Genius Hour is a project where individuals are able to pick an area to focus on and learn to be the expert in. Spending time each week learning and almost teaching themselves the skill or practicing something they wanted to. This allows students to follow their interests and be more engaged and interested in what they are learning and therefore put the energy in to actually following through. This can be something as simple as creating something like a wooden sculpture, a cake or blogging site. It can also be a skill like learning a language, meditation, learning to code or as I will do learning to paint.  It could also even just be spending time and dedicating time each week to a task and really researching and following through with it for example planning a trip or planning an event. It's about following your passions, researching, planning and following through spending time doing it.

Ongoing Process Weekly Blog Posts/Reflections

Week 1: Genius hour is time when students are able to research and learn about something that interests them. It is a time where they get to become the expert of the chosen topic.We are starting to learn about what exactly this process entails and decide what we are going to focus on. I am thinking of something to do with the environment and my carbon footprint, for example working to decrease my carbon footprint greatly.

Week 2: After looking thoroughly into my carbon footprint and how I can decrease it i noticed I already do so many of the things I found during my research that would help decrease. Therefore I think that it would not be the best thing I could focus on learning to do. I have decided I will focus my genius hour on learning to paint. I plan to use Bob Ross youtube videos as well as various painting books or instructional guides to learn the basic skills. Skills I am still unable to grasp I will just search up for other youtube videos more in depth on that specific skills. My motivation is that I have always enjoyed the arts and painting however, I have never really been that good. I would like to increase and work on strengthening my skills. My progress will not be measured per say by my skill level but rather in what I achieve or manage to paint by the end (more like just getting practice). 

Week 3: This week I went out and go a set of water paints as well as a book and a set of oil paints. I  began watching a Bob Ross video to see how he goes about this process. I also started looking up different types of paintings I could do such as scenery or objects, people etc. I have decided I like scenery paintings the best and I searched through a bunch finding one I like best to paint first. Before next week I want to watch more Bob Ross videos and go through the instructional manuals just to get an idea of where to start. 

Week 4: I began painting this week with oil paints. I started by finding a good scenery picture that was dark. I picked a different one than I had chosen last week because I decided a night scene would be easiest for colours to start. Once I found my photo I started painting using the book (that came with the oil paints) for different techniques I could use while painting with the oil paints and the specific brushes. From here I will use these paints and sources to learn how to paint.

Week 5: This week I practiced painting specific things and doing specific skills such as dry brushing. I also practiced smearing the paints better as that was something I tried to do in my night painting last week. This week was really about skills and techniques I find the book I got with my oil paints very helpful because it speaks to certain techniques with the tools and brushes that came with the kit. I can also go one step further and google these techniques more so I see someone else do them before I try.

This week I also decided to try out water painting. This was a bit of a challenge at first because it is so different than the thicker oil paints. I have never used water paints so at first I was making it a bit too watery which cause the colours to run. in the end I was able to get a handle on them, in more abstract ways rather than scenery pictures like I had with other paints. I have learned how difficult water painting can be and how different these types of paints are. From here I am going to work on water paints in the future because I really enjoy the outcome I just struggle with making them realistic looking and I usually make it look so abstract. Using various technology platforms within this class has proved to be very frustrating for me because I am new to most if not all of them. There is a learning curve I am experiencing but for the most part once I get the platform it easy to navigate from there. Within my classroom Genius Hour would be a great way to get students motivated and willing to take responsibility for their own learning. 

Week 6: The week my goal was to paint something without referring to a photo or source of inspiration such as a photo as I have in past weeks. I would say it was more difficult because I wasn't copying anything and was just going with it as I went. I decided to just pick an object so I could have a clear picture of it in my head rather than try and make up a scenery picture where I would have to focus in on various details of the photo and most likely change it when I came back to paint it another time. I have learned that I find it really hard to follow a video on how to do something exactly. I found it frustrating to try and mimic a painting and then see it to end up looking so different. Bob Ross also made everything look so easy when it was not. From here I want to continue to paint and practice but more by just looking at photos and paint myself rather than see how someone else wants me to do it or how they would do it but I have learned that I find it annoying when I am unable to make it look identical and become a bit obsessed with doing so. 

Week 7: This week I decided to just practice once again certain techniques but with both oil and water paints. I picked certain objects this time and practiced making them with both paint types. For example shading of a purple flower. This week I had my friend help me do some by showing me techniques she used and talk me through doing them. She has more experience painting and I would say is quite a good painter. She runs PaintNite's with the city so she also has a lot of experience teaching people the basics of painting. This was more of a recreational week painting objects I wanted more for fun and to practice those specific skills. This week I was motivated more by doing objects of my choice I believe, so I was more into learning and trying my best for objects I really wanted to learn to paint and may create and put up in my room in the future. I have learned I really enjoy having the hands on help and explanation (guidance). I have also learned I really just enjoy painting what I want and this is something I will continue to do from here.

Week 8: This Genius Hour experience has helped me gain various strengths in painting. It has also given my practice and increased my ability (I think) to learn and do after watching a youtube video and reading instructional guides. This would be a great thing to implement within my classroom because students will pick something they are interested in which serves as a motivator increasing the likely hood students will complete the tasks and increase their engagement and what they take from this learning experience. The level of engagement this Genuis Hour task had for me made it feel like I was just painting for fun rather than completing an assignment for school. It was a bit tricky for me to tie what I was doing in with technology as I did not have previous experience with IMovie or even Blogger really so there was a bit more of a learning curve with that.

MY GENIUS HOUR BLOG EVALUATION