Freedom of Learning

One of Mrs. Westhead's greatest goals is to help students develop into lifelong learners. As such, she hopes to develop a Freedom of Learning pact with students. This DOES NOT mean that students are free to NOT complete assignments. Rather, students will be offered the option to make choices in their learning. In some cases, students will be given choices in terms of product; for example: instead of a written presentation, students may be able to give a audio or video presentation. In other cases, students can propose an alternative assignment for Mrs. Westhead's approval. Such alternative assignments must meet the stated learning goals of the original assignment.

Students can also choose to work on an assignment of their choice at any time in the form of a "Passion Project". This can be a writing sample, an analysis of a text, or an example of public speaking. They are encouraged to speak with Mrs. Westhead before beginning an independent assignment, to help identify which skills they wish to demonstrate and on which scales they would like to be assessed.

Passion Projects

A "Passion Project" is an optional, student-initiated project or assignment that allows a student to complete research in a field of personal interest. Students can choose to undertake a Passion Project while also working to demonstrate their mastery of the M3 ELA Standards.

Steps:

• Identify a possible Passion Project, including learning goals, outcomes and grading scales/standards

• Schedule a meeting with Mrs. Westhead to present Passion Project proposal for approval. In this meeting, we'll also work to develop a timeline, finalize grading scales/standards and schedule regular check-ins (depending on length/type of project).

• Complete Passion Project according to student-teacher agreement.

Passion Projects can include:

• Early attempt at an upcoming assignment later in the year.

• A student-proposed alternative to a class assignment.

• An indepent learning project.

• A re-do of a past assignment where the student was not satisfied with their score.

Student Portfolios

Students will be encouraged to develop a digital portfolio of their finished work throughout the year. This will serve as a demonstration of their growth and development in English Language Arts.