Teacher Hugh McDonald has put together a succinct list of 10 things he likes about The Genius Hour Guidebook. See if what he shares sound like something that might help you provide the opportunity for your students to grow as creative and passionate thinkers.
In a recent post Gallit and Denise wrote for MiddleWeb, they shared some great advice from Genius Hour teachers who participated in a summer #geniushour twitter chat. Learn more about what they all said and how to access the article. ALSO: Join the chat yourself!
The “My Genius List of Things to Do & Be” is an idea-catcher that’s also helpful in keeping up when students have several projects underway. We also use it to drive some reflection, assessment and sharing. Download a blank version that you are free to reproduce.
In this video of her snapshot presentation at ISTE 2015, Gallit Zvi (through voice and slides) discusses why Genius Hour is important and how teachers can introduce this liberating concept in their classrooms. She begins with the book The Most Magnificent Thing.
Here’s a useful handout that can help teachers introduce students to the Genius Hour concept. It’s often the first step in convincing students that they do have interests worthy of pursuing during “their” time. Download a blank version that you can reproduce.
Genius Hour is just the beginning, says teacher Joy Kirr in her Afterword to the Guidebook. “It is a baby step, and part of the journey to flipping your classroom on its head and handing the learning over to the children.” It’s all about autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
Using a 21st Century version of Bloom’s Taxonomy and applying their understanding of “thick and thin” questions (sometimes called google-able and non google-able), students can deepen their thinking about good inquiry-driven Genius Hour projects.
