This idea comes from the Google Corporation. Google afforded its employees the opportunity to allot 20% of their working time to pet projects, something that their job description didn't cover but was important to the employee. This business practice has created some of the most innovative ideas to ever come out of Google. Some educators, including myself, are extending this idea to the "classroom" in hopes that it will foster creativity, intrinsic motivation to learn, and innovation. This is completely in line with the ideals of Personalized Learning. Being Personalized Learning educators, we are encouraged to "think outside the classroom," and the cross-curricular skills necessary to complete this project along with the innate collaboration element will help to develop critical thinking skills in our students.
The point is for students to have a learning experience that would not normally have through traditional academics. By granting them the freedom to choose their subject matter, we allowing them the opportunity to have autonomy over their learning. Students seek out their own topics, set their own benchmarks, do their own research, choose their own mentors, and create a product or service that they can be proud of. They are limited only by their own imaginations, not be the parameters of school.
The point is for students to have a learning experience that would not normally have through traditional academics. By granting them the freedom to choose their subject matter, we allowing them the opportunity to have autonomy over their learning. Students seek out their own topics, set their own benchmarks, do their own research, choose their own mentors, and create a product or service that they can be proud of. They are limited only by their own imaginations, not be the parameters of school.
Students are encouraged to make the project “Product Focused” and centered on a social “need.” In other words, contributing to the real world where there is an apparent void. At the end of this experience, we want them to have made something that is a completed product. It could be a physical product like a graphic novel that addresses the concerns of an underrepresented population or a balloon that takes photos from the stratosphere to help predict weather or monitor crime. It could be an organization like providing tutoring to younger students, or a community service project such as providing books to those who cannot afford them. It could also be a digital project like a short film or video game. The point here is that we want our students to passionately contribute to a community of their choice.
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