The amazing part of this is how it has infiltrated education. Though I cannot speak for my own students (because I am still a student teacher), there are some amazing 20% Projects and the aptly-renamed “Genius Hour” projects happening all over the country. Check out this article from Edutopia if you’re interested in why it can be a great addition to the classroom, and check out geniushour.com for more information on the concept and how to do it.
Until I get a chance to utilize it in my own classroom, though, I’m being given the opportunity to explore my own passions within my Learning and Technology class at USD. Our 20% Project asks us to use technology to learn something that we are passionate about.
I have discovered in the past week that there are So. Many. Things. I want to learn.
A small list of ideas that I’ve come up with is as follows:
- learn how to play minecraft (because it’s all the rage, I like videogames, and it’s apparently really popular in education right now)
- I really love typography, and I was thinking about getting a program like Photoshop and working with different fonts to create digital art.
- I know how to knit, so I thought about expanding my yarn knowledge and experimenting with crochet.
- I have basic knowledge of guitar, and I own one, but I would LOVE to be able to teach myself more technique and more difficult chords
- Based on my basic knowledge of guitar, I thought about getting a ukelele.
- I have always wanted to learn how to sew and make my own clothes (so that I could make my own cosplays, though I would need access to a sewing machine)
- I could learn how to whittle and make things out of wood (because why not?)
Of these, I am most attracted to typography, clothes-making, and the guitar. I have always had this weird fascination with how we can use fonts and words digitally, and I think it would be cool to learn more about it. I also informed my roommates about a month ago that I was going to make myself a Daenarys Targaryan (Game of Thrones, anyone?) cosplay for myself, so this seems like a good opportunity to do that.
In the end, I think I’m going to dive into guitar again. It’s the project that will not affect me financially in any way, and I have been trying to push myself to learn more than the one song I know for almost a year. I think there is a lot to be gained from working towards being a better instrumentalist. I have been part of choirs for many, many years, and I have always wanted to expand my musicality to include the ability to play an instrument.
On a side note, though, I still want to work a bit more with graphic design and typography, but I don’t know the best or most affordable way to do that. If anyone knows an affordable and/or free alternative to Photoshop, I would be grateful for any resources!
If anyone else is planning to learn an instrument, let’s chat! I would love to share trials, successes, and resources. I would also welcome any tips to keep in mind.