According to research, project-based learning can improve student retention and engagement. In addition, project-based learning is well suited for support 21st century skills including critical thinking and self-direction. “One of the most important skills of the 21st century is to learn they figure things out independentlyBacon emphasized. The Genius Bar at Ossining Middle School catered to students’ interests by equipping them with relevant skills to navigate and adapt to an ever-changing technological landscape.
Encouraging mediation and independent learning
According to Bacon, learning doesn’t stop at computer batteries. Learning how to fix something they use every day with their own hands sparked interest among the students. Bacon and network specialists brought several broken Chromebooks to one of the lunchtime training sessions and took them apart. “(The network specialist) actually showed every piece, every wire, what it was, what it did and how to unplug it,” Bacon said. The kids were able to take all these broken devices and collect the different parts and use them to repair other devices.
The Genius Bar’s success has evolved from an informal lunch group to an after-school club where students can learn about and fix Chromebooks. Students recognized how to repair their peers’ hardware. Students learn to be independent, Bacon said. “Instead of going upstairs and having someone do it, they can do it right there in the library,” Bacon added.
Last year, Bacon received a grant to buy a 3D printer, and the students at the Genius Bar said they would meet after school to put it together. “I thought, ‘They’re 11 and 12 (years old) and this is like a $2,000 thing,'” Bacon said. “But the reality is that people will rise to the bar that is given to them.” With the help of one of the technology instructors, the students assemble their 3D printer. Since then, they’ve also assembled podcasting microphones and a mixing board.
Engaging all students, not just high achievers
Students, regardless of academic standing, have found value in the Genius Bar program, including those who need additional study support and Learn English. Bacon attributes this to the fact that technology doesn’t just affect high-achieving students. “We’ve all used technology,” she said.Some students learned how to log into Chromebooks for the first time, while others eagerly took apart computers. “(Hardware repair) is not a skill that we necessarily teach in school every day,” Bacon pointed out. “Unfortunately, children have these wonderful skills that don’t always align academically with the things we do. So this space really allows kids to shine in fixing and understanding and just seeing how things are put together. As a result, some students now aspire to technology-related careerswhile others simply value practical knowledge.
21st Century Skills and High School
The impact of the Genius Bar was so significant that students advocated for a similar program at the high school level. They proposed an elective to the high school principal, who agreed to offer an accredited course. Bacon helped the students present their proposal to the Board of Education, which led to the launch of the Genius Bar class at Ossining High School for the 2023-24 school year.
“We want them to be able to run the help desk — a help desk for students,” said Oumar Sarr, who teaches the high school’s Genius Bar class. “We also work in partnership with the tech department to get the students to learn the basics of computer troubleshooting, fixing some minor issues that students and some teachers even have with their technology devices.” The class also includes a Level 1 certification of Google, which teaches students skills in Google Classroom tools such as Gmail, Drive, and Calendar.
Sarr’s goal is to encourage students to think creatively about technologynot just as consumers, but as critical thinkers who can shape it. “We started talking about AI technology and the impact it can have on students and our communities,” Sarr explained. “They are discovering that technology, like everything else, needs to be channeled. It has to be put in a route that will help, because if not, the technology can be disruptive.
