What are we doing next?

An anxiety I think I share with many of you is, now what?  After we do the design process, what are we going to be doing with students during our forty minutes?

I struggled with this for a long time.  Forty minutes is not enough time to do the work.  And what about needed resources?  If a student wants to do a project on how motorcycles work, do I have to find a motorcycle and keep it in my room?

Then it hit me:  we don't have to do anything in Genius Hour.

Well,  that's not exactly true.  But what if I ran my Genius Hour like I might run a staff meeting?

So, what might students be doing?

1)  Providing a status report.
2)  Presenting their work to date.
3)  Getting feedback from other students about their plan (I imagine us focusing on 1-2 project in depth per meeting time).
4)  Receiving feedback on materials they have created and brought to show.
5)  Presenting data they have collected.
6)  Identifying further action steps, with help from others.
7)  Troubleshooting problems
8)  Honing their presentation.

The motorcycle stays in the garage.  But what has been done, and still needs doing, and the documentation that comes with that, is the subject of our time together.

Scott and Chelsea have come up with some great documents to help guide this process.  They can be found here:

Days 3 and 4

We spent two days using the Design Thinking Template that we demonstrated at our staff meeting for designing the perfect locker.  The template can be found at

http://www.edline.net/pages/Southeast_Jr_HS/Library/Genius_Hour/Design_Thinking

and you can make copies of it.  I also have a set of SmartBoard slides that go along with the template that I would be happy to email you.

Students worked in pairs on the project.  I simply described each next step, kept time, and served as a partner in the design with one of the students.

On the first day, we simply designed and interviewed.  On the second day of using the template, we spent part of our time building models.  The only supplies I had were paper, paperclips, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, and glue. 

Here are some photos of the students at work:

 

 

Students were very engaged in this project.  Although I did have one student ask me, "when are we going to get to start working on our ideas?" . . .

Day 2

On our first day, I tried to set the stage for Genius Hour.  Here are the steps we took:

1.  I introduced the ideas of Genius Hour, 20% time, and student-driven projects and explained that we would be spending some time pursuing projects of their interest.  Students should understand that they will have to present their ideas in some way.  To this end, we watched the short video that shows clips of students' end of project presentation.  That video can be found at the bottom of SEJH's Genius Hour Student Resources page:  http://www.edline.net/pages/Southeast_Jr_HS/Library/Genius_Hour/Student_Resources

2.  We then looked at levels of questions.  This image is also found on the Student Resources page.

3.  I then asked students to brainstorm 10 things in 10 minutes that would respond to the questions
What breaks your heart?
What's something that really bothers you?
What do you wonder about?
What is a problem you'd like to have solved?

I did this with them and it made me sad.  What I generated was a list of things I actually care about, some global and some deeply personal, that I am doing nothing about.  It was at this moment that I began to be more deeply interested in this project.

I then asked them to pick one or two to write on the SmartBoard when they felt like it.  Students starting coming up.  Their answers ran the gamut.  One student wrote "my name".  Another wrote "Native American Poverty".  Another wrote "how people treat each other".  I collected their lists.

Day 1

Scott Stimmel and I were comparing our first Genius Hour sessions.  Both of us have 7th grade homerooms.  We had totally different experiences -- his students stared silently at him; mine did not.  It is my belief that my group benefitted from the rainout of the 7th grade party. 

Due to the rainout, I spent about 40 unexpected minutes with my homeroom.  We played a game called Silent Auction which I would be happy to teach any of you.  It involves a lot of movement, communication, and sometimes deception.  There is no talking, but a lot of laughter.  By the end of the game, we had totally changed our classroom dynamic.  Students were open to participation and trying things in a new way.

So, before you even begin Genius Hour, I recommend doing some kind of activity that builds a trusting, fun community.