High School Genius Hour/20 Time: Off to A Promising Start!

"I am so excited--I can't wait to start!" Music to the ears of ANY teacher! After conferencing with my students regarding their choices for the projects they would like to spend the semester achieving, I am impressed with their creativity and enthusiasm to try new things.

One student wants to learn how to paint. She began by finding artwork she admired; then she researched which type of paints and what media she would need to achieve a similar effect. She has bought her canvas, oil paints, and palette, and is ready to begin!

Another student was told that she would be preparing dinner for the family once a week, so her project is to "become a culinary master" by researching healthy and delicious menus her family would eat, prepare the food, and document her meal prep and results with photos.

One student is going to learn about and become certified in scuba diving.

Because one young man's cell phone dies "on every bus ride home from soccer matches," he is going to build a portable cell phone charger using household items.

Many of these seniors have decided to pursue career exploration opportunities such as interviewing and shadowing those in their prospective occupational fields.

I've already had one student ask, "If I finish this one before the semester is over, can I do another one? I have so many things I want to accomplish!" Wow! And I was worried the kids would have trouble coming up with ideas.

Jumping in to Genius Hour/20 Time with High School Students

I had been reading about Genius Hour over the summer and thought it would be a great idea to implement, but I wasn't sure how it could be applicable in my high school English classroom. I have finally decided on a plan that I hope will fulfill my students' required writings AND inspire them to enjoy learning, creating, and doing something this semester.The idea is that students first decide what they would like to do, make, or learn in 18 weeks. Then, for the summary, critique, and essays required for these dual-credit English 101 students to earn credit, students can find information, articles, and studies related to their chosen topic. In this way, students will be in charge of WHAT they write about--I'll just help them with HOW they write it.

I'm excited about the possibilities! I cannot wait to see what these kids can do when I put them in charge of their own learning. I don't have to worry about their recycling past students' essays on "why we should legalize marijuana" or "why the drinking age should be lowered" or others of the typical argument essays. I'm anticipating individualized essays reflective of the passion kids have for their chosen areas of study. I think the most difficult portion of the project will be deciding on a topic for some students, so I am looking for ways (maybe interest inventories or surveys) to help kids discover what they would really love to do or know. At the end of the semester, the students will present their products and what they learned in a TED Talk-style format, so deciding how they will demonstrate their learning will also be an issue. However, I intend to let the kids help me work out these issues and develop a truly student-centered, individualized learning experience for these students!