for that! - Doug

So if every one is in agreement, we can move forward with the amphitheater. We will need to write the big idea, essential question(s), and challenge in a way appropriate to submit to Karen. So brainstorm some great sentences!!!- Cindy


 * Not sure if we are all communicating in the thread or here still, I posted this in both. I'm sure you've seen this but I copied and pasted the descriptions of each component just to help us focus on what we need exactly for each.. ** -DJ

Here are some thoughts for the BIG IDEA:

// The Big Idea: The big idea is a broad concept that can be explored in multiple ways, is engaging, and has importance to high school students and the larger society. Examples of big ideas are Identity, Sustainability, Creativity, Violence, Peace, and Power. //

Please feel free to add or delete anything. - Cindy
 * Research our town's cultural history.
 * Use Story Crops on NPR to interview citizens in order to develop common interests of seniors to youths.
 * Develop a budget and use Google Sketchup to design a community amphitheater.
 * Giving today's youth a format to express their talents: instrumentals, vocals, performance arts, concerts.
 * Giving communities a low cost family meeting place or event location: movie night, fireworks, comedy, speech forum.
 * Research government grants for funding or fundraising through local schools.
 * Research corporate donations of land and/or materials: Lowe's, Home Depot, Pepsi "Refresheverything.com" project etc.
 * Involve United Way, Boy and Girl Scout Troops, and other volunteer organizations.

To me, the story corps thing doesn't really fit with this project. Let's axe that part of this. Also, I have never really found a use for Google Wave, but this may be the perfect opportunity, especially if some of us are going to be online at the same time! Maybe we should move this conversation to the discussion forum on the wiki. - Doug


 * The Essential Question **

//Essential Question: By design, the big idea allows for the generation of a wide variety of essential questions that should reflect the interests of the students and the needs of their community. Essential questions identify what is important to know about the big//

//idea and refine and contextualize that idea.//

How on earth do we get started??? - Cindy


 * The Challenge **

//The Challenge: From each essential question a challenge is articulated that asks students to create a specific answer or solution that can result in concrete, meaningful action.//

**I think then, that the Challenge is building a community amphitheater from a vacant lot in our community. Right? - Doug

Haha that has to be either the Big Idea or the Challenge I'm confused. - DJ**

**Ya Doug, I think you're right about the challenge. And I think the ideas Cindy listed in the Big Idea would also fall under the challenge as well? Have you all heard of the "Pepsi Challenge?" This is an actual contest going on today that gives away up to 32 grants a month for ideas that can improve our world/communities and whatnot. What if that was our BIG IDEA? Improve our local community with a project that we can submit to the Pepsi Challenge. This creates a "broad concept that can be explored in multiple ways" Then our CHALLENGE can be building an amphitheater on a vacant lot in our community. Students can then use the essential questions to help guide their progress in Sketch Up. I'm still guessing on some of this, sound right? Here is a rough draft of what I'm talking about below.... -DJ

-BIG IDEA- Create a collaborative project that addresses a community need, that can be entered into the "Pepsi Challenge."** Improve the appearance of our city and build a sense of pride in our community family by cultivating a volunteer relationship between students and residents to create something useful for all talents and interests there by addressing a community need that can be entered into the 'Pepsi Challenge'. - Cindy

Designing a community amphitheater for the community on Google Sketch Up.**
 * -CHALLENGE-

> -ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS- > How big should the amphitheater be? ** > What is the best location within the community for our amphitheater? > What is a zoning law? ** > How will community needs determine size and scale of amphitheater? ** > How will zoning laws effect the project plans? > How can government grants help fund the project? ** > > **This looks great DJ, but I'm not sure the essential questions are in exactly the right format....not sure what that is yet... - Doug** > Collaborating and getting this finished by Monday!!!! - Cindy
 * ** Develop a budget and use Google Sketchup to design a community amphitheater. **
 * ** Research government grants for funding or fundraising through local schools. **
 * ** Research corporate donations of land and/or materials: Lowe's, Home Depot, Pepsi "Refresheverything.com" project etc. **
 * ** Involve United Way, Boy and Girl Scout Troops, and other volunteer organizations.
 * ** How many floors, seats, etc?
 * ** What is a government grant?
 * ** How can the best location for the amphitheater be determined?

Transform a vacant lot into a park setting or design an amphitheater on a budget. -Cindy


 * Also, guys, a side note - I will be out of town from Thursday through Monday this weekend....let me know if I can do anything before then! Thanks! - Doug

The Calendar on the wiki should be interactive. Please add days and times you might be on line working on the project, creating real time interaction. Do you have internet where you are going? We need to do something on Diigo- Cindy

- I should have internet access where I am going, so hopefully, I will be able to get some work done while I am gone - Doug

Hey Guys,

I posted discussion threads on the Wiki. I thought it might be an easier, more logical place to discuss our thoughts. - Doug

Haha I just figured out how to get to this.. wiki threads sounds good.

Edit this page (if you have permission) | Google Docs -- Web word processing, presentations and spreadsheets.