Our Genius Hour is off and running. We have been amazed by the variety of projects being undertaken. Some project examples include:
Learning how to knit
Learning to control a Sphero robot
Creating a roller coaster out of Lego
Creating a claymation movie
An experiment demonstrating how you can make air visible
Researching haunted places
Creating a police station out of Lego
Learning how to code
Creating a ninja training course out of lego
Designing a maze for a remote control robot
Creating training manual to teach people how to fly a remote control helicopter
Designing an aerodynamic submarine out of Lego
Creating a Mars colony out of Lego
Writing a play
Researching the SPCA
Learning about famous soccer players and their moves
Some of the deepest learning has occurred around the planning and execution of the ideas. We are focussing on the four competencies of Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking and Creativity. At the beginning of Genius Hour students are asked to plan a focus for the day and explore their idea. At the end of our time they are asked to reflect on what went well, what was tricky and any next steps that they need to prepare for. Failure and frustration are valued as important aspects of learning. It is very difficult to come up with your own passion project and plan out what you want to learn. Many students have found that their projects were too large in scope or too difficult to implement. We value these moments as crucial understandings. Innovative thinking and exploration requires students to take risks and be resilient in the face of difficulties. Learning to revamp or retool an idea is key to an innovative mindset. We are hoping that through questioning, experimenting and reflecting on their projects students are learning crucial life lessons. So don't worry if a child mentions that they have changed ideas or now have new partners. Allowing children that flexibility to change directions, go off the beaten path and learn from each other is crucial to developing independence and creativity. In this experience the journey is much more important than the destination.
Learning how to knit
Learning to control a Sphero robot
Creating a roller coaster out of Lego
Creating a claymation movie
An experiment demonstrating how you can make air visible
Researching haunted places
Creating a police station out of Lego
Learning how to code
Creating a ninja training course out of lego
Designing a maze for a remote control robot
Creating training manual to teach people how to fly a remote control helicopter
Designing an aerodynamic submarine out of Lego
Creating a Mars colony out of Lego
Writing a play
Researching the SPCA
Learning about famous soccer players and their moves
Some of the deepest learning has occurred around the planning and execution of the ideas. We are focussing on the four competencies of Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking and Creativity. At the beginning of Genius Hour students are asked to plan a focus for the day and explore their idea. At the end of our time they are asked to reflect on what went well, what was tricky and any next steps that they need to prepare for. Failure and frustration are valued as important aspects of learning. It is very difficult to come up with your own passion project and plan out what you want to learn. Many students have found that their projects were too large in scope or too difficult to implement. We value these moments as crucial understandings. Innovative thinking and exploration requires students to take risks and be resilient in the face of difficulties. Learning to revamp or retool an idea is key to an innovative mindset. We are hoping that through questioning, experimenting and reflecting on their projects students are learning crucial life lessons. So don't worry if a child mentions that they have changed ideas or now have new partners. Allowing children that flexibility to change directions, go off the beaten path and learn from each other is crucial to developing independence and creativity. In this experience the journey is much more important than the destination.