Genius Hour

Matthews, Brooke

IL - Genius Hour

Matteson, A. (2016). It's genius. School Library Journal, 62(10), 36. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/docview/1825616004?accountid=10361; Genius Hour is based on something Google employees used to do. They would spend one work day a week (20% of their time) pursuing company-related projects that interest them.

"Genius Hour" can be defined differently depending on who you ask. It originated from Google, where they allowed employees to dedicate 20% (one day a week) of their work week to work on company projects that interested them.

It's something that educational settings, including the library should be embracing. It doesn't have to be as much time as Google dedicated. But think about how much engagement you would receive if you let students have time for themselves! This is a new domain for many teachers and librarians because it's not something that can be "planned." The only thing "planned" is that it needs to occur. One thing educators should be aware of is it may not be easy for everyone. Continue to provide guidance and support to students.

This interests me because its a way to motivate students who might be bored or have lost interest. This would even help teachers too! Imagine if they were given time to have their own "Genius Hours" instead of sitting through staff meetings that could have been sent in an email.