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This is great team building exercise that is suitable for teenagers in class rooms to adults in workplace settings. I have used this exercise in dozens of team building workshops I have conducted over the years.

This exercise encourages creative problem solving through teamwork.

Directions:

Divide everyone into groups of 4 to 8 people

The goal of this exercise is to have your team build the tallest free standing tower with 3 x 5 cards

Here are the rules:

1. You will be given SEVEN MINUTES to plan and build your tower.

2. You will have FIVE MINUTES for the actual construction of the tower.

3. While you plan, you MAY NOT DAMAGE THE CARDS IN ANY WAY, but you MAY SPEAK.

4. While you build the tower, you may NOT SPEAK to each other.

Materials: 50 3X5 cards. You can substitute with a deck of playing cards of a box of spaghetti.

Time Required: 15 minutes

Group Size: Groups of 4-8 people

Here are some videos of how different teams tackled this exercise.

Best Icebreakers and Teambuilding Exercises Digital E-Book Pdf
More information
Icebreakers & Team Building Exercises - E-Book Version
More information

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Building the Tallest Tower Team Building Exercise |

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This is great team building exercise that is suitable for teenagers in class rooms to adults in workplace settings. I have used this exercise in dozens of team building workshops I have conducted over the years. This exercise encourages creative problem solving through teamwork.

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Newsela

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Shows how something extraordinary can be achieved, provided we have some more time. :-)

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Meet Molly, the Kid Who Never Stops Inventing - GE Commercial

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Subscribe to the GE Channel: http://invent.ge/1eGgvZK Meet Molly, the kid who never stops inventing. Find out how she is making the world work better. GE works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance.

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I am currently wrapping up my third year using genius hour in my classroom. Year one was a bumpy road with my third graders as I threw myself into the process, gave my students too much choice, and then tried to guide them with minimal structure for students and minimal support for me. In year two, I was moving to fifth grade and was fortunate enough to join an all-star teaching team that helped me develop genius hour into what I had hoped for at the beginning. It went so well, that we were asked to have a group of fifth graders present their projects to the school board. All of a sudden, genius hour was promoted in school documents and people were asking about its success.

At the end of the year, the sixth grade teachers met with us to consider how they might use genius hour. Here is my advice for any teacher consider genius hour:
Don't do genius hour because we did and people are talking about it. Don't do genius hour because our students liked it and they might ask to do genius hour next year.
Don't do genius hour because it sounds good. (Who wouldn't want to be a genius for an hour if all you had to do was put those two words next to each other on a schedule.)

Definitely do not do genius hour if you think that it will be a time to let students do whatever they want academically while you can take a break from real teaching. (The truth is I work harder to guide genius hour than any traditional teaching I've done. There are days when genius hour is energy giving, meaning I've worked incredibly hard, but also feel incredibly motivated at the end. There are also days where I just feel exhausted afterward, when I've poured all my energy into the students and received nothing in return. Genius hour might be like golf though. Those energy giving weeks, like a good shot, can keep you going for a long time.)
Don't do genius hour because another teacher or administrator tells you to.
Genius hour is valuable because of the elements it combines - student voice and choice, creativity, research, problem-solving, design thinking, reflection, and more. Not because it is called genius hour. One of my fears is that genius hour becomes a fad, rather than a teaching tool. That people start doing it because it looks good on paper or twitter, without doing the work that makes it meaningful. So don't just do genius hour.

Give your student's a choice and a voice. Give them time to be creative, explore design thinking, research with a purpose, problem-solve, and reflect. You don't have to do genius hour to incorporate these elements, which should be a part of every classroom, and in some way should be part of every lesson, unit, or project. There are may ways to envelop these skills into your teaching and your student's learning.

Look at the way you teach now. Look at your schedule. Where are you using these skills already? Where can you find a home for them? Can you design a unit, project, problem that allows your students to use all of them at once? Which leads us to the one reason you should do genius hour:

It is the best way for you to incorporate student choice, creativity, design thinking, research, problem-solving, reflection, and any other critical skill that you know is important to teaching and learning in your classroom.

If you do genius hour for the right reasons, it can be successful. Make it your own. Give it a new name. Find other teachers that can join you on the journey - in your building or through social media. You'll want and need the support. Get feedback from your students along the way; don't be afraid to let them guide you. You are giving them a different kind of freedom and opportunity in the classroom. They will be glad to help you make it even better.

In genius hour, we tell students to make the learning theirs, to own it. You have to do the same. Make the teaching your own. If you choose genius hour as the framework for delivering all of the skills mentioned above, the resources available right now are amazing. ( AJ Juliani, John Spencer, Joy Kirr, Angela Maiers, Don Wettrick )If it's not right for you, there are still an incredible number of teachers ready to help you change the way you teach, to change the way student's learn. We want to innovate with you.

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Don't do Genius Hour (Unless it's the best thing for you)

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I am currently wrapping up my third year using genius hour in my classroom. Year one was a bumpy road with my third graders as I threw myself into the process, gave my students too much choice, and then tried to guide them with minimal structure for students and minimal support for me.

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On June 29, 2015 I had the pleasure of presenting at ISTE 2015. ISTE, or the International Society for Technology in Education, puts on a major conference every year. This most recent one was in Philadelphia, PA, and I was so excited to be able to share my Snapshot presentation on Genius Hour there.

Snapshots presentations are meant to be about 30 minutes long and provide quick overviews, or a snapshot, of an educational topic. I kicked off my presentation by sharing the picture book The Most Magnificent Thing - a great way to introduce students to the idea of independent learning. Then I discussed why Genius Hour is important and how teachers can introduce Genius Hour in their classrooms.

The lovely people at ISTE recorded the session and were kind enough to give us permission to present it here. After you've browsed the Genius Hour Guidebook site for a bit, check this out!
ISTE 2015 Annual Conference - Used with permission

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Gallit's Snapshot ISTE Presentation on Genius Hour

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On June 29, 2015 I had the pleasure of presenting at ISTE 2015. ISTE, or the International Society for Technology in Education, puts on a major conference every year. This most recent one was in Philadelphia, PA, and I was so excited to be able to share my Snapshot presentation on Genius Hour there.

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Genius Hour Resources - A collection of links, images and videos. by Lee Araoz | This newsletter was created with Smore, an online tool for creating beautiful newsletters for for individual educators, schools and districts

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Get a daily email featuring the latest talk, plus a quick mix of trending content.

By subscribing, you understand and agree that we will store, process and manage your personal information according to our Privacy Policy

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Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?

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Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.

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Genius Hour gives students the opportunity to follow their own curiosity in an authentic project-based setting using the multimedia and tools available on computers or smartphones. Like a farmer without a plow or a mechanic without his garage, a student without the ability to research or use basic software is a student who will feel lost in the process of inquiry.

1. Conference Presentation & Implementation Plan

2. Professional Development

3. Classroom Example Units

4. Student Work

5. About/Contact Us!

The Google Slide below was used to training teachers during the Bakersfield City School District Summer Professional Development breakout session. The Twitter feed is the online PLN that BCSD is establishing. #TeamBCSD

The following classroom units were used during Genius Hour. These units were necessary in order to front load information and tools that students could later use during Genius Hour.

3a. National Geographic Template (Level of Difficulty Easy)
(Link)

3a. People Magazine Template (Level of Difficulty Easy)
(Link)

3a. National Geographic Template (Level of Difficulty Easy)
(Link)

3a. Virtual Museum with Google Slides (Level of Difficulty Easy)
(Link)

3b. Hoax News with Screencastify (Level of Difficulty Medium)
(Link)

3c. Virtual Museum with 3D Models and SketchUp ( Level of Difficulty Medium/Hard)

The following unit was used to introduce virtual reality to students while writing and informative essay. (Link)

The following unit was used to teach 6th grade statistics concepts while creating and publishing virtual reality. (Link)

The following unit was created 6th grade social studies culminating in an online VR museum. (Link)

3c. Samples of student work after VR Units

Thank you for attending our session! It was a pleasure to share our classroom district stories and experiences on Genius Hour with everyone. We hope you reach out to us through Twitter!
@BoeschTeach @EddiesClass

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Below you can find the following presentation artifacts: The conference and professional development handouts on virtual reality (VR). Feel free to download and share. Following the handout is copy of the conference presentation. Link to a student-made virtual reality museum. Professional renderings from SketchFab.com a 6th grade student-created tutorial for my free workflow.

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Picture Storybooks are my favourite. They bring back so many wonderful childhood memories.

There are some fantastic books that will capture your students imaginations, provoke their wonderings and allow them to generate their own ideas.

Being very passionate about the Inquiry approach to learning and in particular Genius Hour, I have on display in my classroom a variety of books that I read to my students when I launch into new topics, units of inquiry and wonderings.

Here are some of my favourites;
Attributes: Determination, Perseverance, Commitment, Inquirer
The Most Magnificent Thing focuses is a great model for the FAIL acronym - First Attempt In Learning. It talks about a girl with an idea. She sets out to create this idea but soon realises that it actually is not so magnificent. She gets frustrated and angry that she is not able to make what it is she has in mind. Through her determination and perseverance she overcomes all her trials and finally makes the most magnificent thing that she is proud of.
Attributes: Resilience, Perseverance, Open-minded, Inquirer
What Do You Do With An Idea is about boy who takes you on a journey about his idea coming to life. He initially has doubts and is afraid that others will think he is silly. He thinks about giving up, but continues as he realises it is ok to be different and to try new things in order to create something truly amazing.
Attributes: Teamwork, Cooperation, Creativity, Curiosity, Inquirer
Going Places is about a class project where all students are given the same 'Go-Cart' kit that they are required to build. One student in the class realises that it is ok to think outside the box and try something different. Another student sees this and decides to team up to create an amazing flying vehicle.
Attributes: Difference, Determination, Adventure, Open-Minded, Appreciation, Curiosity
The North Star is about a boy asking questions and wonderings about the world. He gets told he is falling behind everyone else on their journey. He faces hurdles and gets lost, before getting back on track to discover his journey is unique to everyone else and that is ok.
Attributes: Creativity, Open-Minded, Appreciation
Beautiful OOPS expresses that it is ok to make mistakes. Our mistakes allow us to change our thinking and turn our ideas into something beautiful. It is a fantastic pop out book that has even the older students engaged and interested.
Attributes: Acceptance, Confidence, Commitment
The Dot shows us that everyone can be a creative artist, you just have to believe in yourself. It is a great story that shows students you can be great at anything.
Attributes: Confidence, Inquirer, Enthusiasm, Curiosity, Reflective
Any Questions makes me laugh everytime I read it. It reminds me about how interested children are at a young age. How they are not afraid to ask questions and that asking questions that we do not know the answer to is a good idea. It also explores the idea of creative writing and where we can get ideas for our writing. It is through questioning and writing that students imagination and creativity is allowed to run wild.
Attributes: Curiosity, Creativity
This story engages students to think outside the box and see how a story can capture their imagination by thinking differently. It will have the whole class pushing, blowing and turning the book to know what will happen next.

These are just a few, I would love to hear what other books you use ....

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Picture Storybooks are my favourite. They bring back so many wonderful childhood memories. There are some fantastic books that will capture your students imaginations, provoke their wonderings and allow them to generate their own ideas. Being very passionate about the Inquiry approach to learning and in particular Genius Hour, I have on display in my...

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The 6 P's of Genius Hour Help Wanted Wall Joy Kirr's LiveBinder Learning From Experts Why Genius Hour is a Priority Flipgrid and Genius Hour Passion Projects: A Win-Win Engage Their Minds...

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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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Smart videos for curious minds of all ages: Search & enjoy 4,000+ smart & super-cool, "not-made-for-kids, but perfect for them" videos in the classroom or together at home. Click play and start a conversation.

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This post is cross-blogged from "The Way I See it", written by our new contributor, Jodi Pulvers.

"Genius Hour" is a relatively new term in education, but has been around in the business world for a few years. Organizations such as Google have an 80/20 work week, where employees are given 20% of their work week to "explore" things that interest them. Many brilliant ideas have come out of that 20%.

The short version on the education side goes something like this: In July of 2011, Daniel Pink wrote a blog about how a Credit Union in Washington was using "Genius Hour" with their employees. These employees were given time each week to use as a "Genius Hour" to pursue their passions. Angela Maiers saw this blog and re-tweeted it and suggested we need this in schools for teachers. Denise Krebs spread this information via Twitter and her blog, both of which were discovered by Hugh McDonald and Gallit Zvi who were keen to try the idea in their classrooms. I work with Gallit and Hugh and their passion is contagious! More info about "Genius Hour" will be included at the end of this blog.

Gallit is my buddy teacher and our classes often do projects together. The more time I spent with her and Hugh and see how engaged their students were during "Genius Hour", the more I contemplated trying it with my class. But I was plagued by thought like, "They have ideas, but they can't research them...they can't even read" and "how would they share their learning when they can't write sentences yet". I am very fortunate to work with an amazing group of people who are always making me question my practice and push me to try new things. My co-workers are always encouraging me think outside the box and they never let me "get away with" excuses like the ones mentioned above. Many of our conversations end with "well, why can't you do this?" These conversations make my head spin, leaving me to come up with ways to modify things to the K level. As my principal Antonio Vendramin, tweeted last week, "It's all about the What if... rather than the Ya, but... "

I am not one to back down from a challenge, so driving home one day thinking about how to make his happen - it hit me! We can use our buddies to help us with the "research" and we can use the Book Creator app on the iPads to create books about an animal that interests them. I knew I would need more help, so I recruited our amazing teacher-librarian Anna Crosland and asked her if she wanted to be a part of this "experiment" with my K class. Anna jumped on board and the 3 of us (Anna, Gallit and I) developed a plan. This activity was done in April/May of last year.

1) I would make a Sample eBook with my class. This took about 3 lessons. For this book, we used Penguins as that was the last animal we studied and we made a pages for habitat, food, enemies and 3 interesting facts. We took pictures and recorded the sentence using the Book Creator app. Here is our class book.

To read the rest of this great blog, click here

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"Genius Hour" for Kindergarten? Is that even possible?

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This post is cross-blogged from "The Way I See it", written by our new contributor, Jodi Pulvers. "Genius Hour" is a relatively new term in education, but has been around in the business world for a few years. Organizations such as Google have an 80/20 work week, where employees are given 20% of their work...

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Integrating Technology & Genius Hour: My Journey as a Teacher & Learner

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I love using picture books as part of my teaching! And I don't think they are only for primary classrooms! In fact I use them regularly at the intermediate level and even when I teach University students.

Picture books make for great hooks at the beginning of lessons! I think they capture our attention and get us curious about the upcoming learning! And who doesn't love being read to?

So here are my Top picks (in no particular order) for Picture Books to help introduce Genius Hour: The Most Magnificent Thing
By Ashley Spires

I love this picture book starring a little girl and her dog/assistant on her quest to create the most magnificent invention. The journey isn't perfect though and she "fails" quite a few times. I think this book is perfect for teaching persistence, risk-taking and flexibility--all traits that are on the Genius Hour rubric that we use. I would read this book right at the beginning, after I have introduced Genius Hour and we are about to get started.

Click here for The Genius Hour Creativity Rubric created by Denise Krebs.
Perfect for taking Genius Hour from inquiry-based and passion-based learning to the level of compassion-based learning! In this story a little boy has an idea (represented as an egg) but he doesn't know what to do with it. He carries it around for a long time until he finally learns that ideas are meant to change the world. I think this picture book is perfect for teaching the creativity traits: originality of ideas, ambiguity and risk-taking--all of these are also on the Genius Hour Creativity Rubric. It would also be handy to read to your class if you feel like they are needing some fresh inspiration after doing Genius Hour for a while. Rosie Revere, Engineer
B y Andrea Beaty

Rosie is a fantastic character! She loves making things and embodies so many of the characteristics that we would attribute to Genius Hour and The Maker Movement. I also love the handkerchief that she wears, the same one as the woman in the iconic "We can do it" image. Rosie is inspired by everything around her and I think this book can be used to introduce the discussion on inquisitiveness, risk-taking and generating ideas (Again, these are traits from the Genius Hour Creativity Rubric). It also teaches an important lesson about failure and persistence. This picture book looks similar to Rosie Revere, Engineer and is indeed written by the same fantastic author, Andrea Beaty and illustrated by the same talented illustrator, David Roberts. I love reading about Iggy Peck and his passion for architecture. I think this book would be great to introduce the concept of passion as well as being used to understand the intrinsic motivation trait on The Genius Hour Creativity Rubric. The book can also be used to share with students how sometimes our Genius Hour projects can be about building, creating or inventing something (helpful if your students are stuck on research-only type inquiry questions). This book is fantastic! I only recently came across Todd Parr books so I have yet to use them with an audience but I just love his illustrations and his style. This picture book helps us learn that it is okay to make mistakes, and that sometimes things do not go quite the way we thought they were going to but that is part of trying new things! "It's okay to make mistakes sometimes. Everyone does, even grown ups! That's how we learn." Exactly! And this is an important thing to learn if we are going to do Genius Hour. I would use this book to talk about risk-taking and self-reflection: two of the many traits on The Genius Hour Creativity Rubric. I would also connect this book to everything we do at school and probably use it right at the beginning of the school year and then again when we are about to start our Genius Hour inquiries.
I adore all of the Peter H. Reynolds picture books. The illustrations are wonderful and they all have important lessons in them that connect well to the classroom. The Dot is one you may have heard of already because SO many teachers love this book and it also has its own day--International Dot Day on September 15th. The book begins with Vashti sitting in her classroom with a blank piece of paper on her desk. Her teacher encourages her and says "Just make a mark and see where it takes you." Vashti gives the paper a "good, strong jab" and leaves it with just the dot. She returns to the classroom on another day and finds that her teacher has framed her dot. This book reminds me of an amazing teacher I had in high school. Ms. Morrison did something similar for me: I said something during English Lit 12 and she stopped and exclaimed how profound my statement was. She wrote it down on a piece of paper and I didn't give it another thought. The next day when I walked into the classroom there was a small, new poster on the wall above the chalkboard. She had written down what I had said with quotation marks around it and my name underneath. I remember being shocked and feeling so proud that she thought I was quotable. I think that gesture is what led me to my getting my BA in English Literature. She made me feel smart, capable and confident. I have never forgotten that moment and I have tried, like Vashti's teacher and like Ms. Morrision, to do that for my students too. I have used this book as part of an Art lesson, and that is how I would probably use it in future years too, but I think we can also make connections between Vashti's journey and the Genius Hour journey. Q is for Question: An ABC Book of Philisophy Need help thinking about BIG questions? I think that this picture book, written in ABC format (A is for answers, B is for Beauty, C is for Cause, etc) can help us think about our questioning. I would read this book to the class but also make sure that it was on-hand for students to flip through when they need inspiration as it is a lot to take in after only one read through. I absolutely love how Poirier encourages us to have philosophical discussions and debates with our students and I think this book is a great place to start those discussions. This book connects to inquisitiveness and generating ideas on The Genius Hour Creativity Rubric.
So there you have it--7 of my favourite picture books to use during Genius Hour!
Are there any others you use to inspire students during Genius Hour?
By Tiffany Poirier

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Top 7 Picture Books to Help Introduce Genius Hour

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I love using picture books as part of my teaching! And I don't think they are only for primary classrooms! In fact I use them regularly at the intermediate level and even when I teach University students. Picture books make for great hooks at the beginning of lessons!

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Our latest #geniushour chat was on Thursday, April 7, 2016. The topic was Genius Hour in the Primary Classroom, grades K-3. We enjoyed the leadership of two primary teachers who rock Genius Hour with their students: Robyn Thiessen, grade 3 teacher from British Columbia, and Renee White, first grade teacher from North Carolina.

Other teachers were involved in the chat, many of them primary teachers already doing Genius Hour or wanting to participate in Genius Hour with their young students. Look no further to find some super passionate teachers to follow: @kstef2, @slwinegar, @CherylTeaches, @Michelle4EDU, @mel10597, @MsShute, @BieberJessicaL, @jcd118, @StacieGreening, @kimmykcollins, @paperiepam, @bceshayes, @BedfordJA, @Mrs_MLondon, @mRodey5, @nat1002, @MrsGadtke, @SchrockJo, @teacherplusmom, @TraceyCarayol, @yecca13, @kimberlie94, @cmccrorey2nd, @Brendaelcms, @MsHarnden, @hughtheteacher, @shannonmcmurtry, @PaulSolarz, @cya_outside, @teachbleggett, @BroncoTeacher1, @Edmison3rdGrade, ‎@AmyThompsonWES, and your hosts on this web page, @gallit_z and @mrsdkrebs

A summary of a great chat!
This summary of the tweet chat will give you lots of ideas straight from of the classroom on how to do Genius Hour with our youngest learners. Q1: How do you introduce the concept of #geniushour to your little geniuses?

Teacher shows his/her own passions first, which leads students into thinking about theirs. ~Jessica via Angela

I ask "Would you be interested if I told you that you could learn about anything you wanted?" Eyes pop! ~Stacie

Give them time to build something with no directions or restrictions...just let them create! ~Ms. Hayes

I saw a kinder teacher have students draw something they loved and then ask them to come up with questions about it. ~Michelle

We have been building to it via PBL and projects like #cardboardchallenge. Talked about big wonder questions and things that interest them. ~Angela

Students were exposed last year to Genius Hour through learning lunches with older students. We combined interest list with Dot Day as a kick off this year. ~Jill (Clarified about learning lunches: "Now we are starting monthly Genius Hour lunches w/grades 2 and 6-8 to share and reflect. Students love it.")

Record all their wondering questions! Throughout the day, have chart paper and record. ~Jessica

Michelle added that you can teach the difference between wonders that are researchable and those which are simple to figure out.

I like using picture books and videos to help introduce Genius Hour. ~Gallit

We used videos on YouTube explaining Genius Hour and Audri's Rube Goldberg monster trap video. ~Jessica

Picture books - What Do You Do With an Idea? And The Most Magnificent Thing ~Pam and Kim

Read I Am Albert Einstein (Scholastic). Great book focusing on "genius behaviors." ~Natalie

I have some favourite books that I use to introduce and then students do a ME project to figure out what they are interested in! ~Robyn

Teaching students how to question is important in the beginning. ~Brenda

Renee shared her Question Matrix based on Bloom's Taxonomy to help teach questioning.

Start simple. Sometimes we just start with play-dough. ~Robyn

What Do You Do With an Idea? and videos, especially about growth mindset. ~Renee

Ask students, "What do you love? What are you passionate about? What do you want to know more about? Talk, talk, talk!" ~Stacie

...hands on and constructing with littles worked better than more abstract questions like, "How do you predict weather?" ~Angela

Another good video w/Kid President. A Pep Talk from Kid President. ~Brenda

Find something you're good at and use it to help address a problem by raising awareness or helping cause. ~Hugh

Q2: How do primary students do #geniushour research when they aren't yet independent with literacy skills? Share ideas.

Pair them up with an upper grade! Maybe do passion projects together to get the ball rolling! ~Ms. Harnden

PebbleGo will read to the students, also it's a perfect 1st grade reading level. ~Natalie

Angela had also used PebbleGo and loved it, but expressed concern about the limited number of topics.

Use databases and visually rich resources - books, Kiddle, schooltube - ask your #librarian 🙂 ~Jill

My students have done well with using http://kiddle.co, I have placed predetermined websites in Google Classroom ~Jessica

I found videos and added links to @Seesaw. Students could view that content to start some research. Still tricky, though. ~Angela

I do research with buddy teams. Students use safe sites all listed in my website and paper research guide. Many have read aloud feature. ~Renee

Started it with 1st grade today. Used @Wonderopolis where they could see video and listen to reading on topic too ~Brandi

My third graders are currently researching U.S. symbols...learning so much from pictures alone! ~Maria

I tend to not focus on research with the littles, more creation. However, @Wonderopolis is wonderful to differentiate for littles. ~Robyn

Ask them to interview experts, pair w/ older kids to mentor, conduct experiments for their own research. ~Michelle

They could partner with an upper grade class, buddies, at home project-if possible, parent volunteer, center time, buddies. ~Kim

Give them guiding questions. Model research. Do a whole class passion project first. ~Ms. Hayes

Yes we use PebbleGo and @Wonderopolis @WonderBoxApp a lot because of the read aloud features and videos! ~Renee

Here is a post by @JPulvers about how we did it with her kinder class - "'Genius Hour' for Kindergarten? Is That Even Possible?" (big buddies helped out) ~Gallit

I love Google Classroom for students to have quick access to links and access to a Google Doc for their work for the day. I have been having my kids bouncing back and forth between GC and @Seesaw to show their work and they love both! I have them complete a Google Doc or Google Drawing to show their thoughts. ~Jessica

I've reached out to bring in business people to my classroom to assist students... awesome experience ~Mr. Pete

I have several parents that volunteer during our work time...~Robyn

Robyn and Renee, the moderators, also helped some of us know it was OK to not focus on research, but to let students create. Robyn said regarding what Genius Hour looked like in her room, "Many of my students choose to create, make and tinker." "Some will need to explore with their hands and minds first before running into need for research," said Renee. And Robyn added, "For me it is the student's time, if I tell them they have to research then I am limiting their creativity." We are so happy that they brought this up and we advocate for this creative freedom in our as well.

We had a research boot camp with our media specialist as part of our kickoff last year ~Carrie

My students are older but maybe try OK-Google or how-to books. Team up with librarian or reading buddies. ~Jessica

@Wonderopolis is a fantastic resource that would be a great introductory tool to support teachers and primary learners ~Hugh

Maria wondered, "Anyone ever used class experts to help students who may not be as strong in reading?"

@Seesaw I have been using the QR feature too so students can scan the code and bring them right to resource ~Angela

We are buddying up with another grade but working to ensure no one is "in charge"- that's it's a learning process together! ~Melissa

Happy to be here! PebbleGo has been great..reads to kids. Newsela has options for changing lexile level ~Amy

Several different apps available to read text to younger students. Read Comfortably- cleans up page. ~Stacie

Q3: How do you manage all of the #geniushour projects of your little learners?

For me Genius Hour time is the craziest, busiest most awesome time of the week, it is magical! ~Robyn

We use @trello to plan out our steps for Genius Hour projects. Helps us manage our time. ~Paul

I started out with a student binder but am thinking that isn't the best. I am loving my @Seesaw Genius Hour folder and index cards for myself. ~Jessica

We use Blendspace at the moment and also starting Google drive with them ~Jill

"The Kid Should See This: Smart Videos for Curious Minds of All Ages" has great sparks for curiosity and wonder, leading to interesting learning possibilities. ~Karen

I have binders mine keep research guides, sticky notes, and drafts in. I am a butterfly on Genius Hour days all over room conferring. ~Renee

Status of the Class board was helpful. We had 17 different projects going on, from a music video to stop-motion animation ~Carrie

Students have simple notebooks for brainstorming, taking notes, difficulties, questions. Students meet a deadline date for final idea. ~Stacie

In the beginning it's more work, after they get going it's the students managing themselves. When they get to this point, it's fun to see! ~Brenda

I just made a website where every student had a tab. As they completed their project posted it on there ~Brandi

it's not easy. A lot of movement checklists. I like to use google apps too so I can check in at home. ~Jessica

My students reflect and capture progress in @Seesaw and Genius Hour folder. And on the teacher side, I had lots of post-it notes, sheets, and stacks of books ~Angela

Students also chose faculty mentors to meet with about projects (dance, science, admin, etc.) Students presented ideas/thoughts to them ~Carrie

Just starting but envisioning a combination of paper journal/binder and digital portfolio. Teaching balance just like we do! ~Melissa

I have Wonder Wednesday, Genius Hour in the morning and @wonderopolis in the afternoon. ~Robyn

And lots of us want to hear more about this, Robyn. Might there be a blog post about Wonder Wednesday in our future?

Q4: Do you collaborate with and/or have mentors in other grades/classes for #geniushour? How does this benefit your young geniuses?

Some of us had to say, "Not yet" to this question, but we're hopeful.

I have the best tech facilitator! We co-plan and team-teach Genius Hour ~Natalie

A 5th grade class mentored a kinder class and it was magical. Good for 5th too because they learn how to guide and not take over! ~Michelle

Molly, on partnering with Jessica, tweeted, "It makes it easier to make mistakes and learn when you have someone to bounce ideas off of!"

And Jessica about Molly: "@mRodey5 is going to be joining me in this adventure soon and our classes can collaborate/share with each other!"

Yes, we share with grades 6-8. Keeps motivation, ideas, curiosity flowing. ~Jill

In the past we have mostly worked on our own...but we did help out little kindergarten friends with their projects one year. ~Gallit

I don't assess but rather guide and have students share their success, failures and learning. ~Robyn

We have amazing teachers willing to dive in and work together!!!! ~Mrs. Harnden

We make an "Expert Wall" in hopes that students will use each other. I want them to interview at least one expert on their Genius Hour. ~Stacie

Had 1st graders do inside/outside circle where they could talk about their research and say why it was a wonder to reflect ~Brandi

Diy.org has some good learning paths/projects for students too ~Angela

Q5: What does #GeniusHour look like in your room? For example many of my students choose to create, make and tinker.....

Each year the groups have been different but solo projects seem to be most successful in grade 3. ~Robyn

Happy, engaged students working on various things sharing and collaborating constantly ~Jill

Still trying to figure out exactly what it looks like. However, creating, moving, building, rethinking, and not giving up ~Angela

Genius Hour is Tu/Th for 30 minutes each day w/ time to research, create, and make. Students on computers, looking at books, and using building supplies ~Jessica

Genius Hour in my room is messy, noisy, but students are super engaged! It's like a crazy science lab of researching, planning, designing, etc. ~Renee

For 6th grade, they had to create driving questions and research questions. Connected with experts. They chose presentation style ~Brandi

The kindergarten class I saw was great because of variety. Some experimented, others researched, others created. Teacher supported each S's ❤. ~Michelle

Genius Hour looks like students' dream of the perfect school. To adults it looks like a creative mess and smiling, engaged kids ~Jessica

Crazy, messy, and noisy are all indicators of student learning! Love it! ~Jessica

Organized chaos! One student may interview someone about music videos; one is creating a Safe Kids program; another is on phone with the zoo. ~Carrie

It's fun, students talking, sharing, getting up, interrupting one another, but then we have "the quiet zone" so they can zero in. ~Stacie

Q6: Are you building in a reflection or self-evaluation piece for your little geniuses? How? Feel free to share any documents. #geniushour

Here's an example of 4th grade reflection log after Genius Hour. Maybe adapt for younger students? Credit: @KathyHill20 ~Michelle

Yes! Always room for reflection! What it will look like, I am not sure, but it is in the plans! ~Kim

Tied it in with Growth Mindset chats. We celebrate mistakes and share them out on a mistake wall! ~Jessica

Love for students to answer reflect on anything they do! It's important for Ts to model this too! #lifelonglearners ~Maria

I have used blogs, journals and 1-1 conversations in the past ~Gallit

Yes! Performance and Effort Rubric completed by students, also has place for students to write their steps for next time ~Natalie

My students use @Seesaw with pics, video, and voice to reflect during and after Genius Hour.

YES! Reflection and then setting goals for new learning is key for me! What worked, what didn't, and what am I wondering now? ~Melissa

Reflection is so important! I built it in kid style with and a sentence or two on students' research guides. The research guide with reflective piece at end is also on my Genius Hour / Makerspace blog site ~Renee

Included habits of mind with 2nd graders. They incorporated those and assessed how doing while doing Genius Hour ~Brandi

We meet and chat. Also created a reflection bingo sheet they fill out weekly. Bunch of questions. They pick and answer one with few words ~Jill

Reflection logs after each session, reflection after the project is presented. ~Michelle

More ideas from this rich chat for you and your students to consider
Skype
Jill, teacher librarian, from New Hampshire, asked if anyone would like to Skype with students about Genius Hour.
Online Graphic Organizer
Can anyone help Jessica answer this question? Popplet and MindMup were two that were mentioned. Any others?
Buncee
Renee White, our co-moderator, introduced me to a resource that was new to me: Buncee.com There is an educational account. She used Buncee to create the graphics for her chat questions, like the one at the top of this post!
ISTE 2106
Angela Gadtke shared that she was inspired by Gallit's ISTE2015 presentation. She will present at ISTE2016 about Kindergarteners in Genius Hour. Robyn and Jessica will be there too. I hope you will all share pictures and tell us how it goes!

Keep Connecting

Robyn, Molly, Renee, Pam, Jessica and Angela all talked about connecting with one or another after the chat. You can connect too. Add new members to your PLN. Join others in connecting about Genius Hour for primary students! You can also share with the hashtag #PrimaryGH, which is not as busy as the #geniushour hashtag. Together we are smarter!

Now, we'll end with a couple of our favorite tweets from this primary chat. True for all ages!

We hope you enjoy Genius Hour, a rich learning experience for you and your students!
Please, do leave a comment and join us here in talking about Genius Hour. We're listening!

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Our latest #geniushour chat was on Thursday, April 7, 2016. The topic was Genius Hour in the Primary Classroom, grades K-3. We enjoyed the leadership of two primary teachers who rock Genius Hour with their students: Robyn Thiessen, grade 3 teacher from British Columbia, and Renee White, first grade teacher from North Carolina.

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Here are the easy-to-click links listed in the Notes section at the end of each chapter in the second edition of The Genius Hour Guidebook: Fostering Passion, Wonder, and Inquiry in the Classroom.

Chapter 1 - What Is Genius Hour and Why Do Students Need It?

1 Used with permission: R. Motschnig & A. Holzinger. 2002. Student-Centered Teaching Meets New Media: Concept and Case Study, page 160.

9 Bobby has written several blog posts on these whys of genius hour. Find them all at: https://geniusjourney.wordpress.com/

Chapter 2 - Introducing Genius Hour to Your Class

1 Used with permission, Parker J. Palmer, The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life

10 Follow Renee's (@RaRaPenguin) #TootlingTuesday on Twitter where she inspires teachers to tell each other what they are doing right, too.

11 https://unsplash.com/photos/J6hE2DTWSEw

12 Read more about the Marble Theory in Paul's book, Learn Like a Pirate: Empower your Students to Collaborate, Lead and Succeed.

13 https://tinyurl.com/MySentence

14 https://tinyurl.com/EvolvingDancer

17 https://tinyurl.com/GHicee

18 Read the book here: https://leanpub.com/bestandnextineducation

19 https://tinyurl.com/McIntoshGoogleable

20 https://youtu.be/1EwYLZmkUxo

Chapter 3 - The Launch: Diving In and Letting Go

3 Morgan's HyperDoc https://tinyurl.com/TaylorGeniusHour

9 https://tinyurl.com/WhoOwnsLearning and https://tinyurl.com/GH6Questions

13 Name and details have been changed.

Chapter 4 - Great Picture Books for Genius Hour Kids

1 Quote from t by Peter H. Reynolds. Used with permission.

Books

1. Iggy Peck, Architect By Andrea Beaty

2. Rosie Revere, Engineer By Andrea Beaty

3. On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein By Jennifer Berne, Pictures by Vladimir Radunsky

4. Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood By F. Isabel Campoy & Theresa Howell

5. Stella: Queen of the Snow By Marie-Louise Gay

6. Come with Me By Holly McGhee

7. It's Okay to Make Mistakes By Todd Parr

8. Q is for Question By Tiffany Poirier

9. The Dot By Peter H. Reynolds

10. Ish By Peter H. Reynolds

11. The Word Collector By Peter H. Reynolds

12. Beautiful Oops! By Barney Saltzberg

13. I Want to Go to the Moon By Tom Saunders

14. The Most Magnificent Thing By Ashley Spires

15. What Do You Do With an Idea? By Kobi Yamada

16. What Do You Do With a Problem? By Kobi Yamada

Chapter 5 - Loosening Deadlines and Sharing Passions

1 Sir Ken Robinson quote used with permission.

4 https://twitter.com/keheywood/status/340266043136172032

5 https://www.iste.org/standards/for-students - Go to the website for great teacher resources to help you teach the ISTE Standards for Students.

6 https://www.iste.org/standards/for-students - See Standard 3d

7 https://unsplash.com/photos/UKLIuV8rAks

8 Search online for lots of examples of BYOD forms. You can also check out Hugh's blog and links at http://tinyurl.com/GHbyod . Check out your own school district's BYOD policy or campaign for one if they don't yet have one in place.

Chapter 6 - Managing the Genius Hour Classroom and Projects

1 Danny Steele tweet: https://twitter.com/SteeleThoughts/status/813409324471033856

5 Example: https://tinyurl.com/GHindex

6 See TAG Cloud widget on sidebar: http://krebs.edublogs.org/

Chapter 7 - Helping Kids Make Their Learning Visible

Chapter 8 - Teaching about Self-Assessment and Feedback

Chapter 9 - What Can We Do to Improve the World?

1 Nelson Mandela, Address at the Planetarium, Johannesburg, South Africa, 16 July 2003

5 https://tinyurl.com/GHheartbreak Read more about heartmapping in Awakening the Heart: Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School by Georgia Heard (Heinemann)

7 Read about more Genius Hour projects that make a difference on this MiddleWeb article: https://www.middleweb.com/28123/idea-starters-for-the-genius-hour-classroom/

9 https://twitter.com/jcd118/status/969404333841436673

10 https://twitter.com/LexiIggy/status/969404939687550976

11 https://twitter.com/ToriRose33/status/969405583538507776

12 https://twitter.com/RaRaPenguin/status/1058175926784196610

14 https://tinyurl.com/GHtrough

17 https://youtu.be/sygqZWBcuKk

Chapter 10 - Adding All Our Voices to the Genius Hour Movement

11 https://twitter.com/hughtheteacher/statuses/352606173809229824

21 https://tinyurl.com/FBgeniushour (Facebook Group). Facebook link: www.facebook .com/groups/557319844327083

Appendix A: Frequently Asked Questions

6 Sylvia's post: https://tinyurl.com/over-structure

Appendix B: Genius Hour Resources & Lesson Plans

5 You may want to watch a few more inspirational videos listed in Chapter 2 over the next few days and keep adding to the list before Step 3 (developing the inquiry questions). This will probably depend on how many ideas the students were able to generate. We like to spend a few weeks on Steps 1 and 2 (inspire, wonder), so do not feel like you need to rush to the part where they develop their own questions. We also recommend going outside for a nature walk, if that is an option. Students can record questions and wonders and add them to the Genius Hour Wonder Wall too.

7 Thank you, Lindsey Own, for sharing your "Google-able" vs "non Google-able" wording with us. Lindsey first learned about this from https://notosh.com .

8 Thank you, Kam Grewal, for sharing with us your idea of using picture books to teach questioning.

Appendix C: Genius Hour Reading List for Educators

Books
1.Who Owns the Learning? by Alan November
2.The Passion-Driven Classroom: A Framework for Teaching and Learning by Angela Maiers and Amy Sandvold
3. Classroom Habitudes: How to Teach 21st Century Learning Habits and Attitudes by Angela Maiers
4. Drive by Dan Pink
5. The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Sir Ken Robinson
6. Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World by Tony Wagner
7. Essential Questions by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe
8. Inquiry and Innovation: Using 20% Time, Genius Hour and PBL to Drive Student Success by A.J. Juliani
9. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
10. ROLE Reversal by Mark Barnes
11. The 20Time Project by Kevin Brookhouser
12. Shift This by Joy Kirr
13. Dive into Inquiry by Trevor MacKenzie
14. Genius Hour: Passion Projects that Ignite Innovation and Student Inquiry by Andi McNair
15. Learn Like a Pirate: Empower your Students to Collaborate, Lead and Succeed by Paul Solarz

Blogs
1. Ask What Else by Sheri Edwards ( https://askwhatelse.wordpress.com)
2. My Own Genius Hour by Joy Kirr ( http://geniushour.blogspot.com)
3. Renee White's First Grade Class ( https://whites1stgrade.weebly.com/blog)
4. Andi McNair ( https://www.andimcnair.com/)
5. MiddleWeb: All About the Middle Grades ( https://www.middleweb.com/)
6. The Genius Hour Guidebook: A Resource Site for Passion, Wonder, and Inquiry in the Classroom ( https://geniushourguide.org) - Gallit and Denise add content here on the Genius Hour Guidebook companion site. We accept cross-posts from your blog, and the #geniushour chat archive is kept here as well.
7. Dare to Care by Denise Krebs ( https://mrsdkrebs.edublogs.org)
8. Integrating Technology & Genius Hour: My Journey as a Teacher & Learner by Gallit Zvi ( http://www.gallitzvi.com/)

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Genius Hour Guidebook 2nd Edition Footnote Links

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Here are the easy-to-click links listed in the Notes section at the end of each chapter in the second edition of The Genius Hour Guidebook: Fostering Passion, Wonder, and Inquiry in the Classroom. 1 Used with permission: R. Motschnig & A. Holzinger. 2002. Student-Centered Teaching Meets New Media: Concept and Case Study, page 160.

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26 More Videos that Sparked Genius Hour Thinking, Collaboration, and Actions in Our Class

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In my classroom over the last few years I've shown many Youtube videos to inspire resiliency, grit, hope, and discussion prior to guiding them in the creation of their inquiry questions about their passions and wonders during our weekly Genius Hour time. This post is a follow up post to my post 23 Videos that...

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Caine's Arcade

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Kid President

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This video explains how 20% time works and why we are doing it. - created using PowToon - http://www.powtoon.com/

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The puzzle of motivation | Dan Pink | TED

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What is Genius Hour? - Introduction to Genius Hour in the Classroom

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Daniel Pink

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RSA ANIMATE: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

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Could use to intro to kids...

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Are you smarter than a fifth grader? Surely not these Geniuses, because they're using Trello to answer the tough questions.
The concept of Genius Hour has become a popular mechanism for educators to encourage their students to explore their interests. To avoid gaps in learning, much of the US curriculum is standardized. The Genius Hour movement, however, is a great way to inject open ended exploration into different aspects of our world.

The basic concept is that for one hour twice a week, students explore a topic of their choosing. They research the same topic for 12 one hour sessions, before presenting their findings on a medium of their choice. Gone are the days of dioramas: these young innovators elect to post their findings to a website, video, or slide presentation that they make themselves!

Paul Solarz is a 5th grade teacher who is passionate about adapting tech in the classroom, and is constantly innovating with his budding Geniuses. He showed me how he is using Trello to structure his students' Genius Hour projects.

Asking PHAT Questions

The first portion of Genius Hour consists of students deciding on a subject, and subsequently devising an open ended question that explores their topic.

Because one of the necessary requirements of the students' questions is that it is an open ended topic that cannot be answered objectively, Paul challenges his students to ask a PHAT question, which stands for Pretty Hard And Tough. "Skinny" questions can easily be answered by a quick Google search, and that takes all the fun out of it.

"The goal is to have a large enough question to keep you excited and interested for that entire period of time," Paul explains. "It's not something that's answerable by Googling it; these are questions that require you to synthesize information over the course of many days and many sources to try to come up with an answer that works for you."

Roadmapping On Trello

Students spend the first Genius Hour period developing an Essential Question, getting it approved by Mr. Solarz, and then inputting it into their own Trello list.

The list name is the Essential Question they seek to answer. Some examples are:

"What causes an ice age to happen and how does it affect our planet?"

"How have Legos changed over time and how can they be used in the classroom?" (Good thinking, Charlie.)

"How much German can I learn in 12 periods and then teach?"

"How do soccer teams design their jerseys and what are the different designs they have come up with?"

"What do the words and symbols mean on US currency and why were they chosen?"

"Did Megalodon ever exist and if so what were his gifts and special talents?"

(I wish I could post every Genius Hour question because they are all fantastic.)

Each student uploads a card cover image that is associated with their project. Then, each subsequent card in their list is a step in their project.

The goal of roadmapping their Genius Hour projects in Trello is to demonstrate the students' use of their executive functioning skill set.

"It's the idea of thoughtful planning and not just randomly doing things," Paul explains. "We're setting our purpose for the next 12 periods."

Identify What You Know, And Learn What You Don't

After the card cover image, the next card indicates the KWHLAQ step. This acronym indicates the students should answer these questions about their topic:

K - What do I know?

W - What do I want to know?

H - How do I find out?

L - What have I learned?

A - What actions do I take?

Q - What new questions do I have?

The KWH's are tackled prior to researching, and the LAQ's are answered after their project is complete. Paul explains that the goal is not to identify a rigid set of steps and then strictly adhere to them throughout the process. Rather, one of the key tenements of the exercise is to learn to revise and adapt as a student's knowledge evolves.

"The idea is that you're constantly revising your Trello list," Paul says, "You're adding cards, you're taking away cards, you're changing cards, and you're supposed to by the end have a reasonable procedure for what you did."

Weebly Is The Modern Day Poster Board

Mr. Solarz says that the majority of the kids elect to present their findings on a website they make themselves. They are also required to make a video to go along with their final product, and they often upload them to their website. Check out some of Mr. Solarz's past student videos here.

Paul uses Weebly with his students, which is a website making platform that grown adults also use to make websites for their businesses. Impressive, right?

One Last Essential Question: What Are The Origins Of Genius Hour?

Genius Hour actually has roots in tech, with many attributing the open format concept to large tech companies where developers are encouraged to spend a portion of their time solving problems that interest them.

Trello, in fact, was born out of this same initiative: as a side project, the Fog Creek design and development teams sought to digitize the concept of sticky notes being moved around on whiteboards.

It seems only fitting that new Geniuses are now using Trello to ask their own questions, and discovering the processes by which they find these answers.
Special thank you to Paul Solarz for sharing his creative Trello uses in the classroom. Read more about Mr. Solarz's ideas on teaching here.
Want more resources on how to use Trello in the digital classroom? Go back to school with Trello!

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Teachers Using Trello: How To Foster Genius In The Classroom

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Are you smarter than a fifth grader? Surely not these Geniuses, because they're using Trello to answer the tough questions. The concept of Genius Hour has become a popular mechanism for educators to encourage their students to explore their interests. To avoid gaps in learning, much of the US curriculum is standardized.

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Here at the Genius Hour Guidebook website, you'll find many resources from the book by Denise Krebs & Gallit Zvi, plus bonus articles and materials. Best of all, you'll be able to engage with colleagues eager to support each other as we implement Genius Hour in our classrooms and schools. Read our welcome message!

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Here at the Genius Hour Guidebook website, you'll find many resources from the book by Denise Krebs & Gallit Zvi, plus bonus articles and materials. Best of all, you'll be able to engage with colleagues eager to support each other as we implement Genius Hour in our classrooms and schools.

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Why one T abandoned GH

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Genius hour is an amazing concept that children respond to because they get to learn about any topic they choose. I had a few rounds of Gen…