Academies: Interest-Based Student Learning
Sunday, September 18, 2016Creativity and Innovation are more important than ever in today’s classroom. Our world is changing on a large scale and at an increasingly rapid rate.
Ken Robinson
Yet creativity is often at odds with the traditional classroom. With standardized measures for achievement and highly structured schedules, teachers often feel like we do not have the time to be creative.
But what happens if we don’t MAKE time to be creative. According to George Couros, “school can easily become a checklist for our students” (Couros, 2015). Daily reading passages, multiple choice tests, and homework can make school feel like a predictable routine or list to check off as opposed to an exciting opportunity to explore, learn, experiment, and grow.
So, how do we make school a place where students feel inspired and empowered by their learning, where learning is relevant and fun, where students have the opportunity to explore areas of personal interest and passion, and where we can recognize and develop a diverse array of talents?
I am constantly amazed and inspired by the innovative methods I see educators use in my school and across the globe. This post is about one way I attempt to bring creativity and innovation to the classroom.
What Is An Academy?
An Academy is a small group elective that students sign up for based on their interests. Academies are designed to feel like mini-college seminars where students can explore areas of passion outside the scope of the traditional curriculum. Academies take place during the school day and are hosted by a parent or community volunteer who has a passion, talent, or expertise in a certain area. I offer Academies to students in grades 3-5. Groups meet once a week for 45 minutes and each session lasts anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Past Academies have included:
- Film Making
- Civics
- Video Game Design
- Shakespeare
- Leadership
- Yoga
- French
- Ocean Ecology
- Coding
- Film Making
- Civics
- Video Game Design
- Shakespeare
- Leadership
- Yoga
- French
- Ocean Ecology
- Coding
Why Offer Academies?
Why would a rational human being introduce one more thing into an already jam-packed school day? It seems nearly impossible, right? However this 45 minutes a week is one of the best investments I have ever made in my students. Here's why I did it:
1. Expand the Scope of the Curriculum: In his book Out of Our Minds, Ken Robinson explores the "hierarchy of subjects" in education. Across the globe, he explains, schools focus primarily on reading and math, with some time devoted to science and social studies, and minimal attention to the arts. For students who are not interested or do not excel in one of these areas, school can be frustrating, discouraging, and seemingly irrelevant.
Click here to watch his popular (and brilliant) TED talk, Do Schools Kill Creativity?
My goal was to provide students with learning opportunities not typically offered during the traditional school day. Learning is a life time adventure and I wanted my students to see and be inspired by the diversity of learning opportunities that exist outside the walls of a classroom.
2. Identify and Develop Diverse Talents: Academies are an opportunity to identify a variety of talent. Through the expanded content, a greater diversity of talent can emerge and be identified. Academies are also an opportunity to nurture and validate talents not typically addressed during the school day. By doing the Academies during the school day, we send the message to students that this type of thinking and learning is valued and valuable.
3. Have Fun!Learning is fun right? Academies are designed to:
- spark student interest and motivation
- excite students about learning
- improve student attitudes towards school
In their book The Schoolwide Enrichment Model, Joseph Renzulli and Sally Reis discuss the power of the "Three E's" - enjoyment, enthusiasm, and engagement. Their research shows that "when the Three E's are working well, students not only like school better, they also show improvements in school achievement" (Renzulli & Reis, 2003). Renzulli and Reis go on to say that the Three Es "produce higher achievement than test prep" (Renzulli & Reis, 2003). Word.
So, what does an Academy look like? Below are examples of just a few of the Academies I've hosted over the past few years.
1. Design Your Own Video Game: This academy was hosted by one of my former students. While taking an online course in middle school, he learned how to create video games using a free program from M.I.T. called Scratch. My former student taught participants how to use the program to design video games, share them online, and play each others.
My students loved learning from a fellow student. It was incredibly inspiring and empowering. They also loved that when I missed one Academy class because I was out sick, I could no longer understand or keep up with what they were doing in class! Also very empowering.
Why would a rational human being introduce one more thing into an already jam-packed school day? It seems nearly impossible, right? However this 45 minutes a week is one of the best investments I have ever made in my students. Here's why I did it:
1. Expand the Scope of the Curriculum: In his book Out of Our Minds, Ken Robinson explores the "hierarchy of subjects" in education. Across the globe, he explains, schools focus primarily on reading and math, with some time devoted to science and social studies, and minimal attention to the arts. For students who are not interested or do not excel in one of these areas, school can be frustrating, discouraging, and seemingly irrelevant.
My goal was to provide students with learning opportunities not typically offered during the traditional school day. Learning is a life time adventure and I wanted my students to see and be inspired by the diversity of learning opportunities that exist outside the walls of a classroom.
2. Identify and Develop Diverse Talents: Academies are an opportunity to identify a variety of talent. Through the expanded content, a greater diversity of talent can emerge and be identified. Academies are also an opportunity to nurture and validate talents not typically addressed during the school day. By doing the Academies during the school day, we send the message to students that this type of thinking and learning is valued and valuable.
3. Have Fun!Learning is fun right? Academies are designed to:
- spark student interest and motivation
- excite students about learning
- improve student attitudes towards school
In their book The Schoolwide Enrichment Model, Joseph Renzulli and Sally Reis discuss the power of the "Three E's" - enjoyment, enthusiasm, and engagement. Their research shows that "when the Three E's are working well, students not only like school better, they also show improvements in school achievement" (Renzulli & Reis, 2003). Renzulli and Reis go on to say that the Three Es "produce higher achievement than test prep" (Renzulli & Reis, 2003). Word.
So, what does an Academy look like? Below are examples of just a few of the Academies I've hosted over the past few years.
1. Design Your Own Video Game: This academy was hosted by one of my former students. While taking an online course in middle school, he learned how to create video games using a free program from M.I.T. called Scratch. My former student taught participants how to use the program to design video games, share them online, and play each others.
My students loved learning from a fellow student. It was incredibly inspiring and empowering. They also loved that when I missed one Academy class because I was out sick, I could no longer understand or keep up with what they were doing in class! Also very empowering.
2. Yoga: This academy was hosted by a parent who is a yoga instructor. The academy was simple, yet magical! Students came in the clothes they wore to school and we laid out towels in the media center. While students were initially excited by the opportunity to move, they ended up appreciating so much more! Through the expert guidance of our host, students learned how to use their breath and mindfulness to manage stress, build self-esteem, and increase confidence. It was also a wonderful opportunity for my students to be a part of a healthy, non-competitive, nurturing group. As I said earlier - Magical. Truly magical.
3. Film Academy: The presenter of this Academy, a parent and cinematographer, introduced the students to a film making technique called "Shot Reverse Shot." In this technique, one character is shown looking at another character; then the other character is shown looking back at the first. Each shot shows the unique point of view of that character. Our presenter used this technique to work with students on point of view and perspective. They then created a short film about the importance of seeing and appreciating the point of view of another. You can watch the the short video here. (One of our students also created a blooper reel, which you can find here.)
This is a brief glimpse into my classroom Academies. What questions do you have? How do you encourage creativity and innovation at your school? Want to learn more how to implement Academies? Check out the follow-up post here.
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