Innovation Fair & Genius Hour

November 10, 2014

The Power of Questions and fostering that curiosity - Ted Talk by Surrey School teacher Tiffany Poirier



Oct 1, 2013
Innovation Week / Genius Hour Video clips to think about and discuss:

You may have seen this in your grade assemblies this year... watch for a refresher and think about how this might apply to you.

"Obvious to You, Amazing to Others" - Derek Sivers

"Creativity Takes Time"...

...and Innovation Week is one way we are trying to provide you with the time and space to take a leap of faith and try something new!  Work on an idea you have had for a while...develop a new skill or talent....build on another's idea...

"So what is Innovation?"  See what the people at Lego Education have to say.

"Caine's Arcade"

Be inspired by a 9 yr old ...

You don't need much to spur on your creativity.  While we will encourage to use any devices or technology you have, we have accessible at Fraser Heights, Innovation Week is not about the "tech."  You can also consider a low-tech project or performance pieces.

Watch the video - think of his process and the inspiration he has become to many around the world.  The filmmaker who created the first YouTube documentary has made a second one, illustrating the power of passion and creativity that he has inspired in others.

"Caine's Arcade Part 2"

Sometimes innovation involves looking at things you know in a different way or using them in a different way....

"Potato Pipes..."  ???

Another reason why we are excited about bringing Innovation Week to Fraser Heights is to recognize the power of using our passions to drive our learning.  Motivational theories suggest the vast majority of people are not motivated by extrinsic rewards (e.g. marks, money, bonuses,...) So what does drive us?

"RSA Animate:  Daniel Pink and The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us"

"Daniel Pink:  Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose"



 IDEO is known for its innovative inquiry process.  What can you learn from them?  (we will be discussing this in class as a model to consider for development of our passion projects).  They also demonstrate the importance of collaboration and provide great strategies for creating a strong collaborative environment.  We all know "group" work or "team" work is harder than working on our own - pay attention to the things the IDEO company does to help make collaboration work for them and not the other way around.

I hope you will be as excited as I am to begin your first passion project for our first ever Innovation Week at Fraser Heights!

This  company has used this inquiry process since the 1990s and they are still going strong!  They must be doing something that works!

"ABC Nightline:  IDEO Shopping cart Re-Design" (short version - 8 min)

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  Extended Version:  (22 min)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  So you are still stuck for an idea?  Try this clip "Where Good Ideas Come From"
  
  
  
  

And now for a pep talk....

"A Pep Talk from Kid President"

And your teachers sometimes need a pep talk too... just like you, we are learning together.  

We are all taking a risk together with Innovation Week... We are so excited to see the possibilities your passion projects present!  Fraser Heights, it's time to be more AWESOME!

September 2012

This year in Humanities 8 we will be implementing Genius Hour.  It was a business idea that originated with the company Google; they gave their employees approximately 20% of their company time to work / play with ideas, concepts they were interested in http://www.danpink.com/2011/07/the-genius-hour-how-60-minutes-a-week-can-electrify-your-job).  The result:  this regularly scheduled "play" time fostered some of the greatest opportunities for collaborative exploration and the development of some of their most innovative tools and applications.  Schools around the world are starting to implement this idea of having a scheduled "genius hour" to help foster creativity, collaboration and engagement with students choosing their own "passion project" to develop and present to the class.  See http://geniushour.wikispaces.com/ for further inspiration with teachers from around our district and beyond.

Does this fit into Humanities or English?  Or any other course?YES!

The BC Ed Plan encourages students to "discover, embrace and fulfill their passion" (BC Ministry of Education, 2011)

You will be given several "genius hours" to work on your "passion project" each term.  During this time, you will develop your own Inquiry Question and plan for exploration, share your findings, and reflect on your process throughout.

Already you have begun to brainstorm ideas for future "passion projects" to explore - your first project may be skill based or content oriented.  Is there some new skill you wish to learn and demonstrate your process, or a topic of interest for you?