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Thanks for introducing me to Genius Hour! I love, love the resources and ideas you continually share with others in your PLN! I can't wait to experiment with this concept! I think my students will really enjoy it!

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Jameela - The developmental/psychological basis for including "passion" in teaching & learning 

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Jameela - The developmental/psychological basis for including "passion" in teaching & learning 

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The idea of focusing on passion in our classrooms is novel; our school system is designed to measure IQ and to disaggregate students into those that can do the work "right" by turning it in quickly & correctly. But when psychologists and sociologists study successful people, we start to see that the common denominator for many of them is passion and "grit," or resilience to keep trying. That's not something we typically reward in schools - and we certainly don't have an assessment for resilience/grit built into our grading system. Here's where the research on grit comes from - Angela Lee Duckworth. This is a great TedX presentation where she presents the case after years of teaching math.

http://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit.html

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Angela Lee Duckworth: Grit: The power of passion and perseverance

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Leaving a high-flying job in consulting, Angela Lee Duckworth took a job teaching math to seventh graders in a New York public school. She quickly realized that IQ wasn't the only thing separating the successful students from those who struggled. Here, she explains her theory of "grit" as a predictor of success.

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I have read about Genius Hour, but not the extent that I just did. :) (Oh Susan, you have such a way of getting me off track!) LOL

I would absolutely love to implement this in all K-8th grade classes. This concept is something that has the power to change how students learn and view school. I am on board - for that matter let's just open a school based around this idea. LOL

ps. thanks for all the great resources

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I am new Genius Hour even though I've heard a lot about it!

These are great resources and I plan to implement in the Fall.

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Genius Hour is a time given during the school day to allow students to follow their passions and learn about topics that interest them. My gifted 3rd-5th graders participate in this project, and present their learning when they are ready. This page is devoted to sharing some of the resources I've collected over the past...

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These are the Genius hour resources and ideas. We are just starting this semester.

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There are quite a few Livebinders with Genius Hour ideas and resources, but I like this one--especially the "Getting Started" videos, handouts, and websites.

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This is a collection of videos and documents to organize Genius Hour with 11th grade English students

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I learned a lot from this teacher's reflection on a year of genius hour with her students. Don't miss the resources at the end of the post!

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The learners in my class of 2017 are geniuses. For over a year now, these students have had a chance to shape the agenda of their learning, at least part of the time. Because of genius hour, my students are learning to care again about learning. They choose what they will learn based on what they wonder about, what they are good at, and what they are passionate about.

It was a little over a year ago when I read a tweet by Angela Maiers about Daniel Pink's keynote address about motivation. I had seen the video " The Puzzle of Motivation", and I had read his books A Whole New Mind and . I had yet to fully translate the work to my students.

I had an epiphany after I read Angela's tweet and later this blog post by Daniel Pink, " Genius Hour: How 60 minutes a week can electrify your job." I knew that according to Pink, we are motivated with autonomy, purpose, and mastery. If we want motivated students, why not let students become motivated by giving them autonomy to master what they wish for their purpose? It makes sense! Why NOT, indeed?

So, our first genius "hour" was a three-hour block of time on the Wednesday morning before (American) Thanksgiving in 2011. It was such a thrill to watch the students fully engaged in purposeful learning, creating, producing, and mastering. They chose what they wanted to work on.

We have continued to find our way through genius hour learning over the past 15 months. People often ask me if the students have trouble staying on task. To those people I say a resounding, "No, they do not have trouble staying on task." (However, as most teachers can attest, they sometimes do when we aren't in genius hour, when I am dictating the agenda.)

Skeptics and future genius hour teachers alike also ask, "Do students take advantage of the freedom?" "Yes, fully!" I say with enthusiasm. They love the learning environment during genius hour. They use every moment wisely. In fact, one of my favorite things during our first genius hour morning was when the bell rang after the first period. (The bells continued to ring because our high school students were in regular classes that morning.) Initially when we heard the bell, I saw the look of disappointment on their faces. Then a look of sunshine and delighted cries of "Ooh, we don't have to leave!" (Chances are good that most of us don't normally hear that kind of reaction at the end of a first period class.) All morning students continued to learn, ignoring bells, only taking an occasional bathroom break.

Now, to be sure, I know what people REALLY mean when they ask, "Do they take 'advantage' of the freedom?" They mean, "Do students screw around, instead of learning on their own?" To that I answer absolutely NOT. They have purpose. They have chosen what they want to learn; no one dictated it. They are given freedom to take as long as is needed to be satisfied with their learning.

Now that we have genius hour each week for two periods ( 20% of our time together), I have students for whom that is not enough. They work on their genius hour projects during study halls, before school, at home, and during recesses. They are passionate because they have chosen purposeful learning.

However, there is one negative that has cropped up over this past year, which I am just starting to figure out. In about 10-20% of students, their actions seem to say, "Too much freedom; just tell me what to do." They don't screw around really, but they don't seem able to take hold of the learning for themselves. Typically I see these few trying to partner up with other students who have an idea. Then the more reluctant one acts as a helper of sorts for the other student's learning. They sometimes want to switch alliances as they lose interest in their first partner or group. They are not fully engaged. (As opposed to what also happens - two or three students with the same passion join forces for a group project.)

In an attempt to alleviate the problem of the 2 or 3 students in a class who struggle finding their genius, I've been asking them to reflect upon these three prompts.

I keep working with them until they are willing and able to list their 30 "genius" ideas. (It is especially hard for some of them to admit to ten things they are good at). The lists become great conversation starters about what a learner might do for genius hour.

Sir Ken Robinson explains in The Element that when someone doesn't know how to read and write, we don't assume they are incapable of literacy. Instead we know that they haven't yet learned how to read and write. In a similar manner, he explains, when someone isn't creative, we should not assume that they are incapable of creativity. We should assume they just need to be taught.

I am trying to teach my students how to be creative.

The next graphic shows the Universal Constructs from the Iowa Core. These building blocks for success in the 21st century align perfectly with genius hour learning. I have had one-on-one conferences with my less creative students, showing them these "building blocks for success" and holding them accountable for the work they do during genius hour. Sometimes it means having a learner write an analysis of why he chose to abandon an idea. Or helping another learner find a way to be flexible and adapt instead of abandoning her idea. I have listened to struggling small groups (limited to 2-3 people per group) as they figure out how to collaborate more effectively.

Next up in my what-I-learned series is to make a video to show genius hour from my students' perspective. For now, though, I will share a video created by Gallit Zvi, another genius hour leader. It shows great work by her geniuses. I used it to introduce genius hour to my new class this year.

More Resources:

1. Genius Hour wiki

2. Genius Hour Blog Post Index - A list of posts from my genius hour beginnings and links to other teachers' work.

3. Center for Digital Education's "Google's 80/20 Principle Applies to Students"

4. Education is My Life - "Designing 20% Time in Education"

5. 2/15/13 - I did finish my latest "What is Genius Hour?" video.

6. #geniushour Twitter Chat on the first Thursday of the month at 9:00 p.m. EST

7. 3/18/13 - A comprehensive Genius Hour Livebinder by Joy Kirr.

All images are shared with a CC Attribution license. You are free to use them, just click on image for more info.

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A Year of Genius Hour - What Have I Learned?

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The learners in my class of 2017 are geniuses. For over a year now, these students have had a chance to shape the agenda of their learning, at least part of the time. Because of genius hour, my students are learning to care again about learning.

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Great Genius Hour and 20% Time resources including grade level success stories, why you would want to do Genius hour, how 20% time works, how to get started, how to work through issues, and how to communicate with parents about the projects.

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Cynthia Alaniz- @utalaniz Genius Hour in the Library

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Cynthia Alaniz- @utalaniz Genius Hour in the Library

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Here's a blog post I wrote about what Genius Hour looks like in the library.

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During Genius Hour, a librarian has to be ready for anything.

In case you haven't heard about Genius Hour, it's a time set aside where learners pursue their own topics and interests. ( Chris Kesler and Joy Kirr provide great resources for anyone interested in learning more.)

Our students participate in Genius Hour once a week. During this time, students come into the library throughout the hour to meet their learning needs. (They come in groups or individually, and each will need something a little bit different.)

Some will need resources: Example: " Where are the books about origami?"

Some will need help with tech tools. Example: " How do I make a QR Code?"

Some just want to sit and read,while others need the space to make something. Groups also come in to meet and make decisions about their projects.

Whatever the needs, I must be ready to manage different requests simultaneously. When learners are using the online card catalog, I give mini-lessons to help them navigate. When they get stuck in research, I serve as a sounding board and help them formulate questions. When they are reading and don't quite understand a paragraph, I'm a reading teacher scaffolding with a quick one-on-one conference. ( Something I'm very comfortable doing!)

And other times, I'm the subject of an interview (I've been interviewed several times by learners) or training a young apprentice who wants to be a librarian. (This happened yesterday!) I've also been a consultant on everything from best presentation tools to color choices for designs.

Though this hour is busy and unpredictable, it's also exciting. I'm getting to know our students by learning about their interests, and it allows me to see their learning needs, too. The best part is that the library serves to its potential all at once to all grade levels.

Genius Hour gives me the opportunity to see our students doing what they love! Also, it shows our students that the library can help them in ways they might not have imagined.

I'm still learning about #GeniusHour and its possibilities, but that's what makes it so wonderful!

Are you implementing #GeniusHour at your school?

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During Genius Hour, a librarian has to be ready for anything. In case you haven't heard about Genius Hour, it's a time set aside where learners pursue their own topics and interests. ( Chris Kesler and Joy Kirr provide great resources for anyone interested in learning more.)

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Daniel Pink, January 2, 2014  @DanielPink

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Daniel Pink, January 2, 2014  @DanielPink

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@soxnevad -- Great post! FYI: to my knowledge, the Genius Hours has an inventor. Her name is Jenn Shefner:

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Embrace Change in the New Year with Genius Hour

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Embrace Change in the New Year with Genius Hour

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Genius Hour is a powerful movement popping up in classrooms everywhere. The idea encourages students to explore and develop their own passions and creativity. The idea is based on a business practice used by Google's development team. Google allows their designers to spend 20% of their time on projects that interest them, as long as the work might possibly lead to something that could be developed. Gmail was the result of Genius Hour. Watch this video to learn more

Genius Hour

Genius Hour Rules

* Work stems from driving questions

* Research must play a big role

* Projects must be completed and shared, ideally globally

Genius Hour for Real-World Learning

In order to develop something truly remarkable, we must first engage in constructive play driven by passion. Helping students combine their interests with research, planning and goal setting is a noble role for an educator. Providing students with tools and resources to successfully collaborate and create will give them opportunities to develop to their potential. Time management, problem-solving and sustained focus are all life skills students will develop as their work is supported in the real and virtual classrooms. This is where real learning and school learning can connect. The CCSS support this type of learning.

"As education leaders incorporate the CCSS into school systems, P21 urges them to do so in a way that honors the fusion of the 3R's (core academic content mastery) and 4C's (critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration, communication and creativity and innovation). It is imperative that the CCSS be considered the "floor" -not the "ceiling"- when it comes to expectations for student performance in the 21st Century." - Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Documenting Genius Hour

Genius Hour is not casual learning, it's inspired, experimental, and sometimes spontaneous. Not everything explored during Genius Hour is meant to be developed, but it should probably all be documented.

Blogging to Document Genius Hour

Students can publish images with captions, write, receive feedback and integrate many useful digital tools. They can share, publish and reflect on their own learning experiences. Comments can be used for conversations. Blogging is an activity that takes learning to deeper levels and a great tool to kick Genius Hour up a notch.

Exploring ePortfolios to Document Genius Hour

An ePortfolio is a collection of student work that is used to document effort, progress, and achievement over time. An ePortfolio is a useful method of collecting, organizing and reflecting on artifacts. Students become actively involved in their own learning as they engage in goal setting, decision making and self-reflection. ePortfolios are powerful tools for authentic assessment because they require teachers and students to dig deeper than a multiple choice test. As we embrace Genius Hour and continue to scramble to fully implement the Common Core Standards, ePortfolios can be an extremely useful tool to help students develop skills necessary for success in school and beyond.

Google Presentation Slides: If students have access to Google Docs, start with a simple project portfolio highlighting one collection of artifacts. Make good use of those cameras and upload photos and videos to collect and reflect on work. Use the built in comments feature to share feedback and collaborate in real time. Turn on Google Voice to comment with audio. If you are looking to take advantage of embedding, this is probably not the tool for you.

Embracing Genius Hour ePortfolios

Wikispaces: Still a big fan of wikispaces, I believe this tool is well suited for student portfolios. Complete with templates, online discussions and the ability to embed anything, Wikispaces will definitely support amazing Genius Hour Portfolios.

Open School ePortfolio:This is a complete classroom ePortfolio tool designed to help teachers and students successfully manage the portfolio process. This tool supports easy uploading of multimedia artifacts and prompts students to set goals. Perhaps the best feature is the CCSS aligned rubric creator to guide the learning and assessment progress. If you are ready to embrace student portfolios, you should sign up for a free account and try it for yourself.

Google Sites: If you use Google Sites, you can find or design your own effective portfolio template for use with the tool.

Badges for Genius Hour

ClassBadges can be used as a reminder for teachers to work with students on an individual level to set goals, assess progress and mark achievement. If used appropriately, they can improve students' self-esteem as they work towards an attainable goals. Badges are free, fun to make and even better to collect. You can get a little help creating badges at ClassBadges.com or enjoy creating your own. Here are a few badges I created from scratch.

My Own Genius Hour

I must admit, I make time for my Genius Hour nearly every day. It never happens during my work day, but I value it enough to grab it as often as I can. I wish I worked at Google so I use 20% of my time engaging in constructive play at work! Wouldn't it be exciting to incorporate Genius Hour into your learning environment every week?

Susan Oxnevad is an educator, EdTech consultant and designer who is passionate about using technology as a tool for learning. Susan has been a classroom teacher and an active instructional technology facilitator in Chicagoland for more than two decades. She provides professional development for busy teachers via a variety of online and in-person platforms. Susan blogs about thoughtful ways to incorporate technology as an efficient and effective tool for learning on her own blog, Cool Tools for 21st Century Learners. Follow her on Twitter @soxnevad

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Embrace Change in the New Year with Genius Hour - Getting Smart by Susan Oxnevad - edreform, elearning, Innovation, student portfolios

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Genius Hour is a powerful movement popping up in classrooms everywhere. The idea encourages students to explore and develop their own passions and creativity. The idea is based on a business practice used by Google's development team.

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Of course, I'm partial to all the ideas teachers share that I can put on the LiveBinder: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=829279

My favorite pages are the grade-level stories. Enjoy the reading!

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Sometimes kids need to start small. My students love this video & idea. ~Joy

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Matt Cutts: Try something new for 30 days

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Is there something you've always meant to do, wanted to do, but just ... haven't? Matt Cutts suggests: Try it for 30 days. This short, lighthearted talk offers a neat way to think about setting and achieving goals.

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I share this LiveBinder with my students: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=837375

We look at some in class, but it's always available for them to look at on their own. The first five tabs are helpful for ideas.

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I read about Genius Hour on Twitter. I introduced the idea to my administrator before I did any planning. My principal was happy the students were researching, journaling, and creating. The beginning artworks are photographed and published on Artsonia.com in the “Thinking Thursday” gallery. Now, my students want to start “Wondering Wednesday” to add an additional day for this enrichment art class. I’m happy to see the progress made by all my students.

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Thinking Thursday Art Projects from Lee L Driver Middle School

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Artsonia is a kids art museum where young artists and students display their art for other kids worldwide to view. This gallery displays schools (K-12) and student art projects in our museum and offer exciting lesson plan art project ideas.

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Project facilitated by Christy Parsetich This would be something great to create during Genius Hour.

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You ca also use the workspace below the heading to contribute ideas to the board

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I've been doing it for the first semester and the parents of my students tell me it is all they talk about at home. Here is a helpful infographic that we are using to chronicle our learning: http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/4a/86/c8/4a86c8e129f2c68dd8c376b496e58c3b.jpg﻿