'Genius Hour' Lets Kids Take Charge: Would Einstein Have Liked This? | Education Week

Teachers open doors for students to fuel their curiosity and pursue passion projects, but educators warn against making it a free-for-all by Madeline Will, reporter for Education Week.

Photo: Education Week

Imagine a school day in which students spend a chunk of time studying and pursuing a topic or project they're passionate about.

That's the premise of "genius hour," a growing trend in which teachers set aside time for students to work on a research or service project of their choice. Educators say it's a chance not normally given in schools for students to explore their interests, hone their creativity, and become an expert in a given field.

"Kids are really, really excited [about learning] because of the autonomy involved," said Gallit Zvi, a vice principal and grades 4-7 teacher at Brookside Elementary School in Surrey, British Columbia, who co-authored The Genius Hour Guidebook. "They have the ability to get better and better at something, and show their mastery at something, and get that respect among their peers."

Teachers have experimented with autonomous, student-driven learning for decades, but the formalized concept of genius hour actually stems from the business community. Nearly a decade ago, author Daniel Pink first popularized the term by describing how giving employees time and autonomy to explore their passions makes them happier, more productive workers...

But during genius hour, 6th graders in Melissa Smith's science classroom have also learned about the elements of natural makeup, the chemistry of cooking, video-game design, and much more.

"It seems very daunting," Smith said of genius hour. "We already have too short amount a time to get X, Y, and Z done for our standards. But you can work [genius hour] into any content area to just make the content more engaging to students. When they have the voice and choice for a project, they buy into it so much more."
Read more...

Source: Education Week