We have identified a problem we care about, come up with a way to help, and now it is time to CREATE! We completed our first "idea workshop" this week, full of chaos and great learning. The idea workshop idea is a spin off of the "genius hr" that is being implemented in classrooms all around the world. In kindergarten, we are giving students time to practice the skills they need in order to do a true genius hr in later grades. Students are learning - how to make a plan - how to be CREATIVE - how to share their thinking - how to use materials to make their idea come to life - how to revise their plan - how to PERSEVERE when things get hard! |
We use "The Most Magnificent Thing" as a mentor text for our idea workshop process because it clearly outlines what this process can be like for many kids. It is HARD WORK to turn that idea in your mind into a reality. | |
During the creation process, the creative energy in the room was amazing! I was able to capture a bit of the magic with these photos, but lots happened that I didn't get a chance to capture. Many students really enjoyed the long chunk of time that they were given to create, add on, and perfect their creations. Although, some students really struggled with this amount of time and how to use it without being given explicit instructions on what to do. The skill of seeing a problem, creating a plan, executing the plan, and having to modify the plan when things don't work out does not come easy for everyone!
We had some finished prototypes come home on Friday already! The beauty of this project is once one idea has been created, we start all over again! What is the problem, how can you help, what materials do you need, and then make it!
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