In this post, I decided to share a couple of student projects that are occurring during Genius Hour that exemplify desired traits that are not formally measured in education. Seventh grader, Emma opted to learn how to draw mandalas. She spent time researching and then began attempting some of her own. Below are some examples of her incredible work. Not only did Emma learn this technique, she will CC license her work, and she has shared the mandalas throughout the school. She has placed copies of them in classrooms so when a student is feeling stressed or anxious, s/he may grab a mandala and color. Patience, caring, and attention to detail are valued traits that Emma has demonstrated during the process of this project that will serve her well beyond school boundaries.
Another interesting Genius Hour project has a group of boys attempting to build a small hot air balloon. Originally they wanted to purchase one and place a Go-Pro camera inside of it to see what they could capture on film. In researching all the components they would need, they decided to try and build their own small hot air balloon. One of the many things they have found challenging is working with the wood to build a frame. Below is a picture of the boys holding the current frame they are have built. Perseverance has been the key word for this group. Like the MineCraft server group we had last year, these boys need to learn to work together, communicate, and compromise-all skills they will need later in life. In addition to those traits, their sense of humor to work through the road-blocks they encounter, provides me with a bit of laughter to lighten my day.
Students-the reason I am in education!
Keep reading,
The Noisy Librarian
No comments:
Post a Comment