Breaking New Ground

I have (at least) five country music stations on my car radio settings.

I heard this brand new song yesterday on errands, and it made me think of the tough work passionate educators do...



My favorite idea from this song:

If you want it bad enough, no you won't back down
But it ain't easy, breakin' new ground

We know it ain't easy - but we're making a difference to SOMEone, SOMEwhere. Keep it up!

Passion-Driven Learning Presentations at the K12 Online Conference

I'd never heard of the K12 Online Conference, and yet I was asked to be the "keynote presenter" for the Passion-Driven Learning strand for this year's online conference. Humbled and anxious, I accepted, not knowing the work I'd have to put into it. I could criticize my own video until I'm blue in the face, but I am proud of the message, and stand by it. I am also very thankful to those teachers (Sheri Edwards, Denise Krebs, Oliver Schinkten, Paul Solarz, Gallit Zvi) who came through for me by sending me clips of their answers to questions I wanted to include.

My (@JoyKirr) K12 Online Learning Conference Keynote presentation from October 27th:

On the K12 Online blog, this presentation is here.

Here is the complete schedule of the 2014 K12 Online Conference presentations, and I've pulled out three here that are pretty specific to the group of teachers who follow this blog. See the complete listing for so many more fabulous presentations that make you contemplate all sorts of ideas and issues!

Bart Miller's (@BarMill) presentation (& resources) is one of my favorites from this strand. I need to watch it yet again, take notes, and then... take action.

Here is Bart's written transcription of his presentation.

Michelle L. Haiken's (@TeachingFactor) presentation & resources:

JoAnn Delaney's (@jdelaneyJoAnn) presentation & resources:

Again, see the complete listing for so many more fabulous presentations. I've learned so much watching them, knowing that the next time I'm asked to create a video, I've got to step it up a few notches!

Comments or questions on these videos? Please leave them below.

Finally Realizing My Own Passion

I finally get it.

After hearing Angela Maiers in person at BLC12 (Better Learning Communities, Boston, 2012), reading both Classroom Habitudes and The Passion-Driven Classroom, seeing her work regarding Choose2Matter with high school students, following all the tweets and retweets of her words and work, and watching her podcasts, Google HangOuts, Skype sessions and now my favorite - "Passion-Based Learning with Angela Maiers".......

I finally get it.

I think I listened to this visit with Angela about 15 times now. She explains "passion," as she does whenever I listen to her words. After listening to her so many times and actually thinking about my own life and how I'm motivated by my own passion, I finally get it. Here are the words that have resonated with me this past month, and the message I will be sharing with my students this year.

"Many people think passion is doing what you like to do. And that projects should be wrapped around what kids like to do... But the root word of passion is 'to suffer; to endure.' So, passion isn't doing something that you LIKE to do - that's called a 'hobby,' or a 'project.' It's not even doing something that you're good at doing. That could turn into a job or a career or a project again. Passion is discovering what you MUST do.

"If you were asked to not do _____, what would your life be like? When you talk to individuals who are passion-driven, there is no event, there is no project, there is no beginning and end, and there's certainly no mastery... You're never finished. Passion becomes your energy, it becomes your fuel, your soul, when you think you can't rely on anything else and then passion whispers in your ear and says, 'What choice do you have?' because quitting is not an option...

"This is where the word 'suffering' becomes important... When something gets hard, or when something becomes high risk... when you start feeling the pressure of it... it's at that moment when you decide to cross the line, when something stops being fun, when something becomes incredibly, absolutely, almost sometimes almost excruciatingly difficult, if you stay with it, you are driven by passion. If you give it up...it just isn't true passion."

Just this month, I have realized what my passion is. It is giving students time to pursue their own passions. It was my 40th birthday, in January of 2013. On this date, I crossed "the line." I felt the pressure, and Genius Hour stopped being fun...

There was a parent that had been angry with me throughout the first half of the school year - for various reasons. I remember three specific reasons - Her child did not do as well on the ISAT as the year prior, and nothing I was doing in class seemed to be helping her to do better on the next one coming up in April. I was not giving enough homework, her child didn't have any grammar or vocabulary or root word work to study at home, and class was "too easy." On this date in January, she wanted to meet with me and the principal so she could explain her concerns more. On this date in January, in front of the principal, I also heard the criticism, "Genius Hour is crazy. All the parents think so. You should do more PR for it."

Nope. I can cut through the yard!

Although I had my principal's support, it felt like I'd been punched in the gut. Although I knew that Genius Hour was the only day of the week I saw her child smile in class, I felt defeated. I wanted to go home and cry. It was the first time any parent had stepped on my toes about Genius Hour. I left the meeting, and left my principal to talk more with the parent. I went home and had my birthday meal. I don't remember if I cried or not, but I do know my husband and I talked long and hard about it. One thing he asked me, "Do you think you're doing the right thing?" Yes. "Why do you think so?"

I slept that night. (I'm blessed that I can sleep most nights without trouble!) I woke the next day and wrote this blog post about the changes I'd be making. And then I acted. Out of suffering. I endured. Quitting was not an option. She wanted PR for parents? OKAY! I took the notes I'd been keeping to myself in an Evernote folder, and I put them into an online binder - for all to see.

The LiveBinder was created out of pain. It started because Genius Hour had become something I MUST do with my students. I needed to defend it. I needed to find the stories that motivated others to try it. I needed to let parents know just WHY I was using this time in class on a weekly basis.

It grew. During the #GeniusHour chat once a month, teachers had always been asking - How do I start? How do your hold your students accountable? How does this prepare them for standardized tests? What can I use to inspire my students? What do you do about students who have a hard time with this type of learning? I started making the LiveBinder helpful to teachers, as well. I began collecting, every day, posts and ideas that people were tweeting out about their own trials and tribulations, creativity, innovation, engagement, passion......

There are now OVER 400 teachers who have made the Genius Hour LiveBinder what it is today. Call it what you will - Genius Hour, 20% Time, Passion Projects, Innovation Days... All of these days are incorporated into precious school hours because of teachers who are passionate. These teachers know that their students need time to follow their own passions, or be turned off by the institution we call "school." Who to thank for this LiveBinder? A parent who didn't understand Genius Hour - because I didn't explain it. Who else? YOU. We should thank all the teachers who have made the LiveBinder what it is, and all the teachers who will help it grow further.

I received an email from Sherri Stokes this past week. She wanted me to put six different resources on the LiveBinder. These resources are in FRENCH! World language teachers will be so happy to see them. In addition to the resources, she shared with me a lengthly story from a parent who was giving her blessing to Genius Hour, because it had helped her daughter and their family. This is more fuel for me. This feeds my passion in ways I can't describe.

What's next for me? I will continue to be PROactive with parents, and let them know what we're doing right from the starting gate. I will continue to curate resources found on the #geniushour and #20time hash tags. I cannot stop. This I MUST do. I've heard of too many success stories to stop now.

What's next for YOU? Please...
     Keep writing about what you're trying in class, and WHY you're trying it.
     Keep sharing this writing online, and tweet it out for the world to see.
          (Use the hashtags so more teachers see your tweets!)
     Keep trying, tweaking, and trying again.
     Keep doing what you know is right.
     Keep asking others for help. We can figure this out together.

You do your share, and I'll do mine.
Let's keep passion-driven learning alive during school hours.

Passion-Based Learning: Ready, set, go!

No matter the name, the goals are the same:
     Keep children engaged during school by letting them know you value them.
     Give children opportunities to collaborate, share their skills, learn what they want to learn, and share that learning with others.
     Help children stay life-long learners.

Names for this type of learning, that most likely happens outside of the "regular curriculum," include Passion Time, Genius Hour, 20% Time, Innovation Time... and the list goes on. Some teachers set aside time weekly for students to learn what they choose. Some schools have one day or one week a year dedicated to students owning their learning. Whatever you decide to do, your students and you will benefit - but I'm writing today to suggest guidelines for getting started. There are many decisions you should make before you begin. Don't let these scare you off - you'll have to make these decisions at some point during the process, so you might as well get going on them now.

Created by me with Diptic & Over apps.

Here is a brief "how to" guide for getting started:

1. Decide if you feel students need to focus this "choice" learning on your subject or a certain subject only. If so, your ideas for how to proceed will be different than if you leave student choice wide open. This will also help you determine the name you will give to this time.
2. Decide how much time you will dedicate in class, and stick to it. Which day(s)? Next, tell the students and parents, so they keep you accountable. Keeping parents in the loop is crucial - be sure to be proactive in this regard, and update them often through your class website or emails.
3. Decide if you will have a gradual release for ideas... Begin by asking students to teach their talent? Maybe a classroom-wide service project? A challenge? Learn something new first?
4. Decide your end result - Will students share throughout the year? Each semester? End of year? Will you require a product? An action? A presentation?
5. Figure out how your students will share. Will just their class know what they're doing? Partner with another class? The school? The world?
6. Decide if you will allow for pairs or group learning, or if you will require students to work independently. You will need to make this clear to students from the start.
7. Write down your expectations for class time. Some teachers have a small set of rules. These could include the following: be productive, learn something new, create, collaborate... Think of scenarios you'll run into (students watching YouTube videos) - will these fit into one of your expectations for students? Once you decide, put them on the board under your goal for the day.
8. Decide if, or what, you will grade. If you will grade, decide just how. If you will not grade, gather some reflections for the students to complete anyway. Reflection is a key step in this process.
9. I believe one-to-one conferring with students is essential. You will need to figure out a management system to monitor your own students' progress. Will you use a journal to keep track? A checklist? Goal sheets? Student sign-up? Will you have mentors come in to help? Do not check your email during this time, or do your own project (do that at home). Instead, confer with each student, as often as you can. Decide how you're going to keep track.
10. Research ideas as to how you will introduce the concept of passion-based learning to your students. You will want to explain the reasons behind your choice, and of course give them the "how does this benefit me" reason. This will also help you wrap your head around how you will keep students focused as they work. Ideas from teachers are here, videos are here, and picture books are here.

Once you get started, follow these steps Gallit Zvi laid out.

Count on tweaking your ideas from week to week and year to year... Students' ideas will provoke change in your classroom, and in your thinking!*

*Disclaimer: Be ready to be the loudest and most engaged class in your hallway...

What's the value in Frozen Marbles?

A respected Twitter colleague of mine wrote a post last week titled, “Be Careful of Genius Hour.” As soon as I read it, I realized that the comments section wasn't the place for my thoughts on this close-to-my-heart subject...

If I could put Laura’s post into a question, it might be “During Genius Hour time, are students learning something valuable?” This has been asked before, in a different way, in Denise  Krebs’ post here - “Must the Students?” - Must the students be able to explain why their project is worth learning? (Check out the comments on that one - and add your own!) I love that this question is still being asked, as it is one that many teachers, parents, and administration ask. Let’s keep this conversation going.

I sometimes think some of my students' projects are not "valuable." However, here is where I find the value in doing something such as baking brownies (which, for us, is done at home) or playing Minecraft...

Collaboration, cooperation, social skills… if they are working with friends

• Getting prepared
• Following directions
• Perseverance / Stamina / Determination
• Follow through (cleaning up, whether they succeeded or failed)
• Doing what they love and being proud to share that with others

How to make baking brownies “more valuable...” Ask this student

...to try 4 different recipes, and create one of his/her own

...to have a taste test with 5 different recipes, one being his or her own

...to learn how to decorate the brownies in various ways

...to learn how to shape the brownies so it makes a design

...to make brownies to sell for a specific purpose/charity

...to start a blog with dessert recipes he/she has tried and modified

How to make playing Minecraft “more valuable…” Ask this student

...to build something to scale - such as their school or a monument in town

...to add to their 3D model something new that isn’t in the original - something they think should be there (something to make this place even better)

...to create a tutorial on how to build in Minecraft

...to create a video when they are finished with one aspect, to show what they are learning along the way

...to ask other students what they’d like to see from a Minecraft project (I have a student who is making a roller coaster quiz game in Minecraft - if you get an answer wrong, you get ejected! I have no clue how he’s doing this…!)

ALWAYS ALWAYS ask, “How could you have done better?” and “What would you change if there was a ‘next time?’” and “How have you grown with this experience?” or “How will this experience help you in life?” I believe the reflection piece is necessary for more learning to occur the next time. I have students fill out this reflection form (adapted from Denise Krebs’ form on the wiki) every time they share what they’ve done / learned with the class. Not every project is something I would deem “valuable.” I’m not in seventh grade either.  I like coming to school. I find time to do what I love there and at home. Do your students?

Any project can be a learning experience. It may not be up to par with what we think constitutes valuable class time, but ask yourself this…

• Is the student engaged?
• Does the student feel like he matters?
• Does the student want to come back to school the next day?
• And something that helps with the rest of your week: Do you know your student better?

Here’s a photo from the latest quick presentation from a student of mine… “Frozen Marbles” she called it. She filled up balloons with water and froze them on a tray in the freezer at school. The next week, she and her friends peeled the balloons off of the ice. Here is the result:

She was intrigued by the design inside of the ice. She wondered what she could DO with the frozen marbles. Where is she going next? She’s going to try a bunch of quick experiments and video tape them. Her final presentation will be a video of all she has tried, including their successes and failures, and what she's learned. Is this valuable? She’s engaged in learning - on her own. When she presented her findings on this tiny project, the rest of the class was rapt, making her feel important. She wants to keep learning, and to try more difficult experiments. I get to learn more and more about her each week.

I obviously don’t have all the answers. I'm still learning, along with my students. Please, let’s keep this conversation going so we can help each other help our students become life-long learners...

Summer "Break"

I've thought of my students each day of this summer break that is to end very soon. Most recently, my husband and I went on our vacation - 17 days with the F150 ("with EcoBoost," he adds) & travel trailer. Destination - Gettysburg. On our "way home" from Gettysburg, we were to visit friends in NW PA, then ride the best "roller coast" with friends at Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH, and finally play in the sand with the grandkids on the west coast of Michigan.

However, it was Gettysburg that taught me the most lessons. This was the biggest:

I couldn't believe all the fences in the broad expanse of fields in Gettysburg...

I wanted to see Gettysburg because my husband wanted to. His passion for history is infectious. Did I think I'd cry on the second day there as I tried to take it all in? Did I think I'd be in awe at the thousands of memorials all throughout the town? I thought it was going to be a field on which soldiers fought and died...

51,000 casualties (dead, wounded, missing) in this 3-day battle. In middle school, those were just numbers to me. All I remembered was that the North and South were fighting in the Civil War. At age 40, seeing this vast expanse of land, seeing the relics in the museum, and hearing the personal stories about the residents of the town of Gettysburg from the man leading the ghost tour, I have a tiny grasp of what those numbers mean. Seeing the new exhibit with articles from the GAR and the SCV put it into even better perspective.

I can't take my students to places in literature or nonfiction we read in class. They will (hopefully) some day experience these places on their own or with their families. How can I get close to giving them some experiences they'll remember? We'll start with Genius Hour the first day of every week. I hope that the choice they have during this time will help them stay invested and engaged and they'll remember what they've done during this precious time when they are older. I ask, though - How can I use the rest of the week and the curriculum I need to cover to make it memorable for my new students? I am not going to be the "sage on the stage," even if they might well remember a goofy production of mine. I'm going to give much of the conversations and discussions to the students.

What else can I do to make this year's lessons memorable? Please leave ideas...

Interest-Driven Learning

Once again, the power of being connected to other teachers just amazes me.

My head is spinning again today. Less than a week ago, a tweet went out with the following page from Connected Learning: What Does "Interest-Driven" Look Like? The question posed: How can educators - in school and out - support youth to pursue and document the ideas that matter to them, while simultaneously helping them to use a critical lens?

Here is the Google HangOut, if you'd like to listen during your lunch hour, like I did...

Watch live streaming video from connectedlearningtv at livestream.com

I didn't know the contributors before it started. See the link above for their full descriptions, but here are their names:
   Paul Oh
   Mimi Ito
   Nicole Mirra
   Paul Allison
   Stephanie West-Puckett

I cannot put my thoughts into cohesive sentences like they can. I loved listening to them describe the difference between interests and passions. I loved how they shared stories of how students can flourish in an environment where they know their ideas matter. One of them (Stephanie?) talked about a book she was reading again, and she mentioned these four things that will aid interest-driven learning:

I believe we all need to keep these in mind, whether we are trying Genius Hour / Passion Projects / Inquiry-Based Learning / or just trying to give students more ownership in their learning.

Of course, how can you make this day of learning any better? Have a chat on Twitter about this very thing! They wanted to continue the discussion, so I followed #literacies at noon today. I am fortunate to have been able to participate. If you missed it, here is the transcript of the #literacies session, moderated by Emily Pendergrass:

Genius

What does the word "genius" mean?

This question was asked during one of our monthly #geniushour chats on Twitter. There seems to be some confusion about what the word means.

We might start with the question... From where does the word originate? Denise Krebs tweeted this picture out...

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=genius&allowed_in_frame=0

The Online Etymology Dictionary says words such as "guardian deity or spirit which watches over each person from birth," "generative power," "produce." In fact, "person of natural intelligence or talent" and "natural ability" are not recorded until the 1640s.

By reading this origin of the word, does this not make us all geniuses? The sign I made for my window from the classroom to the hallway reiterates what Angela Maiers has been known to say... "You are a GENIUS, and the world expects your contribution." Are all of my students geniuses?

What does Merriam-Webster have to say?

If you're anything typical of a 7th grader, you'll look at the first line and say a genius is a spirit!  However, I tend to lean towards definition number 2 or 5 when I think of a genius. These definitions beg me to ask this: Is a genius even a person??

Then there are some that say Practical Genius is a Choice... If you read this from Michael McKinney, it shows that genius is a thing that we all have inside of us... A talent maybe... or a passion... already in us, and we just have to recognize it and work with it to be successful at something we love. This sounds much like Sir Ken Robinson's ideas from his book, The Element. Recognize your own genius or passion, find your tribe, and just keep pursuing what makes you happy to the core. It's that one thing that you can do for hours and not realize that any time has passed...

So... what do the geniuses have to say about it??

Genius is initiative on fire. ~Holbrook Jackson
Genius is eternal patience. ~Michelangelo
Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. ~Thomas Edison or Albert Einstein, depending on what site you deem credible...
The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm. ~Aldous Huxley
Genius is nothing more, nor less, than childhood recaptured at will. ~Charles Baudelaire
Neither a lofty degree of intelligence, nor imagination, nor both together, go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius. ~Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb trees, it will life its whole life believing that it is stupid. ~Albert Einstein
Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

And then there's this last one, by Plato...
“Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.” 

I need this quote above the door to the classroom!  Plato and these others have just given me more fuel for the fire... My passion to let students learn what THEY want to learn just grows and grows.

My question for you...
It's time to find out our students' geniuses... I've tried a few ways this year, and have less than a handful of students who I can't quite grasp yet... How do you investigate your students' passions? What are some things you've been doing this year to find out what your students' "peculiar bent of ... genius" is?

Addition - 5/19/13...
After reading this post on "The Disruptors" blog by Kevin Brookhouser (@brookhouser - a person in my PLN that I respect), I feel I need to make a few additions to my original post, so I'm not being misunderstood...

I don't call my students geniuses... I say they have genius IN them. I tell them they may need to work to find it, and when they DO find it, they still need to develop it. I then remind them of Malcom Gladwell's ideas about the 10,000 hour rule to mastery. I also remind them that they will ultimately fail, and that they will need to keep trying - thus this time in class we give them. Genius Hour is giving them the TIME (hour) to find their Genius. We don't call it 20% time, because it may not be that rigid - it could be any time during the week or month...

Possible implications of calling them geniuses and telling them they're smart? Well, I think it's better than calling our time for learning "Average Hour." Checking on Kevin's tweets to see if there was more talk of this post, I saw a conversation between him and Christine Baker (who I immediately followed).

--> Why I won't call it Passion Hour this next year - I have a passion for teaching reading and writing, and I hope to inspire my students' passion in the written word as well. I would hope all of our class time would be passion time...
--> Why I won't call it Purpose Hour this next year - Does the rest of our week not have any purpose??
--> Why I won't call it Think Tank this next year - I believe everyone thinks in all situations, not just in one room, for one hour at a time.
--> Why I will stick to Genius Hour this next year - I want my students to find out who they are - to find out what "peculiar bent of genius" they have. It's a matter of letting students find their passion, bring out their genius (and yes, geniuses fail), and let them learn what THEY want to learn.

Will it make a difference what we call it? Maybe.
Will it make a difference how we treat students? Most definitely.
I will continue to tell my students they have genius IN them, and it's up to them to nurture it and help it grow. I will continue to tell my students they matter, and that I will try my best to help them through struggles and failures.

After reflecting on this, I saw a new post (out today!) by A.J. Juliani - Purpose Over Passion... I am not a genius. I do have genius IN me, and most definitely passions. Few of these have become purposeful for me, and lead me to changes. My goal is always as it has been... to help my students be life-long learners, and ultimately change the world.

Thank you to Kevin for making me stop and think this morning... now I've got to go back to working (and possibly failing) with what matters!


Addition - 6/11/13...
Here's another great post on the word "genius," from Bart Miller (@BarMill), who currently teaches in Tokyo, Japan. He asserts that "genius is not granted, but built." Let's help future adults build their genius!

Nashville & A Passion for Music

Our 7th graders read the second chapter of Outliers by Malcom Gladwell this year. A main point he made was that sports stars, gold-record musicians, entrepreneurs, etc. spend at least 10,000 hours on their passion before they become "experts." My husband and I witnessed this phenomenon this spring break...

Nashville Tennessee - Birthplace of country music stars, right? Not exactly. There are many "transplants" that live in Nashville, that want to get noticed. Our first night there, we walked the "district," visiting a couple of venues, and listening to the live music. Oh, to hear live music! At B.B. King's Blues Club, we heard one man start off, with just his guitar and some pre-recorded rhythms. He was a solid performer. We had to keep exploring, though. We then stopped at the Wildhorse Saloon - and there was line dancing! (Oh, it's been too long!) I went out and danced what I could, and soon there was a live band there, as well! This man and his crew were more rock than the singer at B.B. King's, but so talented, and fun to dance to, for sure!

Walking past each venue, we heard more and more live music. There's nothing like a street full of music pouring out of each doorway. We ended our night back at B.B. King's, where we heard a superb rendition of Stevie Wonder. The first singer we saw there was now playing for a band, and they continued to astound us, hammering out the blues.

Less than 24 hours later, we had a date at the Grand Ole Opry. Some big names were on for the night - Ricky Skaggs, Craig Morgan, and Michael W. Smith to name a few. We also saw Little Jimmy Dickens, who is the oldest member of the Opry. The show (live on WSM 650 AM) was amazing. It was so overwhelmingly filled with talent, that I teared up a few times. Some artists were referred to as having "God's gift," and some with "amazing talent," but I know it was a combination of these... and TIME. Ricky Skaggs said he was invited to play with Earl Scruggs when he was only seven. This opportunity, his desire to play the mandolin, and the time he put in all had to do with his ability to join in with any band on the stage this night.

Just to get to the Opry stage, just to have the right to be able to stand on that wooden circle after the legends that had been there before them, they had to be talented. They had to put in the time and the effort. When they did appear on the stage, they performed with all they had. The lead singer and fiddler in the Old Crow Medicine Show was crazed with energy. His bow danced across his fiddle, vibrant words flew from his mouth, and his feet stomped to the fast pace, while his fellow musicians played their hearts out, too. People were bouncing in their seats, and clapping to the beat. His energy transfixed us. We were awestruck at how spectacular he sounded, and the passion he showed.

I wondered about writing this post. I wanted to write about the talent we witnessed. But what for? What does this have to do with Genius Hour? What impacted me so much about this trip to Nashville? It's all about the passion. Since I was little, my dad always told me, "Do what you like in life." One of my mottos now - "Do what you like; like what you do." I want this for my students. I don't want them to settle for less. I want them to start pursuing their passions as soon as they are aware of what they are. The more time they put into it, the more they'll get out of it; the more they'll get out of LIFE itself.

I'm excited to witness these passions come to life.