Passion-Based Learning Week 5: Can Minecraft Foster a Growth Mindset?

The kids in principal Matt Renwick’s afterschool computer club love the time they spend creating (and destroying) things in the virtual world of Minecraft. Can these experiences help students develop a “growth mindset” and essential lifelong skills like effort, persistence, and positive attitude? Renwick is beginning to think so.

Passion-Based Learning Week 4: How to Do One Thing Really Well

After several weeks of trying out a variety of web tools and games, principal Matt Renwick and his teaching partner decide the afterschool enrichment club may need a little more focus. They propose that students learn screencasting by developing short presentations with the general theme “How to Do One Thing Really Well.” Matt highlights three students’ experiences.

Enrichment Club, Day 2: Hello, Passion! Meet Frustration…

When principal Matt Renwick mentioned “Minecraft” in a flyer about an afterschool computer club, 30 percent of his elementary students showed up. In his second reflection on passion-based learning, Matt digs deeper into what educators mean when they talk about passion – and what needs to happen when frustration raises its predictable head.