Ever wish your employer/school would let you spend 20% of your time working on a project in an area of interest? Well, this is what Google has done with their developers and a concept that teachers are welcoming into their classrooms. April Bryson, an English teacher at Smoky Mountain High School gives her AP Language and Composition class about 20% of their class time to research, create a product, and to share about a student selected topic of interest. The focus of these projects is to research, share knowledge with others and interaction within the community (knowledge that leads to action). With students having the option of selecting a topic of interest and the flexibility of creating a product to share with others, potential and possibilities are endless. The semester long project culminates with students creating and sharing a 5-minute “TED” style talk about their topic. Some examples of websites and blogs created by her students can be seen using the links below. April has shared that some of the greatest challenges faced with “genius hour” has been getting students to take risks and to think beyond what they know and have done before. April helps students through this process early on in the semester as the project is introduced.
“Watching my students learn the value of giving back to the community, following their passions, or making a difference in the lives of others has made this project one of the most valuable things I have done in my 20 year teaching career. I am continually amazed and inspired by their work.” -April Bryson
links to student projects and blogs:
http://matthewtoedt.weebly.com/ (Nature speaks)
http://healthcareforthepoor.weebly.com/ (free health clinics)
For more information about how to integrate genius hour projects in your classroom, visit the genius hour website.
student presenting on stage last June
discussing blog sites