Friday, October 2, 2015

Genius Hour has commenced!

I am so excited about this Genius Hour stuff. So. Excited.

Though I've had a few glitches to work out in communicating my expectations to kids and exactly how much paperwork they really need to do the project, it's starting off well.

The kids pitched all their ideas a few weeks ago, and we're setting up blogs today. I think a lot of the kids are truly excited for what they're doing. Some of them have lofty goals... some of them don't. Some of them have very interesting topics but struggled to come up with a project to go with it. They all seemed to have something they wanted to study or learn or focus on quickly, but finding a project to go with it was a challenge for some.

I think, though, that so far, my goal for the project is being met - the kids are engaged in learning and doing something of their choosing. The kids I have, by and large, are all high-achievers. They have to be, to qualify for College Prep English. And because of that, they are also some of the busiest, most involved students we have. I think they appreciate having a chance to pursue a hobby or an interest of theirs built in to the school week.

Some of our projects are:

  • making blankets for the needy
  • testing computer virus software
  • making model cars
  • making soap
  • creating painting tutorials
  • raising money to build a house in Haiti
  • creating a lending library
  • writing an a cappella song to perform at a Christmas concert
  • learning photography techniques
Overall, I'm pumped to see where these kids go with this opportunity. You can check my Genius Hour page for links to all their blogs, which are supposed to explain their projects and their progress. They're still in the initial stages, though, so some of them don't have much up yet. They will!

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