You know I’m going to say it, but I really mean it: all of us! The Mockingjay Project started out with a simple (wink, wink) goal of making us better writers. As one student commented in the project reflection, “Writing is like a sport; you must practice to get good at it.” We did indeed practice, and with the frequent blog postings and subsequent feedback, we gained confidence and new skills! However, I think the majority of my students and I learned something even more valuable. We learned resilience. Not everything went as we had hoped or planned: disappointing reader comments, voki meltdowns, widgets gone awry, and time poorly managed. However, we bounced back to blog another day! We learned how to solve problems, ask for help when needed, and support each other. We grew together as a community of learners and writers. I have no doubt that some day in the near future I will be reading that one of you has won the much coveted Bloggie Award. Please don’t forget to thank your 8th grade classmates in your acceptance speech!
Here’s a sampling of our thoughts on The Mockingjay Project:
We did indeed crown a winner! I would have been happy with a six-way tie, but I knew no one else would be. As a result, I decided to award the winner based on brain power out of the arena rather than brawn exercised in it. Each of the finalists was joined by team members, and together they had to unravel a series of clues in a scavenger hunt around our school. The first to make it back to the classroom was the winner. Congratulations to Queen B and her team who turned out to be fierce competitors. We also had our version of the Bloggie Awards and recognized the following classmates for an outstanding job:
Nominees for Best Comments that Helped Fellow Writers:
Mareda
Blake
Kaitlyn
Yasmine
Winner of the Bloggie for Best Comments: Kaitlyn
Nominees for Best Blog (based on look of blog, writing, enthusiasm for project):
Connor
Shelby
Kaitlyn
Mareda
Rebecca
Brad
Jessica
Alyssa
Winner of the Bloggie for Best Blog: Connor
May the odds continue to be in their favor and yours, too!