Genius Hour Friday

January 8th, 2016

Day 193 as an Oklahoma Teacher

     Every Friday, I give my students a Genius Hour where they work on any idea related to their senior projects. I graded the content and format for the senior paper. I just hoped that they put it into some kind of logical order and correctly cited the sources. I did not have a printed copy; I graded their papers on the computer which took me through Christmas break to finish. I went over with them how to revise for content and edit for mistakes. Today, they are correcting their papers using a checklist. I think that revising and editing are two important steps in the writing process that sometimes get overlooked. Students need to get out of the habit that the first copy of a paper is also the finished copy. I require at least two revised copies, and if students don't complete any revisions, they earn a zero.
     I made two important observations during Genius Hour Time. I have some students who work for at least 30 minutes and then need a break while a few students just sit there and refuse to do independent work. They try to sneak a look at their phone, talk, or play a game on a laptop. They receive points for setting goals and working in class; however, some of them don't want to get anything accomplished. I also have noticed how dependent students are on technology. Some of them can't put the phone down even for five minutes without looking to see if they received a text. They have to realize that in some job situations, their phones will be locked up until after they work. Even in some college classes, professors don't allow students to use their phones. It's like they need to learn some cell phone etiquette, or they need to receive treatment for their cell phone addiction.
    As I change the senior project for next year's class, I want add more ideas that Don Wettrick wrote about in his book, Pure Genius. I listened to his TEdx Talk and learned some valuable information about his innovation class. I've to take the senior project one step further and promote more collaboration between students and professional people. I've taught 24 years and never taught the same way. I always change the way I teach to match the needs and interests of my students. I guess that's one of the reasons I never have the summers off; I'm still working on ideas for my classes.

...and so it's now the weekend! Remember to never give up! United we stand; together we fall.