Just like the teachers who have done this project before me, I'm happy to share that enthusiasm and engagement is pretty high. Considering that we only have three weeks of school left filled with tons of other activities, that alone is pretty exciting. There are a few students who are aiming a little lower than they're capable of, but I'm hoping that seeing the work their friends are doing will inspire them for when we do these projects again in the future.
— Hart MS Bands (@HartMsBands) May 25, 2016
I think the best part of this week has been going through the process of finding and contacting mentors. We started with a detailed discussion of what a professional email should look like including an introduction, description of their project, specific questions, and a closing. I've had students spend two classes writing, revising, asking for help, and revising again so that they can get their email just right. The idea that they're reaching out to someone other than me or another teacher has been really motivating.
Another big standout moment was helping a student find a mentor to help her learn more about the differences in pop music around the world. She asked for advice on who to contact and I was honest saying I wasn't sure, but I'd ask on Twitter (which once again came through and helped put us in touch with some great people!) and her eyes got big for a second. She said "I was just going to ask for help in the media center, but I can see you're thinking bigger than that."
The mantra of the week has become "All they can say is 'no.'" Students are reaching out to professional musicians, composers, college and university professors, programmers, researchers, writers, ballet companies, instrument manufacturers, and more! They've really taken the idea of aiming high to heart and it's been wonderful seeing the excitement when they get a response.
Next weeks goals are to have a mentor in place if that hasn't been done yet and to take our first steps into blogging. There won't be much time for a lot of posts, but I really want them to have the experience of writing for a wider audience than just their mentor and me.
Stay tuned for more updates next week as we continue the adventure!
8th Gr hard at work on #geniushour projects! Excited to start getting mentor responses! #leadwithHART pic.twitter.com/Ju0kTgLnMC— Hart MS Bands (@HartMsBands) May 27, 2016
Amy,
ReplyDeleteHow exciting! I love that your students are engaged with genius hour even at the end of a school year. Some of our favorite genius hour sessions, when I taught 7th grade, were the day before a holiday (like Thanksgiving and Christmas); we would have a 3-hour session. What fun!
I'm going up to 5th grade next year, so I look forward to making genius hour a regular part of my week again.
Keep thinking bigger than that!
Blessings,
Denise
Would anyone be willing to share their "planning paperwork" with me? Thinking about doing this but am having a hard time seeing the big picture!
ReplyDelete