I have been inspired yet again to create something new in my 2nd grade class, Genius Hour (GH). I have been thinking about this for the last few months and did research to see if it was possible to do it with 2nd graders. While I found many sites for 4th grade and above, I figured I could pull it off, but in my own way. What inspired me was the Biography project we do each year.
The students choose a person they want to learn about and do the research themselves, of course, with my help and guidance. But I have come to realize that they would rather do it on their own at home. I provide them with guidelines and off they go. They really get into it and it is such a great feeling when students take ownership of their own learning. They use the internet for research but also, many go to the local library to do it. Of course, there is parent help, which is great because the parents get to see their children excited to read and learn. Not only is there a written portion, but I work with our amazing Art teacher to create a portrait of the person they are researching, which is then entered into the Marin County Fair. It's a pretty long project, but it is well worth it.
But, back to Genius Hour (GH). If my students enjoyed learning about a person, why not give the opportunity to learn about other things. The only difference is that I will provide them with options. The reason for this is because I can tie it to the standards. My first attempt at this is happening this week. I had students finish a project early and instead of having them read or work on iPads, I knew I needed something to keep them engaged, so Genius Hour (GH) was born.
The first project I will assign. It's the Solar System. I am huge fan of the solar system and when I show interest in something, my students seem to want to learn about it. So, I wrote directions on my whiteboard that explained the project. I then met with the students who were finished and explained it to them. I did tell them that they were now the leaders for this and if any other student wanted to do it, they would need to explain it. They liked that challenge. This first GH project is easy because I provided them with the necessary tools and resources to complete it. The hope is that they begin working collaboratively. This is only Day 1 and the students were really excited to start. I will be giving them time today to begin and see where it goes. I will post a pic of my whiteboard and will update my blog with their progress. Let's see where this takes me.
The students choose a person they want to learn about and do the research themselves, of course, with my help and guidance. But I have come to realize that they would rather do it on their own at home. I provide them with guidelines and off they go. They really get into it and it is such a great feeling when students take ownership of their own learning. They use the internet for research but also, many go to the local library to do it. Of course, there is parent help, which is great because the parents get to see their children excited to read and learn. Not only is there a written portion, but I work with our amazing Art teacher to create a portrait of the person they are researching, which is then entered into the Marin County Fair. It's a pretty long project, but it is well worth it.
But, back to Genius Hour (GH). If my students enjoyed learning about a person, why not give the opportunity to learn about other things. The only difference is that I will provide them with options. The reason for this is because I can tie it to the standards. My first attempt at this is happening this week. I had students finish a project early and instead of having them read or work on iPads, I knew I needed something to keep them engaged, so Genius Hour (GH) was born.
The first project I will assign. It's the Solar System. I am huge fan of the solar system and when I show interest in something, my students seem to want to learn about it. So, I wrote directions on my whiteboard that explained the project. I then met with the students who were finished and explained it to them. I did tell them that they were now the leaders for this and if any other student wanted to do it, they would need to explain it. They liked that challenge. This first GH project is easy because I provided them with the necessary tools and resources to complete it. The hope is that they begin working collaboratively. This is only Day 1 and the students were really excited to start. I will be giving them time today to begin and see where it goes. I will post a pic of my whiteboard and will update my blog with their progress. Let's see where this takes me.
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