Backwards Planning

Creating an independent project for yourself is a big task and often the hardest part is getting started. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the whole idea of a project. In order to help ourselves get started we are going to do some backwards planning. What is backwards planning?

imagine it's early June and you have just shown your amazing project to your portfolio group. In your mind, try and imagine where you are in the school. Try and imagine what you have just shown, read, or presented to your audience. Try and imagine exactly how you presented your project. Close your eyes and visualize exactly what you are presenting to your audience

Now, you should have an idea of what your final project will look like. The question is 'how did you get all the way there from here?' Instead of starting with the first step, let's start with your end goal. For example, several students are interested in creating video documentaries.

Their final step might be:
"Show video on projector to portfolio group."

What steps would a student have to go through to create a film? Without worrying about the order of the steps, what are some steps this student might have to go through to reach their final goal? Take a minute and think about what you know about film or video and documentaries and add a comment with ONE step you think the student would have to take to create a video that would be shown at Town Hall on the big screen. Think about how videos and films are made. What would a student have to know and/or do to make a video?

After looking at some of the steps we think a student might have to take to create a video, start creating your own backwards plan. Today I would like you to

• Briefly introduce your project idea (one sentence)
  
• write down that final step of your project, whether it's debuting a video or an exhibition of art work, exactly how you want to present your project.
  
• Then brainstorm a list of steps in any order that you believe you will have to go through to complete your project.
  
• Start at the end and try to work backwards, but if a step pops into your head write down. Post your final step and all your ideas on your blog under the title "Backwards Plan Brainstorm".

When you are finished with your backwards plan, please send me an email with your blog address if you have not done so yet.