Questions

These are questions that are helpful when judging student work.

Intended Purpose:

• What is the topic of your project?
• What is the big idea behind your project?
• Please explain the purpose of your project.
• Why is the category you chose the best way to share your big idea?

Understanding:

• What were the best software programs, tools, and materials that helped you work on and complete your project? (Does the student have a list?)
• Can you explain why the software, tools, and materials you chose were the best resources for helping you complete your project?
• How did you learn how to use that program/tool/resource?
• What did you do to improve your use of the program/tool/resource?Look for evidence of deliberate practice over time. For example, a judge could ask “What is something new you learned how to do with____?”
• Can you answer questions about the software, tools, and resources you used? Can you show me?

Creativity: Traits or evidence of creativity include but are not limited to the following listed below.

Being intellectually humble: The student doesn’t claim to know everything. The student has evidence of seeking out and listening to the ideas of others. The student does this by:

• reading books and/or articles related to the project
• finding and reading through forums related to the project
• emailing experts
• meeting with experts
• watching videos of reputable sources/example
• The student understands that creativity isn’t just about luck. It is obvious that student has worked, prepared (through research and effort), and sought out new ways to see and think about the ideas and skills they needed to complete the project.
• The student has a positive attitude (good sense of humor). When things don’t go as planned there is evidence that the student does not whine and complain; instead, it’s likely that the student will generally go forward with a positive attitude. The student is willing share a few spectacular failures and explain what went wrong and what was learned from such experiences.
• The student is an independent thinker. The student has uncovered/seen/made unusual connections to unrelated ideas or things. The student describes having had a number of “Eureka/Aha!” moments, discovering something new. The student can share such examples.
• The student doesn’t mind being different from the crowd, especially when convinced he/she has an important idea to share.
• The student is fluent about their topic and/or tools/resources/strategies and can effortlessly come up with a lot of ideas/details/examples of things related to the project. Evidence of student fluency shows up in:
  • a blog, journal, log, or notebook the student keeps on a regular basis
  • mind-maps or concept maps that the student uses to explore ideas
  • emails of correspondences the student has had with others about the project
• The student is flexible (open-minded) and uses different approaches to solve a problem or task. There is evidence that when necessary, the student can switch the way he/she thinks and act, improvising with whatever is handy (ideas/materials) to generate solutions. Evidence of such flexibility includes:
  • prototypes (or versions of ideas) that were created while working the way through to a final version of the project
  • a blog, journal, log, notebook, images, or website recording my progress as I try new ideas/approaches
• The student can elaborate (can keep on going with ideas). There is evidence that the student can take rough or vague ideas and make them clear. The student knows how to add necessary details to ideas making them more understandable and useful. Evidence of elaboration may include:
  • prototypes
  • different iterations/versions of the work
  • images/videos of the project at different stages
• The student’s work is original. The student doesn’t copy or use the work of others. The student does, makes, or shares something new OR uses something familiar in an entirely new way. The student creates his/her own original images, sounds, videos, 3d models, programs, etc...
• The student shows evidence of grit. The student has self-motivation/self-discipline. There is evidence that the student kept working even when wanting to give up. The student seems to always be willing to try, try, and try again.

Complete and Functional: There is evidence that the project is finished and works as promised.

• The student has a finished/completed version of the project that does what it is designed to do.
• The student shows evidence (via a well-informed rubric) that explains the features that make the project complete and functional.
• The student has evidence of progress (a timeline, video, journal, before/after examples) showing how the project came to be completed.

Documentation: If students did not create it, they give proper credit.

The student can explain the differences between Public Domain, Creative Commons, Fair Use, and copyrighted content.

• The student has citations for sources and permissions for EVERYTHING. Original materials the student has produced are also noted. ALL required permissions are present.
• All citations are properly cited (MLA/APA) in the correct format.
• All citations are immediately accessible (in a digital format).
• The student created EVERY image, sound, video that was needed to complete the project.

Advice For Students: How to Avoid Problems With Copyright

The best approach is to create your own original images, sounds, and videos.

If you choose to use work that is not your own, always begin with content that is in the Public Domain.

If you do not or cannot find useful content in the Public Domain, consider searching for and using Creative Commons content. Although there are 6 different kinds of Creative Commons licenses, stick with content under the following licenses:

• Attribution: CC BY: Students may distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the cited work, even commercially, as long as they credit its creator for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of the Creative Commons licenses offered.
• Attribution-NoDerivs: CC BY-ND: Redistribution, commercial and non-commercial use are allowed as long as the work is passed along unchanged and whole, with credit to the original creator.

If you do not or cannot find useful content with the Creative Commons, you may attempt to cite copyrighted material under the terms of Fair Use. Fair Use falls into two categories:

• a “transformative” purpose (commentary and/or criticism)
• parody

Although Fair Use can occur without permission from the copyright owner, during the Tech Fair, students will obtain, receive, and provide evidence of permission. For more information, visit Stanford University's The Center for Internet and Society Fair Use Project.

If the copyrighted work (work not covered under Fair Use) is being used, students must get permission from the copyright owner. Students must have a license to use the work. Students must obtain, receive, and provide evidence of explicit permission to use the copyrighted work.

Steps for using copyrighted work:

• Determine if permission is needed.
• Identify the owner.
• Identify the rights needed.
• Contact the owner and negotiate whether payment is required.
• Get your permission agreement in writing.

See more at Stanford University's The Center for Internet and Society Fair Use Project.