How To Kill an Exhibition

[Tod Baker]

Friday morning I read Ben Grey's post Technology Guidelines. He shared with us his colleague's thoughts about publishing student work.

1. The statement was made that all of the data being produced by teachers and students should be housed within a district.
2. A teacher should never allow a student’s work to be posted if it isn’t entirely free of grammatical or spelling errors.

Ben vehemently disagreed with both points as did the many visitors who commented on this post. If you haven't read it already, it's worth it.

Photo by sherrattsam.

This morning, I was thinking that to follow these guidelines would kill an exhibition. Point 1 focuses on controlling information. But an exhibition need to focus on sharing it. Point 2 focuses on polishing mechanics. But an exhibition needs to focus on reflecting and taking action. Following these guidelines would limit the reach of an exhibition and the depth of a student's inquiry. They would take the life out of a potentially very meaningful experience.

[Tod Baker]

I am agreeing with you, Cristina. It is important to learn from all stages of our work. In our school, that would include all stages of the inquiry cycle. The early stages might look messy. It's important to create the right place to share this kind of learning. Likewise, it's equally important to create a place for, as you say, the arrival. Students need to share and reflect on both to gain a complete understanding of their learning journey.

[Cristina Milos]

I agree on point 1.
As far as issue # 2 is concerned …I am still thinking.
There is a close relationship between text and context. Between content and form. Between what is delivered and how it is delivered. A paradigm that should not be disregarded.
We all judge and are judged based on both criteria. In this Age of Information, when words are extensions of ourselves, the way you convey information and messages is instantly assessed- voluntarily or otherwise. I cannot take seriously a person who consistently makes errors in his/her discourse. You don’t, either.
I display my students’ work in all stages they go through- from brainstorming to drafts and final products. But they are always aware that the last stage is very important in effective communication. While inquiry and learning are messy, dynamic, shifting constantly and developing in time, the “arrival”- the final written piece – should be elegant and free of errors. The very effort you put into “polishing” reflects your commitment to deliver your audience the best product you can offer.
I think the issue is not whether we should encourage students to have “perfect” final products, but how to do that. And in what CONtext. Are they still researching, inquiring, learning? Let them make mistakes and learn from them. Let them discover patterns in syntax and semantics, or spelling. Is their journey ending? Encourage them to review their work and become the true intellectuals of tomorrow.