Genius Hour / Innovation Hour / Independent Study / Independent Inquiry / Passion Projects
Many names - similar purpose - a time when students are allowed to independently (or collaboratively) investigate topics of their choice. In my classroom, it is the highlight of every grade level of students I work with - first through eighth. They love the chance to delve deeper into their passion areas.
The best video I have found for launching this part of our day is The Time You Have (in JellyBeans). It helps students realize the importance of focusing on something they are passionate about.
After viewing the video, and thinking carefully about the limited amount of time we have to focus on things we are truly passionate about, we brainstorm a list of things we want to learn more about.
During the next session, we try to narrow down our focus of study (knowing that this is always flexible). Most of my students have two or three different projects they are working on, and will move fluidly between them. At first I worried about this, but after reading Steven Johnson's Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation, I realized that an innovator needs to let an idea simmer in the back of the mind for a while (maybe even for a decade), waiting for it to connect with the missing pieces of the puzzle before it can be acted upon.
An example of a student project:
Writing, casting, acting, directing, and editing a movie. On the side, developing a plan for a natural grocery store, creating advertising, and analyzing potential revenue and expenditures.
Check-in Process:
As part of our check-in process, each student briefly shares what he or she worked on that day, struggled with, or had questions about. It is through this process that we discover how we can be the "missing pieces" for others. In the student example above, one classmate stepped in to sew the costumes for the actors in the movie, one stepped in to create the special effects, and one stepped in to help design the props. While each student was working on their "individual projects", they discovered that they could use their area of passion to help each other be successful.
Providing Inspiration Along the Way:
As the year progresses, I share inspirational stories and video clips about innovators from around the world. I watch for features about students and adults who have worked to solve problems through innovation - in a variety of fields. Kids need to know that regardless of their passion area, they can make a contribution to the world. TED has a playlist of 8 Talks to Inspire Projects With Kids that is a great resource to encourage students to tinker, make, and innovate.
Final Products:
In our room, we share our "final" products when they are individually done. We don't have a set deadline for the class. Each student works at his or her own pace, and I help guide, nudge, and encourage them along the way. Some students work on one idea in-depth for the entire school year. Some work for a semester, a quarter, a month, or just a week, then move on to another area. Each student is allowed great control over the length of time they spend on a topic, and can abandon it or set it aside for a while as needed. I honor student voice in this way, because I am noticing, documenting, and visiting with them about their interest areas, attempts, success, and growth as a learner. Through this process, we have had had a wealth of products created and shared. These include: models of businesses, creation of original stuffed animals, toys designed for pets, plays written, polymers investigated, original games coded, languages studied, vocal ranges increased, blogs created, public service announcements produced, movies made, chess studied, programming languages learned, websites developed, commercials made, and music composed.
Innovation / Genius Hour Symbaloo Webmix:
(A living document that will be edited and updated)
The top purple area links to ideas for launching a genius hour
The pink portion comprises innovator resources
Teal represents foreign language links
Green links to kid-friendly search engines
Gray focuses on compassion connections
The other shade of purple is for video conferencing
Blue is presentation tools
The Next Step:
We have started to add a global compassion connection to our independent study time. It consists of connecting each student and their passion area to a person in a different country, who has a similar passion area. This project is in its infancy, but I will be blogging about it in the future!
How do you help students pursue their passions?
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