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What Makes a Genius Hour Project Meaningful?

3/1/2016

A little while ago, Denise Krebs and I wrote an article for MiddleWeb.com called "Idea Starters for the Genius Hour Classroom". It was written in response to a question we get a lot:

What makes a Genius Hour project meaningful?

What makes a Genius Hour project meaningful?
We’ve been thinking about this question a lot lately. Quite honestly, we’ve come to the conclusion that if students are being creative and productive, then we believe the project is a meaningful learning experience for them.

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Docter says: "Go Make Things"

3/1/2016

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I watched the Oscars the other night and one of the speeches made me leap off the couch and yell in agreement. It was Pete Docter's acceptance speech. Docter is the creator of the movie "Inside Out" and in his speech for 'Best Animated Feature', he said:

"Anyone out there who's in junior high, high school, suffering, there are days you're going to feel sad, you're going to feel angry, you're going to feel scared -- that's nothing you can choose. But you can make stuff. Make film, draw, write. It'll make a world of difference." (watch here)

Yes! Make stuff.

I know a lot of us are encouraging our students to make stuff at school. We are implementing Genius Hour, creating MakerSpaces, teaching them to code, encouraging them to bake/cook/make art, etc.

But what about us? I know that I can easily go days where I only consume (watch tv, read books, check twitter, etc) and don't end up making/creating much. I have to remind myself that it is not only my students who are makers, but that I am a maker too! And so I push myself to write in my journal, make cards, colour in my new colouring book, because I think it is good for all of us! Good for the kids and good for us grown ups too.

So, I would love to hear about what you do? What do you make?
Maybe we can borrow some of each other's ideas!

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What Makes a Genius Hour Project Meaningful?

Docter says: "Go Make Things"

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