Projects

Project work is a basic building block of the Learning Plan. Projects are framed by a proposal and timeline and have specific goals or outcomes associated with them. Good projects contain the five A’s: authenticity, adult relationships, active learning, academic rigor (deep use of the Learning Goals), and assessment. Students should document the process of their project as well as any products they create. This documentation is saved in the student’s portfolio.
There are two major categories of projects:  LTI projects and independent projects. The LTI project is a main focus of work and learning at a Big Picture school. It is a project that directly benefits the LTI site. Independent projects have many elements in common with LTI projects, but do not involve an LTI site or LTI mentor. This type of project is appropriate for a student who would like to explore an additional interest outside of his or her LTI, or a student who does not yet have an LTI placement. All projects should contain a real-world product, an investigation of deeper questions and a reflection on the process.  We’ll go more in-depth with other various types of projects in the sections to follow.