Seniors dish out the scoop on personalized learning projects

During senior year, students at HVRHS have the ability to make one of the blocks in their schedule, which would typically be taken up with a study hall, into a personalized learning project. In order to find out about this, you may have to talk to your teachers and counselors.

This is good for students, said Hannah Johnson, who is doing a project related to FFA and developing leadership “It’s more personalized, gear it towards your personal interests and office on what you want to focus on rather than following a traditional curriculum,” Johnson said. Because Johnson is not taking an Ag class right now, she still wants to be a part of the FFA community through her leadership position as vice president of the chapter. This personalized learning will allow her to take this free block in her schedule to help plan out the FFA activities at the end of the year.

Madison Graney is also doing a project, which she learned was available from her history teacher. “I wanted to do more and go beyond the classroom learning,” she said. She found inspiration from her summer history program, and is now working on an article to be published from her research. “It’s different from just taking a history class because it’s very personalized, what you put into it is what you get out of it, pick and choose what you want to study based on your interests,” Graney said. “If you’re really passionate about something specific like I am, you can develop a dedication to this in a specific amount of time to learn more about that specific field.”

The process to get ideas and approval for a project is first to talk to your teachers and counselor about your interest. “I talked to counselors and found an advisor in my history teacher,” Graney said. Then, you have to fill out the form, Johnson said. “Write about what you’re doing and why you are doing it and find a teacher to mentor you, get their signature, your parents signature, and an administrator’s signature.”

After it is all approved, students can get started with their independent project. The only thing left to do is make a plan with an advisor and stay accountable to a set timeline of moving forward with goals, Johnson said.

This is an incredible opportunity that students that have the interest and time should use to their advantage. This not only allows them to further their learning, but to open their perspective on the structure of learning new things. These are skills very valuable for after high school, like time management, independence, and creativity.