Standard 1: Demonstrates ability to enhance academic performance and support for implementation of the school district's student achievement goals

a. The teacher provides evidence of student learning to students, families, and staff.

I use Campus reports as one method of providing evidence of student learning to families and staff. I especially love it at parent/teacher conferences when I can have a laptop at my table. I can bring up individual reports on the spot to show parents, and I don't have to waste paper by printing out reports for parents who won't end up attending conferences. Below is an example of one such report.

b. The teacher implements strategies supporting student, building, and district goals.

One of our district goals is to improve reading comprehension. Each building created a Literacy Team to be the leaders for their building as we try to achieve this goal. Below is a picture of one of my four binders for Literacy Team. As a member of this team, I have learned reading comprehension strategies at our Area Education Agency. After each meeting at the AEA, our team met to plan staff development for our faculty. We taught the strategies, and then we helped the faculty implement the strategies in their own classrooms, while we were doing the same in ours. Now, we act as consultants, reviewing strategies when needed and being available for any troubleshooting as needed.

c. The teacher uses student performance data as a guide for decision making.

I use both formative and summative assessments to help drive my instruction. Below is our guide for the item analysis of Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. We worked on this in departments, which was very beneficial. One conclusion we drew from this collaboration was that our students need more instruction with the area of topic sentences. Now, when I'm editing the papers that my students have taken through the writing process, I can pay special attention to that skill. If it becomes a widespread deficit with future groups of students, I can have a whole-class mini lesson on the skill.

d. The teacher accepts and demonstrates responsibility for creating a classroom culture that supports the learning of every student.

Every student has individual needs. One of my most important jobs is to get to know my students and to differentiate my instruction and activities to best meet their needs. Below is an example of how I recently did this with a student in my 8th grade GOAL class. The 8th grade alternate reading assessment is given over two days. The students have a day to familiarize themselves with the short story, and they have another day to answer the questions. The questions have to be completed in one class period. One of my students had a broken wrist, and I knew he was never going to finish writing in the time given. I knew typing did not put a strain on his arm like writing by hand, so he typed his answers, and after class, I taped each one on the appropriate form. The picture on the left shows a handwritten answer to the question, completed by a different student. The picture on the right shows the modified version.

e. The teacher creates an environment of mutual respect, rapport, and fairness.

I have the Fairfield Middle School Student Expectations posted in my room. This has been a very useful tool in establishing expectations for my room and for our whole building. I like how we're all unified in these expectations. It's simple and direct for the kids. I also tell the kids that I will strive for these expectations too... they're just part of being a good citizen. As for rapport with my students, I try to make my room as inviting as possible. I have bright colored posters and bulletin boards, comfortable seating, and access to tons of books. I also have a bulletin board featuring my own school pictures from 5th -9th grades. I want my students to feel that even though I may not understand every single thing they're experiencing, I have been there before, and I want to help in any way I can.

f. The teacher participates in and contributes to a school culture that focuses on improved student learning.

Every year I help grade the 8th grade alternative assessments for reading. Below is a picture of the story the students read along with one of the questions filled out by a student. These alternate assessments are important to student learning because they really let the 8th grade teachers know where the students are in relation to the actual curriculum taught, which is not always the case with Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. We have excellent discussions during this grading about different skills taught and our interpretation of these skills in student work. It helps us to be on the same page, using the same common language in our teaching. Also, through my work this year on the Fairfields Future Committee, we have completed a book study of a text on Common Formative Assessments. As I was reading this text, I had this realization... an epiphany even... that we need to be scoring these assessments in a fairer way. Another teacher and I piloted a way of grading one of the questions using a double-blind system. The best thing about trying this was that out of the entire 8th grade, we only had 2 tests where we differed by more than a point in our grading. We felt confident that the grading was more accurate and fair than it had been before. Now, I'd like to see these alternate assessments grow to be used more formatively... that's my personal goal.

g. The teacher communicates with students, families, colleagues, and communities effectively and accurately.

I use e-mail, phone calls, face-to-face conversations, texting, Facebook, and notes home to communicate with my students, families, and colleagues. Communicating with the community is not as easy for me, but one way I've been able to provide a link from my teaching to the community is through the Fairfield Ledger. As part of the Fairfields Future Committee, I wrote an edition of our district's Inkwells and Acronyms column (see link) about going through the process of National Board Certification. I also invite the Ledger to come review every play and musical we produce at the middle school. They always write a nice article with lots of pictures. Below is a picture, taken by a parent, that was in the Ledger this year after my 6th grade GOAL class participated in the regional Invent Iowa competition in Burlington.

Standard 2: Demonstrates competence in content knowledge appropriate to the teaching position

a. The teacher understands and uses key concepts, underlying themes, relationships, and different perspectives related to the content area.

I keep current in my content area by reading, researching, collaborating, and attending conferences. One of the research-based practices that has helped me teach writing is the 6+1 Traits of Writing method. One concept that is difficult as a language arts teacher is grading student writing. The 6+1 method helps me not just look at mechanics, but at all aspects of student writing. When English teachers see mechanical mistakes, it's easy for us to go crazy with the red pen, ignoring other aspects of writing that the student may be doing very well. By looking at all the traits, it helps me focus in on these different elements (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation) and not become distracted by poor mechanics/conventions. The picture below shows the 6+1 Traits guide, which I can hardly live without. I've also learned more about this method by taking classes and by helping score writing assessments for the Ottumwa School District, using the 6 Traits model.



b. The teacher uses knowledge of student development to make learning experiences in the content area meaningful and accessible for every student.

Independent research is a very important aspect of gifted education, encourage passionate learning and choices based on individual interests. However, independent research and adolescents don't always mix. I came up with the following brainstorming sheet to help students narrow their topic ideas from something that just "sounds cool" to a manageable topic for extensive research. By doing this, every student has a topic that not only interests them, but will work for the parameters of the assignment.

c. The teacher relates ideas and information within and across content areas.

I connect my GOAL classes' curriculum to the core curriculum often. I want students to develop global perspectives, seeing connections between different aspects of a topic. For 6th grade Oceanography, I extend this with my GOAL class by using a program called The Great Ocean Rescue. It combines factual oceanography information with problem solving scenarios. It encourages collaboration, educated debates, and compromise, all within the area of Oceanography. It's a great extension of the unit they're covering in their other classes. The pictures below show two different groups debating which test should be done on a sample around a hydrothermal vent on the ocean floor.

d. The teacher understands and uses instructional strategies that are appropriate to the content area.

Adolescents today live in the age of quick communication. Texting, twittering, and e-mailing are parts of their daily lives. I wanted to combine this quick communication with class curriculum, and a great way to this was by creating a wikispace. During the year, I read aloud a novel to each of my GOAL classes. I set up a wikispace (click this link) where they could have an online discussion. The first page of the wiki sets up the expectations for the space. I also start a few discussion threads. Then, it grows to have a life of its own. Only my students have access to edit the space, and they only use their school usernames... never their real first/last name combination, to keep the space safe. Parents are notified of the address so they can read the discussion, if they're interested. The wiki gives confidence to those students who might not speak up in class. It allows us all to communicate when we have time. And, it encourages students to think deeply about literature... and not just during school hours! Students who don't have internet access at home can access the wiki from our class computers or during study halls, before/after school, etc. The wiki also helps us limit the read-aloud time in class to about 10 minutes, so we can do other things. If discussion goes on too long, I encourage the students to bring their ideas up on the wiki for further elaboration.

Standard 3: Demonstrates competence in planning and preparing for instruction

a. The teacher uses student achievement data, local standards, and the district curriculum as planning for instruction.

I incorporate core subjects' curricula into each of my GOAL classes. I want my students to be able to transfer learning from subject to subject. The artifact below is my UbD 2 year reflection and shows how I've worked the 7th grade unit on Epidemics into GOAL. It also shows how I changed and adapted what I did last year to improve my students' understanding.

b. The teacher sets and communicates high expectations for social, behavioral, and academic success of all students.

All of my GOAL classes are required to contract for a certain number of independent reading pagers per quarter. This is reading of their own choice. However, I know that many students do not challenge themselves to read difficult material. I worry that though many do not consciously practice reading strategies now, they will "hit the wall" at some point and not have good strategies to fall back on to comprehend harder reading material. For some of my students, the wall will not come until college, but I don't want them to wait until then to develop a cache of strategies to aid comprehension. One way I combat this problem is with the 8th grade Classics unit. Students choose a classic piece of literature that is above their current reading level. As they're reading the book, we go over different literacy strategies as mini-lessons in class to help them develop ways to understand material that is much harder than they are used to reading. The PowerPoint below is what they did for their final assessment.

c. The teacher uses student developmental needs, backgrounds, and interests in planning for instruction.

I love the National History Day program because it's more than just a history report. The program gets students to move to a higher level of thinking by analyzing the historical impact of an event, person, etc. It's also a great way to learn about primary source documents and annotated bibliographies, both of which are areas of research which are new to 7th graders. The key to success for this project with middle schoolers is the element of choice. I let them choose whether they would like to work alone or in groups. I also let them choose which of the following kinds of projects they'd like to do: documentary, exhibit, or performance. National History Day has a different theme every year, but within that theme the choices are endless. This year's theme was "The Individual in History." Below are pictures of some of this year's projects. They are all tied to the theme, but every project has been adjusted according to the interests of the student(s) completing it.

Madison's project was an individual exhibit on Salvador Dali. She is interested in art, so her exhibit was on an actual artist's canvas and easel.

Hanna and Eden researched Helen Keller. They did a group exhibit that was a large book with multiple pages to display their research, rather than a trifold or two dimensional display.

Here are two groups working on editing their documentaries using the iMovie program on the MacBooks. Huma's individual documentary was on Amelia Earhart. Jorge's and Coren's group documentary was on Thomas Edison.

d. The teacher selects strategies to engage all students in learning.

One way I engage all students in learning is by varying my seating charts. Normally, I have my desks in a square formation. I like this arrangement because I can sit with them, and the students and I can all see each other. This is great for discussion. It puts us all on the same plane and invites natural discussion (see the first picture below). I frequently move desks according to the activity or unit. For the 6th grade GOAL "Great Ocean Rescue" activity (their extension of the 6th grade oceanography/water systems unit), desks were moved so groups could sit together and work together more easily (see the second picture below).

e. The teacher uses resources, including technologies, in the development and sequencing of instruction.

I love using technology in my classes. Since my Elmo and LCD were installed last year, I have used them nearly every single day. They're especially nice when using borrowed materials from the AEA or the library. The pictures below are part of the 6th grade GOAL unit on consumption. I ordered several materials from the AEA, but I knew of a book in our library that would take that information to a more global perspective. We only had one copy, but since I have the Elmo and the LCD projectors, the entire class was able to look at that one copy. The Elmo is also great for 3-D objects. My classes enjoy playing Boggle and Blokus, and the Elmo/LCD combination makes those accessible for an entire class to play at once.

Standard 4: Uses strategies to deliver instruction that meets with the multiple learning needs of students

a. The teacher aligns classroom instruction with local standards and district curriculum.

Talented and Gifted is one area that does not have specific standards and benchmarks in the Fairfield School District. However, as a department, we are working to be aligned K-12 and make our curriculum the most effective for our students. The following is the first page of a compilation of notes from a meeting we had to discuss our goals for the TAG program in Fairfield. One of our goals is to design some broad standards and benchmarks that align with the state requirements for TAG programs. We also want to make sure our identification procedures are fair and accessible for all students. In addition, I have worked extensively this year with our elementary TAG teacher to make sure we're creating a varied, interesting curriculum for all students in TAG, grades K-8.

b. The teacher uses research-based instructional strategies that address the full range of cognitive levels.

One of my major areas of interest is differentiating for gifted students in the regular classroom. Many strategies that we've worked on as a faculty are helpful in this area (By being on Literacy Team, I have used and taught strategies such as read-aloud/think-aloud, concept circles, rate your knowledge, QAR, etc.). After the Iowa Talented and Gifted state conference, I became hooked on the quick activities for a variety of cognitive levels that were presented by Bertie Kingore. Click the following link to see some examples of her research-based activities. I used some of these examples when I co-led two different staff development sessions throughout the year. Mrs. Kingore documents the research for all her activities in two different areas of her websites. Click here and here.

c. The teacher demonstrates flexibility and responsiveness in adjusting instruction to meet student needs.

Spelling is just one area where I adjust instruction to meet student needs. If a student scores 100% on a pretest (see below), they are not required to take the posttest. Taking the posttest would be a complete waste of time for a student who is already mastered the words. Instead, these students are encouraged to use these words in their writing for further mastery.

d. The teacher engages students in varied experiences that meet diverse needs and promote social, emotional, and academic growth.

The 8th grade Images of Greatness project is the biggest unit in 8th grade GOAL. It is suggested by George Betts as a unit that exemplifies the philosophy of the Autonomous Learner (click here to read more), which is the basis for our GOAL program. Below is a picture taken before the 2009 Images of Greatness presentations. Students are dressed as the people they studied. They chose a person they felt exemplified "greatness." They presented a memorized bio-riddle, and they created a trifold display with their research. They also had to come up with a food to share that tied with their person, where the person is/was from, or the time period the person lived. The project required intensive research, deadline management, creativity, and accountability. Plus, the pride they felt in the finished product was immeasurable.

e. The teacher connects students' prior knowledge, life experiences, and interests in the instructional process.

Again, building upon the theories of George Betts' Autonomous Learner model, each GOAL class does an independent research project as some point in the year. Students submit a proposal about a topic that interests them and how they will show what they've learned. They choose two of the following elements to incorporate into that project... written, visual, or oral. They do intensive research and then create a project based on that research. In the past, I've had everything from 3-D farm miniatures to working engines to Lego animations to lasagna prepared for the class. Three pictures follow showing some students' work who chose posters as their displays. All three chose to do an oral presentation with these displays as the visual element.

This student also showed a video she created of her brother and sister performing a Russian dance she had taught them.

This oral presentation included history of cake as well as different decorating techniques. I had no idea it could be so interesting. She also brought the finished products to share.

This project included an extensive oral history of the Summer Olympic Games. I stress using the poster as a visual aid to the oral presentation, rather than students just standing in front of the class reading their posters. This student did an excellent job.

f. The teacher uses available resources, including technologies, in the delivery of instruction.

I have an LCD projector and an Elmo projector in my room. I use at least one of them every single day. In the 6th grade GOAL unit on Consumption, I used the Elmo to share a book called Material World, showing consumption habits around the world. Our library only has one copy, so thanks to the Elmo, my whole class could experience the book together.

Standard 5: Uses a variety of methods to monitor student learning

a. The teachers aligns classroom assessment with instruction.

Below is a copy of a rubric in progress that I'm designing with Tina Breen from our technology department. Last year, we did a unit on documentary film making with the 8th grade GOAL classes. It was new to both of us, and the unit was very experimental. It was extremely hard to grade because we were learning right along with the kids. However, this year is another story. We have done the unit once, and we feel like we know what we want to expect from the students, both in process and in product. We're designing the rubric at the beginning of the unit so the students will know what they will be responsible for throughout the whole process. We collaborated and brainstormed together on this draft, and Tina inserted our ideas into a template she'd already created. She sent it to me in an e-mail attachment, and now I'll add specifics about other areas.

b. The teachers communicates assessment criteria and standards to all students and parents.

The papers below are the guidelines for the 2009 Images of Greatness, one of the biggest projects of the 8th grade GOAL curricular year. Not only did I give this to students at the beginning of the unit, I also e-mailed copies to all their parents. I sent hard copies home with students who did not have family e-mail. I also had extra copies available at parent/teacher conferences. I think it worked well because the students were all prepared for the Images of Greatness night. Having deadlines spread out before the big night helped students plan accordingly. All deadlines and point values are on the guideline sheet, so both parents and students were informed of the project expectations.

c. The teacher understands and uses the results of multiple assessments to guide planning and instruction.

This year, I attended the Iowa Talented and Gifted Association's state conference. I heard a woman named Bertie Kingore speak. I'd heard of her before; she designed an observation tool to identify young gifted children. She blew me away. I went to every session of hers I could. Most of her sessions dealt with differentiating the curriculum for gifted students. What I loved about her ideas were that they were short and sweet and good for all kids. My associate principal and I presented many of these ideas in staff development, with my own staff and again at a district-wide staff development. Below is an example of one of these quick activities. What I've learned since then is that these kids of activities are not only differentiated for all learners, but they're formative assessments as well. They can be used at different stages of a lesson or a unit for different purposes. I like the following activity in the middle of a unit, at the beginning of a period to see what students recall from the previous lesson.

d. The teacher guides students in goal setting and assessing their own learning.

Every quarter, my GOAL students self-assess their independent reading contracts. It gives me a chance to compare how I think they did with how they think they did. Sometimes, there are situations or circumstances that I didn't know about that only come to light with a self-evaluation. Below is an example of a contract self-evaluation completed by a student.

e. The teacher provides substantive, timely, and constructive feedback to students and parents.

When grading 7th grade History Day projects, I use the same scoring rubric that the judges use at the competition. Last year, I put the template on the server so I could type right as the students presented. It helped me get the feedback to them sooner, and one added bonus is that I was able to attach it directly to an e-mail to a parent who had a question about her child's grade. The following is an example of one of these rubrics.

f. The student works with other staff and building and district leadership on analysis of student progress.

This year, departments worked together on ITBS item analysis. The following sheet is the first page of directions we received. One thing I loved about the process is that we were able to see how the same skill transferred from test to test. It's not unusual for the same exact examples and questions to be on tests for multiple grades. We had excellent discussion about areas of concern and areas of success. It helped us see where we need to focus before the next ITBS tests. I hope we can have more collaboration within departments like this in the future.

Standard 6: Demonstrates competence in classroom management

a. The teacher creates a learning community that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement, and self-regulation for every student.

I use a variety of grouping strategies in my classes. In the picture below, 7th grade GOAL students are in a teacher-chosen group to work on storyboards for computer animations. Our previous unit had been History Day Projects, and those groups were chosen by the students. For this unit, I wanted them to work with people that had not been in those History Day groupings. Sometimes I choose groups randomly, using cards or numbers. Not all projects require group work, but mixing groupings keeps students actively involved and allows me to differentiate by grouping students according to different needs and educational goals.

b. The teacher establishes, communicates, models, and maintains standards of responsible student behavior.

The following picture shows how I keep our Fairfield Middle School Student Expectations posted at all times. These expectations are school-wide, and I really like that because it keeps behavior expectations consistent at every grade level. At the beginning of the year, all my classes discussed what these expectations meant, and because they're always posted, I can (and do) refer back to them as the need arises.

c. The teacher develops and implements classroom procedures and routines that support high expectations for student learning.

Independent reading is an expectation of all of my GOAL classes. I feel that since GOAL class is replacing daily reading instruction, it's my responsibility to place a big emphasis on literature in my classroom. Each student keeps a daily reading log of all the books they read throughout the year. They get a new one each quarter. At the bottom of that reading log, there is a contract. Students set their reading goal for the quarter and record it there, along with their signature and the date. The minimum contract goes up every quarter, but I encourage students to challenge themselves and go above the minimum. To keep track of their daily reading, every student receives a Daily Summary Sheet, seen below. This reminds them to be reading every day and to record how much they're reading. Many students just keep the Daily Summary folded in their books as bookmarks, so they will always have it with them to record their daily reading. I also leave a little space for vocabulary words they find as they read as well as a space for comments. Sometimes they have something important to tell me about a book, and writing it in "comments" spot makes it nearly impossible to forget!

d. The teacher uses instructional time effectively to maximize student achievement.

In my language arts class, every period starts with a DWA (Daily Writing Activity). The DWA is shown on a PowerPoint slide through the LCD projector and is on the screen when they come in the door. As I take attendance, they get their journals and start writing. I can take care of managerial duties while they're writing. The DWA is new every day. The first slide below is an example of a creative, imaginative DWA. The second slide below shows a DWA used as a mini-lesson when I noticed a lot of fragments in the students' writing. Their journals are kept private. Sometimes we share, but it's always voluntary. My main goal with DWA is getting the kids used to writing to a prompt. Whether it's on a test or a job application, writing to prompts is part of life. DWA is a good way to practice that skill while maximizing class time.

e. The teacher creates a safe and purposeful learning environment.

I work to make my classroom environment student-centered and student-friendly. I keep several supplies centrally located for the students to use. They never have to ask to use anything here. The station is completely at their disposal. It's especially useful when the class is working independently on projects. The class is never disrupted with individuals asking for materials. I think it shows my students that the learning is the important thing to me... not the "stuff."

Standard 7: Engages in professional growth

a. The teacher demonstrates habits and skills of continuous inquiry and learning.

For me, nothing exemplifies this area more than my National Board Certification. I pursued National Boards because I felt a little stagnant, and I wanted to be the best teacher I could be. I had no idea how it would change me. It was the best professional development I've ever experienced, and it made me really examine my teaching in a blatantly honest manner. The picture below shows my National Boards certificate.

My next big goal is to start a Master's program. I have enough graduate credits for a Master's Degree, but since I've never actually started a program, not all of them will transfer. I need to narrow down my choices and make a decision. I know that the process of getting a Master's Degree will help me grow as an educator.

b. The teacher works collaboratively to improve professional practice and student learning.

This year, I am part of the 8th grade team. I regularly attend team meetings and collaborate with my colleagues about students, curriculum, and the good of our school. The paper shown is a copy of some of our team minutes. This day, we discussed curriculum, among other things. Curriculum discussions like these help us all to teach for transfer, creating links between subjects and disciplines to make learning more meaningful for our students.

c. The teacher applies research, knowledge, and skills from professional development opportunities to improve practice

I am part of the Fairfields Future Committee, and as part of that committee we are leading the teachers of our district in the process of Understanding by Design. This process of designing lessons is new to me, but this is the second year for the process, and I'm feeling more and more comfortable. One way I've incorporated those ideas into my classroom is by posting big ideas and essential questions for units. Since I don't have specific standards and benchmarks, this is a way I can convey to students what I want them to learn for the unit. Many times, I have the students help me with this process. Getting their input helps me word the ideas and questions in ways that are easy for them to understand. The picture shows my big ideas and essential questions for the 8th grade GOAL Holocaust unit.


d. The teacher establishes and implements professional development plans based upon the teacher's needs aligned to the Iowa Teaching Standards and district/building student achievement goals.

The following two images show my Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) for the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 school years. The second page shows specifically which of the Iowa Teaching Standards are covered in the plan. I designed the plan after my first year teaching talented and gifted students. I saw a need for staff development in the area of gifted education. My job as a talented and gifted teacher is not only to educate my students, but to be an advocate for them, helping other teachers in my building meet their needs. That idea is the foundation for my IPDP.

Standard 8: Fulfills professional responsibilities established by the school district

a. The teacher adheres to board policies, district procedures, and contractual obligations.

One of my contractual obligations is to have a state teaching license. I am endorsed in elementary education, talented and gifted education, and middle level education. As the picture shows, I display my credentials in my classroom to show that I have met all the required qualifications.

b. The teacher demonstrates professional and ethical conduct as defined by state law and district policy.

I meet all the requirements for having a professional teaching license in the state of Iowa. As the picture shows, I display my credentials in my classroom, just as many professionals do in their workplaces.

c. The teacher contributes to efforts to achieve district and building goals.

One of our district's initiatives is to improve reading comprehension. One specific way we're working to improve reading comprehension is by learning researched based strategies that work for teaching reading across the curriculum. I volunteered to be a part of my building's Literacy Team. I've learned so much over the years, going to our Area Education Agency, learning new strategies, practicing those strategies, teaching those strategies to the faculty in my building, and being a resource to my colleagues as questions arise about those strategies. The following is a copy of an e-mail that shows my involvement in the Literacy Team.

d. The teacher demonstrates an understanding of and respect for all learners and staff.

The Writer's Workshop process, modeled after the design by Nancie Atwell, really tailors writing instruction to the needs of the individual student. Each student in my language arts class keeps a skills list in his/her writing folder. As their pieces get to the teacher editing stage, I make note of skills each particular student needs help with. Usually they come from mistakes that I'm consistently seeing in their writing. When the students come back to conference with me, we talk and have a mini-lesson about the particular skill or skills. They then add each of those to their skills list. When they self-edit their next pieces, they then have a list of things to specifically look for in their own writing... areas to improve, especially tailored to their needs. The yellow sheet below is an example of a student's skills list.

e. The teacher collaborates with students, families, colleagues, and communities to enhance student learning.

The collaborative atmosphere is one of the reasons I love teaching at the middle school level. We're all on the same team, doing what's best for kids. The rubric below is a work in progress. I'm collaborating with Tina Breen of our district's technology department to incorporate documentary film making into my 8th grade curriculum. We knew nothing about it last year when we started. This year, now that we know more of what we want to expect from the students, we're designing a rubric to go with the project. We have collaborated during my planning times as well as through e-mail to develop the expectations for this project.