Do you want to know how to engage your students and boost their learning? Read on to learn about Genius Hour, a teaching strategy that gives students the freedom to explore their passions and interests and learn in a meaningful way.
This EDU Blog will discuss Genius Hour, why you should implement it in your classroom, and how to get started.
So what are you waiting for? Let’s learn more about this fantastic teaching strategy!
What is Genius Hour in Education?
Genius Hour is a teaching strategy allowing students to explore their passions and interests for a set amount of time.
It is based on the idea that Google employees are given 20% of their time to work on projects that they are curious about and that benefit the company. Genius Hour allows students to pursue their own learning goals and unleash their creativity.
In a Genius Hour classroom, students can choose any topic they are interested in. They can then spend one hour a week working on their project with the guidance and support of their tutor. Students can use this time to research their topic, conduct experiments, create presentations, or do anything else they want.
The goal of Genius Hour is to help students learn in a way that is meaningful to them. It also helps them develop their creativity, problem-solving skills, and self-directed learning skills. Genius Hour can be a powerful way to engage students and to help them discover their passion for learning.
How Can Genius Hour Help Students?
The benefits of Genius Hour are numerous and well-documented. Some of them are:
Increasing student engagement and motivation. Students are more likely to be interested and invested in their learning when they have a choice and a voice in what they learn and how they learn it.
Fostering student autonomy and self-directed learning. Students learn how to set their own goals, plan their own projects, manage their own time, and evaluate their own progress. They also learn how to seek out and use various resources, such as books, websites, experts, peers, etc.
Developing student skills and competencies. Students practice and improve skills such as research, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation. They also acquire new knowledge and skills related to their chosen topics and projects.
Enhancing student confidence and self-esteem. Students feel empowered and valued when they can pursue their own passions and interests. They also feel proud and accomplished when they can share their work with others.
- Preparing students for the future. Genius Hour helps students develop the 21st century skills and mindsets that they will need to succeed in a rapidly changing world. It also exposes them to various career paths and opportunities that they may not have considered before.
How Can You Implement Genius Hour in Your Classroom?
There is no one right way to do Genius Hour, but here are some general steps that you can follow:
1. Introduce the concept of Genius Hour to your students and explain the expectations and guidelines. You can show them some examples of Genius Hour projects from other students or educators, or invite some guest speakers who have done something similar in their fields.
2. Help your students brainstorm and choose their topics and projects. You can use various tools and strategies, such as surveys, mind maps, interest inventories, etc., to help your students identify their passions and interests.
You can also guide them to narrow down their topics and formulate specific questions or challenges that they want to explore or solve.
3. Allocate a regular time slot for Genius Hour in your schedule. You can decide how often and how long you want to do Genius Hour, depending on your curriculum and context. Some educators do it once a week for an hour, while others do it once a month for a whole day. The important thing is to be consistent and flexible.
4. Provide support and feedback to your students throughout the process. You can use various forms of assessment, such as checklists, rubrics, journals, portfolios, etc., to monitor your students’ progress and provide them with constructive feedback.
You can also facilitate mini-lessons or workshops on topics or skills that your students need or request, such as research methods, presentation skills, etc.
5. Celebrate and showcase your students’ work at the end of the cycle. You can organize a Genius Hour fair or exhibition where your students can display their work and share their learning with others.
You can also invite parents, other educators, administrators, or community members to attend and appreciate your students’ work.
In General
Genius Hour is a powerful way to ignite your student’s curiosity and creativity. By giving them the freedom and support to pursue their own learning goals, you can help them discover their potential and passion. Try it out in your classroom and see the difference it makes!
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