My good friend AJ Juliani, co-author of the book “Empower“, with John Spencer, is about to start a Genius Hour Master Course. His passion for this topic and his ability to share his enthusiasm has made a significant difference with so many educators. I am reposting this from last year as many loved the opportunity and took advantage.
As this is a paid course, you can sign up here, and he is also offering a 20% discount if you use the following code to sign up by Wednesday, August 16, at 11:59 PM, EST:
GEORGE
Below is a blog that is reposted from AJ, and is great for those schools already using Genius Hour, or those looking to dive in. Check out his post below and you will see just a sample of what will be shared.
Originally posted at ajjuliani.com.
If you haven’t heard of Genius Hour or 20% time in the classroom, the premise is simple: Give your students 20% of their class time (or an hour each week) to learn what they want. These projects allow students to choose the content and still acquire/master skills and hit academic starts.
I’ve written extensively about Genius Hour and 20% Time, but wanted to share a list of the 10 reasons you should consider Genius Hour in your classroom (for those of you on the fence) and why you will not regret making that choice!
1. You will join a great community of learners
When I first did the Genius Hour project with my students I didn’t have a community of teachers or learners. Within months that changed as a number of great teachers before and after me started to share their stories online. The largest active group is the Genius Hour teachers (inspired by Daniel Pink) who have #geniushour chats, a big resource at GeniusHour.com, and a great Genius Hour wiki. Get involved and see what others have done!
2. You will allow students to go into depth with a topic that inspires them
One of the major issues we face in schools today is covering a wide breadth of information, instead of allowing students to get a real depth of knowledge. Students using Genius Hour and 20% time are able to delve into subject matter that means something to them, often times taking their free time at home to learn more. Isn’t this something we should be promoting at all levels?
3. There is so much positive peer pressure
When students in my school have their Shark Tank pitch day, they get to share with the entire class what they are working on. Publicly announcing what they are trying to accomplish makes the goal real. Students get to see what their peers are working on and want to make sure their project stands up to the rest of the class. Regardless of a grade being attached to the project, this makes for students going the extra mile.
4. It relieves students of the “game of school”
Too often our students complete assignments for the grade. They go through the motions to receive an external pat on the back (or bump on their transcript). Genius Hour and 20% time take away the “game of school” and brings back the love of learning for learning’s sake.
5. It’s fun!
Randy Pausch famously said, “If you think you can’t learn and have fun at the same time. Then I don’t think you have a good understanding of either.”Without a doubt it is the best time of the week. Student feedback is not only positive, but also transparent. This work often carries back to their homes where parents/guardians share their passion for learning beyond the school walls.
6. Your class will be covering all types of common core standards
It doesn’t matter if you teach elementary, middle, or high school. The Genius hour and 20% time projects cover multiple common cores standards. We’ve had teachers propose this type of learning to their administration backed by awesome research. Remember, the community will help if you are fighting a battle to get Genius Hour or 20% time started at your school.
7. It’s differentiation at its best
Students are working at their level, and as teachers, we should be helping to challenge each one of our learners at their best pace and ability. Because each project differs, students are not bogged down by following the same steps as their classmates. The entire class is learning, but it is truly differentiated.
8. You learn by what you do, not by what you hear
Experiential and challenge based learning puts the mastery back into the student’s hands. We provide guidance and pushes along the way, but they are the ones “doing” and “making”. Confucius put it perfectly: “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” Let your students make and they will understand and thank you for the opportunity.
9. It is a perfect way to model life-long learning
I did Genius Hour with my students and took it upon myself to learn how to code and make an app from scratch. I failed to make that app. But my experience learning how to program left me with a whole new perspective, and was a teachable moment about what we call failure. There is no real way to fail a project in which “learning” is the end-goal.
10. Your students will never forget what it felt like to create
Have you seen Caine’s arcade? It started out as a little idea and now Caine has inspired hundreds of other kids his age to create something unique. When you create a product, it becomes part of who you are, and there is a “care” involved that we just never see with multiple-choice tests. What would you want for your child?
This is the most important time to be in education. It is the most important time to care about education. It is the most important time to impact a different type of education.
Now, more than any other time in the past 100 years, education seems on the verge of a paradigm shift. You see, for the past century, most of the educational change has been doing old things in new ways. Today, we are beginning to see educators, educational institutions, and educational companies do new things in new ways.
My challenge to you as a teacher is to allow your students the choice to learn what they want. That’s what Genius Hour and 20% time is all about, and that is why it is so successful.
Again, if you’re interested in this great opportunity, you can sign up for AJ’s course here.
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