Teacher Guide
Because each PA project develops uniquely, no precise methodology
is prescribed. Each group, however, does tend to follow a general
process that is divided below into six basic steps. These six
stages of Public Achievement are loosely modeled after the
Parnes creative problem solving process. Keep in mind that
reflection and assessment should occur at all stages of the
process. A summary of student and teacher activities during
each stage can be found here
The Six Stages include:
- Exploration and Discovery
- Issue Development
- Problem Research
- Designing a Project
- Implementing the Action Plan
- Reflection, Communication, and Celebration
- Exploration and Discovery: Introduce students to
PA, discuss interests, community, power, and
responsibility. It is important for students to develop an
understanding
of what public work entails; their responsibilities
to the community; how many different communities
each person belongs
to; and how different communities have different
needs. Students will need to identify needs, issues,
and problems
facing
their various communities.
- Introduce and discuss Core Concepts
- Introduce PA process and Six Stages
- Identify curricular objectives, goals, and purposes
- Generate evaluation criteria
- Create list of common rules and procedure
- Issue Development: Gather more specific information
regarding the needs of various communities.
This can include surveys, power maps and other resources.
- Brainstorm interests and concerns
- Analyze what participants already know about issues
- Consider issues from different perspectives by exploring
communities
- Research Issues
- Develop Issue Proposal
- Hold an Issues Convention
- Once they have a specific issue, the team(s) should
come up with a name
- Problem Research:
- Identify and develop a list of
the issue's
key problems
- Choose a problem to address
- Explore the facts of the problem - background
history
and stakeholders
- Identify, Power Map, and interview
stakeholders
- Designing a Project: Develop a plan of action and
create a project to meet the selected need(s). Identify
learning objectives and make academic connections.
- Brainstorm possible solutions to the problem
- Identify promising solutions
- Identify the specific focus of the action
- Sort and select ideas
- Develop, research, and support tentative solutions
- Select most promising solution
- Develop project proposal and action plan.
- Implementing the Action Plan: Perform the planned
activity.
- Gather necessary resources and participants
- Develop criteria for use in evaluation
- Select criteria that are appropriate to
the needs of the problem owners
and the focus of the problem
- Implement Action Plan
- Review results of action
- Reflect, Communicate, and Celebrate: What was the
impact of the action? Were the target
goals met? What was produced? Who benefited? Disseminate
what you
have learned
by informing others in the school and
community. In addition
to reflection and assessment (which
is woven throughout the experience), review includes the
final
celebration, as
well
as presentation of the materials/information
generated throughout the project.
- Conduct final reflection, debriefing, and assessment
- Consider all audiences who were impacted by the project
- Brainstorm the possible concerns and priorities of
these audiences
- Develop a plan of presentation
- Present to target audience
- Reward participants with a final celebration
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