​Friends WOcade 
By:  Emily McComb & Beth Stoel

Project at a Glance :

This project is for 9-12th graders in a Functional English class. It explores how students can use their creativity and communication skills to connect with others. This project focuses on a variety of Essential Element standards including, reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Additionally, this project focuses on students fine and gross motor skills along with problem solving and decision making skills.  This project is roughly 3-4 weeks.
       
 
Driving Question:

How can I use my creativity to connect/communicate with others?         

Standards:

• EE.W.9-10,11-12.2: Write to share information supported by details.
• EE.W.9-10,11-12.3: Write about events or personal experiences. 
• EE.W.9-10, 11-12.4: Produce writing that is appropriate for the task, purpose, and audience.presented. 
• EE.SL.9-10,11-12.1: Engage in collaborative discussions. 
• EE.L.9-10,11-12.3: Use language to achieve desired outcomes when communicating. 
• EE.W.9-10,11-12.2.b: Write to share information supported by details: 

Team / Culture Building:

• Bug list: What are the challenges that you face with friendships and communicating with others throughout the day? What are the observations you make as a friend ( thinking, seeing, saying, doing, and feeling).

​​Entry Event:

• The teacher showed Caine’s arcade video. As a class, students completed an Empathy Map to show what Caine is thinking throughout the video. 

Stakeholders:

• Students and Staff of West Ottawa High School
• West Ottawa community members

Empathy Building:

• Bug List​​

• Empathy Map 

Inquiry / Need to Knows:

• Students looked for similarities and differences in their empathy maps.  By showing a real life example and how Caine used an arcade to build real friendships
• Poster Board Categorizing ​

Incubation:

•  Idea Quota: 8 ideas in 8 minutes -  students brainstormed ideas on sticky notes.​

• 3-12-3 - after students brainstormed their different arcade ideas, then they numbered their 3 favorite ideas. Next, they got with a partner who shared their favorite 3 ideas with them and then they picked the Top 3. ​ 

Checking in:

• Check In and Check Out Circles: Every class period students began in the check in and check out circle. Teacher recapped what the group did the previous day. Students then rotated being the sharer for each day so that students and teacher will hear where they are at.

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Solution Building:

• Dot Voting - students used the Dot Voting strategy to choose their top three best ideas.​

• Vision Board Poster Session: Students sketched what they envisioned their arcade game was going to look like. ​ ​

Critique and Revision: 

• Check in and Check out with each students after the dot voting takes place and after the poster session. ​ ​
• Name Your Idea ​- after students narrowed down their idea they brainstormed titles for their arcade game.

Authentic Audience:

• Peers
• Staff Members​

Final Presentation:

•  Students wrote a short description of their arcade game. After presentation practice, they presented to peers  their arcade game.  When the classroom arcade was opened each student stood by their arcade to explain the game to patrons that came. ​

Click here for teacher's full plan.
Reflection and Feedback:

•  At the ticket counter, there were envelopes with each student name on it. Each patron that came in the door was given 2 stars that they could award to the two arcade games that they felt were most outstanding. Patrons placed the stars into the envelopes with the students name on it. 
• Grows and Glows - each student had the opportunity to share one grow about their arcade game and glow from their arcade game. 

Click here for the teacher's Journey through PBL on Padlet . . .

Meet the Educator:

Beth Stoel and Emily McComb are special education resource teachers at West Ottawa High School.  This project was with a functional English class.

     "Our goal was to create a PBL that all students, no matter their abilities, could participate.  As we crafted the PBL, we were surprised at how easy it was to adapt the protocols to meet our students needs.  Watching the joy on the students faces as they shared what they had created was simply the best.  We hope to create more lessons in the future and that our PBL success and experience shows others that PBL can be inclusive and a wonderful learning experience for all."

     "Implementing Project-Based Learning in my functional English classroom has been a powerful and rewarding experience for both me and my students. It’s been incredible to see them turn learning into something meaningful through creativity and real world connections. Throughout the PBL process, I watched curiosity and confidence grow in students who might not have shown those traits in a more traditional setting. PBL gave them the chance to build essential life skills like collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking, along with communication and leadership. Seeing their faces light up as they proudly presented their projects made it all worthwhile."