Types of Projects

Steps for Designing a Project

Articles about Online Projects

Links to Online Project Sites

1. Start with your own curricular goals.
2. Find or design your own project that will meet those goals
3. Take into consideration value for other participants as well as your own class.
4. Make your first project a simple one.  Do it during summer school when there are less curricular demands.  Choose a project that someone else has been running and join it.
5. If you want to join a project search the sites and possibly post your interest on a discussion list or on some of the project sites.
6. If you are designing your own project begin with a timeline.  Decide on a clear beginning and ending date and milestone dates along the way.  Make sure that this timeline is communicated to the others who may be participating.
7. Decide how many participants you need (story about too many!!)
8. Make a plan for sharing the results (a web page, e-mail, publishing something, etc...)
9. Write a "Call for Participation" and post it in several places where you can find participants at least one month before the beginning of the project. On your handout is a list of the things that should be included in a "Call for Participation"
10. Implement the Project.  Wherever it is possible include students in keeping up with work on the project.  Train a few to be data collectors or email deliverers, depending on the needs of the project.
11. Always have a plan B.  Be ready to do other things on days when the technology is not working.
12. Evaluate the effectiveness of the project at the end and be sure to share the outcome with others who were involved.