INBETWEEN - agency & authenticity in project-based-learning

I N B E T W E E N agency & authenticity in project-based-learning

Photos and projects by Esteé Hill Not to be reproduced or shared without esteehill@gmail.compermission.

Reflecting on these moments I want to share how: - hands-on learning and making allow us to connect disparate elements and systems to create a more complex, integrated understandings, play and playfulness allow us to make meaning at the intersection of making, the environment, and social systems, project-based learning increases problem-solving and collaboration skills and improves students’ tolerance of the unknown. This is not intended to represent a curriculum, a comprehensive retrospect, or Acera as a whole. This is a small part of many creative paths diverging and converging in the search of authentic learning experiences.

Architecture & visual spatial learning specialist

‘INSIDE, OUTSIDE, INBETWEEN’ is a collection of significant moments throughout my five years at the Acera School. This journey was a creative and emergent process of unlearning and ridding myself of preconceptions I had about education, the role of design, meaning-making, and myself as a learner and educator.

meaningful,givingstudents’collaborationincreasesmyTheindividualelectives,shapeall-schoolandstaffexchangesaroundtheannualtheme,whichthenfoundinthecontextofmultiplespecificclassprojects,orstudentpassionprojects.workIamsharingisanchoredinbeliefthatproject-basedlearningproblem-solvingandskillsandimprovestoleranceoftheunknownbythemthespacetocreateauthenticchange.

INBETWEEN reflects on student agency and authenticity as demonstrated in three student-led projects. The origin points of these long-term initiatives were mostly amorphous, inter class, age, student

Creating

Creating meaningin a publicsharedspace.

PLAYGROUND DESIGN …Creating:aninclusive plan: student voice and choice … a connection with real life events: tree pods … a connection with the earth: mud house … spaces for free play: earth scaping … a visual reminder: mural … shelters: human nest

Mud house Greenhouse Tree houses Bean trellis Composting materialsBuilding Tree swings inclusiveAnplan

Student voice and choice: Freedom to choose, become an expert in something and have ownership in a public project. Multiple access points: core class specials, student choice projects, all school service moments, after school garden club. MuralnestHuman Raised garden beds Grow trellis Rainwater harvesting School building Vegetable garden zone

theCreatingvision

Mud house Themudhouse….

Creating a connectionwith the earth.

Middleschoolmural

Create reminder.visuala

Create a connection with real life events.

NYCfieldtriptoseeAiWeiWei’s“Fences”installationseries.

inHangoutsbetweenandontheedges

scapingEarth

Create spaces for free play.

Creating shelter.

Humannest

assimilationAuthentic

Building

Building a communitythat values collaboration.

AuthenticityActive

AuthenticityActiveExplorationAdultConnections INNOVATION POD Building: designskillscommunity&confidence&innovativesolutions

Building connections

Getting it done, even when it’s tedious and mundane cleanup Communicating scale and creating connections: elementary students making scale figures for the model Budgeting and project planning: learning how to communicate effectively with different stakeholders Contributing part of the whole: 8 core classes = 8 representative stools for each of the 8 sides of the structure. Each class representative painted their stools with their class’ version of the all school theme/ Making new friends across ages.

Building skills and

confidence

Whether documenting the building site or learning how to operate the table saw …. blurb

AcademicAssessmentRigorApplied Learning

solutionsBuilding

Experimenting

Building expertise

Buildinginnovateto

Implementing

Collaborating

Growing

Growing a culture of caring for theandenvironmentothers.

FARMSTAND FUNDRAISER Growing……independence: greenhouse passion project … social and connections:environmental growing from seed … entrepreneurial skills: manufacturing goods & crafts … community outreach: the farmstand

Greenhouseprojectpassion

outcomesdescription,Farmstandprojectetc…

Photos and projects by Esteé Hill Not to be reproduced or shared without esteehill@gmail.compermission. Architecture & visual spatial learning specialist

I N S I D E - O U T S I D E - I N B E T W E E N Esteé Hill 2022