Term 4
Genius Hour
Project
We are introducing a new project called
Genius Hour in our Senior Syndicate this term. The search-engine giant, Google,
allows its engineers to spend 20% of their time to work on any pet project that
they want. The idea is very simple. Allow people to work on something that
interests them, and productivity will go up. We are following a similar
model. We will give the students the
afternoon block to pursue a topic they are passionate about.
Goals of this project:
*to promote, support, and model creative,
innovative thinking and inventiveness
*to allow students an opportunity to
discover/investigate one of their passions and reflect on/share their learning
with others
*provide students and teachers an
opportunity to develop skill sets that are valuable in any learning situation
(research, experimentation, collaboration, creativity, problem solving and
critical thinking)
*to provide an opportunity for classes to
share their Genius and Passion Projects with others.
Brainstorming
At the beginning of the project, students
will begin brainstorming ideas for a project proposal. Students may work alone,
or in a group with similar interests. While brainstorming, I will encourage
students to make the project ―Product Focused. At the end of the project I want them to
have made something that is a completed product. It could be an event or
service to help others in the school or community. It could also be a digital
project like a short film or video game.
Proposal
Once the team has an idea of what project
they want to pursue, they begin writing the proposal. This is how the team will
― pitch the project to me and the rest of the class. In this proposal, students
will answer the following questions.
What is your project?
Who will work with you on this project?
Who is the audience / user base / client
base for this project?
Why is this project worthwhile?
What do you expect to learn from this
project?
What PRODUCT will you have to show at the
end of the course?
What sort of expenses will be involved in
your project and how will you cover them?
What sort of equipment will you need and
where will you get it?
What is your timeline for completing (or
launching) your project?
The Journal or Google Slides Entry
Each day each student is required to write
an entry to discuss their progress. They will write about the day, what they
worked on, what they learned, what challenges they faced, and what they
anticipate in the future.
Genius Hour Time
Students will have the afternoon blocks to
work on their projects. If students need to be off site to work on their
projects, they are welcome to do that on their own time during weekends or
afternoons and use the scheduled class time as a productive tutorial period,
meeting period, or writing period.
The Final Presentation
At the end of the project, each team or
individual will give a presentation to students and teachers where they will
show off their work. This will be carefully written and rehearsed to produce a
high quality presentation.
Assessment
I am going to assess students on the
various elements of the project. A significant portion of their assessment will
be dependent on the following elements with rubrics.
The Proposal Is the proposal on-time, and does it address the required
questions appropriately?
The Journal or Google Slides Do their entries meet the required length,
address the required topic?
The Product Did you successfully move from idea phase to production phase,
and do you have something to show at the end of the project? Self-assessment rubric.
Productivity Are you spending your Genius hour time by actively and passionately
working on your project? If not, we need to quickly adjust the project so you
are working on something that is intrinsically motivating. This is less
objective, but if I see students not being productive, I will intervene.
Final Presentation Does your presentation meet all of the
required elements?
What if my project is a failure?
The only truly failed project is the one
that doesn’t get done. I want students to strive to show off a successful product
at the end of the project, but I don’t want the quest for perfection to lead to
an incomplete project.
If you feel that your project is a
failure, I want to hear about it. What did you learn about it? If you worked
productively and your project did not turn out as you hoped you need to share
your learning in your presentation.
Don’t strive for failure, but don’t be
afraid of it either!
If you have any questions or concerns
please let me know. I look forward to sharing our learning.
Chris Rennie
Term 3
We will be focusing on a Technology, Mathematical and Science based Inquiry using measurement in Volume and Capacity.
Volume and Capacity
| |
Compare
|
Two capacities, by estimation then direct comparison, and describe the comparison using measuring language eg
full
empty
enough
too much
half full
|
Measure
|
Capacity using repeated non-standard units and metric units
3 cups fill the bowl
3 cups = 1 litre
1 teaspoon = 5 ml
|
Estimate
|
The size of one litre, 2L, and one millilitre, 5ml, 500ml in everyday contexts.
|
Know
|
The basic units of capacity and their equivalents:
1 litre = 1 000 millilitres
1/2 litre = 500 ml
1.5 litres = 1 500 ml
|
Term 2
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