#20Time Making a Difference #EdChat #GeniusHour

I've taken a little break and I'm ready to get back to being The Nerdy Teacher. 

I'm very excited to share with you some updates on a couple of projects my students have been working on for 20 Time. 

First is Kitty M who has been working very hard to raise money so she can climb Mt. Kilimanjaro this summer. Just another simple summer for your average teen. During her process, Kitty has done some awesome fundraisers, but the one that stood out to me was her most recent idea. She declared this Friday as "National Find Your Mountain Day." The point of this day was for students to by shirts to support her goal and to wear them on Friday so people can share what their "mountain" is with others. She has sold almost 100 shirts and I'm proud to be wearing mine. Here is a photo of some of the students in my 2nd hour that have been supporting Kitty and her project. 

She has seen over the course of her project that she believes that it is important for everyone to find their mountain and try and climb it. Her project went from just being abut the goal she wanted to accomplish to about also encouraging others to accomplish their goals. This is something you hope to see with #20Time and I'm excited to see what Kitty will do next with her project. You can follow her blog at Kitty M 20 Time Blog. Leave her a comment and encourage her progress. What is your mountain?

The next student I want to brag about is Maddie M. Maddie wanted to start a fashion Vlog on YouTube. She is passionate about fashion and make up and wanted to share that with the world. Fast forward 6 months and Maddie has been asked to join Seventeen Magazine's YouTube Network. I met with the parents and reviewed the contract with Maddie and they had a lawyer look it over and Maddie is not part of Seventeen! Here is a link to her blog, Moments with Maddie,  and below is a recent video. 

If it were not for 20 Time, Maddie would not have been able to take the time and focus on something that she was passionate about. This is what 20 Time is all about. Not about being recognized by a major publication, but giving students the chance to do something meaningful with their life and see what happens. Not all of my students are going to have this type of development for their project, but anything is possible when you give students a chance to explore what matters most to the. 

Lastly, I had Parent/Teacher night last week and I had a chance to talk to parents and ever single one thanked me for 20 Time. Every one. They were excited about what their child had chosen and how excited their kid was about the project. That was awesome to hear and gives me energy for the rest of the school year. 

I'm getting anxious as their TEDx Talks get closer, but I'm confident the kids will be great because "Failure is an option".