Interested in student-driven classrooms? Join Dr. Nancy Sulla @nsulla (author of Students Taking Charge, Its Not What You Teach But How, Building Executive Function: The Missing Link to Student Achievement, and more) and educators from all over in #LATICchat on Thursday nights at 8pm ET. We hope to bring together a community of educators to share insights, stories, examples, pictures from their classrooms, and more. We welcome all educators to join; no need to be running a #LATIC classroom.
A1 I think of it more as the Ss really diving into what they feel they need to learn/do sometimes that may work in with their solution to a bigger problem sometimes maybe not #LATICchat
A1 genius hour is time that the Ss get to explore and learn about things that they are interested in knowing more about. Although it’s not highly structured Ss are tasked with applying all of their learned skills and couldn’t happen w/o a solid foundation #LATICchat
A1) #GeniusHour is about fostering the creativity, divergent-convergent balance, and passion of kids doing something that strikes them as important! #LATICchat
A2 When Ss are driving their learning in the genius hour, they really do have autonomy, working towards mastery, and a very personal purpose #LATICchat
A2) hmmmm Purpose - Student-driven; Autonomy - Students decide how to tackle their problem; Mastery - I'm guessing students tackle ideas that they know they have the skill for success or know they can find the resources to figure it out. Triple-play! #LATICchat
A3 this is when the parking lot comes in handy. Many times we go off down a “rabbit hole” with our discussions because my Ss are really inquisitive. I’m trying to allow them time to revisit their questions and learn to find their our solutions #LATICchat
A3) Ah, here's where divergent thinking is key.... students need to see lots of possibilities, brainstorm, reflect, and it also helps to think about who is affected by the problem, then choose a problem to pursue. #LATICchat
A3) I think you need a three-tiered approach:1) What real-world problem situation do you want to solve? ... or 2) Here are some areas you can explore to find a problem. ... or 3) Here are some possible problems you may want to tackle. Move them over time, from 3 to 1! #LATICchat
A3 In Nyack at the MS, students get 3 opportunities during the year for a passion project. Sometimes they connect their topics other times Ss pick something new to learn each time! #LATICchat
A3 this is when the parking lot comes in handy. Many times we go off down a “rabbit hole” with our discussions because my Ss are really inquisitive. I’m trying to allow them time to revisit their questions and learn to find their our solutions #LATICchat
A1 Genius Hour is Free thinking and therefore free problem solving based on a S’s thoughts, loves, needs and Ideas about the world around them. #LATICchat
A3 @mrsestepscience has a students super passionate about alternative energy use in the school district and helped put the ALU together that Ss are working on now #LATICchat
A4 I think Ss can learn to be compassionate when they start thinking about solving real world problems. For example during our country presentations one of my Ss decided to make a plea for people to help Haiti. He spoke about going to help rather than vacation. #LATICchat
A4 My children are doing their own passion project to raise enough funds for @riseagainsthunger to host their own food packing event to send specialized foods to place where people don’t get to eat #LATICchat
A4: When studying human impact on the environment, compassion has driven students to want to make a difference for both other people and animals who are affected by environmental issues like climate change. #LATICchat
A4) Def of a genius "exceptional intellectual or creative power or other natural ability" -- intimates solving problems and inventing ... wonderful to channel that energy to help others. #LATICchat
A3 Help S’s inventory themselves and potential areas for change within the areas identified. Allow the need and passion to drive them to ask why and how??? Continue to ask them to question their findings and ideas to strive for a solution. #LATICchat
A5 the design process adds structure to their planning and provides Ss a roadmap to support their thinking. The more Ss interact with the process the more it will become second nature to put all new ideas through the design process in order to solve problems #LATICchat
A5 The #designprocess helps Ss have a way to create something which does not exist; once they internalize the process they can do anything #changetheworld#LATICchat
A5 the design process adds structure to their planning and provides Ss a roadmap to support their thinking. The more Ss interact with the process the more it will become second nature to put all new ideas through the design process in order to solve problems #LATICchat
A6 after today’s experience with the power of audience, I feel like audience is everything!! It gives us the foundation for who is hearing our ideas and who we may inspire to act based on what we planned #LATICchat
Yep…we did this in lab classroom and we are defining ourselves by these bold paths to really create the environment for Ss to #changetheworld and solve the problems they see in their community #LATICchat
I LOVE THIS INSIGHT!!! Yes, yes, yes ... in the Learner-Active, Technology-Infused Classroom ... where students continually solve real world problems to drive learning ... audience is everything! It fuels their learning and moves them from compliance to engagement! #LATICchat
A6 after today’s experience with the power of audience, I feel like audience is everything!! It gives us the foundation for who is hearing our ideas and who we may inspire to act based on what we planned #LATICchat
Not sure about "teaching" but I used to be the NJ Pres of Girls Inc. -- helping girls to be strong, smart, and bold. This is a book they recommend for girls that could be useful. https://t.co/gguuBYl5Il#LATICchat
A5 S’s should utilize the design process as a framework to work for Genius Hour - revisit and revise - also journaling would be a great resource to track the process and progress #LATICchat
A7: According to a student expert: "Teachers don't have a very big role. They help you, but Genius Hour is the Students' Hour." Feeling #EF_empowerment for sure! #LATICchat
A7 cheerleader!!! We have to be the voice in their ear telling them to dream big and keep trying to be problem finders and solvers. We need to remind them that even the greats failed before they succeeded #LATICchat
Teachers I work with are considering have students use a Learning Dashboard to help the Ss own the content and standards they learn as the T facilitates that learning in #GeniusTime. #LATICchat Check it out: https://t.co/8w04E36AI5
A8 by providing an open ended and constraint free application for S’s they can and will be creative in their thoughts, designs and solutions #LATICchat
RFK’s journals were shared with his youngest child who was not yet born when he was assassinated so he could get to know his dad through his thoughts. #LATICchat
A8) "Stuff" can be very inspirational for building creativity ... thus the importance of kids playing and of make believe. So #makerspaces and #geniushour work well together to build creativity. #LATICchat
Thank you all for being here. It’s so awesome to hear so many ideas about innovation in our classrooms. Next week’s topic is Students Leaving a Legacy - Ways to Have Students Leave Their Wisdom Behind for the Next Class
#LATICchat
A8 genius hour helps promote creativity by allowing Ss to explore and think critically about problems.Through the design process Ss explore new ways to solve problems. #LATICchat
