The brain is the most important organ and structure in our body. The brain controls everything about what we do, what we think, and most importantly, how we learn. In education it is imperative to use this organ to the maximum potential. The five presentations that I watched on both you tube and TED talks center around how the brain can be trained to improve and deepen learning. In addition, the brain is a muscle and to increase the capacity and function, we need to exercise this muscle. Sebastian Seung, a neuroscientist proposed a hypothesis that the all the nervous system is connected together in a Connectome. The challenge is to find all the connections for each neuron. As of now, only a minuscule part of a neuron has been mapped. The problem is the technology is not available to complete the project. The hypothesis includes the idea that if the neurons can be mapped, possibly thoughts and memories can also be mapped. The second presentation was John Seely Brown discussing a new culture of learning. Three ideas that he centered around were tacit, curiosity, and collaboration. If we can integrate learning around these three ideas, success will be achieved at higher rates. He explored the gaming culture using World of Warcraft. This is an online multiplayer game with an objective to go on quests and increase in levels. To be successful at the game, a player has to use his curiosity to develop a personal dashboard: a control center on the screen. You need to collaborate with others to develop skills and you must constantly be learning. The moment you stop learning the game, that is when you will be defeated. Dan Pink, the next presenter set up an argument that motivation does not lead to higher productivity. Research has shown that 1) rewards restrict focus, 2) only works for mechanical tasks, not cognitive, and 3) rewards can possibly lead to harm. In lieu of rewards, people are seeking three things. If a business can give them one of the three, productivity will increase. The three things are autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Mr. Pink gave several examples of companies that seek to fulfill these needs, the productivity has increased. The fourth presentation was on The Five Minds of the Future by Howard Gardner. He discussed there are five types of minds and four ways of thinking. Different minds used to learn different areas in curriculum. The main ways of thinking are mathematical, historical, scientific, and artistic. Each type of mind requires different ways to synthesize the information. The last presentation was by Sir Ken Robinson on the topic of Changing Educations Paradigms. What was the old paradigm : if you go to school, work hard, go to college, you will be successful. There are two types of people: intellectual and economic. This model has not worked and is causing current strife in terms of kids with ADHD. There are many distractions for students and they are being punished for all these distractions. The current model of education does not help with this problem. The paradigm needs to follow the model of divergent thinking with collaboration and allowing students to learn to be the best at who they are, not a carbon copy of a standardized assumptive ideal.
What have I learned from these presentations and is there a common thread? The major insight for me is the all the presentations had collaboration as a key ingredient in how to help students meet the needs and demands that are necessary to survive and be successful in life. The importance of students moving beyond learning fact after fact and memorizing those facts to show they know how to memorize for a test and make themselves and the teachers proud because they achieved an A. Ask them at the end of summer and most students are unable to recall those same facts. The importance is to use the facts and find methods for the students to synthesize them, use them, work with them, marinate in them in a creative complex way. Project based learning, problem based learning, finding the process of something are excellent methods to allow students to take the facts, use them to solve a complex problem while working together to complete a chosen type of creative output. This process also allows students to learn a life long skill of how to work with another person using conflict resolution strategies. My classroom is set up with students sitting up to six students per table. I allow students to work with anyone in the classroom on any given assignment. At first, this was challenging due to the noise level and activity going on. When I circulated around while listening to the students, most were focused on the given assignment. The next step is to teach the skills of collaboration and to assign groups to complete a complex project. Another element of my class that I am putting into practice is phasing out using the textbook as the sole source of information. Most students have technology in their hands most of the day and on certain assignments, they are required to use their smartphone to gather information to complete the given task. I am constantly trying to build in the 21st century skill sets of creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication.
Louis Mobley taught IBM executives not the essence of running a corporation, but by being creative in how. Can creativity be taught is a question that he focused on in his training's. If creativity can be taught, can our students learn to be creative. Yes and Yes. People are born creative and as they grow older, that creativity is forced deep within ourselves with our current education dogma. Students need to be given as many opportunities to be creative in the classroom. Not only in the arts, but all subjects. Secondly, students are taught that to fail is to be a failure in life. In my STEAM or STEM classes, we are learning the engineering design process. They were given three separate scenarios that they ahve background knowledge of and had to go through the six steps of the design process to solve the problem. The current application is to find a problem in their personal life they can solve by designing an object they can design using 3D software. At the onset, everyone found this very difficult. With both time and brainstorming, many are able to solve the problem and some have yet to complete the problem solving step. The solutions or products they are designing cannot currently exist. Part of the design process is to explore the problem from as many angle and sides as you can. Reading this article and seeing the many solutions the students are creating prove that creativity can be taught.
What have I learned from these presentations and is there a common thread? The major insight for me is the all the presentations had collaboration as a key ingredient in how to help students meet the needs and demands that are necessary to survive and be successful in life. The importance of students moving beyond learning fact after fact and memorizing those facts to show they know how to memorize for a test and make themselves and the teachers proud because they achieved an A. Ask them at the end of summer and most students are unable to recall those same facts. The importance is to use the facts and find methods for the students to synthesize them, use them, work with them, marinate in them in a creative complex way. Project based learning, problem based learning, finding the process of something are excellent methods to allow students to take the facts, use them to solve a complex problem while working together to complete a chosen type of creative output. This process also allows students to learn a life long skill of how to work with another person using conflict resolution strategies. My classroom is set up with students sitting up to six students per table. I allow students to work with anyone in the classroom on any given assignment. At first, this was challenging due to the noise level and activity going on. When I circulated around while listening to the students, most were focused on the given assignment. The next step is to teach the skills of collaboration and to assign groups to complete a complex project. Another element of my class that I am putting into practice is phasing out using the textbook as the sole source of information. Most students have technology in their hands most of the day and on certain assignments, they are required to use their smartphone to gather information to complete the given task. I am constantly trying to build in the 21st century skill sets of creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication.
Louis Mobley taught IBM executives not the essence of running a corporation, but by being creative in how. Can creativity be taught is a question that he focused on in his training's. If creativity can be taught, can our students learn to be creative. Yes and Yes. People are born creative and as they grow older, that creativity is forced deep within ourselves with our current education dogma. Students need to be given as many opportunities to be creative in the classroom. Not only in the arts, but all subjects. Secondly, students are taught that to fail is to be a failure in life. In my STEAM or STEM classes, we are learning the engineering design process. They were given three separate scenarios that they ahve background knowledge of and had to go through the six steps of the design process to solve the problem. The current application is to find a problem in their personal life they can solve by designing an object they can design using 3D software. At the onset, everyone found this very difficult. With both time and brainstorming, many are able to solve the problem and some have yet to complete the problem solving step. The solutions or products they are designing cannot currently exist. Part of the design process is to explore the problem from as many angle and sides as you can. Reading this article and seeing the many solutions the students are creating prove that creativity can be taught.