Ok, so as a teacher at a gifted magnet middle school, I have been teaching 'mini-courses' for 14 years. Around 20 different mini courses are offered each nine weeks. Teachers create a curriculum and write a description (these can often be entertaining, as they are basically commercials), and students sign up for them in their study halls by ranking their top 5 choices. Then, depending on the availability/class size of each, students are placed into classes that most interest them.
Minis I have taught include Board Game Design Shop, Axis and Allies (very popular), Beginning Guitar, World Music, Full Orchestra, Photoshop, and a few others over the years. Mini courses are supposed to appeal to passion areas (of both the students and the teacher) and differentiate for gifted learners, meaning basically they must contain depth/complexity, use language of the discipline, usually have a long term project, be hands-on, have interaction with experts in the field, establish real world connections, etc. Some very successful and recurring mini courses fellow teachers have done are Harry Potter, Fencing, Stained Glass, SCUBA, Chess Masters, Tech and Art in Geometry, Math Counts, Eco Club, Odyssey of the Mind, Baseball, the Beatles, Jazz Ensemble, Learn to Become a Spy, Origami, Music Composition, and countless others.
I really can't think of a reason why I haven't yet attempted to do a Build Your Own Arcade mini-course, but it might be because there could be an upwards of 20 students 6th-8th grade that are assigned to the class. I could probably plead to limit it to 12 or something, but the other teachers then take the brunt). That, and power tools!
What would be your ideal situation for a nine-week class on BYOAC? What would you want kids to take away from this experience after 9 weeks? How could you implement 10-20 kids simultaneously to a long term project that has many steps that must be done in sequence?
Basically, guys, WRITE MY CURRICULUM!
Potential roadblocks:
1. Tools and space. I have a jigsaw and a router with slot cutter. That's pretty much it. There is no 'shop' at school. Usually my minis are in the orchestra room. There is a door leading directly outside for sanding, painting, cutting, etc. I can guarantee you I will be the only one using these tools, and will probably have to put that in writing with required parent signature.
2. Budget. Some minis have a fee attached to joining, so that is an option, but those students usually walk away with a project or membership or something. A cabinet would live at the school. I might also petition the coordinator to throw me some $. I have old pcs and monitors to donate, but will need encoder, sticks/buttons, glass, paint, wood, t-molding, artwork printing, etc.
3. Management. Assuming there are between 10-20 kids, they will all NEED something to be working on ALL the time.
4. Legality. Robot Bowl it is!
p.s. I would invite PBJ as an expert in the field to give a lecture, but he's not allowed within 100 yards of a school.
