Tonight, I was drawn to attending a talk given by David Wolf. As a teacher, I could not pass up the opportunity to hear his story and find gems to share with kids. So many students, like all of us, are captivated by space. Secretly, I had in my heart the idea that something he would say would support my stance on Passion Projects in education.

Stats on David Wolf:

• Astronaut, Medical Doctor, Engineer, Scientist and Pilot
• Logged 168 days, 12 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds in space – over four separate missions including 7 spacewalks
• Served aboard the Russian Mir space station, Space Shuttle, Spacelab and the International Space Station.

Wolf shared of his experiences in space and adding to the International Space Station. He discussed the seven hour sessions out on space walks and all that it takes to train. The grit it takes to prepare for the “one shot” attempts in space. There are no second chances and the mission needs to be perfect. He inspired many kids to ask him questions after his talk. He was just like us as teachers. The kids showed their depth of knowledge in a wide range of space topics and you could see it in Wolf’s face that he understood the value of their background information. He addressed their facts and aided their misconceptions with grace. There was a key question the teacher in me was waiting to be asked…

What do students need who aspire to work for NASA?

Follow your passion. Work on what you are good at doing. Your own path is what you should do, as long as you do well at it.” -David Wolf

Yes, validation on why following passion is important. We give students time to dig deeper and explore the depths of what drives a desire to learn. Wolf was not giving kids permission to waste time.  He was encouraging them to do their passions well. If we launch kids into their passions, we can affirm their future. An astronaut must have a wide range of knowledge. Wolf had to find expertise in many areas to pursue his career.

What 21st Century skill is needed the most?

Flexibility to problem solve on the spot.  Wolf explained getting stuck in an airlock and exhausting the checklist.  He knew that you had to have the ability to think beyond the checklist. So, our students need experiences where they have to troubleshoot and we cannot rescue them right away.  We have to play “Mission Control” and guide.

The only thing we know is not going to happen is Plan A. I’ve been right every time.” -David Wolf

As teachers, we know that best plans have a way of changing.  We learn to adapt to the kids in front of us.  How can we help kids learn to develop multiple plans in facing a problem? How much more valuable do classroom experiences become, when we promote plan B, C, D, E, etc.?  Launch kids into their passions and be the “Mission Control” to their aid. You cannot do it for them, but you can provide a process.

As teachers, we understand that every moment matters in the classroom. We feel the pressure and worry about the learning outcomes. Each of us want to be responsible with the time we have to educate the students in front of us.  We have standards and testing looming in the background.

With passion projects, you release control to the students’ interests.  It is not all day. However, I understand how it might seem easy to ask, “Is this a waste of time? Are they learning from this?”

Sometimes the voice of the teacher inside wants to get in the way of a student’s choice for a project.  Just this spring, I had a student who had bounced from several project proposals during the year. Suddenly, he decided he wanted to use a Sphero.

Part of me wanted to immediately start the teacher drill of questions when he came to me with his rather weak proposal.  What are you going to do with that? Why do you want to use the Sphero? Do you have a goal in mind? However, I knew better because this particular student struggles to find a passion for learning.  It was not my time to get in his way and create obstacles.  I needed to let him gain an interest in a technological tool.

So, for four mornings I watched him come in excited. He got his iPad and went to borrow the Sphero from our media center. He worked with the Sphero for the entire 40 minutes.  It looked like play. He spent this time driving the Sphero in the classroom around other people.  He drove the Sphero in the hallway.  It looked like nothing was going to happen other than play. Four days of this made me wonder, when will he want more. Will he do more than this?

Yes, my bias was starting to get in the way. Yet, I wanted to keep him passionate about learning.  So, I called over my student and had a conversation.  It went something like this:

• T: Wow. I noticed that you know how to drive the Sphero really well now.
• T: What do you think about the Sphero?
• S: It’s fun.  I really like it.
• T: What else do you think you can do with the Sphero?
• S: I don’t know.
• T: Can you make an obstacle course? Can you make something that it is contained in and still make it drive?
• S: I never thought of that.
• T: Okay, what kind of research can we find for you to explore? (See video)
  
• T: What inspired you in that video? What do you want to try?
• S: I want to try an obstacle course.
• T: Awesome.  Plan what you want to do in your Passion Notebook, and then you can get started.

Educators, SPACE to explore is still learning! Our job is to let the play lead to something more.  You do not have to stay idle during Passion Time. You do need to give space. Then, you coach. As a teacher, I try to see the big picture for a student. Often kids need to have positive experiences in school to make BIG Change in their lives as learners. I could have been an obstacle for my student, but I let him play first. He created his own obstacle later.

What are your thoughts on play within Passion Projects?

If you are asked to showcase your learning, you will stay focused and work harder, right? What if each grading period, we hosted a Learning Showcase in the evening? Will parents understand the value better if we bring them in often to see their student’s passion projects?

The first three years, we let the kids create projects and share in the classroom.  We tried to guide them with a subtle timeline to finish or share the progress they were making. However, some kids seemed to drag on the advancement of meeting steps from their proposal.  Others were naturally more motivated to finish and share.  How do you get kids to have more stake in the progression? You give them a Learning Showcase.

In the first quarter, we told the students and parents at Meet the Teacher that we would be hosting Learning Showcase events.  The students were told that they did not have to be finished with a project to share.  They could talk about what steps they completed, share challenges they were facing, and where they were headed with their passion project.  We prepped the Learning Showcase with students making invitations for their parents to attend and sent out information on our Seesaw page. Also, at the showcase, students were able to share other work they had worked on in class.  We had signs around the room with ideas to ask students about. Students created the list of work they wanted to share from our classroom units.

Success from the Choice to Add Learning Showcases

1. Students knew they were going to be sharing with their parents. Naturally, they wanted to look prepared.  They put lots of effort into polishing their presentations and used their time wisely during Passion Time.
2. Students were pumped to share.  We had 4 to 6 students or groups share at the first showcase in front of the entire audience. The rest of the students shared just to their immediate family.
3. We had a great turn out! Parents want to know what is going on and are excited to be invited into the work taking place. The Showcase built a stronger sense of community with our families at the beginning of the year. 
4. Parents and grandparents were impressed with the students speaking skills and ideas. We had parental support to use class time to allow their kids to explore and grow. The feedback shared with us was positive and there was a sense of excitement on what the kids could accomplish.
5. Our kids made connections with other experts due to the events.  One example, a few girls were working on a Tasmanian Devil project teaching about a rare cancer the animals are displaying.  Another parent had a friend whose son interned in New Zealand for a vet working with Tasmanian Devils.  The girls were able to engage in Flipgrid video conversations with him.  The connection never would have happened without the Showcase.
6. The kids took advantage of the opportunity to practice public speaking.  
7. Students were prepared to share at bigger events the work they completed.  Our students took advantage of opportunities to present at PTO meetings and the district evening of innovation. The district event draws a large audience and our students were used to presenting their ideas to others. The confidence in their work was a highlight!

Once the name was changed from “Genius Hour” to Passion Time we were free to make new decisions. Why just an hour? If you are passionate about something it consumes you as a learner. What if kids actually were so engaged in their projects that they worked on them at home without being asked?

Daily time gives a lot of time to work on our passions. Without a daily time, you would be thinking about ideas, but then not be able to do anything about it. I wanted to do things with my passion.

-Livy Simpson, fifth grader

Today, I conducted a survey with the students to see if they worked on their passion projects at home.  I asked if they did any research or continued to work on the plans. The results confirmed that more time allowed for student led projects directly impacted time spent at home. In the survey 41 students did more work at home and 10 did not. However, three said that their project was to work with our developmental preschool in the building and they could not do more at home. Basically, that leaves 7 kids who daily worked on projects but did not add time at home.

We did not assign Passion Projects as home work. Not once! So, why did they continue at home? Here are some of their reasons:

• I was getting into my topic.
• I was enjoying being creative.
• It was fun!
• I wanted to get better at my passion.

So, was it time well spent?

 When it came time to make the decision to change the title from “Genius Hour” to “Passion Time,” it was easy.  Internally, I had a cringe when it came to the word “genius.” I had to ponder why.  Genius makes me think of fixed mindset.  You are either born brilliant or you are not. Why project a bell curve or give a sense that only a few will be successful in a time period of the day or week at school?

When we dive into neuroscience we learn from people like Jo Boaler in the book, Mathematical Mindsets, that the brain is flexible. You can develop any type of thinking you wish with the right amount of time, resources, and grit. Boaler is passionate about math. Each individual has a passion that, when developed can be a game changer for society.

Passion exudes a growth mindset.  You can explore what draws in your interest. However, please understand that passion still connects to intelligence. When you are learning something new, you must be able to explore it in the difficult stages.  Passion projects often solve problems, innovate ideas, and promote community service. Passion creates community and partnerships. Genius seems individual and easy to hold on to rather than share with the world. Hard work naturally follows a passionate idea. Be prepared to work when you are filled with passion.

“Everything is hard before it is easy.”
― Goethe, J.W.

Naturally, as a teacher, I want to develop lifelong learners.  Passion gets me into a flow. I can get lost in the topics and hobbies that I love. Hours can go by.  I can continue thinking about and perfecting a passion, even when I am not working on it.  It captivates my daydreams.  The thinking space of passion is rich, deep. We want kids that return home from school and are still intrigued on a topic.  So much so that they continue the work at home.  This is the “homework” we want.  It is meaningful and life giving. It’s the work that will change the world.

How do we develop passionate learners?

In the summer of 2016, my teammate, Tracey Kelly, and I went to Pure Genius training with Don Wettrick at Noblesville High School.  The idea of the training was to focus on innovation and learning.  We left ready to start “Genius Hour” projects with our 5th grade students the next school year. Wettrick told us that the work would be “messy” and we would not have it down.  It would take reflection and need us to be willing to shift as teachers.  If you do not know, Wettrick add his podcast to your listening library. He will shift your thinking.

Timeline:

• 2016 Summer Attend training: Ask how do we bring an innovation style class to 5th grade?
• 2016-2017: Start Genius Hour once a week on Friday mornings.
• 2017-2018: Continue Genius Hour with a focus on guiding students on proposals.
• 2018-2019: Revamp & Improve: How do we improve?

Action Research is about Teacher Reflecting and Improving

First change, the name!  Why are students only a genius during an hour a week? This change is simple.  Let’s start calling it “Passion Time.” Passion time can occur anytime. You can share your passion at school, home, and in the community. Simple! Done. We call it Passion Time.

Second change, the amount of time! Why just an hour? If you are passionate about something it consumes you as a learner. What if kids actually were so engaged in their projects that they worked on them at home without being asked? Let’s start having Passion Time more days than just Friday. Simple! Done. We have passion time Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning after our community circle for 40 minutes.

Third change, the sharing of projects! Why not share more often with parents? If you are asked to showcase your learning, you will stay focused and work harder. What if each grading period, we hosted a Learning Showcase in the evening? Simple! Done. My teammate and I put Learning Showcase dates on the calendar on the first teacher work day of the school year.  We have a showcase each quarter the week following a midterm on Wednesday night from 6-7 pm.

You might be wondering what the outcome of these three changes has been.  More to come in future posts.