Blog Post 4- Genius Hour

I’ve always seen posts on Pinterest about Genius Hour and being a Pinterest junkie who loves to try new things, I knew I would have to give it a whirl.  But when… I always have these great ideas of the summer that I sometimes never get to due to time.  So, when this was an assignment for our class, I need this would be something I would want to try.  It all started when I put a Wonder Wall in my classroom.  I didn’t introduce to the student what it was.  I just simply hung it up.  Being the observant 10 & 11-year-old my students are, they asked immediately, “what did it mean?”  I, then, explained to the students that whenever they had a question about something, they could post it on the Wonder Wall and we would research the ideas when we had time.   I allow my students to post ANYTHING they wondered about at first, but then thought about moving Genius Hour to a narrower concept (i.e. Amusement Park Rides). This was an instant hit because my students are intrigued with making random PowerPoints.  After finishing their work, they will make PowerPoints about their favorite bands, themselves, and animals. 

                I absolutely loved giving my students this opportunity because I could openly see the excitement in their eyes as I gave the instructions.  I gave the students 3 rules: 1. You have to research something. 2. You have to create something. And 3. You have to present your research.  I think these three rules were sufficient for the students because we have been working on biographies in the classroom.  We have had mini-lessons on researching information, citing a source, taking notes and determining importance of information.  Another important mini-lesson we had was finding reliable sources.  I think because of these mini-lessons; my students were able to handle Genius Hour well.  Most of my students chose to make a PowerPoints and few told me they wanted to create something different, like a fact book. 

                I think this strategy has a major impact on my students learning for many reasons.  One reason is because it kept my students engaged in something they were interested in.  I told students that they could work on their projects whenever they finished their work.  They were able to use their time wisely instead of wasting valuable school time.  Another reason is the students were able to practice some 21^st Century skills for creating college and career ready students.  Students are able to be creative, communicate, and research while doing something that interests them.  Finally, Genius Hour impacted my students learning because it was fun.  Students were able to learn about something that they enjoy and take a break from standards driven instruction in their eyes.  While secretly, they are really using skills that are necessary for them to be successful students.