21 things every teacher should try:

Genius Hour

Reading Time: 3 minutes
​Genius Hour (also known as 20% time) is an approach to learning which encourages students to learn whilst exploring their own passions / interests. The idea is believed to originate from Google where engineers are allowed to spend 20% of their time to work on their own projects - the philosophy being that by allowing employees to work on something that interests them, productivity increases.  Rumour has it, up to 50% of Google’s products have been created in this way.
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Genius Hour puts students firmly in the driving seat, allowing them to choose what they do and how they do it during a set period of time each week (normally 1 hour). Whilst appearing messy / disorganised to an outside observer, as a learning model, Genius Hour can help foster inquiry based, self-directed and autonomous learning whilst, at the same time, allow students to exercise their creativity.
"Your children will not only learn from and teach each other, but you will learn from your children. Since starting Genius Hour I have learnt how to make Loom Band bracelets, create an app, and play Minecraft; I’ve memorised the lyrics to ‘Let it Go’, been educated on the history of Sonic the Hedgehog… the list goes on. Embrace Genius Hour and allow your children to be educators." - Graham Andre

​Characteristics of genius hour
Genius hour is:
  • Student centred
  • Self-directed
  • Personalised
  • Autonomous
  • Inquiry based
  • Creative
  • Less organised / less formal
  • Open-ended

Genius hour is not:
  • Standardised / data driven
  • Free time (for students or teacher)
  • Teacher led
  • Without rules
  • Without structure
  • Reliant on technology
  • An excuse for the teacher not to plan
Practical tips
  • Set some ground rules – Although the desire is to have a more open ended / less formal lesson, I find that the students still need to be provided with some ground rules. I suggest splitting the activity into four sections: proposal, investigation, product, and presentation. By following this basic structure, your students should have a successful Genius Hour experience.
  • Set clear expectations - Make sure students, senior leaders, and parents know what Genius Hour is and the reasons behind it.
  • Track progress – Use tools such as Edmodo, SeeSaw, Padlet, OneNote etc. to keep track of progress.
  • Set some deadlines – With so much freedom, it’s very easy for students to lose focus and not take it seriously. Set some deadlines (even if they are loose ones) for key phases such as proposal, product, presentation, drafts etc.
  • Let go – In order for Genius Hour to be successful, you need to let go of the reins. You must let the students work things out themselves – allow them to make mistakes and let them know it’s OK to fail as long as they learn from their own mistakes (FAIL: First Attempt In Learning). Some strategies I’ve had success with are C3B4ME and SNOT (Self Neighbour Other Teacher).
  • Provide feedback – To grade or not to grade, that is the question! There has been much debate over whether or not Genius Hour should be graded. Personally, I don’t agree with grading – I find that students concentrate on the grade rather than the feedback. However, in order to make progress, students still require feedback. Feedback can take any form and can be in line with your school’s policy. Suggested strategies include:
    • ‘Medal & Mission’ – Suggest one thing the student did well (Medal) and one thing they could do to improve (Mission).
    • ‘Three stars and a wish’ – Suggest three things the student did well (Stars) and one thing the student could do to improve (Wish).
  • Allow time for reflection – As with any lesson, it’s important to give the students time to reflect on what went well and what they could do better next time.
 
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Final thoughts
Whilst appearing a little daunting at first, Genius Hour can be a very rewarding experience for both teacher and students. Not only does it provide a great way of encouraging students to take ownership of their own learning, it also helps the teacher let go of the reins a little and become more of a facilitator!
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