Genius Hour at Home

I still can't believe our current circumstances and wake up every morning thinking about how we can make the most of the hand we've been dealt.  As an educator that believes so much in this generation of learners, I refuse to simply see this as an obstacle.  One of the benefits of this time is the opportunity that our students have to become more self-aware as they find ways to make connections and learn by doing. 

It makes so much sense to make Genius Hour a priority during this time.  Giving students the opportunity to learn through the pursuit of their passions has the potential to reignite a love for learning and help them make connections to not only content but also social-emotional and life-ready skills.  Below are a few more of the benefits to giving learners the opportunity to pursue their passions:

• The opportunity to learn by doing
• The opportunity to practice life-ready skills
• The opportunity to practice social-emotional skills
• The opportunity to learn from others
• The opportunity to apply what they know

What does Genius Hour at home look like and how can we support our learners remotely as they work on their projects?  I think there are some important things to consider as we decide how this can be implemented:

• What process will you use for Genius Hour?  (In other words, what steps will my students follow as they work on their projects.) - In my classroom, we used The 6 Ps of Genius Hour.  I created this process as a result of my students needing a "road map" as they worked on their projects and shared their work.  Denise Krebs uses a process called the 6 Steps of Genius Hour.  This is  a great road map as well.  
• What platform or technology tool can be used to document learning along the way? - There are so many ways to set Genius Hour up in a way that it runs itself.  It could be set up in Flipgrid (see blog post), Thrively, or even an LMS like Google Classroom.
• How will you communicate and give feedback throughout the process? - Communicating and giving feedback will be important throughout the entire Genius Hour process.  You can provide that feedback through the same tool that you use to set up the process, use rubrics, set up conferencing through Zoom or Google Meet, or a implement a hybrid of these ideas. 

I believe so much in the power of passion-based learning simply because of how it impacted my learners and myself in my classroom.  I have constantly considered how to help teachers make this a reality throughout the remote learning experience and beyond. Below are two ways that you can access ready-made #geniushourathome resources that I created.  If you need to create your own process, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.  Genius Hour is super personal and you have to do what works for you and your learners.  However, if you feel like either of these resources will be helpful, please use them in any way that you can.

Genius Hour at Home - This is just a Google Site that I created for students to use as they work through the 6 Ps of Genius Hour.  I've created a video for each step that explains what they need to do as well as shared resources for them to use along the way. There are slides that they can complete as they work to document their learning.  I've also created a Teacher Information Page for you to use as you consider how you can communicate and set up the entire process using Flipgrid.  This resource is super simple and easy to use.

The 6 Ps of Genius Hour Playlist in Thrively - I'm super excited about this!  I love Thrively as it's a wonderful way for students to find their strengths and pursue their passions.  I have a created a playlist in Thrively that includes:

• Teacher Guide
• 2 Lessons
  • What is Genius Hour?
  • What are the 6 Ps of Genius Hour?
• 5 Projects
  • A Passion for Astronomy
  • A Passion for Technology
  • A Passion for Fine Arts
  • A Passion for Life Science
  • A Passion for Helping Others 
• 5 Goals
  • Collaboration
  • Communication
  • Creativity
  • Critical Thinking
  • Reflection

The playlist also includes videos from me and instructions for learners to follow as they work through their project.  They will be able to document their learning through text, video, and/or audio using the Collaboration Feed.  

This playlist is available for FREE until June 30th!  Check it out by creating an account in Thrively, finding The 6 Ps of Genius Hour playlist, and using the code 6PSANDI as the promo code when you check out.  

I hope that these resources are helpful.  If you are wanting to make Genius Hour a priority during this time and need any help at all, please reach out.  I am more than happy to help in any way that I can.  ​