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Technology / Genius Hour Elective 

tech*nol*o*gy / noun :: the use of science in industry, engineering, etc., to invent useful things or to solve problems
What if you could learn about anything you wanted to? In this elective, students will have the chance to experience a variety of highly interactive and collaborative activities. Students will be given time to pursue self-designed, choice-driven learning experiences. Featured technology will include inventing with Makey-Makeys, creation of blogs, Sphero, Ollie, and Ozobot robots, use of iOS apps including viedography, stop-motion, and filming with a green screen, film editing with YouTube, exploration of Google Maps, beginning coding and app creation with CS First and Scratch, planning and creation of Rube-Goldberg machines, building cardboard inventions, and more. Join me in this interactive elective where your passions will come alive!

What is Genius Hour?

Genius Hour is an elective where passions come alive. In this elective, students will be challenged to create a project based on their own, individual talents. These projects should be designed to impact the world in one way or another.  Multiple technology tools and modes of communication will be utilized in this course. Students will individually choose a topic they are interested in. Although Genius Hour is very open-ended and individualized, this project does have a few rules (there are always rules...):
  1. Each project will have a guiding question approved by the teacher.
  2. The project must be researched.
  3. Each project will have a purpose with the intention of making an impact upon the world.
  4. Students will produce something they can present and share.

Goals for this class:

*to promote, support and model creative, innovative thinking and inventiveness
*to allow students an opportunity to discover/investigate one of their passions and reflect on/share their learning with others
*provide students an opportunity to develop skill sets that are valuable in any learning situation (research, experimentation, collaboration, creativity, problem solving and critical thinking)
*to provide an opportunity for students to investigate and experience creative ways to use technology as a tool for communication, collaboration, research, and problem solving. 

Some of the activities students in the class will participate in include:

Coding / Hour of Code

*Thank you to Chase from Troop 325 for the glossary of coding lingo & terms, linked below!

Makey-Makey Invention Kits

Building with Snap-Circuits

Ozobot
Robots

Raspberry Pi

Stop-Motion Movies

Sphero SPRK Robots

BreakoutEDU

Green-Screen Videography

Ollie
​Robots

Movie-Trailers with iMovie

BB-8 Sphero Robot

Genius Hour Elective Timeline: Nine Weeks to Genius

One

Introduction to Technology / Genius Hour and brainstorm  topic ideas. Intro to coding with CS First and Scratch.

Four

Pitch your project idea to the class. Learn about some iPad apps that can help you create a great video to pitch your project. Learn how to use iOS apps ncluding viedography, stop-motion, and filming with a green screen,

Seven

This will be the last full week to work on Genius Hour projects.

Two

Research project ideas, start blogging, and get project approval. This week, students will finalize their project visions and start the real work of making ideas come to life.

Five

Take a virtual trip with Google Treks and go on a virtual-reality expedition with Google Cardboard. Work on projects and continue blogging

Eight

Make any final adjustments and prepare to present projects.

Three

Learn about some cool uses of technology: learn how to write code and get creative with MaKey MaKeys. Continue researching / working on projects and blogging.

Six

Keep working! Trouble-shoot any issues you've come across and blog about your progress.

Nine

Time to reveal your genius: Present your projects and change the world. Click below to check out some of our past Genius Hour Projects: