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Project Excerpts & Commentary: Baseball Field

The Story Behind the Baseball Field Project

Students in this class were required to complete an application project that would develop and demonstrate their skills in gathering and using information, communication, and problem solving, and help them to become self-directed learners. The projects were to be completed individually or by small groups. The students defined the project and found a mentor from outside the school to assist them. The students were supervised by a teacher throughout the process of developing a proposal and planning a presentation of the project.

This student undertook the project on his own. He decided to take up the challenge of planning and organizing the resurfacing of the school’s baseball field. The school district was unable to fund the renovation. So, the student assumed responsibility for soliciting donations and materials, and planning for the restoration.

The project to resurface the baseball field lasted for approximately five months, beginning in the fall semester. The student logged 157 hours in his journal. Parts of the project were fostered through assistance from a mentor (the summer baseball coach), supportive parents, and a small group of volunteers. The student received feedback in class from his teacher and peers; however, much of the project was done outside class.

The written work produced as part of Applied Learning projects commonly contains some errors. Documentation of these projects includes notes, journal entries and plans that students produced as working documents for their personal use. These kinds of documents were not prepared with the expectation of eventual publication and they have not been revised for inclusion in this book.

It is expected that finished work produced as part of an Applied Learning project will contain virtually error free writing.

This project illustrates a standard-setting performance for the following parts of the standards:
c Problem Solving: Plan and organize an event or an activity.
a Information: Gather information.
a Learning and Self-management: Learn from models.
b Learning and Self-management: Review own progress and adjust priorities as needed.
What the work shows
c Problem Solving: The student plans and organizes an event or an activity; that is, the student:
• develops a planning schedule that:
  – is sensible in terms of the goals of the event or activity;
  – is logical and achievable;
  – reflects research into relevant precedents and regulations;
  – takes account of all relevant factors;
  – communicates clearly so that a peer or colleague could use it;
• implements and adjusts the planning schedule in ways that:
  – make efficient use of time, money, people, resources, facilities;
  – reflect established priorities;
  – respond effectively to unforeseen circumstances;
• evaluates the success of the event or activity using qualitative and/or quantitative methods;
• makes recommendations for planning and organizing subsequent similar events or activities.

This project has characteristics both of improving a system and of planning and organizing an event or an activity. It is commented upon, here, with respect to planning and organizing an event or an activity.

The proposal established the problem to be solved. It described the condition of the field: “…the poor quality of the infield grass, pitchers [sic] mound, and base-paths.” The proposal contrasted this with the qualities of other baseball fields and described the student’s dream of turning his home field into a field of the quality that other teams would want to play on.
The plan was logical and achievable. It took account of relevant factors, such as the materials and labor needed to complete the project, and the need to dispose of the materials removed from the site. The plan communicates clearly and would provide a useful checklist for anyone else embarking on a similar venture.

The plan was supplemented by the discussion in the proposal of factors involved in the renovation of the baseball field, in particular, the factors involved in irrigation of the field and renovation of the drainage system.
a Information Tools and Techniques: The student gathers information to assist in completing project work; that is, the student:

• identifies potential sources of information to assist in completing the project;
• uses appropriate techniques to collect the information, e.g., considers sampling issues in conducting a survey;
• interprets and analyzes the information;
• evaluates the information in terms of completeness, relevance, and validity;
• shows evidence of research in the completed project.

The student researched relevant precedents by obtaining information from the school’s athletics director and from sod dealers.

The student obtained information about the regulations governing the layout and dimensions of baseball fields. In his reflection, the student described the pleasure he experienced in “bringing perfection on to the field” by cutting out the required shapes and measuring the angles.

a Learning and Self-management Tools and Techniques: The student learns from models; that is, the student:

• consults with and observes other students and adults at work and analyzes their roles to determine the critical demands, such as demands for knowledge and skills, judgment, and decision making;
• identifies models for the results of project work, such as professionally produced publications, and analyzes their qualities;
• uses what he or she learns from models in planning and conducting project activities.

The documentation demonstrates consistent effort on the part of the student to learn from people with expertise in areas relevant to his project.

Early on, the student acquired a mentor to support his efforts. The questions the student developed for his initial interview with the mentor indicate attention to the knowledge and skills needed to complete the job.
As the need to obtain donations became apparent, the student established contact with further mentors, members of the local Rotary club, who provided models for community networking.
The press release, letter seeking donations, and wish list reflect the skills the student developed from these mentors.

c Problem Solving: The student plans and organizes an event or an activity; that is, the student:

• develops a planning schedule that:
  – is sensible in terms of the goals of the event or activity;
  – is logical and achievable;
  – reflects research into relevant precedents and regulations;
  – takes account of all relevant factors;
  – communicates clearly so that a peer or colleague could use it;
• implements and adjusts the planning schedule in ways that:
  – make efficient use of time, money, people, resources, facilities;
  – reflect established priorities;
  – respond effectively to unforeseen circumstances;
• evaluates the success of the event or activity using qualitative and/or quantitative methods;
• makes recommendations for planning and organizing subsequent similar events or activities.

This extract from the student’s journal records the implementation of the plan, beginning with 9/7. The steps to executing the plan are explained sensibly and could be followed by someone else.


The plan and wish list reflect development of work schedules that reflect consideration of priorities.
The list of things to do provides evidence of time management.

b Learning and Self-management Tools and Techniques: The student reviews his or her own progress in completing work activities and adjusts priorities as needed to meet deadlines; that is, the student:

• develops and maintains work schedules that reflect consideration of priorities;
• manages time;
• monitors progress towards meeting deadlines and adjusts priorities as necessary.



c Problem Solving: The student plans and organizes an event or an activity; that is, the student:
• develops a planning schedule that:
  – is sensible in terms of the goals of the event or activity;
  – is logical and achievable;
  – reflects research into relevant precedents and regulations;
  – takes account of all relevant factors;
  – communicates clearly so that a peer or colleague could use it;
• implements and adjusts the planning schedule in ways that:
  – make efficient use of time, money, people, resources, facilities;
  – reflect established priorities;
  – respond effectively to unforeseen circumstances;
• evaluates the success of the event or activity using qualitative and/or quantitative methods;
• makes recommendations for planning and organizing subsequent similar events or activities.

The proposal devotes considerable attention to the need to obtain donations of materials and money to complete the project. This emphasis is also reflected in the journal and in related materials.
The press release outlined the student’s strategy for obtaining the donations he needed to complete the project.

The student documented several unforeseen problems that arose and the strategies he adopted to overcome them.
The reflective statement, “Pretty much everything turned out as I had hoped,” confirmed that the project accomplished most of the goals listed in the Proposal.

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