Crafting a Great Skillshare Class Project: A Case Study
As a teacher, your class project is an opportunity to identify the most fun and creative way for students to express their learning of the skill you’ve taught them. In fact, thinking about the project you want students to create can be a great starting point as you design your class. So where to begin when crafting your class project? We’re going to walk you through the process in true Skillshare fashion–with a real-life example.
The key to a great Skillshare class is a great project… and crafting a great project is easier than you think!
At Skillshare, we believe in the power of learning by doing; that’s why every class includes a project assignment for students to complete. As a teacher, your class project is an opportunity to identify the most fun and creative way for students to express their learning of the skill you’ve taught them. In fact, thinking about the project you want students to create can be a great starting point as you design your class.
So where to begin when crafting your class project? We’re going to walk you through the process in true Skillshare fashion--with a real-life example.
Step 1: Paula identifies her skill and decides to teach
Meet Paula. By day, Paula is a private investigator at a detective agency. But Paula’s real passion is pickling. She’s an expert pickler who can turn just about anything edible into a delicious pickled delight.
Paula wants to share her pickling knowledge with the world while also earning a little extra money on the side. She has no experience teaching, but a friend let her know that anyone can teach on Skillshare.
She decided to get to work on her first Skillshare class.
Step 2: Paula considers what projects students can create.
Paula consults Skillshare’s Teacher Handbook and learns that all Skillshare classes include a fun, creative project for students to create.
Paula considers some different ways students might be able to demonstrate their pickling knowledge after taking her class:
1. Eat a lot of pickles and share the experience
Assignment: Buy a jar of pickles, eat the pickles, and post photos of your progress in the project gallery, as well as a description of how much you enjoyed the pickles.
2. Start your own pickling business
Assignment: Start your own pickling business and share your website, marketing assets, and a brief description of your business in the project gallery.
3. Make your own batch of pickles
Assignment: Make a batch of pickles using a recipe outlined in this class, and share your final product (a photo of your batch of delicious pickles) in the project gallery. A complete project may include:
- The recipe you chose to use for your pickles
- Photos and description of your pickling process
- Photos of your complete batch of pickles
4. Make your own batch of pickles to pair with your favorite cuisine
Assignment: Think of your absolute favorite cuisine--Thai, Italian, or even a Chipotle burrito bowl. Choose the recipe from this class that you feel would pair the best with that food (or even come up with a recipe of your own!) Make a batch of pickles using this recipe and share your final product (a photo of your very own batch of pickles alongside your favorite food) in the project gallery. A complete project may include:
- Your favorite cuisine
- The recipe you chose to use for your pickles to pair with that cuisine
- Photos and description of your pickling proces
- Photos and description of your completed pickles alongside your food of choice
Step 3: Paula evaluates her options and decides on the best project
Paula knows that the best Skillshare projects include a personal constraint so students can express themselves creatively, andleave students feeling accomplished when finished. They’re also easy to start, feeling more like a work in progress than one final deliverable; this way, students don’t feel intimidated to dive in and get started. She evaluates her options:
1. Eat a lot of pickles and share the experience
Creative constraint
Students feel accomplished
Work in progress
2. Start your own pickling business
Creative constraint
Students feel accomplished
Work in progress
3. Make your own batch of pickles
Creative constraint
Students feel accomplished
Work in progress
4. Make your own batch of pickles to pair with your favorite cuisine
Creative constraint
Students feel accomplished
Work in progress
. . . Option #4 it is! Making their own batch of picklesisn’t so difficult that it will intimidate or discourage students from getting started (especially when all they need to do to complete the first step of the project is to share their favorite cuisine). Once complete, however, it will definitely leave them feeling accomplished. Plus, the personal constraint of students pairing their pickles with their favorite cuisine gives them the chance to express themselves creatively.
Step 4: Paula creates her class
Now that Paula has an awesome project figured out, she’s more inspired and excited than ever to create her first class.
Because this is Paula’s first time teaching a class on Skillshare (or anywhere, for that matter), she signs up for Skillshare’s Monthly Teach Challenge for support and reminders along the way.
Stay tuned to learn how Paula’s first class turns out, and how she ends up becoming one of Skillshare’s most successful teachers of all time . . .
So what project will your students create? Join our March Teach Challenge today and let us know!
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