This project is a framework that aims to improve student agency and engagement in a middle school classroom through Pokemon. It will help students understand what kind of Pokemon or learner they are through a quiz at the beginning of the semester. It helps teachers understand what kind of participation, scaffolding, assignments, feedback and seating the students would like. It groups similar students into Pokemon – highly engaged and self-directed Charmanders, collaborative Bulbasours, adaptive and balanced Squirtles and independent and flexible Pikachus! I hope that this project will help students find others like them, who have the same preferences as they do, make group work easier and ensure that everyone feels like they belong in the classroom. Since I do want to push the students to challenge themselves, they must also earn “gym badges” by working with other Pokemon groups and discovering other learning and working styles. The project will take many rounds of feedback, allowing students and teachers to let us know what they like and what needs improvement. If that means changing their Pokemon, making tiny adjustments in their needs, working with another group or just letting the teacher know their updated preferences. Overall, it hopes to foster a better student-teacher relationship and to provide students agency in the classroom, in a fun and engaging manner. Don’t like Pokemon? No problem! Use this framework and use any names you would like- Hogwarts houses, ice cream flavours, anything goes. Make it a class activity that helps students by in and engage with the project throughout the semester.
Who’s that Pokemon?
