At the end of the year I like to have my students reflect on all the activities and all that we have learned during our time together. Usually, I just set aside some time to write our reflections down on our whiteboard. This year, I found a new idea for my class that encourages my students’ creativity, collaboration, and communication. This activity is called a Paper Slide Video.
This activity begins with students recalling all that we have learned and done this past year in religion class. I ask them to share what they remember and write it all on the whiteboard, quickly filling it up. It’s fun to hear them say “I remember that!” or “That was fun!” or even “I forgot we did that!” Then, working in their groups, each student gets a piece of blank paper and is asked to illustrate one of the activities on the board. This is the time for collaboration and creativity. Each student can illustrate only one activity, so they need to work together to decide which activities their group will share. One student also makes an opening slide and one makes a closing slide.
At this point the students will practice their communication skills. I take my iPad and lay it on top of a wire shelf. (I have to stack several books to keep the video in focus; see photo.) The students were very excited when they saw me with my iPad—they knew I was going to record a video and put in on my YouTube account. They worked very hard on what they would say about their slides, and some even wrote a script.
Finally, we recorded our Paper Slide Videos. The students lined up and spoke into the iPad, describing the events they had drawn. The videos turned out great! This activity was a great way to wrap up the year using three of the skills that a 21st-century student should practice. We certainly created, collaborated, and communicated on our Paper Slide Videos.
How do you wrap up the year in your classroom?
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