Genius Hour is about pursuing passions, honing skills, trying something new, and sharing the joys of our world. Genius Hour is not about tightly regulated instructional activities where students submit work for a grade. Overall, passion projects should be fun! This is not to say that students will not learn during Genius Hour. Quite the contrary. Students will develop 21st century skills and many learning tasks will align with curriculum standards. You will see students’ sense of empowerment transfer to their regular studies. You will find yourself integrating elements of inquiry-based learning in all of your instructional designs. Make the most out of Genius Hour by establishing a classroom vision centered on passion, inquiry, and creativity.
Let the Learning Begin
It is important to let students know that during Genius Hour, there will be a lot of learning happening. Students will learn from the sources they read and from the discussions they have with peers. The teacher plays a major role in the learning during Genius Hour. There will be times when the teacher will need to give individualized instruction in the form of mini-lessons and conferences. Formal instruction should be developed and delivered on an as needed basis. When you see students struggling with concepts or having difficulty moving on to the next phase, intervene and guide them in the right direction. Questioning is a great technique for students to think their way through a problem rather than simply telling or showing them the correct answer. Students should know from the very beginning of their passion project that this is a time to learn. They will learn from information sources, the teacher, peers, and people outside the classroom. Inspire students to not take this opportunity lightly.
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Promote Positive Student Behavior
Hopefully, you will not experience much undesired student behavior during Genius Hour. If you take the time to inspire students to pursue interests and connect with authentic audiences, students will be naturally motivated. The notion of inviting students to explore their passions is often enough for students to take full advantage of the opportunity. Negative attitudes and apathetic students are not what you necessarily need to fret over. It is the boisterous behavior that can be concerning. After all, students are excited! It is okay to lay some ground rules for how to act during Genius Hour and how to treat each other. You might even want to show students appropriate behavior through role-playing scenarios. When it comes to classroom rules and discipline, please do not crush students’ spirits. During Genius Hour, consider foregoing clip downs and behavior marks. Focus on positive reinforcement strategies to make learning enjoyable. You will discover that students are willing to work hard when they have the autonomy to choose their own projects. The best motivator is the one that comes from within.
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Digital Citizenship
Genius Hour is a great time for teachers across grade levels to promote and support digital citizenship. Most likely, students will be using technology at some point during their passion projects, if not during every session. Many students will choose to incorporate technology into their final products (slideshow, documentary, website, robotics, etc.). This is an opportunity to empower students to think critically, behave safely, and participate wisely in our digital world. Not sure where to begin or what resources to use? The links below will help you get started in preparing students to become safe and responsible navigators of the information superhighway.
Curriculum from Common Sense MediaA comprehensive curriculum that provides everything schools need to take a community approach to digital citizenship. The grade-differentiated units address a cross-curricular approach to learning digital skills. There are lesson plans, interactives, and assessments.
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Lesson Plans from InCtrlA series of free standards-based lessons that teach key digital citizenship concepts. These lessons, for students in grades 4-8, are designed to engage students through inquiry-based activities, and collaborative and creative opportunities.
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Instructional Activities from SWGfLFree materials designed to empower students to think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly in online environments. Browse the site by key concept or by grade level. Here you will find lessons that are just right for your classroom.
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Resources from DIGIZENInformation intended to strengthen students’ awareness and understanding of what digital citizenship is and to encourage the responsible use of technology. The website shares specific advice and resources on issues such as social networking and cyberbullying.
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Be Internet Awesome from GoogleAn initiative by Google intended to teach children about online safety and the importance of digital citizenship. The program includes a fun and free web-based game called Interland and an educational curriculum to teach kids how to be explorers of the online world.
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Safe Online Surfing from the FBIAn educational gaming program for students in 3rd through 8th grades that covers topics such as cyberbullying, passwords, malware, social media, and more. Students take web-based quizzes and complete an online scavenger hunt to learn important digital citizenship concepts.
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The Inquiry Process: Systematic But Flexible
Genius Hour is not a free-for-all where students are unleashed to complete projects without proper guidance. One of the tenets of Genius Hour is student agency. However, if students do not have a general process to follow and skills to apply, they will become more frustrated than the teacher. Prepare students for tackling their passion projects by reviewing and demonstrating elements of inquiry. An understanding of the inquiry process will help students pursue their driving question without stripping them of their autonomy. Expose students to several inquiry models so they can apply features from each as they design and carry out their projects. Inquiry is rarely sequential, even though it appears that way in most visual representations. Inquiry is often one-step forward and two steps back. Getting things “wrong” is what challenges students to seek new information, contemplate new ideas, and apply new strategies to fulfill their learning goals. With an understanding of inquiry models, students will apply critical thinking skills as they rethink their approach to learning tasks. The components of inquiry are the tools students need to make sound decisions and solve authentic problems.
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With Inquiry Comes Great Research
I cannot imagine students completing a Genius Hour project without performing some sort of research. Research is invaluable for presenting information and for creating new knowledge. Students can conduct research using a variety of sources, not just from text in an article.
Here are some research skills students will need to successfully explore their passions. Using these skills provides new insights that will enrich students’ understanding of their topics.
- How to search for sources
- How to read for meaning (close reading strategies)
- How to take notes
- How to add personalized commentary to information collected
Communicate Expectations
Students aren’t the only ones who need to know Genius Hour expectations. Administrations and parents can and should be the biggest supporters of students’ passion projects. However, this support does not always come naturally. You must communicate with families and your principal often and from the very beginning to gain their confidence in Genius Hour. Early communication goes a long way to earn buy-in and to answer questions directly.
20Time.org offers a sample letter for stakeholders of your passion project enterprise, which you are free to take and modify in any way that meets your needs. Other ways to keep parents, administrators, and the community up-to-date on students’ Genius Hour project is through social media. Twitter is a great online networking tool for sharing information, pictures, videos, and links to students’ projects. Whatever method of communication you use, just remember to keep the excitement alive by frequently sharing your students’ wonderful work. Make visible students’ learning and the benefits of Genius Hour will be indisputable.
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