A Rose By Any Other Name...

I'm not going to call our time "Genius Hour" this year.

Catalysts for this change:

• No longer will we have one day (= one hour) a week dedicated to this time.
• Last year, my priority was getting this whole "no grades" routine to work, so I feel that our Genius Hour time suffered as a result. I need a fresh start, with a new focus, so it is more successful for more students this year.
• I needed to move this time to the end of the quarter, so I could have time for conferences with students about their choice of final grade, and look through the evidence they'll have collected. The time allotted students will still be the same amount.

What was NOT a catalyst of this change - the name "genius." I've written about it before, and still stand by these ideas. I do believe you have to buy into a name before you can expect students to do the same, so this was a difficult endeavor for me.

So, after scouring this page on the LiveBinder for other people's ideas (yes - I not only curate ideas on that behemoth of a binder for parents and teachers, but for myself as well), I've decided on "Independent Inquiry." I'm wondering why it wasn't already on the list! We're going to break the year into four different Independent Inquiry projects. Quarter 1 will be focused on creativity - and may end with the Cardboard Challenge. I'm not sure of the date for it yet, or how it will come about, but I'm going to try and see if students can focus on creativity. Quarter 2 will be focused on teaching their own talents, or teaching a new skill. Quarter 3 will focus on a 20-day challenge, or ways to improve ourselves, and Quarter 4 will be more wide open. Hopefully students will be able to use something from their "wonders" that we'll be accumulating through our articles of the week. All of these are very, very sketchy plans, and I'm ready to change them when I see a different idea I can steal! (Comments below are ALWAYS welcomed!!)

Since the focus will be the last two weeks of each quarter, plans will be structured differently, and hence the different themes, if you will, for the learning focus. I do not have it planned out yet, but my goal is that it be structured as such: A mini lesson / reason for learning each day, then time to work independently. Each day will also include a reflection or exit slip. The last day or two of the quarter will be reserved for sharing our learning.

Whatever the focus will be - it will be based on student curiosity.
Whatever the focus - it will be independent for the most part.
Whatever the focus - my goal will still be to encourage students to be life-long learners.
Whatever the focus - students' ideas will be honored and celebrated.

Genius Hour: An Avenue to Better Teaching

Genius Hour has gotten a lot of attention on Twitter, blogs, and in classes the start of this school year.

With all the success stories, there will be a few who criticize, or write to provoke conversation, at the very least.

I'm writing today to defend Genius Hour, and explain how it has affected the rest of my students' week.

The latest post that spurred this is from Sylvia Martinez (@smartinez) - "Design Thinking, Computational Thinking, Genius Hour, and Making in the Classroom - good, bad, worse." I will not pretend to know about computational thinking, and only know a teeny bit about design thinking, but I read the Genius Hour section with great interest.

The term "Genius Hour" came because a close Twitter friend of mine, Denise Krebs (@mrsdkrebs) saw a tweet from a passionate Angela Maiers. Denise's story is here in her blog post from November of 2011. In Classroom Habitudes: Teaching Habits and Attitudes for 21st Century Learning, Angela modifies Seth Godin's words and says, "You are a genius, and the world needs your contribution" (27). A big idea behind this time given to students is to show them that we value them. We think they should be learning what THEY want to learn, in addition to what we are expected to teach. This idea of letting students own their own learning and giving 60 minutes a week to "electrify your job" also comes from Daniel Pink's book, Drive. Whether or not Google gives their employees 20% of their time to work on personal projects, this time can be given to children if administration is supportive of the idea.

The two paragraphs that had me feeling the urge to write this were about the name. The first paragraph was about the name "Genius Hour." I've written about using this name prior, in this post called "Genius." I won't be reiterating it here. What I will do is tell you what's happened in my class this year, as a result of spending FORTY minutes talking about what genius is, and what it is not. We spent time discussing the seven "habitudes" of geniuses that Angela teaches about in Classroom Habitudes. Here are some quips from my 7th graders that I've actually written down for a post such as this.
     "These are great! We have some really creative people in this class!"
     "That must be his genius!!"
     "Look at what I did - it's genius!"
     "He's got perseverance, creativity, AND imagination."
     "I worked on being 'adaptable' yesterday after school..."
     "Please add me to the 'resident expert' list under 'neat & organized.'"
My students are realizing what they're skilled at, and with what skills they may need help. They have already started asking each other for help during our creative days (Dot Day being the most recent). They are relying on me less this year than any other group I've had, and instead going to each other. We have already started building a wonderful community of learners. I'm going to continue telling my students that they have genius in them. We all do.

Another paragraph focused on the "20% time" we are giving students. First I have to say that I'm very fortunate to work where I do. Many teachers do not have any time to spare - to hand over to their students. Others who are allowed time for this need to make sure it ties to standards, and that students are graded on it. I have the luxury of attaching it to standards my way (see this LiveBinder and specific plans I'm using in 7th grade ELA), but I am also allowed leeway on how to use the rest of our time during the week. Here is a list of how, by implementing Genius Hour ideas in my classes, the concepts have seeped into the other 80% of our time.
     Students can choose where (and how) to sit, as long as it's safe and not distracting to them or others.
     Students can write in response to a prompt of their choice, as long as they write in relation to our goal or focus for the day.
     Students decorate the room. Many put up their own ideas made at home.
     There is no teacher desk. It is converted into a student station, with supplies for students to use whenever they have a need. (They can also sit there!)
     The only front of the room is when we have the projector on. The rest of the room is fair game for where the speaker (me or a student) stands. (I'm actually always on the move.)
     Student passions are used as catalysts for discussions or writing, or reading, or...
     Students give book talks.
     Students read what they choose.
     Students take pictures for our movie updates for parents.
     Students have blogs for authentic purposes - not for grades.
     Students are asked, "Why not?" more often than they hear the word, "No."

I am no longer the "sage on the stage." I am truly the "guide on the side" for most of our lessons. Implementing Genius Hour in my classroom has made me ask these questions (from p34 of The Passion-Driven Classroom) every day: Who is in charge of learning at our school? Who does the most work in our classroom? Who does the creating, constructing, producing, performing? The answer must be: The learners.

Many teachers remain disconnected from their students. As Angela Maiers and Amy Sandvold share in The Passion-Driven Classroom, "96% of teachers reported that creativity should be promoted in the classroom. However, when asked which students they actually preferred to teach, teachers chose the students who were most compliant" (5). "Messy" learning, which is what Genius Hour is, and times when the learners are working the hardest, is difficult for me to see with my "old school" eyes. I like order. I appreciate quiet. ... But the things I HEAR from students during these "messy" times are precious gems. They alert me to the fact that students are learning, and enjoying the process simultaneously. That's what it's about. And that is how implementing Genius Hour has affected my teaching during the other 80% of the week.

Genius

What does the word "genius" mean?

This question was asked during one of our monthly #geniushour chats on Twitter. There seems to be some confusion about what the word means.

We might start with the question... From where does the word originate? Denise Krebs tweeted this picture out...

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=genius&allowed_in_frame=0

The Online Etymology Dictionary says words such as "guardian deity or spirit which watches over each person from birth," "generative power," "produce." In fact, "person of natural intelligence or talent" and "natural ability" are not recorded until the 1640s.

By reading this origin of the word, does this not make us all geniuses? The sign I made for my window from the classroom to the hallway reiterates what Angela Maiers has been known to say... "You are a GENIUS, and the world expects your contribution." Are all of my students geniuses?

What does Merriam-Webster have to say?

If you're anything typical of a 7th grader, you'll look at the first line and say a genius is a spirit!  However, I tend to lean towards definition number 2 or 5 when I think of a genius. These definitions beg me to ask this: Is a genius even a person??

Then there are some that say Practical Genius is a Choice... If you read this from Michael McKinney, it shows that genius is a thing that we all have inside of us... A talent maybe... or a passion... already in us, and we just have to recognize it and work with it to be successful at something we love. This sounds much like Sir Ken Robinson's ideas from his book, The Element. Recognize your own genius or passion, find your tribe, and just keep pursuing what makes you happy to the core. It's that one thing that you can do for hours and not realize that any time has passed...

So... what do the geniuses have to say about it??

Genius is initiative on fire. ~Holbrook Jackson
Genius is eternal patience. ~Michelangelo
Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. ~Thomas Edison or Albert Einstein, depending on what site you deem credible...
The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm. ~Aldous Huxley
Genius is nothing more, nor less, than childhood recaptured at will. ~Charles Baudelaire
Neither a lofty degree of intelligence, nor imagination, nor both together, go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius. ~Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb trees, it will life its whole life believing that it is stupid. ~Albert Einstein
Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

And then there's this last one, by Plato...
“Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.” 

I need this quote above the door to the classroom!  Plato and these others have just given me more fuel for the fire... My passion to let students learn what THEY want to learn just grows and grows.

My question for you...
It's time to find out our students' geniuses... I've tried a few ways this year, and have less than a handful of students who I can't quite grasp yet... How do you investigate your students' passions? What are some things you've been doing this year to find out what your students' "peculiar bent of ... genius" is?

Addition - 5/19/13...
After reading this post on "The Disruptors" blog by Kevin Brookhouser (@brookhouser - a person in my PLN that I respect), I feel I need to make a few additions to my original post, so I'm not being misunderstood...

I don't call my students geniuses... I say they have genius IN them. I tell them they may need to work to find it, and when they DO find it, they still need to develop it. I then remind them of Malcom Gladwell's ideas about the 10,000 hour rule to mastery. I also remind them that they will ultimately fail, and that they will need to keep trying - thus this time in class we give them. Genius Hour is giving them the TIME (hour) to find their Genius. We don't call it 20% time, because it may not be that rigid - it could be any time during the week or month...

Possible implications of calling them geniuses and telling them they're smart? Well, I think it's better than calling our time for learning "Average Hour." Checking on Kevin's tweets to see if there was more talk of this post, I saw a conversation between him and Christine Baker (who I immediately followed).

--> Why I won't call it Passion Hour this next year - I have a passion for teaching reading and writing, and I hope to inspire my students' passion in the written word as well. I would hope all of our class time would be passion time...
--> Why I won't call it Purpose Hour this next year - Does the rest of our week not have any purpose??
--> Why I won't call it Think Tank this next year - I believe everyone thinks in all situations, not just in one room, for one hour at a time.
--> Why I will stick to Genius Hour this next year - I want my students to find out who they are - to find out what "peculiar bent of genius" they have. It's a matter of letting students find their passion, bring out their genius (and yes, geniuses fail), and let them learn what THEY want to learn.

Will it make a difference what we call it? Maybe.
Will it make a difference how we treat students? Most definitely.
I will continue to tell my students they have genius IN them, and it's up to them to nurture it and help it grow. I will continue to tell my students they matter, and that I will try my best to help them through struggles and failures.

After reflecting on this, I saw a new post (out today!) by A.J. Juliani - Purpose Over Passion... I am not a genius. I do have genius IN me, and most definitely passions. Few of these have become purposeful for me, and lead me to changes. My goal is always as it has been... to help my students be life-long learners, and ultimately change the world.

Thank you to Kevin for making me stop and think this morning... now I've got to go back to working (and possibly failing) with what matters!


Addition - 6/11/13...
Here's another great post on the word "genius," from Bart Miller (@BarMill), who currently teaches in Tokyo, Japan. He asserts that "genius is not granted, but built." Let's help future adults build their genius!

Nashville & A Passion for Music

Our 7th graders read the second chapter of Outliers by Malcom Gladwell this year. A main point he made was that sports stars, gold-record musicians, entrepreneurs, etc. spend at least 10,000 hours on their passion before they become "experts." My husband and I witnessed this phenomenon this spring break...

Nashville Tennessee - Birthplace of country music stars, right? Not exactly. There are many "transplants" that live in Nashville, that want to get noticed. Our first night there, we walked the "district," visiting a couple of venues, and listening to the live music. Oh, to hear live music! At B.B. King's Blues Club, we heard one man start off, with just his guitar and some pre-recorded rhythms. He was a solid performer. We had to keep exploring, though. We then stopped at the Wildhorse Saloon - and there was line dancing! (Oh, it's been too long!) I went out and danced what I could, and soon there was a live band there, as well! This man and his crew were more rock than the singer at B.B. King's, but so talented, and fun to dance to, for sure!

Walking past each venue, we heard more and more live music. There's nothing like a street full of music pouring out of each doorway. We ended our night back at B.B. King's, where we heard a superb rendition of Stevie Wonder. The first singer we saw there was now playing for a band, and they continued to astound us, hammering out the blues.

Less than 24 hours later, we had a date at the Grand Ole Opry. Some big names were on for the night - Ricky Skaggs, Craig Morgan, and Michael W. Smith to name a few. We also saw Little Jimmy Dickens, who is the oldest member of the Opry. The show (live on WSM 650 AM) was amazing. It was so overwhelmingly filled with talent, that I teared up a few times. Some artists were referred to as having "God's gift," and some with "amazing talent," but I know it was a combination of these... and TIME. Ricky Skaggs said he was invited to play with Earl Scruggs when he was only seven. This opportunity, his desire to play the mandolin, and the time he put in all had to do with his ability to join in with any band on the stage this night.

Just to get to the Opry stage, just to have the right to be able to stand on that wooden circle after the legends that had been there before them, they had to be talented. They had to put in the time and the effort. When they did appear on the stage, they performed with all they had. The lead singer and fiddler in the Old Crow Medicine Show was crazed with energy. His bow danced across his fiddle, vibrant words flew from his mouth, and his feet stomped to the fast pace, while his fellow musicians played their hearts out, too. People were bouncing in their seats, and clapping to the beat. His energy transfixed us. We were awestruck at how spectacular he sounded, and the passion he showed.

I wondered about writing this post. I wanted to write about the talent we witnessed. But what for? What does this have to do with Genius Hour? What impacted me so much about this trip to Nashville? It's all about the passion. Since I was little, my dad always told me, "Do what you like in life." One of my mottos now - "Do what you like; like what you do." I want this for my students. I don't want them to settle for less. I want them to start pursuing their passions as soon as they are aware of what they are. The more time they put into it, the more they'll get out of it; the more they'll get out of LIFE itself.

I'm excited to witness these passions come to life.

Genius Hour Manifesto

This month, Denise Krebs, Gallit Zvi, Hugh McDonald and I co-wrote the post Genius Hour Manifesto, which A.J. Juliani posted here: Education Is My Life

Please stop by and read our collective thoughts about Genius Hour!

Afterwards, take a look at the LiveBinder that has resources on it for Genius Hour and 20% Time. Of course, it has the Genius Hour wiki on it to help educators begin. (Soon to include Innovation Days, too!)

Genius Hour