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Viking Genius Bar is a class where students participate in many self-guided activities, mainly consisting of fixing Chromebooks, Macs, and other devices, while also allowing students to focus on their interests through their passion projects. The Genius Bar is an open working space where the Geniuses can focus on their chromebook repair jobs or their passion projects. The Viking Genius Bar is a great course for students who want a different kind of class and a more job-like professional experience where they can focus on their interests and passions.
Students learn computer repair skills through hands on experience, working directly with devices to fix them and return them to their proper states. Chromebooks which are in need of repair are brought to the Genius Bar either through the faulty chromebook’s owner directly or the High School Inbox, which receives the broken devices from other schools. The malfunctioning device is then troubleshooted by the student, repaired using methods taught by instructors, and then quality checked before being sent back to it’s original owner. Macs are also fixed in similar ways where the device is troubleshooted and then fixed by students. In the Viking Genuis Bar, devices are waiting to be repaired at all times, which always give students something to do during class time.
Students are also able to express their interests and themselves within the Viking Genius Bar through their self guided and self chosen passion projects. These projects give students a platform to learn about and create something which they are interested in. They can be about a variety of topics, whether it be technology related or associated with something else which creates positive change within the school. Several examples of passion projects which have been worked on by students so far involve video game creation, drone flying and recording, virtual reality integration within school curriculum, and learning animation techniques. Students are given ample time each week to work on these passion projects so that they can create something positive from their interests.
