Revving Our Engines

This week we are putting some final touches on our planning for the 20% Time Kick-off Day. This Friday, we will introduce the kids to the concept of 20% Time and what the expectations for the year-long project are. We have been mentioning 20% Time here and there since school started and the kids' ears perk up every time that we do. Some of the kids have had siblings who participated in 20% Time and some have just heard about all of the cool projects that their predecessors have created. Even though they do not have a full understanding of what 20% Time is, they are eager to get started.

Friday promises to be a huge day for us. We love taking kids through the story of 20% Time, showing them the philosophy behind this kind of learning, relating it to what their work in real life will be and narrating a story of personalized learning that they will live this year. During our two-hour "meeting" about 20% Time, the kids' enthusiasm grows bigger and bigger. Their energy is boundless and, by the end of the meeting, they are ready to begin!

Podcast: We're Baaaaaaack!

In this episode, we talk about kicking off the new year of Harmonized Learning, the way students should learn in a modern classroom, tweaks to the program and other issues related to implementing a 20% Time program in class. Follow us on Twitter (Don - @dayankee, Melissa - @melissahellwig4). Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Just search "Harmonized Learning".