ABSTRACT
Passion is more than a project—it is a mindset. This chapter introduces the philosophy and thinking behind clubs. It also introduces the passion-driven learning continuum. The Passion-Driven Learning Club structure that is so fondly remembered as beginning readers, writers, and researchers mirrors the vision we have for learning today. Clubs exist for just about everything. Clubs are enticing because they help us improve our passions. Members have varying levels of skill, yet everyone is committed to the club. The clubhouse atmosphere encourages student participation, contribution, and engagement in thinking. Students have time to experience independence, time to practice alone, time to fail, time to reflect, and time to pursue and solve their own problems. Today's workshop classroom operates as a culture of teaming, innovating, and creating, emulating the philosophy of the reading and writing workshop and extending it through the entire day.
