I learned about this on Twitter which is how Google runs their business.  It fits with what would benefit students in differentiating instruction and pushing them to explore their interests while learning at the same time.  I have attached the basic philosohpy, please read and think about how this fits into your instruction.

I read yesterday on Twitter that we should use as a measuring stick to ask ourselves could I or would I enjoy to be in my classroom as a student.  I think this is a great way to examine our instructional practices.

The 80/20 principle that Google practices has trickled down to students in classrooms across North America. 

For at least 20 percent of their week, students work on projects that interest them. Whether educators call it 20 percent time or genius hour, the concept is the same, said Gallit Zvi, a teacher at Georges Vanier Elementary in British Columbia's Surrey School District 36.

"The goal as I see it is to give students time to explore what they wonder about or what their passions are," Zvi said. "They're in charge of their learning rather than me being the curriculum deliverer standing up in front of the class saying, 'This is what we need to learn."

This process helps students understand that learning is a life-long goal, said Hugh McDonald, a teacher Zvi works with at the elementary school. Instead of force feeding information, teachers foster curiosity and passion in students' learning process.

"As adults, we learn things that we want to learn about," McDonald said, "so why shouldn't students be given that same kind of choice?"

The learning starts with something students care or wonder about, Zvi said. For example, some students might wonder how the lava lamp was invented. Other students might be passionate about sports. In the latter case, a student might say, "I want to know how this sports player became famous."

With teacher guidance, the student comes up with a question and researches it. Their inquiry results in a final product, whether it's a video, a physical model, a short film, a music recording, a website or a virtual 3-D model.

With more freedom, students can think like entrepreneurs, be creative and collaborate on final products, said Juan De Luca, extended learning coordinator at the American School Foundation AC in Mexico City. And they also have more fun.

"It's important that the kids get a chance to have time to do work on something that they love, that they're engaged in it because it's their's," De Luca said.

And it comes with student recommendations. The best part is stepping outside the box and thinking of new ideas, said Meghan Heying, a freshman at Spalding Catholic School in Grandville, Iowa. One of her eighth-grade teachers, Denise Krebs, started holding genius hour once a week last year.

Meghan's team created a video on the best Christmas tree, with plenty of facts about Christmas trees