The 4 essentials of a successful Genius Hour | eSchool News

Have a successful Genius Hour experience

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2016/01/26/the-4-essentials-of-a-successful-genius-hour/

Good article with suggestions to help make this activity successful.

"However, we still need some rules. The way I see it, the four rules to Genius Hour are: propose, research, create, and present. As long as your students are following this basic structure, they should have a successful Genius Hour experience. Here some tips for making those rules work in your classroom...."

===============

Sharing Favorite Books Using Interactive Character Trading Cards

What makes a book and character so appealing?

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/sharing-favorite-books-using-959.html

Print and/or save - use as physical or virtual resource.

Good readers recommend books to others and read books based on recommendations. This lesson uses trading cards-a popular culture text-as a means of encouraging students to make and receive these kinds of recommendations. ... Students are encouraged to think about why a book and character are appealing to them as well as what they can say to make the book appealing to someone else.

==========

"Natural Curiosity" - a resource for teachers - Environmental Inquiry

Building Children's Understanding of the World

http://www.naturalcuriosity.ca/pdf/NaturalCuriosityManual.pdf

Learn more about Environmental Inquiry.

"Imagine children who continually question why things look and function the way that they do. Where their natural sense of wonder is at the centre of their learning and informs the direction it will take. ... Where knowledge is dynamic, collectively constructed, and informed by many sources instead of ensconced in a single textbook, adult or classroom. Where information is investigated, analyzed, and negotiated between students. ... Where children learn from each other. Where the teacher learns from the children. This is Inquiry-based Learning.

=============

TL Virtual Cafe - BookLove

Archived Webinar for TLs

http://tlvirtualcafe.wikispaces.com/BookLove

"Join Cathy Jo Nelson and Tiffany Whitehead as they share ideas for programs, displays, and other projects to get students excited about reading!"

(Scroll down on the wikispaces page to the archive link - the session opens in Blackboard/Collaborate)

==============