Project Feature: Nature Documentary Film Festival
Featured Guests
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Jaclyn Demmers
TeacherJaclyn Demmers is a junior high educator with a passion for designing integrative learning experiences for students with a focus on using assessment to drive learning. She loves incorporating art into her teaching and can often be found painting or creating when she is not in the classroom
On the episode, we unpack how students were challenged to deepen and demonstrate their understanding of ecosystems and visual literacy in a grade 7 interdisciplinary project. Teacher Jaclyn Demmers also shares her newfound insights about the potential of students with learning disabilities when given creative opportunities that spark their curiosity.
- Jaclyn’s current role and what drew her into education. (1:45)
- A summary of the project. (3:05)
- A breakdown of the major milestones of the project—entry event, research, direct instruction, building, and showcasing. (5:40)
- Why Jaclyn was drawn to project-based learning and how it shifted feedback conversations in her classroom. (12:05)
- A personal highlight. (14:00)
- The biggest barrier that Jaclyn had to overcome. (15:10)
- How the project challenged our assumptions about learning as a siloed experience. (15:45)
- The potential for project-based learning to reveal the capacity of diverse learners when they have clear criteria. (20:30)
- The purpose of education. (22:45)
Significant Quotes:
“I want to be a facilitator of learning, rather than just a giver of knowledge.”
Jaclyn Demmers“Once we give them the opportunity to unleash their creativity, their depth of understanding shone so bright.”
Jaclyn Demmers