On February 21-22 we did a little thing called Innovation Day. Actually, it was a BIG thing. The entire 6th grade got to study and learn about a topic that they wanted to learn about. They also had to make a project showing what they learned. That's right....the STUDENTS got to choose what they wanted to learn about and how they wanted to share their learning.
After conferring with teacher and completing a planning guide, the students were split up into groups based on topic. The students got to spend all of their academic classes (P.E. and elective is not an academic class) in that one room and work on their projects in order to find the answers to their wonderings and become an expert on their topic. At the end of the day they had to be experts on their topic. The students could study whatever topic they wanted. Their were no limits, but it had to be done by the end of the day.
The next day the students shared their projects to half the grade. All of the projects were very creative. We had projects on Mardi Gras, car engineering, chocolate, even nail polish. Some kids made Glogsters, Tackk, Storyjumpers, powerpoints or Vokis while other built things or created models.
The projects were well thought through and very interesting. Some of the kids brought treats for the other kids that related to their projects. The students had to present their projects in less than two minutes. While one kid was presenting everybody else had to write down on a sheet of paper the presenters name, topic, subject(s), and something they learned.
Everybody enjoyed the day and learned about topics that they would not learn about in school. I can't wait to do this again. It was an amazing filled with more learning that we ever could have done without Innovation Day.
Blog you later!!!!!! ~S.C.
