High School Genius Hour/20 Time: Off to A Promising Start!

"I am so excited--I can't wait to start!" Music to the ears of ANY teacher! After conferencing with my students regarding their choices for the projects they would like to spend the semester achieving, I am impressed with their creativity and enthusiasm to try new things.

One student wants to learn how to paint. She began by finding artwork she admired; then she researched which type of paints and what media she would need to achieve a similar effect. She has bought her canvas, oil paints, and palette, and is ready to begin!

Another student was told that she would be preparing dinner for the family once a week, so her project is to "become a culinary master" by researching healthy and delicious menus her family would eat, prepare the food, and document her meal prep and results with photos.

One student is going to learn about and become certified in scuba diving.

Because one young man's cell phone dies "on every bus ride home from soccer matches," he is going to build a portable cell phone charger using household items.

Many of these seniors have decided to pursue career exploration opportunities such as interviewing and shadowing those in their prospective occupational fields.

I've already had one student ask, "If I finish this one before the semester is over, can I do another one? I have so many things I want to accomplish!" Wow! And I was worried the kids would have trouble coming up with ideas.

Jumping in to Genius Hour/20 Time with High School Students

I had been reading about Genius Hour over the summer and thought it would be a great idea to implement, but I wasn't sure how it could be applicable in my high school English classroom. I have finally decided on a plan that I hope will fulfill my students' required writings AND inspire them to enjoy learning, creating, and doing something this semester.The idea is that students first decide what they would like to do, make, or learn in 18 weeks. Then, for the summary, critique, and essays required for these dual-credit English 101 students to earn credit, students can find information, articles, and studies related to their chosen topic. In this way, students will be in charge of WHAT they write about--I'll just help them with HOW they write it.

I'm excited about the possibilities! I cannot wait to see what these kids can do when I put them in charge of their own learning. I don't have to worry about their recycling past students' essays on "why we should legalize marijuana" or "why the drinking age should be lowered" or others of the typical argument essays. I'm anticipating individualized essays reflective of the passion kids have for their chosen areas of study. I think the most difficult portion of the project will be deciding on a topic for some students, so I am looking for ways (maybe interest inventories or surveys) to help kids discover what they would really love to do or know. At the end of the semester, the students will present their products and what they learned in a TED Talk-style format, so deciding how they will demonstrate their learning will also be an issue. However, I intend to let the kids help me work out these issues and develop a truly student-centered, individualized learning experience for these students!

Blog Project

Students,
For your blog project, you need to choose a topic that you care about and add videos, articles, images, stories, interviews, graphics, and/or your own commentary on that subject throughout the semester. The culminating activity will be a synthesis essay that incorporates some of the resources you have posted to your blog.

Consider purpose and audience. Who would want to read/view/listen to your information and why?

LOVE my summers!

Owensboro Public Schools Summer Learning Academy (1 day)
Gates Literacy Design Collaborative Training (1 day)
WKU National Writing Project Presentation (1 day)
College Board AP English Language Essay Reading (8 days)
Kentucky Council of Teachers of English Board Meeting (1 day)
National Council of Teachers of English Affiliate Leader Conference (3 days)
National AP Convention (4 days)
Technology Integration Training (4 days)
CREATE Framework Presentation (1 day)

Fun--EVERY DAY :)

Overwhelmed--but the good kind of overwhelmed

Three days ago I finished my fourth AP Summer Institute and I have spent all free moments of the past days reading, planning, plotting, and revamping my course syllabus. I have an incredible amount of resource material that I am enjoying going through. My husband went fishing and playing golf on this holiday weekend--hobbies he loves. And rather than shopping or knitting or playing tennis, I love to read and plan. The challenge of attempting to ensure ALL students will learn everything they need to know about reading and writing and speaking and listening is one I love to take on. I want all of my students to love to read as I do and to embrace the challenge of analyzing texts with confidence. Not much to ask, right?

Finally Finished My Dissertation!

Well, it has been a long process, but I've finally finished my doctoral dissertation! Since teaching reading (and writing) to high school students is my passion, I can say it was a labor of love! Click on the link below to view my dissertation: 

MOTIVATION FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO READ:

DIFFERENCES AMONG STUDENT PERCEPTIONS AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN STUDENT AND TEACHER PERCEPTIONS

Students learn from students: Teachers learn from teachers

I have just returned from one of the best learning experiences I've had in a while. The Kentucky Council of Teachers of English is an excellent venue for teachers to learn from other teachers.

The many lessons and the practical advice available at conference such as this one are what keep me on my toes. I have a million ideas floating around in my head thanks to the conference. I CANNOT WAIT to put them into practice! Through experiences such as this conference, I am reminded how valuable students learning from other students can be.