Geometry Project: Logo Design + Flipgrid

For the past four years, I have had my geometry students complete a project as part of their semester 1 final exam.  The task is for students to design a logo for a company of their choice.  Students are graded using a rubric that calls for specific features to be embedded within their logo.

The minimum requirements:

• There must be something that is reflected.  The line of reflection must be identifiable.  
• There must be something that is rotated.  The angle and center of rotation must be identified.
• There must be two triangles that are congruent.
• There must one set of parallel lines.  Intersecting the lines is a transversal.  At least two special angle pairs must be identified.

Students are also scored on neatness, use of color, effort, and their sales pitch.  

In past years, students would explain in writing where the required items were located and what type of company they would pitch their logo to.  

This year, instead of writing their explanations, I had students create a video using Flipgrid.  (Read about our previous trials using Flipgrid and our attempt at climbing the SAMR model for technology integration.)  Flipgrid was amazing for this task.  Students were asked to demonstrate on the video where each of the required items were found.  Then they were asked to complete a brief sales pitch that would help sell the logo.  I made sure that students were not able to view each other's submissions.  That helped ease the pressure of performing in front of others.

When students wrote their explanations on paper (in past years), I would often find myself trying to make sense of what they were explaining.  Occasionally I would have to ask a student for clarity.  It was often a tedious process. 

This year, the videos were very easy to assess.  I didn't have to search through the logos, looking for things that were not clearly explained.  The monotony of grading 75 projects was absent.

I wish I could post a video or two as an example, but I made it clear to all students that I would be the only person watching their videos.  Instead, I will show a few examples of the logos themselves.  See if you can spot the required elements in their designs.

The (In)Ability to Say "No"

Confession #1:
I love the National Basketball Association (NBA).  Those who know me well know that I love just about anything related to basketball.

Confession #2:
I have a hard time saying "No" to things related to my job and career.  Allow me to elaborate.

As many of you know, teaching is much more than an 8:00 to 4:00 job.  Planning, grading, emailing parents, etc. all require time.  Moreover, keeping up to speed on the latest topics and innovations takes time.  Most evenings [after my four kids are in bed, the dishes are clean, and the laundry is folded] I spend 1-2 hours skimming through blog posts, my Twitter feed, the Desmos Slack, etc., keeping my eyes open for ideas and resources that I can use in my classroom.

Over the past five years, I've added a number of leadership roles at the district and state level to my plate.  I'm humbled and honored to be viewed as a leader in the mathematics education field, and I love serving in leadership roles.  Of course, each of these roles and commitments requires time and energy.  Because time is a finite resource, the time committed to these roles equates to time sacrificed from other areas of life.  For me, that often meant sacrificing time with my family.


Back to the NBA for a minute...

Last week while chauffeuring my kids around, I was listening to an NBA podcast hosted by Zach Lowe.  Zach works for ESPN and is widely known as one of the best NBA writers / analysts in the world.  His guest was his good friend and former boss, Bill Simmons.  As Zach and Bill were wrapping up the podcast, this conversation took place:

BS: How old is your daughter now?
ZL: Almost four.
BS: This is right when your job performance is going to get affected.
ZL: Really?
BS: It's gonna be great.  I can't wait to watch.
ZL: Why?
BS: When they [children] hit four, now all of the sudden you've got recitals. They hit six and they start playing sports a little bit more and now on the weekends you're at a soccer game instead of watching Orlando / Philly.  [FYI - Bill has a 14-year old and an 11-year old.]
ZL: You know what?  At a certain point you have to make an internal resolution where like, "That's good.  That's okay.  If your job performance slips a little bit because you have actual human being things to do, and they involve little children that you helped produce into the world, that's what it should be.  That should happen."
BS: You're preaching to the choir, my friend.


Zach's analysis really struck home with me.  This past year, I've learned to say "No" every now and then.  In the past, I would felt as though I was not doing my best or I was letting people down.  I've now made the internal resolution that Zach was referring to. 

Fear not -- my plate is still plenty full.  Between serving on the SDCTM board, presenting at conferences, mentoring a student teacher, applying for the PAEMST award, getting ready to begin the NBCT process, serving as a virtual mathematics coach, and participating in a state leadership cohort, I've got plenty to do.


So this blog post goes to all of educators out there who have filled their plates full.  It's okay to say "No" once in a while.  Don't lose sight of the most important things in life.