Continuing with the Five Minds

Thank you Oliver for filming!

References

Gardner, H. (2008). Five minds for the future. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press.

Wondering about Wells

Wondering about Wells (Discovery Board)

First off, anyone who does not have access to Discovery Education, please forgive me if the above site does not work. I will add the references this project used to the bottom of the post, in case you are interested in exploring.

This was my first time using the Discovery Digital Board. For the most part it was easy to use. I had some issues with spacing, and was disappointed that TedX videos were too large to upload. I also played around a bit with glogster, which has more options to make things interesting, but was also more confusing. To be honest, I am not likely to use either of these resources again as they require a paid subscription.

Some of the other applications we have used, such as smore and prezi, would work for a similar purpose, and were free. (I suppose the advantage of Discovery's Digital Board was that you could attach quizzes. I am more likely to you a writing prompt, and give students information on how I want that writing submitted.)

The basic idea of a digital board, I think is a useful one. I can see it being used by a teacher to introduce a variety of resources, in essence creating an online textbook. I can also see it being used by students to create their own presentations. I actually had both things in mind with my son’s well project. In my mind I wanted to introduce him to different angles of the problem, and give him some resources and tools to explore the issue. For his own work, I want him to be able to create a presentation which he can show other people when asking for donations.

One aspect which I believe Gardner (2008) would approve of is that my son had to look at different perspectives, encouraging not just compassion (which is a wonderful starting point), but eventually leading to respect and a more analytical approach. Part of developing the “ethical” mind was to look at situations in a more abstract manner, and really thinking about them. Hopefully, looking at these different perspectives helped my son do this.

References

Charity navigator [web page]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.charitynavigator.org/


Ethiopian girls carrying water [photo]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/waterdotorg/3695895711/

Gardner, H. (2008). Five minds for the future. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press.

Kelly, A. (March 2009). Money 'wasted' on water projects in Africa. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/society/katineblog/2009/mar/26/water-projects-wasted-money

Mwenda, A. (June 2007). Aid fro Africa: No thanks [web video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_mwenda_takes_a_new_look_at_africa?language=en


Okonjo-Iweala, N. (March 2007). Want to help Africa? Do business here [web video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/ngozi_okonjo_iweala_on_doing_business_in_africa?language=en  



Seven water organizations you should know. (April 12th, 2013). Retrieved from http://www.goodnet.org/articles/1000

The water project [web site]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://thewaterproject.org/clean-water-wells-in-africa 


Ugandan girl at well [photo]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ugandan_girl_at_well.JPG#filelinks

Wasik, J. (Nov. 7th, 2013). How to choose a charity wisely. Retrieved from . http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/giving/how-to-choose-a-charity-wisely.html?_r=0

Why water [web page]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.charitywater.org/whywater/

Well Project

I love above talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi (2009). She reminds us not to reduce people, even those we may be tempted to feel pity for, to a single story. People are more complex than that.

 

My teenage son has started his first job, proofreading papers, and wants to donate some of his pay. Having heard of Oxfam, he of course wants to contribute to one of their largest needs, building a well. Since this requires much more money than either of us will likely have anytime soon, this is an excellent opportunity for collaboration.

 

Our plans so far:

Research*

He needs to research what the need for wells actually is.

He needs to learn about how one evaluates various charities, how responsible they are with money, and how to evaluate their effectiveness.

He needs to decide which charities program he wants to work with, and learn more details about their well programs, which will include contacting them directly to learn about their program.

* I would not mind at all if in the course of his research, my son decides a different use of money, such as sponsoring a micro loan would be a better choice. The basic structure of this project would still apply.

 

Presentation

Once he has gathered this information, he is to create a digital way to present the information and collect money.

He can then present this information in person at our church (perhaps other places as well, but I’m not ready to think that far), and digitally to friends and family to request money for his cause.

He is also planning on knitting and selling items at our local Greek Fest to raise money.

 

Delivery

Then he presents the money to his chosen organization.

 

Follow up

He will need to notify and thank his benefactors that the money has been delivered both in person at the church (another presentation) and with a digital update.

 

Oh my, I am a bit frightened by the scope of this project, but if he can pull it off, it will be an excellent exercise in both leadership and collaboration. If anyone has resources to make this process easier for us, I’m all ears!

 

 

References

 

Adichie, C. (2009). The danger of a single story [web video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en

Oxfam International [web page]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.oxfam.org/

SOS on Strewing - Part 2 (Please also look at Part 1)

If for some reason you were not able to scroll through all of the Smore on part one, please click here.

The instructional strategy of Strewing, can work for any content, as well as giving students experience with natural objects, tools, art supplies, and instruments. One of the concerns that has been brought up in our class is that teachers find students lack motivation to learn. Personally, I feel students are not at their best when they feel forced to learn. They are at their best when they feel inspired to learn. Sadly, that feeling of being forced is increasing with the standardized testing mania, which is likely crushing chances for student’s motivation to learn for learning’s own sake.

 

The book, “Drive” by Daniel Pink (2011) gives an interesting exploration of what motivates people. One thing he found was that external  motivation (like grades) was helpful for routine, boring tasks. However, external motivation reduces performance on tasks which require higher level thinking. This means that while grades may be helpful for encouraging students to learn their multiplication tables, they are unlikely to encourage creativity, and may actually discourage it. If we want to build higher level thinking and creativity in our students, we need to encourage intrinsic motivation. I believe strewing to be an excellent way to accomplish this goal.

 

While the concept of strewing is commonplace in homeschool circles, the idea of incorporating digital media is not, although I am clearly not the only person to think of this! Strewing works when students have time to explore. It makes sense to strew where students like to spend time. This makes sense for their physical environment, and it makes sense for their virtual environment as well.  A side effect I hope to accomplish with digital strewing is to get my students familiar with going to positive places on the web. In a similar way families want to enculturate healthy eating habits in their children, I hope to create healthy browsing habits.

 

On a side note, this is the first time I have used Smore and it was very easy to use. My only snafu is that I found some lovely pictures from a blogger, which I asked for permission to use. Since she didn't get back to me, and I didn't see an public domain pictures I liked, I ended up taking my own. (Which is usually my first choice anyway, but I really like this blogger's pictures.)

 

 

References

 Fisher, M. (2015). Strewing Picture [photograph].

Pink, D. (2011). Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. New York: Riverhead Books

SOS on Strewing - Part 1 (Please also look at Part 2)

Technology and Creativity

For class, I needed to interview my students regarding the use of technology and it's place in the creative process. There responses follow:

Age 12:

“The artistic power that technology can offer. I don’t use 3-D software, but I do love to make pixel art. The razor-sharp precision that you can get with pixel art offers huge potential. I also play with vector-based art, which is good for animation, and can produce a fun cartoony effect, but I still like pixel better.

I wouldn’t change much in my learning environment, but I would like to learn how to use some of the 3-D drawing and programming software out there.”

(In discussion, he says technology and digital media is a huge factor in his creativity. However, he still enjoys simple doodling. He says it helps him think.)

Age 11:

“Cracking open cyberspace, conquering the digital world.”

(In discussion, he appreciates what technology he has but what would love more.)

Age 8:

“We have lots of fun stuff. We have tape and art supplies. We have comfy chairs and couches. We have a forest to play in.”

(In discussion, technology does not really factor into the creative life.)

Age 5:

“Well, I think it’s fun, interesting, and sometimes a little weird on the internet. Sometimes it can be a little too loud, and a little too quiet. That’s what I think.”

(In discussion, technology is used as an educational and entertainment tool, but is not really used much creatively. She is very sensitive, and sometimes has a bad reaction to stories, both in books and cartoons/ movies.)

Age 3:

(I didn’t ask him, but at this point he mainly uses technology for entertainment. Sometimes he acts out storylines he sees. He loves apps involving numbers, letters and words, although I don’t know how much he learns from them. I don’t really see a creative influence there.)

*****

Some notes...

About two years ago, my two older boys started using Scratch Programming. They both loved it. While they both program, they have found themselves drawn to different parts of the artistic process, and actually the programming process. One of my boys also really enjoys the social aspect of Scratch, and doing group projects. 

We also had a blast making digital movies my first year at Wilkes! We also used material from Common Sense Media to discuss digital safety and responsibility. Scratch has been a great testing ground for these issues.

This year, we have had a major technology upgrade, acquiring more computers. (Scarily, we're at about a 1:1 ratio, although each child doesn't necessarily have their "own" computer. This partly happened because the boys had a class where they were programming, so we had a sudden need for laptops. Before, all the kids could just share one desk top.)

While not directly related to technology, this year my kids have been spending more time writing for their creative projects. Thanks to the support from my Wilkes classmates, I was able to set up a family website, and then the oldest three set up their own. They don't always use it, but enjoy it when they do.

My oldest two definitely use computers more than my younger ones. I don't know if this is an age thing or a gender bias.

In the future, I see at least some of my kids creating with programming, and all of my kids using technology to create and share their artwork, digital movies, and writing. Ideally, I would like to use social media to connect them with others to share their interests as time goes on. My oldest is about to turn 13, and I am planning on getting him his own e-mail and feedly account at that point, so not everything will be seen through me. 

References

Digital literacy and classroom curriculum [web page]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/curriculum

Scratch [web page]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://scratch.mit.edu/

Creativity in Schools

The above video is very popular in the homeschooling community, largely because we don't really have the problem of children not being creative, so it tends to make us feel good to watch it. Even in the most conservative, classically based, drill and kill homeschool, children have plenty of time to play... and create. They don't necessarily lose their creativity as they get older, in fact they get to be more creative with their life, with a higher percentage becoming entrepreneurs as adults (Sorry, I can't find where I saw that statistic before. However, here is an interesting blog post which muses about homeschooling and career choices.)

Does this mean I blame public schools for destroying creativity? Not necessarily, but I will say children need time to be creative. (Some inspiration in content and materials wouldn't hurt either.) Going to school during the day, avoiding the outdoors excepts for structured programs, and then plugging into digital media at night leaves little room for creativity. Schools can start to change this dynamic by giving students at least a portion of the day to explore ideas and have a bit more freedom, but they are not responsible for the societal environment as a whole. They can also change this dynamic by making assignments more complex and open ended. This may complicate neat rubrics and "standards", but will also give students a chance to go deeper and to new places, which their teachers may have never gone.

Currently, I am in a class on digital media, and there is a question about digital media and creativity. Giving students time to use digital media may enhance creativity, but I believe it to simply be a tool. Paper, crayons, instruments, a dance floor are also tools, and involve more of the body. While I think there are interesting tools in digital media, it would be a mistake to restrict students' time and exposure to primarily digital tools as a creative media.

References

Robinson, K. (2006). Sir Kenneth Robinson: Do schools kill creativity [web video]? Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

Trunk, P. (2011). Generation Z will revolutionize education [web post]. Retrieved from: http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2011/03/30/generation-z-will-revolutionize-education/

Fractal Prezi

What I liked about the Fractal Prezi is that is gave me a chance to bring in various material which my students can explore on their own. In this particular case, I was more focused on developing a disciplined mind, giving students a chance to explore a topic. I tried to include resources which I thought would be helpful to not just learn the topic at hand, but might inspire exploration into other topics (such as TedX, and Vi Hart). I also included some easier material which would be more assessable to students, all the way up to material from university math departments. For an intermediate or advanced student, using materials from such a department can also start to make the university a familiar place, and help students envision their future participation in academic life. Lastly, I had a video which connected a math topic to the natural world, hopefully increasing both understanding and a sense of wonder to the world around students.

            At this point, I wasn’t focused on teaching synthesis, although a great way to do that would be to have the student create a rich, interdisciplinary, project. My oldest son and I are planning such a project. Much of this plan has nothing to do with technology. He wants to raise money to have a well built in a poorer country. However, to accomplish his goal, I am having him study several things: the issues around needing clean water, how to judge the efficiency of a charity in accomplishing its goals, and details from organizations in how they actually go about building wells. He then is planning on giving a presentation and holding a fundraiser. Again, part of that fundraiser will be low tech, such as selling things he has knitted and simply talking to people. But, part of that fundraiser will involve technology, as he can take what he has learned and create an online format to share what he has learned and even collect money. This is an expansive enough project that he will be required the take information from different sources and synthesis it. Creating an online component of his presentation will also give him a chance to reflect on the information he has gathered.




For more information about the concepts of disciplined and synthesizing minds, see:

Gardner, Howard (2008). 5 minds for the future. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press.



Math History

Educlipper for math history

The link above goes to an educlipper, which could be again be used for a math club. One of the resources is actually for parents, three for high school/ middle school, and one may be appropriate for elementary/ middle school.

Notes on using educlipper:

This was the first time I used educlipper. I actually found it someone frustrating to use: it took awhile to figure out how to use it, some of the clips with downloads did not work, and the embed code did not work. When tested the web link did work, which is why I have that listed above.

Math Club Poster

Next year I am hoping to get a math club going for a multi-age group of mainly highly gifted kids. Some of these kids have fallen in love with concepts such as pi, fractals, or  Möbius strips since preschool. For these kids, the club will seek to introduce them to new problem solving techniques, math characters and concepts from history, and a fair amount of math doodling. The students who have less experience will have a chance to be exposed to fascinating topics in math, play games, and make math related art. The goal for all students will be to enhance their love and understanding of math. 

The poster above seeks to help set the tone for the group. Often, I find kids who are interested in math topics, are excited, and want to share, but have a hard time finding peers who share their interests. Besides having a fun picture and quote, this poster can serve as a conversation piece, both about fractals and Edwin A. Abbott's book, Flatland (1992). Without any adult instruction given, this poster will hopefully get kids talking and sharing.

References

Abbot, E. (1992). Flatland: A romance of many dimensions. USA: Dover Publications.

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