Awesome Kids at Work

How often do learners get to pursue their passion to create awesomeness?
I'd like to think that in our classroom it would be a regular thing. However, occasionally a creation comes along that stops you in your tracks and makes you realise the talent that kids possess and the power that is held in their passion.

For one week, one third of the class completed passion projects based on literacy outcomes.

• Manage your time
• Challenge yourself
• Create something with a clear message
• Create awesomeness

Here's a small taste of one completed task that left me with that spine tingle of greatness

- We're on Top by Hosannah and Jouan

The engagement, completion rate, learning discussions and ongoing reflection as the learners created, generated a major buzz in the classroom.
The awesomeness was awesome. 

The Power of Sharing

Sharing has become part of a catch phrase in our learning this year.

"Create something to share that will make the world more awesome!"

Transparent learning and sharing means the world to these kids. Seeing where they've started, how they got there and showcasing amazingness, drives and motivates the "Where to next?"
Too often we move on to the next thing. Days are busy and time is precious, "We must get through the curriculum!" Unfortunately this is to the detriment of sharing, reflecting and ultimately, the learning.
Learners need that opportunity to show off, to shine, to share and to receive feedback, feed forward, ask questions and offer further ideas. This is true collaborative learning.

Whilst undertaking an experiment on making ice-cream the other week, the students began to, quite loudly, question as to how on earth this simple process could possibly work.
Through personal research, the kids discovered that salt melts ice. When making ice cream why woud you salt the ice to make it melt?
This led to many more questions around the process that everyone had just shared. Groups formed and students began to explore further, offering hypotheses, challenging each other and ultimately reaching the valid conclusion of energy transfer. A fun, collaborative, learning filled, off the agenda, afternoon. Interestingly, many children went home that weekend, repeated the experiment and taught family members about what they had learnt around the idea of energy transfer. Sharing!

Sharing is the power behind reflection and learning, facilitating superb conversations, allowing further exploration and giving each learner a chance to have their voice heard.