Year-End Passion Project
It's hard to believe that we are nearing the end of the year. It did not turn out to be anything like what we envisioned last August, but here we are.
I am asking you to take one more journey for English this year: a passion project.
This idea is loosely based on a policy that Google has had for its employees for a while. They are allowed to spend 20%, or about one day a week, of their time on a project that interests them. The management feels that letting people pursue their own projects keeps people motivated, reduces burn-out, and often yields innovations that can help the company.
We are not a company, but I think burn-out is definitely a concern. So for this last unit, you pick what you want to do.
Your assignment is to learn as much as you can about a topic that interests you. Have you always wondered why the sky was blue? Or how to build a computer? Or how to get a perfect score/beat your favorite video game? Do you want to perfect your slider, or backhandspring, or free-throw? Are you determined to play that piano piece perfectly? Do you want to know everything there is to know about Michael Jordan, or Kobe, or Stephen Sondheim? Or Rembrandt? Do you want to write a book? Or a series of poems? Or make a movie?
What do you want to learn?
For the next two weeks, keep a journal everyday-- the goal is still three solid sentences per day. Then spend about 20 minutes working. Maybe that is researching. Maybe that is writing. Maybe that is taking free-throws and keeping notes on the adjustments you make. What work looks like depends on your project, and you can certainly go longer. Some of you are bored, and I hope that you pick something that you are very interested in. Then you'll decide how to present what you learned. Do you want to write a paper? Is the project already something written? Do you want to make a PowerPoint, Prezi or Google Slides presentation? Do you want to make a video? You decide how to showcase what you will have learned. Please understand-- the assignment is not to do a PowerPoint. The assignment is to learn a whole bunch and then decide how to present it.
I know you might have questions; feel free to email me. Let's make the final product, whatever you decide that is, due on TUESDAY, MAY 19th.
I am asking you to take one more journey for English this year: a passion project.
This idea is loosely based on a policy that Google has had for its employees for a while. They are allowed to spend 20%, or about one day a week, of their time on a project that interests them. The management feels that letting people pursue their own projects keeps people motivated, reduces burn-out, and often yields innovations that can help the company.
We are not a company, but I think burn-out is definitely a concern. So for this last unit, you pick what you want to do.
Your assignment is to learn as much as you can about a topic that interests you. Have you always wondered why the sky was blue? Or how to build a computer? Or how to get a perfect score/beat your favorite video game? Do you want to perfect your slider, or backhandspring, or free-throw? Are you determined to play that piano piece perfectly? Do you want to know everything there is to know about Michael Jordan, or Kobe, or Stephen Sondheim? Or Rembrandt? Do you want to write a book? Or a series of poems? Or make a movie?
What do you want to learn?
For the next two weeks, keep a journal everyday-- the goal is still three solid sentences per day. Then spend about 20 minutes working. Maybe that is researching. Maybe that is writing. Maybe that is taking free-throws and keeping notes on the adjustments you make. What work looks like depends on your project, and you can certainly go longer. Some of you are bored, and I hope that you pick something that you are very interested in. Then you'll decide how to present what you learned. Do you want to write a paper? Is the project already something written? Do you want to make a PowerPoint, Prezi or Google Slides presentation? Do you want to make a video? You decide how to showcase what you will have learned. Please understand-- the assignment is not to do a PowerPoint. The assignment is to learn a whole bunch and then decide how to present it.
I know you might have questions; feel free to email me. Let's make the final product, whatever you decide that is, due on TUESDAY, MAY 19th.