What is School? Genius Hour

#whatisschool continues to get bigger and better each week. This week we are honoured to welcome Don Wettrick (AKA @DonWettrick) as our guest moderator.  This week he will be helping me lead the chat around his passion of Genius Hour.

Don is known as the “innovation teacher” and is the author of the famous innovation text for educators called “Pure Genius”.  Wettrick is an innovation specialist at Noblesville High School, just outside Indianapolis, USA. He is passionate about helping students find their educational opportunities and providing them with the digital tools they need to give them a competitive edge. Don speaks globally and is known for his use of Genius Hour and this week he will be inspiring everyone at #whatisschool.

Genius hour is a movement that allows students to explore their own passions and encourages creativity in the classroom. It provides students a choice in what they learn during a set period of time during school. Here is an introduction to Genius Hour video for those not familiar with the concept:

Please join us as we welcome the amazing Don Wettrick to #whatisschool!

Our chat times for around the world are:

• Thursday 4pm Pacific Time
• Thursday 6pm Central Time
• Thursday 7pm EDT
• Thursday 11pm GMT
• Friday 7am Singapore/WA (Perth) Time
• Friday 9am AEST
• Friday 11am NZT

Make sure you put this weeks chat in your diary and if you are not already signed up to our ‘Remind’ notifications – click here. We will send you a FREE email or a FREE SMS just before our chat begins 

Questions #whatisschool, June 25, 2015 7PM EDT

1) What does Genius Hour / 20% time / Innovation / Passion time mean to you?

2) How do we harness creativity & innovation with our students yet demand ‘deliverables’ to show learning?

3) What does collaboration look like in an innovative classroom?

4) What role should outside experts play in education?

5) How do you grade your Genius Hour projects?

6) What are you going to resolve to do in 2015 to increase transparency?