Last week, I went to my first Teaching Digital Learners in the Digital Age class (I know, a bit of a mouth full!). The purpose of the class is to give me the knowledge and practical skills I need to bring media and technology into my classroom and use them as tools for teaching. Pretty great right? Teaching a generation that is growing up with landlines cellphones, paper and pen iPads and books google is not easy! The world is at their finger tips and I have to be able to not only keep up but lead the way! In class on Friday I learned about a teaching tool that I wish was being used when I was a student. Genius Hour is a designated period of time during class where students can work on a project of their choosing based on their interests. Students brainstorm a list of things they are interested in or passions they have. They narrow it down to one and come up with a question or focus for their project. They then do research on their topic and present their findings ... wait for it ... however they want! For example, I love hockey and could choose to do research on the rate of concussions amongst NHL players. I would conduct research and present my findings in a manner of my choosing (poster, speech, essay etc.). This is an amazing way to get students to self direct their learning. It creates an environment where students can explore their passions, are engaged in their topic and can share their results in a way that suites them. This has excited students written all over it. Check out the video below for more details. Genius Hour is a genius idea I won't pass up!
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