#NHCSchat is a monthly twitter chat for, about and by educators in New Hanover County, North Carolina. #NHCSchat is an opportunity for teachers, administrators and other educators in southeastern NC to grow and develop their personal learning network (PLN) by connecting to other educators in our district and around the world. This monthly chat will create a forum for NHCS educators to gather virtually around the common interest of providing the best possible learning experience for students in our district. Chat topics will vary but will focus on best practices for teaching and learning in the digital age and will be moderated primarily by NHCS educators.
A1: Exposure to worlds beyond their own...as many different kinds of experiences in many different areas...and most importantly by giving the gift of reading...for pleasure and for learning! #NHCSchat
A1: (part 1) Identifying a passion can be one of the greatest challenges of GH! Student learning is often driven by adults, so when given the opportunity to select and pursue their interests, many students are uncomfortable and not sure how to proceed. #NHCSchat#geniushour
A1: I think offering 's choice is a helpful first step. Many are so used to being told what to do that they struggle with figuring out what their passions are #NHCSChat
A1 Ss are naturally curious and when given the time, guidance, and resources they can think BIG! When Ts see how motivated and engaged their Ss are #geniushour can weave its way through the curriculum and school day. @AngelaMaiers#NHCschat
A1: My students have started blogs on @Seesaw where they can share their passions, and we've started some genius hour projects during technology time. I'd love some more ideas! #NHCSchat
A1: I think relationships are key! You have to know your Ss in order to know their passions! Also exposing them to new experiences so they can figure out their passions! #NHCSChathttps://t.co/1glIn8ngNS
A1: In the media center, I display books that I think will interest the students. I also set out many different stations that students can choose when they come to visit the library. #nhcschat
A1: (part 2) Opportunities to explore and pursue personal passions are so important though and with exposure and experience, students become more comfortable thinking "outside the box." #NHCSchat#geniushour
Q1: Give students voice and choice in solving authentic, real-world problems. John Hattie defines this as problem-solving teaching with an effect size of +.61! #NHCSChat
A1: (part 3) I like to show examples of what it looks like when students THINK BIG. Videos are a great tool. Cain’s Arcade, R. Turere (How I made peace w lions), Alex’s Lemonade Stand, and the Koh Panyee Football Club are some of my favorites to share. #NHCSchat#geniushour
A1: One is my goals this year is to give students an opportunity o work on a genius hour project allowing to explore any topic that is of interest to them. #NHCSCHAT
A1: My students have started blogs on @Seesaw where they can share their passions, and we've started some genius hour projects during technology time. I'd love some more ideas! #NHCSchat
A1 Exposure, exposure, exposure! Often kids don't fully know or understand their interests because they haven't been transported far enough outside of our classroom walls. Help them see the world in which they live! #NHCSchat
A2: There are so many options out there, I encourage Ss to find a system that works for them. I expose them to different tools (which is crucial) but there isn't necessarily a "right" way
the right way is the one that works for you #NHCSChat
A2: Goal setting & reflection sheets help my students to prioritize & plan more effectively. Weekly conferences also help Students to set (and achieve) smaller, short term goals. #nhcschat#geniushour
A2: I love creating a factory on my whiteboard in which students can write their thoughts and hold discussions as they narrow down what each wants to pursue #NHCSchat
A2: I also use a detailed organizer that requires students to really think and plan what they need to do. There is also room for flexibility and revision if necessary! #NHCSchat
A2 Ss get overwhelmed easily b/c they have a wide array of interests. We used @mcnairan3 love/hate bracket to brainstorm and narrow choices for #geniushour projects. The bracket also gave breadth and depth to their project ideas. #nhcschat
A2: So many ways to use tech for this, but I often went old-school with a printed calendar and would encourage backwards planning when possible and breaking larger tasks into manageable chunks. Modeling flexibility and adaptability are key, too! #NHCSchat
A2: As a classroom teacher, I always tried to teach students how to effectively use (and value) their calendars, to do lists, and post it notes...all important for short and long term goal setting! #NHCSchat
A2: I like to give them a framework/task list/agenda to lay out their options and time frames. I try to chunk larger projects do they can plan and work towards the bigger picture. #nhcschat
A1-Accept ideas for projects, even if they aren’t part of the “curriculum.” I’ve had Ss create mermaid tails, jewelry and toilet paper tube phone holders! #NHCSchat
A2: Hard to beat a simple to do list. GAFE helps them continue to collaborate outside of school. I'm really excited about using the Class Project research tools with kids. #NHCSchat
A2: I also like to help Ss learn to prioritize their assignments, which ones should be done first, when they have missing assignments. They learn how to evaluate each one instead of always asking me. #nhcschat
A3: GH celebrates diverse student talents that are not always highlighted in the traditional curriculum. This allows students to see themselves and their peers in new, positive ways, building deeper understanding, appreciation, and compassion. #nhcschat#geniushour
Q3: Genius hour can be more that a time for students to work on an area of interest... it can provide a time for students to FIND their areas of interest! #NHCSChat
Totally agree! It's hard to beat the convenience and awesomeness of GAFE! I love working with 3rd because it's their 1st year having an account. I get to help them discover the greatness! #NHCSchat
A3: When students explore their passions and are allowed to be creative, they learn to support and encourage others as they pursue theirs. This can transform a classroom culture. #NHCSchat
A3 My classroom culture changed 2 weeks into #geniushour. Ss begin to see their peers differently & build a new level of MUTUAL respect. B/c this is “their time” they are highly focused, motivated & genuinely interested. #NHCschat@AngelaMaiers
A3: It creates a student-led classroom, instead of teacher led. Ss are more engaged b/c they have chosen the topic & they are more invested in the outcome. #nhcschat
A3: GH celebrates diverse student talents that are not always highlighted in the traditional curriculum. This allows students to see themselves and their peers in new, positive ways, building deeper understanding, appreciation, and compassion. #nhcschat#geniushour
A3: Genius Hour is all about students finding relevance in not only the outcome of their work (a grade) but what they put in it... developing an idea, finding resources, discovering new questions & solutions. It's buy-in learning #NHCSchat
A3-It creates an excitement for learning about the world, not just the curriculum! Ss really applaud each other and get motivated by the creativity of their peers.#NHCSchat
A3: Students feel like they have a voice in the classroom and control over their learning. I believe Genius Hour also promotes leadership in a students own education. #NHCSCHAT
A3: I haven't used genius hour yet but we win the day every single time kids have voice, choice, and time to pursue passions. My students have always impressed me with their creativity. They just need the time to shine. #NHCSchat
A4: (1) I once heard, “You have to FAIL (first attempt in learning) before you can SAIL (successful/subsequent attempts in learning)” Current school cultures don’t place value on failure, but honestly - you can’t have real success without it! #NHCSchat
A4: Throughout our regular school day, I try to bring it back to our growth mindset, but as I'm a genius hour newbie, we haven't had too much failure yet. Any advice? #NHCSchat
A4 My Ss know that through failure good ideas have the ability to become AMAZING! We look @jk_rowling commencement speech at Harvard as our inspiration & believe there are “fringe benefits of failure”. Great ideas don’t come from safe thinking. Risk=rewards #nhcschat
A4: Failure is necessary in order to succeed. We still learn when we fail. When projects have "failed" we look at what went wrong and what new avenues we should try #NHCSchat
A4: For me, failure is learning from mistakes and yes, I do think it is necessary to succeed. We often learn much more from failures than we do successes #NHCSChat
A4: Failure is part of the process. Ss have to experience it in order to determine next steps! It is a great coaching and learning opportunity! #NHCSChat
A4: As hard as it is to see Ss struggle, I think it is important that we allow them this opportunity. Failing is part of innovation & the creative process. School is a safe place for Ss to see that setbacks happen to all of us, but success is still possible! #nhcschat#geniushour
A4: (2) Shifting the mindset that failure is negative is the first step. Many school’s big, high-stakes tasks are one and done - you get one shot. If you fail, there is no second chance. Failure is viewed as a punishable offense! #NHCSchat.
A4: Failure is an important part of every classroom environment, as long as we teach Ss how to learn from it. It’s a part of our growth mindset curriculum everyday. #nhcschat
This is exactly the quote I was thinking of too! I'm afraid that too often Ss think failure = the end. Allow & encourage failure as a learning tool. Ss need avenues to talk & reflect on failure in order to grow from it #NHCSchat
A4: Failure is necessary in order to succeed. We still learn when we fail. When projects have "failed" we look at what went wrong and what new avenues we should try #NHCSchat
A4: Promote a culture of risk taking so they know it's okay to fail. It's part of learning. Step back and let them engage in productive struggle. Kids are resilient. They will get back up and try again. #NHCSchat
A4: Failure encourages students to think beyond the surface of their projects. Ss need to know that some great successes have come from failure. #NHCSCHAT
A4: Help students to see what part of their “failure” could they adjust and make it successful and what parts are not something that would be fruitful to pursue. #nhcschat
A5: (part 1) Inevitably this happens! My approach depends on the student and the situation. A conversation to determine the reason is my first step. #nhcschat#geniushour
A5: (part 2) If the project fizzled because of a challenging situation or a lack of resources, I try to help the S get back on track. Introducing an outside expert or providing time to collaborate and share will often rekindle the flame. #nhcschat#geniushour
A5: This is an opportunity to re-evaluate. Do we continue or is there another path that would be a better fit. This a great opportunity to have conversations with Ss about what is the right next step #NHCSChat
A5: Hopefully, all inquiry leads to further questions. So even if the passion for a particular project or topic has fizzled, the student can then move to the next question or topic. #NHCSchat
A5: Learning is messy! I encourage Ss to figure out if they want to continue or start something new. I also think Ss need to analyze why their passion has fizzled - is it because of frustration or have they really lost interest? #NHCSChat
A5:Look at why it fizzled - are they stuck? Or is the passion gone? It's okay if something fizzles! Try something new, you can always go back to the initial project later if you want! #NHCSchat
A5: Sometimes, we have to go back to the drawing board - how can we change what we were doing? Can we salvage anything that we've done? Turn it into something new? Combine it with another idea? #nhcschat
Definitely love AJ’s bracket! We used his bracket in my classroom and I think it’s the best way to identify a Ss passion for sure! @ajjuliani#geniushour#nhcschat
A5: Life is too short to waste on things you don’t love. Just as my students are encouraged to abandon a book they don’t love and find one they do... #nhcschat
A5: If a S is no longer interested in the #geniushour project I’d work with the S by revisiting the planning stage in @mcnairan3 'sGenius Hour book. Perhaps something else in the bracket may be more appealing. It’s not a passion project if there is no passion. #NHCSchat
A5: Our reaction can make or break student progress. Maintaining positivity and supporting them is essential - if interest fizzles, help them find a new one. Perhaps it’s because they stumbled upon something else as they explored - that can be a GREAT thing!! #NHCSchat
A5: You have to know you Ss & each class/situation/child is different...why did it fizzle? Are they frustrated? Do they really no longer have an interest? Did someone make them feel bad for picking that topic? #nhcschat
A5: perfect opportunity to reflect. What WAS successful? What skills/lessons did we learn to apply in the future? What do I wish I had done differently? #NHCSchat
I love how you adapted the bracket to include passions V. frustrations! This was a huge help to my students as they explored and clarified their passions. Thank you! #nhcschat#GeniusHour
A5: Get to the root of why & then work with the student on a plan to move forward. Maybe it’s a new topic, maybe just a new approach to the topic they already have. #nhcschat
A5: Sometimes were just have to go back to the drawing board. Starting over is not the end of the world. Students need to be passionate about their projects if their passion dies their motivation to finish does too. #NHCSCHAT
A6: We have science night and cultural night at our school, which is a good start. I think we can also incorporate technology more into presentations and community outreach. #NHCSchat
Q6: Title I schools may consider utilizing their 1% Parent and Family Engagement set-aside to host Genius Hour events where students can safely showcase their work! #NHCSChat
A6: It's so important to have an authentic real world audience when presenting GH projects. Perhaps have visitors who could benefit from GH project created? #NHCSchat
A6- Providing an authentic audience is key. We plan to share online via @Seesaw#safeyoutub. Other Ss have service projects and plan to talk to present to classes & create videos to share schoolwide. We’d love more ideas! #NHCSchat
A6: We love to share our work on @Seesaw and @ClassDojo - so families can see and comment. Some of my ss have their own @YouTube channels and want to share on there as well, but we haven't begun that yet. I feel like it is so important for kids to see the feedback! #NHCSchat
A6: An authentic audience is essential! Knowing that something will be shared brings greater meaning and relevance to Ss work. A real-world audience helps Ss to understand that their ideas have value and that they have the potential to impact the world. #nhcschat#geniushour
A6: An authentic audience is SOOO important. Encourage them to think about the groups to share with as they work on the project. Arrange possible interviews and guest speakers. Help them make connections safely and talk about the process. #NHCSchat
A6: I would encourage them to give it an honest try. Perhaps the activity was just not a good fit though. We talk a lot about good fit books in class. Like any choice activity or read, I tell them to keep taste testing until you find the one you just can't put down. #NHCSchat
A6: Have a celebration where parents and other teachers and students are invited. Google Classroom, @Flipgrid, @Twitter, make @YouTube videos to share with their parents. With technology the possibilities are endless. #NHCSCHAT
Yes! I think a passion really stems from something that bothers you. Might be the main difference between an interest and a passion. Passions often come with an opportunity to create change. #geniushour#nhcschat
I love how you adapted the bracket to include passions V. frustrations! This was a huge help to my students as they explored and clarified their passions. Thank you! #nhcschat#GeniusHour
A7: YES! Learning is often noisy and messy! It means the students are actively engaged. It does take strong classroom management to keep everyone focused, but if students are invested, it is the most productive time. #NHCSchat
A7: I love the mess! To me it means no S is doing the same thing or at same point. This is a journey not a quick project. Key is for Ss to have buy in and accept the #geniushour guidelines. #NHCSchat
A7: It’s our job to help them turn “mess” into a masterpiece - THEIR masterpiece. It’s important to guide from the side in these projects. Feedback is essential. #NHCSchat
A7: This was an area I had to grow as a teacher! I had to release the control and learn that this was a chance for Ss to explore. I posted this sign next to my desk to remind me of that! #NHCSChat
A7: Messy learning is one of the biggest barriers I've found working with teachers, especially when offering Ss choice in their learning. The more you do it, the more comfortable it becomes #NHCSChat
A7: Having a plan & being proactive is key. @mcnairan3 's Genius Hour book is a handbook in how to successfully implement GH & has been in hand. Introduced whole group & then split the group in half during the first part of planning. Wanted to have a good T-S ratio #nhcschat
A7: I think messy learning is totally fine, as long as the students are engaged in the task @ hand & are being safe (no running with scissors!) #nhcschat
A7: when I hear on topic discourse among my Ss as they work, I don’t care if it’s messy. This can be managed by assuring Ss have all the tools they need & understand the task. #nhcschat
A7: I have two middle school aged sons. My comfort level with mess is pretty high. I can't wait to try Genius Hour with my students. #NHCSchat#blessthismess
A1: During my instruction aInencourage students to share their thinking. I also take questions they may have and turn them@into lessons.
Example curiosity of hurricanes turned into a week all about hurricanes #NHCSchat
A8: ELA has standards for writing, listening, and speaking in addition to reading. All of these standards can easily be taught when doing Genius Hour. Look at what Ss are doing and their needs! #NHCSchat
A8: Approach it as a multi-disciplinary task and get all content teachers involved. Perhaps bring in some standards-based mini lessons for groups along the way that are aligned to the project process, content and ultimately the product! #NHCSchat
A8 This isn’t a one size fits all philosophy or approach to teaching. Just as Ss have been intentional in their planning/research so is the T. Careful examination of S work&needs ensures that the T can authentically weave in the standards. #nhcschat#teachingmatters@edutopia
A8: We're trying to hit some writing standards with our genius hour work, but I'd love some more ideas about how to bring in other standards. I know it's so important for our kids to have this creative time, but I also have a limited amount of time to teach a lot #3rd#nhcschat
A8: The standards are pretty broad in most cases. The easiest way to allow student choice would be in the product used to access learning. but the classroom could also be set up with a variety of ways to access the information. Flipped Classroom within the classroom. #NHCSchat
A8 This is part of the “messiness” of GH! This isn't a lesson plan w/ a set standard. T's meeting Ss where they are. Organization/planning are key, esp with #geniushour. It is one of the most rewarding “things” I’ve done in the classroom. #nhcschat#teachingmatters@AngelaMaiers
A8: Let them choose topics/questions under a "unit umbrella" - don't worry about each Ss doing a project on *each* topic, but rather peer-teach. Let Ss feel invested & confident while they share what they've learned w/ classmates #NHCSchat
A8: Students can still complete an informational writing piece, but choose their topic & visual aid to go with their writing...standards covered! #nhcschat
A3: I thing Genius Hour allows for student voice. It allows for the classroom teacher to see what students are passionate about and we can use that to help drive our instruction. It truly allows for a variety of creativity to portray from students. #nhcschat
For example, Ss could choose a iconic person from the Rev War - what difference did that person make in the overall Revolution? Then do a living wax museum for Ss to make connections to each other #NHCSchat
A4: Failures are lessons. It allows students to stop, think and reflect on what they are doing. It also allows room for students to problem solve and figure out a different solution or strategy. #nhcschat
A9: I assess progress by encouraging Ss to reflect on their learning. I think portfolios are a great way to track progress. And, when Ss feel discouraged, they can look back and see how far they've come #NHCSChat
A9: Assessing and risk taking don’t typically go hand&hand so the idea of assessing GH projects is tricky. I agree with @mcnairan3 philosophy of assessing process and development of 4 C’s via rubrics. #nhcschat
A9: I think an assessment is valuable as long as it doesn't take away the student led component.
I found this rubric that I really like.
https://t.co/DNesrqhDBJ#NHCSchat
A9: 4C’s- collaboration, communication, creativity & critical thinking. Rubrics: https://t.co/imEYqRboM2 Would love some other ideas/resources! #nhcschat
A9: I prefer to use rubrics that are generic enough to cover a wide array of different creation, but still specific enough for me to have something to look for, like creativity, effort, etc in addition to self reflections by the students. #NHCSchat
A9: This is one reason that many shy away from trying this - the pressure to evaluate. Approach it as a multi-disciplinary task and get all content teachers involved in the assessment of learning - not the project. #NHCSchat
A5: I think it’s a great learning opportunity. It shows students that it is ok to lose interest and it is ok to start over and do something else. #nhcschat
A6: Inviting other classes into your classroom for presentations as well as family members. I like using a microphone when I invite others into the classroom for sharing. It gives students a sense of pride and they truly feel heard. #nhcschat
A9: A rubric for writing, speaking, and listening would work. Presentation of the final product could be done in the form of an advertisement for said product. #NHCSchat
A10: Andi McNair! Her book “Genius Hour: Passion Projects that Ignite Innovation and Student Inquiry” is an excellent resource for classroom implementation. @mcnairan3#geniushour#nhcschat
A10: I was first inspired to do Genius Hour after reading about how Google does it and hearing that different teachers implement it in their classroom! @ajjuliani is an excellent resource for Genius Hour! #NHCSchat
A7: I’m a fan of messy learning. I think setting boundaries & having materials ready in buckets is essential. I also will bring in old t-shirts from college to protect student’s clothes & send a note home the week of to parents as a jesss up. Setting alarms also helps. #nhcschat
A9: I haven’t yet, but I would use a single point rubric. This way I could give feedback specific to each of their projects while evaluating them as well. #nhcschathttps://t.co/9ArG9kBhNS
A10: Our AIG teacher @lana_latham2 has shared some fantastic PBL resources. We get weekly emails with lots of ideas. @NovelEngineer has great resources/ideas for stem in ELA. #NHCSchat
Don’t forget! Everything you ever wanted to know about #NHCSchat can be found here: https://t.co/JMNEHujy1J Let us know what YOU want to chat about! (image file)
So glad you could join us tonight. Be sure to join us on ... for the next #NHCSchat when we’ll be chatting about the PIRATE Life - how it can make school amazing for everyone! https://t.co/wBB7EtICnd
A9: We haven’t started Genius Hour yet and I’mlooking forward to reading Q9 responses. I do believe having a rubric can be useful for students as they complete their final projects #nhcschat
