RUSH, E. B. (2015). Genius Hour in the Library. Teacher Librarian, 43(2),
26-30.
When searching to find an article that was geared more toward the library I saw the title “Genius Hour in the library” and it intrigued my little brain. The author begins by explaining what the Genius Hour actually is. Genius Hour is a new movement in education “that allows students to spend time in school exploring, researching, and studying any topic of their choice.” (Rush 2015) The author also goes into detail about what inspired her to create this and how she went about implementing it into her library.
Rush begins the article by
explaining that Genius Hour is a new movement in education, “that allows
students to spend time in school exploring, researching, and studying any topic
of their choice.” (Rush, 2015) Rush details her inspiration and steps for
implementing Genius Hour into her library.
Rush’s first step was to get support
from the school administration and faculty.
From there Rush outlined where to begin with, the students. She suggests
a student/parent digital survey engage the students and parents in the project.
The digital results will make it easier to keep track of the students’ topics
and resources needed. Once the students have chosen a topic to research she
teaches library skills such as how to use reference sources and how to evaluate
websites.
I found the idea of the genius hour
interesting. I love the idea of students learning about something they are
passionate about while learning literacy skills. The article only skimmed the
use of technology during Genius Hour. I was hoping it would incorporate more
technology than using the computer to research. While I found this article
informative, it did not increase my instructional technology knowledge.
I LOVE this movement. Interestingly, I have one class in particular that does this when they come to the library. It started with a snake book checked out by a student and a question about if it was poinsonous. I told the student about the "red touches yellow" poem but couldn't remember it verbatim. We looked it up, and it began a knowledge quest for this class. I now allow them to use the library's computer for information searches after they have checked out books, and they love it! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of Genius Hour for all learners. I think we consider with students in mind, but I think there is value for adults as well. I wonder what it would look like with parents and staff as well. We all learn from each other. It would be a great way to educate parents on resources available to them that they may not know about.
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