The Independence Local Schools’ seventh-grade Simply Genius Hour class created "learning paths" on a website called Tract as their final project to share what they learned during the first quarter. With Tract, students sharpen their critical thinking skills and solve real-world problems as they learn, teach, create, and share their own multimedia content.
Tract is an online community where students teach students through multimedia and self-directed learning. It is a hub where students can choose what they want to learn and then pursue that interest in an interactive way.
During the week of October 24, the fifth-grade digital media students also tested out Tract with the help of the seventh-graders. Fifth grader Daniel Baker was inspired to learn how to hydro-dip from seventh-graders Braeden Vollman and Troy Snyder. After watching their learning path, Building a Skateboard, Daniel was able to hydro-dip his own game controller.
Seventh graders Emma Bohrer, and Adriana Randjelovic both created videos on how to crochet in Tract. They inspired 10 fifth graders to learn how to crochet.
“I got goosebumps when I saw the positive impact the seventh-grade projects had on our younger learners,” said Digital Media/Genius Hour Teacher Laura Janosek. “At the same time, it was a proud moment for the seventh-grade students to witness how what they created was influencing other students in Tract.”
