Introduction to Genius Hour: Purolator "One-Hour Delivery" Project

We are starting a novel study next week on the book Shattered. I am planning to also try out the Genius Hour concept with a baby step.

On Saturday, I spent 3-hours learning about Genius Hour with Elementary and Secondary School colleagues.  We watched Daniel Pink's TedTalk about Motivation and explored a multitude of resources available on-line and off that support teachers' who want to incorporate Genius Hour into their learning environment. Several colleagues shared their early experiences with Genius Hour in their classrooms.  They shared some of their students' projects and definitely expressed enthusiasm.

I also heard about the ROWE business model (Results-Only Work Environment) and Fed-Ex Days (give people 24 hours to work on whatever they want — so long as it’s not part of their regular jobs and provided that they show what they’ve created to their colleagues when the 24 hours elapse).

I loved the ideas in theory, in principle. But I doubted their efficacy with most of my high school students.

My students are honest.

Me: If you had time to learn about anything, what would you do with it?
Student 1: Sleep.
Me: What are you interested in?
Student 1: Nothing.
Me: Anyone else?
Student 2: ...

So I try to assign meaningful work hoping to engage all students and excite them about learning.

I think I am a coward. I am afraid to relinquish control... I am afraid that it will fail... that it will be a huge waste of learning time... that students will do nothing... that I won't be able to keep up... that it will be disappointing... that Genius Hour is just another fad.

So this week I want to confront my fear and try a baby-step.  I want my students to build their background knowledge before beginning the novel Shattered. Last semester, I gave the students a chart of topics related to the novel and asked them to find out something about each of them.  We then presented these and students added to their own charts.

This week, I am going to give them a book, have some computers and tablets available, and challenge students to build their background in preparation for reading the novel. Students will be allowed to choose their time, task, team, and techniques. They can use anything to show their learning (i.e. chart paper, whiteboards, paper, video, photos, etc.), but they only have an hour to "deliver."

I have no idea about what the outcome will be. I expect my students will take longer to get on task because they are not used to the autonomy, but when they do eventually find their way, they will learn more.

Baby Steps for all of us...

Schools and Tech: Something New in the Abyss

It is acknowledged that each teacher is on an individual journey of technology integration. Some teachers use technology sparingly in their own lives. They may be impressed with what technology can do but do not believe that the investment in time to learn how to navigate and manipulate those technologies for education are worth the possible gains.  

There are those teachers who actually are quite resistant to technology in school. They are not convinced that any gains can be made through the use of computers.  They think it is a waste of time.  Some of these resistors have done their homework and know that there is no conclusive data that proves the claim that technology integration results in higher levels of learning.  

That being said, technology such as tablets laptops cell phones, and internet are not going anywhere. Technology is vastly changing our world.  So the question isn't whether not we should integrate technology into classrooms and schools. Technology gives us a way to change the paradigm around education.  

Never before in civilization have students been able to learn 24/7. Never before have the reins of knowledge been released to the masses. Never before has it been possible for amateurs to access reams of information by the world's greatest minds and discover something new in the abyss. Never before has collaboration been so meaningful. And global. Never before has the voice of one teenager, one child had so much power.

We must decide whether students will learn because of the opportunities we give them or despite them.

Deeper Learning: Why are Students Hesitant to Use their Personal Passions in the Classroom Setting

Whether we are talking about personal devices, gamification, favourite books, or hobbies, why are students so hesitant to use their personal passions in the classroom setting?  It seems that there is a great divide between “school” and “personal” lives and students are often the ones patrolling the border.   More and more teachers understand the need for relevant, meaningful, authentic tasks to engage learners.  They are increasingly fluid in offering choice, differentiation, and personalization even in traditional learning environments.  Many are starting to incorporate “Passion-based Learning,” “Genius Hour,” or “20 Percent Learning” into their instructional time, where students get to pursue a personal passion and are given support, structure, and time to do so. Yet when offered such opportunities, only a minority truly run with it.  Some begrudgingly go through the motions (but without real buy-in), some resent the intrusion on their personal domain and resist, and others shrug it off and wait for the teacher to assign them something to do next. 

There is a perception that most students have personal passions that schools do not integrate.  Do these students dive into personal learning – LEGO, basketball, rocks, dance, skiing, camping, anime, trucks, hockey, horses, space, etc.?  If they are lucky, their families can foster their interests in the home environment.  Elementary and secondary classrooms give many free choices in reading selections, journal ideas, and project topics. Yet looking around at my elementary-aged children, their friends, and cousins, the majority of young people skim the surface of their varied interests. There is so much out there to learn.  There is great value in students having a broad base of knowledge and skills.  And there is constant temptation to emulate the passions of peers.  And it is so natural to become bored and lose interest. The learning for most does not go very deep.

The reality is that most students need to learn how to sustain and develop a passion.  They need to see depth modeled (by peers, by community members, by teachers, by public figures):

• I want to learn about/how to ______________.
• How do I learn best?
• Why do I want to learn it?
• What are my options?
• How much time will it take?
• What sacrifices am I willing to make?
• Who can I talk to ?
• Where can I turn?
• What is the history of _______________?
• Who else is learning _______________?
• How can I use _______________ to make a difference?
• … and so on. 

Ultimately, if we want young people to know how to learn, we need to place greater value on metacognitive skills.  We need to give students the language and a voice in the learning process (“this is hard, and I want to give up, but I will persist,” “this is a personal, and I am not ready to share it,” “I need more practice,” “I am ready to learn something new,”  “this is necessary even if tedious”). The most important lesson we can teach to all of our students is to recognize and name their learning and to guide students to become self-aware, honest, and deliberate as learners and as people.