Inspiration
As we follow what is happening in technology and education, some stories stand out in our minds long after we have read them, and provide us inspiration to continue our work.
- Winston
A Journey into Constructivism
This is a easy to read and thorough explanation of Constructivism. Constructivism has a lot of subtle implications and it is easily overwhelming so the author introduces different aspects of it one at a time instead of all at once. He says it well:
“I had some trouble with the self-referential nature of the material. Since the subject is the 'meaning of meaning' at various levels, it's easy to become confused and fall into a 'black hole' where text seems meaningless.”His solution is to cover each variation in turn, from the simple to more complex, which lets the reader slowly grasp the different facets of Constructivism. A recommended read for those interested in how learning happens.
Processing
Processing is a fun tool for learning to program graphics. It is also a community of programmer/artists who build programming art using that tool. Visit their exhibition page to see what people are doing. For example You Implode/Explode Me by Bryan Ijeoma is mesmerizing to watch.
Stagecast Creator
Stagecast Creator is a rare gem among the undistinguished pebbles of most educational software. It's a system to write video games that is very easy to learn, yet is much more powerful than other examples I have seen. Often making a game system easier makes it so limited that you can't do anything complex enough to be interesting. But Stagecast Creator is essentially a visual programming language with most of the standard programming constructs such as objects, variables, if statements, and code blocks. Their website is not very well designed, but the software is very good. Read this page on their site that describes teachers that use Stagecast. It is quite inspiring.
Teaching Creativity - Odyssey of the Mind and Destination ImagiNation
Over the past weekend I had the chance to attend an OM training and I was very impressed. Odyssey of the Mind is interested in infinite problems. Destination ImagiNation is an offshoot of Oddessy of the Mind with similar problems but some say some improvements. While problems in school tend to have one solution, even many open-ended problems have only a few solutions corresponding to a few different aspect. OM creates with problems where the crazier and more bizarre your solutions the better. Projects can be traditionally creative endeavors such as producing a play but also include technical problems such as designing a bridge in balsa wood. Writing the play includes technical aspects of constructing the sets and costumes, while the technical problems are scored largely on creativity of the design.
OM is unique in the length they go to emphasize a creative answer over an "ordinary" answer. Their training reflects this by specifically targeting thinking and brainstorming skills. Many of the coaches were school teachers and it was wonderful to see their enthusiasm and hear their excited discussions of how to bring these ideas into their classrooms.
This American Life - Two Steps Back - 10/15/04 - Episode 275
This is an excellent story on Washington Irving Elementary School in Chicago. Ira Glass reviews the simple things this school did to produce its amazing turnaround in the 1990's. But recent changes at the board level are inadvertently dismantling those advances. The story is inspirational for both what to do and what not to do inside an educational organization.
The lesson I take away from this story is that real change in our schools has to come from the bottom--from each teacher and student. We need to get each each student to love learning and to eagerly come to school each morning. And each teacher should feel excited by their job and inspired to improve their class and how to they teach. That is what set Washington Irving apart, and what is no longer true there. If there is any "systemic reform" than can be done, it must be to empower the students, teachers and principals, not to dictate methods and curriculum. I'm not saying the board should not try to spread good methods and ideas, but that only works once people are motivated.
BBC.co.uk - Games 'deserve a place in class' - Oct 2004
The BBC has an article on using games for educational purposes. One inspirational comment is: "Like all games, computer and video games entertain while promoting social development, and playing and talking about games is an important part of young people's lives,"
