I’ve been thinking a lot more about the notion of Genius Hour since Matthew and Sherry shared their plan for GeniusCon with me at AASL.

I woke up to the New Year to discover Susan Oxnevad’s inspiring post and 6th grade teacher Chris Kesler’s Genius Hour site and his explanation:

Everything about the Genius Hour model speaks to the value of inquiry-inspired, student-driven, experiential, constructivist, connected and authentic learning.

And it all speaks to what library ought to be.

Chris Kesler’s rules

And it has me wondering . . .

Over all the years, even my very favorite young researchers, the ones who attacked inquiry with energy and confidence, never really said “Yeah, Dr. V, another research project. Bring it on.  I can’t wait.”

We frame our challenges in ways that don’t really inspire the creative type of activity that we know inquiry really can/should be.

Can our libraries become true havens for inquiry-driven creative work?

Can we use this Genius movement to reframe student work with a focus on what is could be: meaningful, productive, and shared?

Even within the confines of assessment-driven systems, can we focus on being spaces of engagement and fun and invention?

Can it happen, not just for an hour, but for all those hours we work with our kiddos?

Can libraries inspire Genius approaches across school culture?