Got 20% Time? Inspiring Students to Pursue Their Passions

Got 20% Time? Inspiring Students to Pursue Their Passions

Date: Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Time: 3:30 – 5:30 PM Hawaii / 5:30-7:30 PM Pacific / 7:30-9:30 PM Central / 8:30-10:30 PM Eastern

Venue: Online Via Zoom

Cost: $45 per participant (Scholarships available! Please inquire at www.hanahauoli.org/pdc.)

Traditional and over-regimented school schedules rarely give students enough free time each week to pursue a passion project, design their own inquiry and learning outcomes, and go above-and-beyond standards to reach a greater depth of knowledge than most curriculum tends to allow. So how might school leaders and educators take small steps to re-think the “master schedule,” and create space in the school day that “honors and nurtures students’ natural curiosity and innate desire to learn, fostering internal motivation and the discovery of passion and purpose” (Progressive Education Network, 2021)? In this workshop, Melissa Speetjens, Principal of Waimea Canyon Middle School and Serena Cox, former Deeper Learning Instructional Coach at Waimea Canyon Middle School, will share about their work with a 20% Time framework.

In this workshop, K-12 teachers and teacher leaders will be invited to think creatively about how they might use a 20% Time framework within their current school schedule to better support students’ exploration of their own interests, spark their creativity, develop a sense of purpose, share their passion, and foster student-centered learning and inquiry. They will:

Explore the Innovator’s Mindset associated with 20% Time

Design a plan for implementing 20% Time using a suggested structure and resources

Receive feedback that is kind, specific, and helpful

Exhibit a presentation of learning

Workshop participants will be provided with specific examples–grounded in the real life experiences of the presenters–related to engaging community and stakeholder partnerships, student project management, and student/teacher reflective practices as integral pieces of student learning and exhibition success.

To learn more and register for this and other Hanahau’oli School Professional Development Center online workshops and events, please visit: www.hanahauoli.org/pdc-calendar