Blog post coming soon...

So, throughout this series we've talked about what thought partners are, why they are important, and how they can be used to help learners address and practice the life-ready skills (4Cs + 1R).  In this post, I wanted to share how to use thought partnership throughout Genius Hour to encourage learners to think through the process while practicing collaboration and communication with their peers.

I'm most excited about thinking about thought partners through this lens as I believe it has to be potential to take Genius Hour to the next level and cause learners to be even more intentional and purposeful as they move through the 6 Ps of Genius Hour.

The Depth and Complexity Icons from Sandra Kaplan are a wonderful way to encourage learners to go beyond surface level thinking and dive deep in order to truly understand a concept, idea, or strategy. I used the icons in my own classroom and have shared them with teachers as a way to encourage deep understanding in their own classrooms. If you want to know more about each icon and how to use them, check out Why I Love Depth and Complexity and You Should Too from Gifted Guru or Introducing Depth and Complexity from Ian Byrd.

There were many times in my classroom that I wanted students to use the icons to think about something that we were learning, discussing, or reading. I would often just draw out of a bucket so that they knew which icon I was going to ask them to use. I wanted them to experience all of the icons and while sometimes I was intentional about weaving in specific icons, I also loved the idea of randomizing the icons. I recently began to think about how convenient it might be to have the icons connected to a randomized QR code. So, I did some research, learned a ton from Tony Vincent about how to create randomized QR codes, and made it happen. I wanted to share with you guys so that you can use this in your classroom to help your learners dive deep as they move beyond surface level to move toward deep understanding.

In my last post about thought partners in the classroom, I shared that a thought partner is someone who...

1. Challenges your thinking.
2. Causes you to modify or change your paradigms, assumptions or actions
3. Has information or a way of thinking that provokes you to innovate or otherwise leads to value creation in your business, career or life.

Source:  A Fascinating New Concept: How Thought Partners Add Value to Your Business

I couldn't help but begin to consider what this might look like in a classroom that prioritizes life ready skills or the 4Cs + 1R (Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Reflection).  

So, I received some very exciting news this morning from Wonderopolis and I couldn't wait to share.  Immersive Reader is now available with every wonder, making Wonderopolis even more accessible for today's learners.  

If you haven't experienced Immersive Reader, it is a tool developed by Microsoft to improve comprehension and encourage independent reading.  Within the tool, you are able to translate words, access a picture dictionary, hear the selection read aloud, and SO MUCH MORE!  

Wonderopolis is one of my favorite tools to use in the classroom as it gives learners an opportunity to explore through curiosity while learning new vocabulary and practicing reading comprehension.  It was amazing before and is even more amazing now that Immersive Reader is woven right into the platform.

Check out the video below to learn more about how you can use this in your classroom with your learners.  ​

Thinking before doing is not a strength of mine.  I like to try new things, take risks, and jump in with both feet.  Innovation is often my first thought and details tend to come later. Because of this, I'm a big fan of the thought partner concept. My thought partner, Kari Espin, often changes my perspective, helps me reflect in order to improve, and encourages me to take things to the next level by thinking beyond my comfort zone.  I was recently thinking about how beneficial this is for me and how much more beneficial it might be in the classroom.  Kari talks often about how much she enjoys being a thought partner and she is passionate about helping others take their thoughts, ideas, and even their careers to another level.

Make no mistake, innovative learning experiences like Genius Hour are not always unicorns and rainbows.  In fact, this type of learning can get really messy and feel uncomfortable for both teachers and students.  You see, passion-based learning requires everyone to assume different roles in the classroom and the reality is that that is much easier said than done.  Teachers must become facilitators and give learners the opportunity to learn by doing, experience real struggle, and figure things out on their own.  Learners must be willing to drive their own learning, ask questions, and push through their struggle in order to figure things out on their own.  

I was super stoked to hear that Flipgrid has made augmented reality available on their platform!  Yes, you heard me correctly...FlipgridAR is a thing and I can't stop thinking of ways that this will enhance the learning experience for so many students!

In order to use FlipgridAR, you just need to make sure that you have updated the app and that you are using a device that supports augmented reality.

I'm sure that you can think of so many ways that this can work in your classroom but just in case you need a few ideas to get started, here ya go...