Daily Brief

ELU 312 Students Present Genius Hour Research

Under the guidance of Dr. Chris Weiler, associate professor, Elementary, Middle Level, Library and Technologies Education, 30 preservice teachers in ELU 312 shared the outcomes of their semester‑long Genius Hour projects through in‑class oral presentations and professional poster work. Presentations took place during finals week. Genius Hour in ELU 312, Culturally Responsive Teaching for English Language Learners, is grounded in Dr. Gholdy Muhammad's Historically Responsive Literacy framework, which centers four pursuits, identity, skills, intellect and criticality, to position literacy as a human right and advocacy as a professional responsibility. Through collaborative, inquiry‑based research, candidates investigate critical issues affecting English Learners in general education classrooms and communicate findings to academic audiences. This work lays the foundation for student-research skills and aligns with KU's strategic plan emphasis on academic excellence and student success through undergraduate research, recognized at KU as a high‑impact practice through CUREs, which stands for Course‑based Undergraduate Research Experiences. These presentations served as the primary venue for students to share their work with a live audience, an experience that strengthens scholarly communication and professional readiness. Faculty, staff and peers attended the presentations, demonstrating support for candidates' research, reflection and advocacy for multilingual learners and illustrating prominently the College of Education's motto of students first. Congratulations to all.

College of Education