Have you ever found yourself engrossed in a TV show, contemplating ways to incorporate the ideas within your classroom setting? Much like former Michigan State University MAET Professor, Leigh Graves Wolf, was inspired by the cooking show Top Chef in her development of the Quick Fire Challenge, I was inspired by the American television show Shark Tank in the creation of my Roman Achievement Project Assessment (Graves Wolf, 2009). Briefly put, Shark Tank is where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas, products or inventions to a panel of wealthy investors, known as the “sharks”, in the hopes of securing investment and guidance for their businesses.
Laying the Foundation
I took the concept of pitching a product to the Sharks and modified it in a way to align with the first, 7th grade standard from the History-Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools which states “Students analyze the causes and effects of the vast expansion and ultimate disintegration of the Roman Empire”(California Department of Education, 2000, p.27).
Before presenting the project, students received an overview of key aspects of Roman achievements through brief presentations by their teammates, utilizing the required textbook curriculum and the Kagan Structure TimedRoundRobin. Working in teams of four, each student explored a specific Roman contribution and shared essential insights with their team in three minutes. During the presentation their teammates’ questions were encouraged for clarity and to extract important details about each contribution (Clowes, 2011). Notably, the assessment process involved peer feedback rather than instructor-led grading, allowing students to absorb information and engage in meaningful discussions. As I circulated the room, many students exhibited limited prior knowledge of Roman achievements but expressed a strong desire to learn more through their thoughtful inquiries (Shepard, 2000).
Explore, Create, Share
Students chose a Roman contribution to investigate, understanding that true comprehension involves the application of knowledge in new situations (Shepard, 2000). This realization fueled my creation of The Roman Achievement Shark Tank Project. The objective was for students (alone or with a partner) to craft a persuasive business pitch for their selected Roman achievement to wealthy investors (Roman Emperors) on Shark Tank with the result of securing funding for their project's benefit to Rome's citizens. To ensure comprehension of project expectations were equitable, I shared a clip from Shark Tank featuring a middle school student named Jack presenting his business idea to the Sharks.
Learners were given a list of explicit criteria to be included in their presentations such as how much they were asking the Sharks to invest, the benefit of their product to the citizens of Rome, a business logo, slogan and mission statement to name a few. To lessen constraints they were given a choice of tools to use for the creation and the option to add any other details they felt would enhance their pitch. To enhance student accountability for their learning and foster a collaborative dynamic between teachers and students, a self-assessment rubric was given to students. They utilized this tool during their project development and completed it after finishing to assess their performance against the given criteria, promoting a reflective approach to their learning. After project completion, students acted as “Emperor Sharks,” assessing their classmates’ pitches, determining funding decisions, and offering constructive feedback. This included highlighting strengths and suggesting areas for improvement in the entrepreneurs’ presentations. When all is said and done, their final grade comes from me but I take into consideration their reflective self-assessments as well as the feedback from their peers.
A Model for Best Assessment
The Roman Achievements Shark Tank Project exemplifies a best assessment model, seamlessly integrating technology, pedagogy, and content (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). Students are provided a choice of content and technology to utilize for showcasing their comprehension and transfer, engaging in self-assessment, while exchanging feedback with peers based on defined criteria. This approach fosters collaborative assessment scoring involving both students and teachers, empowering students to assume responsibility for their learning.
References
ABC (n.d.). Shark Tank. Retrieved from https://abc.com/shows/shark-tank
ABC (2016, November 10). Jack’s Stand Pitch - Shark Tank [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7jX9SR0bfw
California Department of Education. (2000). History-Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve. CDE Press ISBN 0-8011-1488-8.
Clowes, G. (2011). The Essential 5: A Starting Point for Kagan Cooperative Learning. Kagan Online Magazine. Kagan Publishing. https://www.kaganonline.com/free_articles/research_and_rationale/330/The-Essential-5-A-Starting-Point-for-Kagan-Cooperative-Learning
Graves Wolf, L. (2009, August 19). Quickfires Explained [Blog Post]. LeightGravesWolf.com.
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054.
Shepard, L. A. (2000).The role of assessment in a learning culture. Educational Researcher, 29(7), 4-14.
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