4 Innovative Student Projects That Could Change the World Microsoft's Imagine Cup brings students together from across the world each year, in effort to use technology to solve the world's toughest problems. Mashable met with four teams, hailing from Germany, Australia, the U.S. and Qatar, to learn how they are using technology to make an impact on the future. Students are using Microsoft's Kinect for Xbox 360, Windows 8, Windows Azure and Windows Phone in their Imagine Cup projects. Many members of the competition draw inspiration from the U.N.'s Millennium Development Goals, to create solutions to problems in the fields of education, healthcare and environmental sustainability, among others. The Worldwide Finals will take place in Sydney, Australia, between June 6 and 10, where the winners of local, regional and online competitions will share their visions for how technology can shape the future. More than 1.65 million students from 190 different countries and regions have participated in the competition during its 10-year existence.
Inquiry Learning In some ways trying to answer this question is like trying to answer the question "How long is a piece of string?" However it is a very important question for any school implementing Inquiry Learning as a school-wide approach to consider. Different people will have different ideas, and different 'experts' will all push their own theories and ideas. It would be foolish to think that I would be any different, so the following material comes with an 'Opinion Warning'. The ideas expressed here have been formed over seven years of working with schools as they implement Inquiry Learning. They are based on experience, but are still opinions and as such need to be weighed carefully in the light of your own experiences, knowledge and understanding, and compared to what others are also saying. I believe there are a number of aspects that are essential to be considered as you form your own answer to this question. Goals: Curriculum Integration: Developing Independent Learners: Resources: References
Innovation through the Eyes of a Child I’m currently reading Creating Innovators and so I thought I would share the classic post from 2009 below. In the first video, Gever Tulley describes our child safety-obsessed culture and the impact this has on the young minds of our children. He then speaks about the different impact you can have by teaching your kids how to play with dangerous stuff. He highlights five dangerous things to let your kids play with, but is working on a book that will highlight 50 dangerous things. Check out the video: In the second video, Gever Tulley demonstrates the valuable lessons kids learn at his Tinkering School. On his blog he lays out the principles of kit-based learning, which are great things for teachers and parents to think about when teaching science to children. Principles of Kit-based Learning The goal of any kit must be to teach how to think about the principle concept – the understanding and internalization of the concept comes naturally from the process. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Replacing Faux Inquiry with the Real Thing Why should teachers nurture potent questioning skills and behaviors? As a practical matter, students need to be able to read between the lines, infer meaning, draw conclusions from disparate clues and avoid the traps of presumptive intelligence, bias and predisposition. They need these thinking skills to score well on increasingly tough school tests, but more importantly, they need these skills to score well on the increasingly baffling tests of life . . . how to vote? Drill and practice combined with highly scripted lessons stressing patterns and prescriptions amount to mental robbery - setting low standards for disadvantaged students so they end up incapable of thought or success on demanding tests. This approach contributes to high dropout and attrition rates - early school departures and millions of children left behind.
6 Education SlideShares To Inspire, Improve And Innovate Your School One of the things I love about the modern web is the willingness of talented people to share their amazing content for free. Online communities that encourage individuals to share their work in return for broad exposure and the respect and credibility that this builds. One of the strongest and most vibrant communities fostering this culture is SlideShare. SlideShare is a priceless resource and one that is often overlooked when searching and creating content on the web. With this in mind, here are six great educational SlideShares that you may like to share with your school audience. Re-envisioning Modern Pedagogy: Educators As Curators This very sharp and well designed set of slides focuses on curation of content for students and teachers. How I Flipped My Classroom A very hands-on slide deck, this presentation delves into the process that teacher, Michelle Pacansky-Brock, used to flip her classroom. The End Of Teaching Using Diigo in the Classroom QR Codes in the Classroom & Library, Too!
Questions of Import Difference of Opinion Some questions matter more to some than others. Significance is defined to some extent by personal issues, tastes and interests. Several people looking at the image below might pose very different questions. Some might pose questions about media, media coverage and media literacy. Others might be intrigued by Michael himself and the drama surrounding his passing. Awakening a Sense of Import In some cases, young students may not recognize the import of an image, a poem or a set of numbers. The painting mentioned in the sample lesson above, "Four Boys on the Beach" by Winslow Homer, is a case in point. The boys' body language may be a matter of import but young students may not naturally fix their attention on how the boys are sitting. By definition, questions of import are intended to explore meanings. Making School and Learning Important
Be a better boss: 12 tips to help you encourage innovation Many entrepreneurs dream of starting their own company so they can be their own boss, call the shots, get the corner office nicest table in the co-working space. Turns out, being in charge is a lot harder than just ordering people around and having someone fetch your lattes. To make a startup successful, you have to encourage an atmosphere of constant innovation. We asked these upcoming entrepreneurs for their best tips on how to be a boss boss. Allow for change and spontaneity Working hard to keep your company from becoming rigid helps keep innovation flowing. Caitlin McCabe, @caitlinmc, Real Bullets Branding Be hands off Hire great people and give them responsibility. Lisa Nicole Bell, @LisaNicoleBell, Inspired Life Media Group Budget for innovation No one likes to ask for money, but when they have money as an available option, they are willing to go ahead and spend it on things they think will be worthwhile. Danny Wong, @blanklabel, Blank Label Group, Inc. Flat organization Expose yourself
Inquiry Resources from CSS and the ConnectedEd Canada Conference The ConnectEd Canada Conference was an overwhelming success! Here is the recipe for those who want to plan a conference: 1. Run the first day in a great school, with classes in session and with student tour guides. 2. 3. 4. I’m sure Neil Stephenson, Erin Couillard, and George Couros did a lot more than that, but these 4 things really made the conference work! I shared a summary and some tweets, after the first day. Brian Harrison said, …We’ve shared some wonderful ideas here, we have supported and felt both support and comfort. But, it is clear to me that we cannot sustain a great system of public education by rewarding those in our schools and systems who do not innovate at the cost of those who do. As my colleague @thecleversheep reminds us, we are fireflies in a jar who have happily gathered for a few days to share some warmth and light. George Couros said, …We knew that if this was just another “conference” we probably have failed. Connect! Work that Matters: This guide is for teachers.
The 10 Things I Know About Innovation In Education I write this while sitting at a marvelous presentation all about creativity at the 2012 CALI Conference . The presentation is all about encouraging you to creatively approach problems, recognizing when there’s a solution, and how to basically be at your best. Which got me thinking about the current structure of education. The Current State Of Innovation In Education In my professional life, I run into these road blocks every darn day. But most schools don’t have that flexibility. Today’s Revelation Which brings me to today’s revelation: you shouldn’t need to be told to be creative or innovative. Schools are molding the minds of the future generations. The Solution So here’s my solution. Treat your classroom like a startup. Don’t let your students (or you) be paralyzed by shiny tools. By treating your classroom like a startup, you should feel free to try out exciting new techniques. There Is No Single Solution A Must See Video By Ze Frank
5 Ways To Spark Your Creativity hide captionTaking a shower may help inspire big ideas. Working in a blue room may help, too. Ayodha Ouditt/NPR Taking a shower may help inspire big ideas. Working in a blue room may help, too. Innovation is the name of the game these days — in business, in science and technology, even in art. 1. A seemingly mindless task — showering, fishing or driving — might help spur creative thoughts, as the mind wanders from "lather-rinse-repeat" to a recent problem, and then back again. As the ancient Greek engineer Vetruvius told us, Archimedes was lounging in a public bath when he noticed the water level go up and down as people got in and out. Downtime also seems to reset the brain. Researchers aren't quite sure why mindless tasks help the creative process, Schooler says, but it could be that such tasks allow two different brain networks that aren't usually turned on at the same time to be active. 2. 3. Want to discover a new planet? 4. Mood matters when it comes to creativity. 5. Aha!