Giving Students More Choice: a 20% Time Reflection

By Kim Miklusak

The American Lit team did 20% Time projects with our students again this year.  If you are unfamiliar with the concept behind 20% Time projects or would like to read more about our reflections on last year, please check out posts here.

Using last year's experiences and reflections from ourselves and the students, we switched some things up this year.  Instead of having one day a week or every other week be dedicated to the project--especially with testing in spring--we had one of our five units be focused on this project, starting 4th quarter after state testing was over yet before AP exams began.  This allowed the students to have the same experiences with no gaps as we found the switching back and forth between units to be distracting.

Students still went through the same processes this year, including most of the same materials.  However, getting into the project this year seemed much smoother because of the two mini-units we did leading into it.  First, after our unit on Sula, students found non-conformists of their choosing, did mini-research on him/her, and then created an Adobe Voice project to share with the class.  The next unit was an American Dream unit where students identified a community with which they associated, did mini-research, summarized articles, wrote a narrative, and interviewed someone else in that community.  This provided the framework for so many of the skills used in 20% Time that the unit itself required little instruction!

That was another reflection we had on last year: easing the transition into finding their topics.  Again we played the same videos, did the same surveys, and discussed the same topics, but everything seemed to flow smoother!  This year's projects included topics covering mental health and school stress; providing useful resources for teen moms; debates on immigration and free college through the lens of current political candidates; investigations of the effects of curfew laws on teens; and explanations on how and why students wear hijabs, including a station where students were able to try some on.

Students from Mrs. Kim's class

Ultimately, I think this project is more support that students need to have more say in how they reach their targets.  I can't think of a student who asked me if an article was good or not, for example, or how long their project had to be.  They knew their own purpose, and they knew what steps they needed to take to get there.  There are definitely more things we can continue to refine, but I'm thankful for our students' work and have enjoyed seeing all of their projects.

Book Recommendation: 20time Project by Kevin Brookhouser

By Kim Miklusak

This year I have started doing a version of the 20% Time Project in my American Literature classroom.  You can read more about my experiences in this learning process on my other blog: This is Why We Write.  There are also several links on earlier posts that share the documents I provided to my students including background on 20% Time and specific requirements for our project.

I first learned about 20% Time when we attended the ISTE Conference over the summer.  The session hosted by several teachers in this field blew my mind; however, it was a connection I made via Twitter with Joy Kirr that really opened up the amount of resources available.  Through speaking with Joy, I was able to access the many links she has hosted on the Live Binder site, her own personal experiences, and more contacts available through Twitter.  Another resource I leaned heavily on was Tom Driscoll's Flipped History site, which provides not only excellent materials, but also insightful reflection. Much of what I did in my classroom is modeled off the work he has done and shared.

Now there is an excellent new resource available that I highly recommend--not only for teachers consider starting 20% Time in their classroom, but also for those of us who have just started like myself.  There can be a steep learning curve in unveiling this project for the first time.  Kevin Brookhouser's book The 20Time Project: how educators can launch Google's formula for future-ready innovation explores the why and the how of 20% Time from theory to practice including a letter home to parents and example timelines of student projects.  He provides practical steps that are easy to add to your own classroom.  This is a must-have for any teacher thinking about adding a student choice project to the curriculum!