C3Ed grew from a realization that my children's education didn't need to look like mine. Information is at their fingertips. The era of rote and repetitive work is at an end. Our charge is to find ways to use technology to make learning come alive instead of finding new methods to replicate outdated practices.
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C3Ed projects have no answer keys. Students produce authentic works through creative problem solving and collaboration. Success can be measured by the student's level of engagement, the quality of their work products, how well they work with their peers, and their ability to transfer learning from one situation to other situations.
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My training in project based learning started in the spring of 2019 when my fourteen year old daughter Ava decided that there was a hole in her life that only a new pet could fill.
She started her project by becoming a walking, talking pet encyclopedia. Name a common pet and she could rattle off its origin, personality characteristics, adult size, cost (upfront and on-going), how many times it pooped a day, and (the most important thing to me) its lifespan. Through many rounds of negotiations we settled on a fish. A betta fish. She named him Pond, James Pond.
The first thing James taught Ava was that children are expensive. She made her money stretch by comparing prices online and in local stores. She learned that the best bargain was paying online and picking the items up at the store.
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After a week of being an only child, Ava decided that James needed siblings. She decided to house the extended family in a new tank. Once again she opened her wallet until every last cent was spent.
Her family planning included an Internet lesson on the “one inch of fish per gallon” rule, and she learned about fish compatibility. She decided on another betta (which took two and a half hours and two pet shops to find) and four giddy guppies.
The Internet told Ava that guppies and bettas were compatible. Bite Victim (actual fish name) begs to differ. Luckily, Ava didn’t leave her tank’s side for the first couple of hours, and she caught Elvis Fishly red handed. That day Ava learned about the pet store’s return policy.
Easter weekend brought tragedy. The Great Nitrate Breakout of 2019 claimed 60% of her fish and her entire snail population (oh yeah… she added snails). She was heartbroken, but through data analysis (i.e water testing), she understood how adding new fish increased the nitrate level. After more research, she decided to add a living moss ball to the tank to help keep her ecosystem in check.
James Pond and his gang continue to provide lessons to both Ava and I. The most remarkable takeaway for me was seeing my daughter gain the confidence to seek out advice from the pet store attendants. This from a kid who couldn’t even collect her free ice cream from the Culver's kid's meal alone.
This experience also reminded me of what learning looks like in the wild. Ava’s own internal motivation led her to the knowledge and experiences she needed for her project. I may have occasionally tried (and mostly failed) to nudge her in a direction, but she was in control and owned her successes and her failures. Seeing Ava struggle at times during the losses was hard, but those were the lessons that will stay with her the longest. I’m glad that I didn’t rob her of these to make myself feel more comfortable.
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Ava's learning experience isn't a one off success. When kids are passionate about an idea and they're given resources to support them, they can do amazing things. On the flip side, if a kid is always told what and how to learn, their interest in learning fades and they can become dependent on others to teach them.
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Through this site I hope to inspire and empower students to find their own James Pond and to encourage teachers to become the coach on the side, championing their students' efforts and pushing them to make their own discoveries!
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Michelle Knedler
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Michelle Knedler earned a degree in computer science from the University of Northern Iowa and works as a software development manager. Michelle is a member of several organizations that encourage students to pursue careers in technology.
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ABOUT
What James Pond Taught Me About Learning
Founder
A Better Way to Learn