Making Your Classroom Genius Hour READY in 4 Steps (or so...)

Decorating 101:  

Step 1: Print

Download the bulletin board from our TpT Store.

Step 2: Laminate

So you can reuse them...

Cutting out my laminated goodies #classdecor #sundayfunday #teacherslovesummer #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofig #iteachtoo

A photo posted by Lauren Miller (@diaryofa21stcenturyteacher) on Aug 16, 2015 at 8:38pm PDT

Step 3: Hang 

First #bulletinboard ✔️ ..only a few more days until the madness begins! #geniushour #classdecor #teachersofig #teacherslovesummer #teachersofig #teachersofinstagram #iteachtoo If you like it, it's in my #tpt store! Link in profile!

A photo posted by Lauren Miller (@diaryofa21stcenturyteacher) on Aug 17, 2015 at 6:43pm PD

 This is seriously one of my favorite products because it takes NO time at all to put up and is so BRIGHT!

Step 4: Repeat. 

Pick and choose from our Genius Hour printables in our store.

• Growth Mindset Posters
• Genius Hour Growth Mindset Posters (editable)
• Habits of Mind Posters
• Researchable Questions Posters
• Inch, Foot, Yard Questions Posters

Take a look at how they look in my classroom! 

Love the way the #growthmindset posters worked out! They're in my #tpt store on #sale! LINK IN PROFILE! #bts #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teacherslovesummer #iteachtoo #tptcheckoutmyclassroom

A photo posted by Lauren Miller (@diaryofa21stcenturyteacher) on Aug 19, 2015 at 7:56am PDT

More #geniushour posters up! 😍ready for you tomorrow, kiddos!! #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #printable #teachersofig #tpt #teacherspayteachers #classdecor

A photo posted by Lauren Miller (@diaryofa21stcenturyteacher) on Aug 26, 2015 at 5:14pm PDT

Genius Hour 20 Day Challenge - Day 20: Genius Hour Self-Evaluation

Day 20: Genius Hour Self-Evaluation

Okay...so maybe that's not what you want your students to do. Self-Evaluation is an important part of the process.

The process. The process is the most important part of Genius Hour. Sure, you want your students to come up with a great final project that they are proud of, but it's more important that students get better and better at learning how to learn. This is how you help them be successful in their future in education, careers, and in life! They need to know how to pull out key information, skim/scan, take notes, organize and re-organize learning, synthesize, and share! They also need to practice Habits of Mind like Persisting and Communicating with Clarity and Precision.

So...how do we assess Genius Hour? Well...students get a LOT of feedback from their peers and their teachers to help them improve throughout the process. At the end, we have students do a Self-Evaluation. You could use one of the formats below OR work with your students to come up with a self-evaluation form for your class to use.

   Check out some of our self-evaluations here!

   I would encourage you to use scales in your self-evaluation (YES!    The kids will need MODELING for this!) After doing Genius
   Hour a few times, we started having students fill this out at the
   beginning of an experience and at the end (they also had to provide    evidence - hey Common Core!). It was so exciting for students to
   reflect upon the process and have a visual for how much they felt      they had grown!

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Genius Hour 20 Day Challenge - Day 19: Share!

Day 19: Share!

THIS IS THE BEST DAY!!!!

After students have had some time to work on how they are are going to share their learning, spend some class time SHARING! You and your students will see that all of this hard work was worth it! 

If you have students who have a different audience than the classroom, have them share what they did. We had a student who researched about different types of wolves. She found one species whose numbers were going down again after being taken off of the endangered species list. She wrote to the World Wildlife Federation with her research asking them to put this species back on the list. It was really neat to see her look beyond the classroom and figure out how she can make a difference for one of her passions. (Anddddd....it's also helpful for students to show other students how they find audiences outside of the classroom.)

Think about others that you may want to invite in for presentations - parents, administrators, other teachers, speech/language pathologists, and more! They can just pop in for a presentation or two. So neat!

Here are some of the cool projects that our students shared! Looking at these makes me SO excited to get this back up and running again!!

Well this is new! Playing role of the student as MY student teaches for her #PersonalizedLearning project! #patton25 pic.twitter.com/bO5ROYnEjQ

— Miss Miller (@missmiller4) May 15, 2015

Get ready for some cereal! These two made a #rubegoldberg machine put a spoon in a bowl! #patton25 @MrsCionisClass pic.twitter.com/S8Qx2elgXK

— Miss Miller (@missmiller4) May 6, 2015

#WizardWars @AHSD25Patton Watch these wizards go head to head! http://t.co/T53W9k3VpV vs. http://t.co/fccZG2vjag @missmiller4 @SyfyTV

— Carrie Cioni (@MrsCionisClass) May 6, 2015

Ss recreated a finger joint using s 3D printer! #personalizedlearning #patton25 @MrsCionisClass @k_maksymec pic.twitter.com/4IrYusp80K

— Miss Miller (@missmiller4) May 6, 2015

Future 1st grade teachers wrote a common core lesson! #personalizedlearning #patton25 @MrsCionisClass @k_maksymec pic.twitter.com/FE9oeWcW47

— Miss Miller (@missmiller4) May 6, 2015

The Patton Foodies made delicious meals from around the world! Yum! #personalizedlearning #patton25 @MrsCionisClass pic.twitter.com/t2X4SP3NSH

— Miss Miller (@missmiller4) May 6, 2015

A cage fit for a dwarf hamster, designed by these ladies!#personalizedlearning #patton25 @MrsCionisClass @k_maksymec pic.twitter.com/fIYV3dFO9r

— Miss Miller (@missmiller4) May 6, 2015

Ss made a model of a quadcopter drone using Legos! #personalizedlearning #patton25 @MrsCionisClass @k_maksymec pic.twitter.com/wEVOGmGK9s

— Miss Miller (@missmiller4) May 6, 2015

She researched the brain & helped strengthen weaker parts of her grandpas brain! #patton25 #personalizedlearning pic.twitter.com/qPyccAmGQj

— Miss Miller (@missmiller4) May 5, 2015

This "#engineer" taught us how to build a robot! #personalizedlearning #patton25 @MrsCionisClass @k_maksymec pic.twitter.com/gF0MWqj5BX

— Miss Miller (@missmiller4) May 5, 2015

These ladies used @tinkercad to 3D print for #personalizedlearning! #patton25 @MrsCionisClass @k_maksymec pic.twitter.com/GbrG5OQTAf

— Miss Miller (@missmiller4) May 5, 2015

#wizardwars comes to Patton as these wizards go head to head with magic using everyday objects! @missmiller4 @SyfyTV pic.twitter.com/Dv6jsU0RMF

— Carrie Cioni (@MrsCionisClass) May 4, 2015

Genius Hour 20 Day Challenge - Day 18: Creation Station & Video Tutorials

Day 18: Creation Station & Video Tutorials

Now it's time to create! 

Some of your students may get to this step a lot sooner than others, it really all depends on what they choose to do for Genius Hour.

This question required a lot of researching before getting started on the creating part:

How can we create a fossil guide for fossil hunters who want to know what periods so they can find the fossils they want?

This question from a 4th grader required some researching before getting started on creating, but the largest portion of the project was spent problem-solving and trying to make it work.

How do 3D Printers work, and how can I program one to make a model of a finger joint?

As the facilitator of this experience, you will need to meet students where they are at and push them to the next level. This can be a little scary at first, but it's ALL WORTH IT!

For the first Genius Hour experience, you may have students fall back on the staples of presentations like Powerpoint slideshows or posters. The more times you do it, though, the more variety there will be in how students choose to show their learning! 

On our Google Site (available in our MEGA BUNDLE), you will find Product How-Tos. We have videos showing how to use Explain Everything, Comic Life, and more! We also have written explanations for how to make Google Slideshows, Prezi, and more! Having these tutorials helps student be more independent during this stage. 

When you do this mini-lesson, all you have to do is show your students the different tutorials and allow them some time to explore. As you notice students who are really strong in a certain area (like Google Slideshows), crown them the experts! Encourage other students to ask for help from these experts!

Genius Hour 20 Day Challenge - Day 17: Conferring

Day 17: Conferring

Conferring is something that should be happening each session. Nothing is more valuable than just having a conversation with students to understand how to best meet their needs. Conferring is pretty informal and on an as-needed basis for me, but this form helps me keep records and communicate with parents. At this point students have been researching for quite some time and are...

After students think they have finished their research and have written a paragraph answering their question, we have them put a red cup on top. 

Remember this?

This gives a visual cue to us that they are ready to be checked. (Even though they have a red cup on top at this point, we do have them give each other peer feedback on our Google Site.)

When they get "checked," we meet with them to go over their paragraphs and make sure that they can answer all of these questions:

• Have you answered your question?
• Are there any holes in your research?
• How do you plan on sharing your information? 
• Who/What would be the best audience?
• Do you have any other questions?

Throughout the process, they get A LOT of feedback from their peers and from their teacher. This final conference allows us to provide constructive feedback (as well as lots of positive feedback for all of their hard work!) to push students to make their projects even stronger. 

This step is also really important for your friends who are like this:

Everyone has that student or two who is very reserved and prefers not to say much. THIS STEP IS FOR THOSE STUDENTS. When students get reassurance from their peers and teachers that they worked hard and did a fantastic job, they start to step out of their shells a little more. I cannot tell you how empowering Genius Hour is for these students. By giving them the choice in what they research AND how they research it, as well as the space/time to share what they learned, they feel more confident. You will notice a BIG difference, especially for these students when they get ready to share what they learned. We have several students who would get incredibly nervous when asked to give a presentation for a different subject but who absolutely nailed it when they were given the space to share their passions. 

Genius Hour 20 Day Challenge - Day 16: Knowing When to Move On & Where I Am Board

Day 16: Knowing When to Move On & Where I Am Board

To help understand where each student or group is in the process, I leave this Mimio document posted during Genius Hour time.

Students drag their name and put it in the appropriate stage. I'm sure to point out to students that some groups may be further along than others, or go back and forth between stages (which is FINE). Some projects require more creation, while some require more research. Some benefit from an interview, while others can skip a step! This simple management strategy helps keep students stay motivated and on track, and it helps the teacher understand who may need some additional support. You don't need a Mimio to do this! A FREEBIE printable version that would work just like a behavior management board (with names on clothespins). You can use chart paper and post-its or make a chart on your computer. This was a quick visual for us to see who needed more help and who was ready to move on.

Your chart may be as simple as this:

Researching                                 Interviewing                        Working on Final Project

At this point you are running to the finish lineeeeee. Almost.There.

YESSSSSS!!!!

After students have had some time to research/interview/tinker/etc., we have some students are start to get near the end. This is a time that we do a mini-lesson about Knowing When to Move On. 

Mini Lesson # 6: Knowing When to Move On

• Read through your RESEARCH question or step. 
• Think about the information you just gained, and if you've answered your question.
• If you have, move on. If you haven't, think about what you're missing. 

We have students go back and make sure that they have answered their questions. The first time we did Genius Hour, we skipped this step....PSA: DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!!! Students need the time (and a reminder!) to make sure that they are answering their questions.

Using our Google Site (check out the bundle here) makes things so easy! By having everything in one place, it helps the students stay organized AND YOU stay organized! At the bottom of their Documentation/Notes pages, we have students copy and paste their question at the bottom. Then, they write a short paragraph answering their question. If they have trouble using their research/interviews/notes to answer their questions, then they may need to do some more research. 

Genius Hour 20 Day Challenge - Day 15: Research & Setting Up an Interview

Day 15: Research & Setting Up an Interview

While students gain a lot of great information through resources like books, encyclopedias, videos, and websites, an interview is another great source (and skill) for students to practice during Genius Hour. Of course this doesn't apply to everyone, but if time and resources allow, we strongly recommend it! 

Teaching students HOW to interview is crucial. They really need to know the proper interview etiquette, so they don't walk in looking like this...

Most importantly, students need to know the purpose of interviewing someone. 

The purpose of interviewing someone is to get a unique perspective on something, not to learn information that you could find elsewhere (online, in a book, etc). 

Students need to understand that someone is taking time out of their day to help, so preparing properly for an interview is needed. 

Create an anchor chart with the class outlining the steps that need to be taken in order to conduct a successful interview. It's best for the class to brainstorm the steps together, but the end product should look something like this. 

1. Find a qualified candidate - utilize the help wanted board, ask family and friends, or find an outside source
2. Write interview questions - reiterate the purpose of interviewing, and maybe model appropriate interview question (ie. How did it make you feel...? What is your favorite part...? What challenges did you face when...?)
3. Get interview questions approved - I STRONGLY RECOMMEND REQUIRING TEACHER APPROVAL. This is SUCH a new skill for students, and even with modeling, knowing appropriate and helpful questions is still a challenge. If teacher feedback doesn't seem like a viable option, at least do peer feedback. 

Find the rest of this mini lesson in our Computer-Based and Online Genius Hour Mega Bundle (using Google Sites). 

Get inspired!

Here are some cool interview opportunities some of our students had!

• An interview with my [Lauren] brother! My brother FaceTimed our classroom from his college dorm to help a student who was wanting to build a computer since my brother had experience with that! My brother gave suggestions of sites with affordable parts, informed my student of what parts he should splurge on, and helped explain some of the more technical terms my student didn't understand. 
• An interview with all the fourth grade teachers! My student wanted to know what challenges fourth grade teachers face. She got opinions from 4 different teachers, and learned more "behind the scenes" stuff about teaching!
• An engineer came in! A number of students had questions relating to engineering/technology/problem-solving (3D printing, computer building, coding, etc.) We had the engineer speak to that group of students. 

& many more... 

Genius Hour 20 Day Challenge - Day 14: Research and Problem-Solving Mini-Lesson

Day 14: Research and Problem-Solving Mini-Lesson

And today is where it all gets easier. Seriously. By today, most students should be done with creating their plan, and all of the preparation that has been done will allow for some independence.

BUT FIRST....Let me teach a mini lesson!

By this point, most students have had some time to work independently and start their research...and had some time to fail. If they haven't, maybe let them fail for a little while so they (and you) can see what they need help with. This mini lesson is a chance for you to have a discussion with  the class about what challenges students have had, then brainstorm ways to overcome them. We made a T-Chart just like this:

Problems I Encounter	Ways to Solve the Problem
I don’t know what website to use or can’t find a good website.	Try searching different terms.

If you purchase your Google Site Genius Hour Mega Bundle, the problem-solving mini lesson example is on there (as well as other mini lessons), but it is strongly recommended to have an open conversation like this with your class. If you address a lot of these issues up front, you can coast for a while and just keep your eyes peeled for some yellow or red cups!

This might be a good time to refer to Growth Mindset as well. Having a "problem" isn't always fun for these kiddos. Teach them the Growth Mindset language to help them with this process. 

Friendly Reminder...

Although at this point, you're probably strutting around the classroom with the wind blowing in your hair, or doing a happy dance and winking at the teacher across the hall....

Remember that they're still learning. Take a look at their documentation page and see if they are paraphrasing rather than copying. Check to see if they are using reliable websites. Check to see if they are getting a sufficient amount of work done in a session. Review their Reflection pages as well. It's a good opportunity to answer questions or help find go-to people. 

When reviewing one student's notes, I noticed that she added a chart in her documentation page. I then crowned her the Organization Queen. If I came across any disorganized notes, I suggested they get help from the Organization Queen. 

Sometimes after reviewing their documentation, notes, and reflections, I notice some big red flags. I take note and end up conferring with them first thing next Genius Hour session. 

Genius Hour 20 Day Challenge - Day 13: Help Wanted Board

Day 13: Help Wanted Board

When I need advice, I can't tell you how many times I've gone to Yelp to figure out which restaurant is best or if I want to spruce up a teaching unit how many times I've gone to Pinterest, Twitter, or asked my teaching friends.

We decided that this should transfer over to the classroom. Maybe Johnny Applejacks has an uncle who coached soccer who would be willing to talk to Susie Shopper about the best practices for goalies. Maybe Amy Anteater's mom is veterinarian and could give Marsha Matters tips about how to best care for her new french bulldog puppy. 

This is how we came up with an idea for an help wanted board!

We start by having every student write his or her question on a notecard or type up the questions. Make sure to include their names! 

Post things you need help with in blue- "Looking for someone with experience in X to interview. Contact Y and Z."   

As resources and suggestions become available from others, we will post them in yellow.

If students have a few minutes after completing an activity or when they first come to school, we encourage them to look at the board and see if they can offer suggestions or provide names of possible experts. (Remind students to include their names on the Post-Its! There's nothing worse than just having "my aunt" listed on a Post-It without knowing who wrote it!) 

This has been an AMAZING tool! The look on kids' faces as they get responses from neurosurgeons, veterinarians, engineers, pet store owners, and more is priceless! They feel so special that these experts are willing to help them with their projects. In addition, this sharing of resources may even provide an authentic audience for your students. We had one student design a hamster cage that better reflected a hamster's natural habitat and share it with a pet store owner. So cool!

You may even want to put this bulletin board outside your classroom and encourage other students or teachers to add their resources, too!

Another thing that we do is solicit help from parents in one of our weekly newsletters. We provide a list of questions and a short blurb like in our editable Genius Hour newsletter. 

If we get responses, we post these on our Help Wanted Board for students to use if they so choose.

We have also started to compile a list of experts on our Google Site for students to use as well. This list continues to grow year after year!