Discussions

Your Name and Title:   Rachel Patton

School or Organization Name:  Zionsville West Middle School

Co-Presenter Name(s):  Brad Weinstein

Area of the World from Which You Will Present:  Whitestown, Indiana, USA

Language in Which You Will Present:  English

Target Audience(s):  Teachers, Teachers in one-to-one schools

Short Session Description (one line):  Effective digital strategies to reach all learners and make learning authentic to middle-school students. 

Full Session Description (as long as you would like): 

What if learning and mastery were valued as much as letter grades? What if students could break through classroom walls by learning and engaging with real science experts?  What if students didn't just turn in an assignment but published it to a worldwide audience?  These questions were examined by three middle-school science teachers throughout the course of a year.  During their examination, the teachers ran "soft trials," explored alternatives, and debated the peaks and pitfalls of the plausible options.  With the start of the 2015-2016 school year, course-changing classroom management strategies were implemented that have shifted student engagement, classroom management, and how work is viewed in and outside of the classroom.  Setting aside class time to allow students to complete independent study projects has transformed the way that the teachers—and students—have worked this year. 

The initial concern began getting students to make connections beyond the teacher-guided, mandated curriculum.  Students are very comfortable taking notes, completing tasks and activities and study guides to memorize for a test.  This cycle of “Notes. Test. Repeat.” does not have any real-world function and does not engage students to reach outside of the classroom.  The independent study project, utilized as “Genius Hour,” allows students to make connections to the grade-level content and builds on authentic real-world skills, as well as pushes them to reach beyond the classroom walls and connect with experts around the world to answer their self-generated guiding question.  This growth mindset is driven to emphasize creating authentic coursework and as a result, students could master an assessment.   

Students see and hear from their favorite experts with social media, TV, and other globally-connected outlets.  Why should they be limited to global interfacing during their social or leisure time?  In our classrooms, Genius Hour is more than just a research report.  Students are trying to answer their own multifaceted questions, which require more help than just web browsers.  Students learn how to write, request, and discuss portions of their questions with experts in the field.  By reaching out to these mentors, they add another dimension of personal connection within this project.   Furthermore, they culminate their research with publication; students are able to choose the format, but it must be able to be shared and reviewed from a worldwide audience, getting valuable feedback beyond their classroom teacher. 

Many content teachers shy away from the innovative learning practice known as Genius Hour because they do not how it can fit within their curriculum.  They struggle to invest a large amount of time to work that does not get formally tested.  This project, with an allotted day a week, gives students the opportunity to meet and exceed academic standards, make learning authentic, and make learning student-driven.  Students submit proposals, find a scientist or professional mentor, and present their information that is shareable to the world.  The increased engagement and productivity has been noted by the classroom teachers, and only once was the question posed, "Is this project graded?"  This underscores the idea that if it is authentic to the student, then learning is occurring. 

Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session:  N/A