“Authenticity — we know it works! There is research to support the value of authentic reading and writing. When students are engaged in real-world problems, scenarios and challenges, they find relevance in the work and become engaged in learning important skills and content.”
“Everyone thinks that Project-Based Learning has something to do with “authentic” learning. But not everyone agrees what this means.” In this piece, BIE’s John Larmer gives advice about a spectrum of authenticity in PBL.
Big Hat Tip to @MrsACBragg
“When it comes to “improving” schools, students, and teachers, there’s no shortage of opinions out there on what won’t work. We wanted to know, what could work? For several months, we asked people to tell us one tangible education idea they had that was worth spreading. Some writers are connected to the Ed School, others aren’t. Yes, there’s even an idea from a Muppet. As you’ll see, a few ideas are slight twists on thoughts we’ve heard before; others are quirky and curious. All, we hope, will get you thinking.”
HT @GrantLichtman
Outstanding recap of work, progress, sharing at #edleader21 via @CurtisCFEE http://t.co/rvk8G69lD1 @kenkay21 So many brushfires burning!
Not getting it perfect, but prototyping to learn and improve. A part of a case study re: iPhone.
HT @TylerThigpen
Reminds me of putting together #TDed http://t.co/o7eN8lcPoC @EmilyBreite @boadams1 @TJEdwards62 @TheRealJamCam @StrotherZach @KristynGatesA
Today, Lower School students at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School participated in the Cardboard Challenge, inspired by Caine’s Arcade.
People from 41 countries took part – more than 78,900 participants. Only two organizations in the state of Georgia (U.S.A.) flexed their scissors, spread their tape, and exercised their design muscles for the Cardboard Challenge. Thanks to collaboration among the faculty at Mount Vernon, and thanks to the creative confidence of our students, the Mustangs were in that number!
Mary Cantwell (@scitechyedu) set up a time-elapse camera to record the coordinated, staged efforts of five grade levels working in 45-minute shifts. So, we should be able to see the action from start to finish before too long.
Here’s the message Mary sent to invite the architects and engineers:
The DEETS:
Challenge: Students will be challenged to imagine and create the metropolises of the world! (decided we needed more than just ATL)
Time:45 min blocks of building/play time; Sign Up Here [link removed] if you want to participate
Do B4 Arriving: Partner/Trio groups – have them research famous/interesting buildings/structures from around the world, plan out what they want to build, sketch it (with boxes in mind), and arrive on the CityBox party with a Plan of Action
AND/OR The HR selects a city together – plans out what they will build to represent different aspects of the city.
AND/OR The HR decides to create and build a fictional city/town and plans out all they want and need in this city (could be connected to a novel study, a story being studied, a SS moment in history)
Show Up. Respect what has already been created. Stake out your space. Get your boxes, imagine, create, play.
What an amazing sight to see the buildings take shape and form! At carpool this afternoon, I asked my typical question to a bunch of the students: What was the most incredible thing you did and learned today?
Usually I get a myriad of responses. Today, though, they ALL talked about their buildings – the Coliseum, Hancock Building, Notre Dame, Hippodrome, and the Taj Mahal, just to name a few. Zach even explained to me how he built the Burj Khalifa – the tallest skyscraper in the world!
And design — user-centered design — enables impact on our purposes. What’s more, in school, design (“design thinking”) can serve as a trunkline that integrates various arteries, connects the capillaries of disciplines and amplifies our capacities to get somewhere with action.
Especially when we view the public, not as hindrances or headaches, but as part of our design team. [Hat tip to @bigwags, Mike Wagner, for pointing me to George Aye’s TEDxDesMoines Talk.]
it's about learning 