With only four school days left until the end of 2014, I'm starting to get nervous. I assigned students a video project, due Friday, hoping that finally this would be the year students could get the whole thing done before Christmas break. My first year, I made videos due the week they returned. That resulted in some projects ultimately getting dragged out until mid or even late January. Last year, all work was do on the day before break, which means I got assignments shortly after break ended. This year, all assignments are due Dec. 19. If I get the majority by Dec. 23, I'll consider myself lucky. While some groups are coming along well, most are woefully behind. Despite benchmarks, check-ins, script-writing, and pitching all going well, the actually filming element (and especially the editing) become huge road blocks for many students. Each year, I find myself at a loss on how to make sure all projects are done...and done well...on time and on schedule.
I know that on Dec. 19, I'll get one or two good projects. A few more will show up Dec. 22, and a few more Dec. 23. By January 5, I'll have nearly all of them, and the final project will wander in late. Even so, for several groups, I don't understand how they'll get done in time. Perhaps if I start thinking of this project as more about "process" than "product", I'll feel better, but the lack of self-discipline seems worse each year. Is it possible too much help/planning/direction actually makes things worse?
Then again, students always surprise you, for better or for worse. I keep forgetting that things are always messiest right before people finally clean them up. They say it's always darkest before the dawn...though it's also darkest before a really really big storm.
I know that on Dec. 19, I'll get one or two good projects. A few more will show up Dec. 22, and a few more Dec. 23. By January 5, I'll have nearly all of them, and the final project will wander in late. Even so, for several groups, I don't understand how they'll get done in time. Perhaps if I start thinking of this project as more about "process" than "product", I'll feel better, but the lack of self-discipline seems worse each year. Is it possible too much help/planning/direction actually makes things worse?
Then again, students always surprise you, for better or for worse. I keep forgetting that things are always messiest right before people finally clean them up. They say it's always darkest before the dawn...though it's also darkest before a really really big storm.
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