Keedy is a master of projects which engage the students on an experiential level. Whether asking them dress up as Modern European thinker, making a medieval shield after they read Beowulf, or record a video monologue as a character from a play, the students in Keedy’s classes are exposed to hands-on, multi-modal and highly creative projects. The way Stephen does this is on two levels. First, he gives the students tailored choices to allow them to have a freedom of options, but also boundaries to help their brainstorming. Secondly, he gives great consideration how a project is going to bring all the pieces of a unit together, cap off the learning, and provide a intellectually celebratory experience.

Stephen knows how to take a culminating project and celebrate students success. This year, in Modern European literature, we brought the students together to learn about modern European artists post WWI. Students used found materials to create an art piece which spoke to a contemporary theme. They then did a gallery walk through the other groups art. Keedy spearheaded getting a fire pit from the outdoor closet and buying cheese and crackers so students the atmosphere of the project felt lively, artistic, and less chilly in the outdoors.

Similarly, if students are doing a monologue presentation in Keedy’s class, he will bring in lamps and low lighting, put in a roaring fire background on the screen, and encourage students to dress up. It is these small, concrete ways that really shape the celebratory atmosphere of a final project. Project based learning in a collaborative environment requires students not only to create their own work, but be comfortable sharing it with a community of learners. Usually this type of collaborative effort spans both the student experience and the teachers working together, as to pull off this level of experiential learning requires team work. It is in these moments where Keedy is a true exemplary of our discipline’s mission to engage students both in self-directed learning and across a community.