Joy in the Journey: Independent Studies

What do you love to do? What are your passions? What motivates you to want to know more?

These were the questions we discussed three months ago as my LINK students (grades 6-8) embarked on their Independent Study research, the beginning of a pilot project integrating literacy skills, community involvement, and personally motivated learning. Based on the Genius Hour model, students were given some structure and a lot of freedom to research a topic and present their findings.

Step 1: Brainstorm and select a research question. Their topics ranged from fashion to legos, sports teams to interior design. Some were predictable based on what I knew about the student, while others took me by surprise and gave me a new window into the student's interests!

Step 2: Connect with a coach. Some students had a coach in mind, such as another BFA teacher or a family friend, while others were stumped by this step. I assured them that every student would have a coach - primarily because I knew I couldn't manage 50+ independent studies on my own! The coach would act as a primary communicator, a resource for finding sources, a potential sounding board for ideas, and most of all, an encourager throughout the process.

So who were these coaches? Many of YOU! You shared your gifts, abilities, and interests in cooking, travel, psychology, theater, architecture... a diverse list of topics! Our students enjoyed emailing with you and having your support at various stages throughout the process. Personally, it was really exciting to see the connections made across many miles and, in many cases, bringing my two "worlds" together! I'm grateful for your part in the success of the first-ever Independent Study project.

Step 3: Gather sources and research! This step clearly took the longest, as students dove into finding information to answer their research questions. With only two short periods each week, we found that it took longer to research than expected. So, we extended the research time to allow students to "go deeper." The EasyBib Add-On in Google Docs was an invaluable tool for students to keep track of their sources in MLA format.

Step 4: Share results. Students could choose to display their findings or present to the class in our Share Celebration. We even had some special guests in the audience - our principal, dean, director, and some of the local coaches, as well as two of my college friends who were visiting!

"Why I think the Spurs are great" - which, of course, was followed with supporting research!