ImagineIT
Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way Edward de Bono
The Big Idea
The 8th grade students at Lavizzo School have been selected to participate in my Ultimate Stem Project this 2015 - 2016 school year. I have selected this group for a few reasons; they will be my homeroom students which means I have them for a greater period of time each day which allows for flexibility, for many of them this will be their second year with me, and this is a great group of enthusiastic young learners. I believe they will embrace this year long project.
The Goal
I am taking my cue from the MSUrbanSTEM Fellowship 11 day face to face workshop. The students will ultimately complete their own website anchored in “Our World of Patterns.” Students will be allowed to choose the area of pattern research in which they are most interested. Following is a short list of the many areas they might choose from.
The goal of this project is two fold: when the school year has ended and the websites are published these students will leave elementary school with a greater knowledge of technology and an appreciation for how science, mathematics, writing, technology, and aesthetics all mesh to create a much larger picture of learning. Throughout the project I will be looking for student transitioning. The transition I am looking for is where students become comfortable without a set of directions or a template from which to follow. Students will design their own website in the way they see is the best design. The intent of the project is to allow students to begin to tackle tasks and/or problems from a thinking, doing, trying, and re-trying approach. Rather than having a specific template to follow or exemplars to model from, students will have a rubric that details what must be included in their end product. How they get to the end product is their design and decision.
Teaching mathematics and science has given me a renewed understanding of the importance of real-world instruction. Yes, I will still be teaching algorithms and some degree of rote memorization but it is my intention that this project and the study of patterns will allow my students to better understand themselves and the world around them. Everyone can benefit from looking at the world logically, quantitatively, aesthetically, and analytically. I believe the benefit will come from thinking mathematically, not just calculating problems. Applying mathematical concepts to how we think about the world can create a new type of learning, a new way of looking at the world around us. The pedagogical and content aim of the project is as previously mentioned to allow students to transition their thinking about how to solve problems. Allowing students to work in a technological environment by providing access to technology that allows them to create their web design. While they are accomplishing this the teacher will be there to guide and provide access to necessary resources. The ultimate aim is that students will communicate what they have learned about their chosen area of patterns through technology.
Often times we look at education as disseminating facts and processes so that students can pass the test. This project and projects like it are catalysts for meta-cognitive learning. Our students, students of the 21st Century need these meta-cognitive foundations. They need to leave academia with the ability to think on their own and think on their feet.
The 8th grade class of Lavizzo School most likely will not be able to tell you about their meta-cognitive processes however they will be able to talk about their new learned way of looking at the world around them. They will be better prepared to coexist in high school. Preparing our students academically, technologically, and aesthetically should be the intention of elementary school. Finally,I hope to inspire my students to love to learn through real-world connections to learning.
The 8th grade students at Lavizzo School have been selected to participate in my Ultimate Stem Project this 2015 - 2016 school year. I have selected this group for a few reasons; they will be my homeroom students which means I have them for a greater period of time each day which allows for flexibility, for many of them this will be their second year with me, and this is a great group of enthusiastic young learners. I believe they will embrace this year long project.
The Goal
I am taking my cue from the MSUrbanSTEM Fellowship 11 day face to face workshop. The students will ultimately complete their own website anchored in “Our World of Patterns.” Students will be allowed to choose the area of pattern research in which they are most interested. Following is a short list of the many areas they might choose from.
- patterns of inheritance
- forensic patterns
- patterns of evidence
- patterns of nature
- patterns in numbers
- patterns of interaction (world history)
The goal of this project is two fold: when the school year has ended and the websites are published these students will leave elementary school with a greater knowledge of technology and an appreciation for how science, mathematics, writing, technology, and aesthetics all mesh to create a much larger picture of learning. Throughout the project I will be looking for student transitioning. The transition I am looking for is where students become comfortable without a set of directions or a template from which to follow. Students will design their own website in the way they see is the best design. The intent of the project is to allow students to begin to tackle tasks and/or problems from a thinking, doing, trying, and re-trying approach. Rather than having a specific template to follow or exemplars to model from, students will have a rubric that details what must be included in their end product. How they get to the end product is their design and decision.
Teaching mathematics and science has given me a renewed understanding of the importance of real-world instruction. Yes, I will still be teaching algorithms and some degree of rote memorization but it is my intention that this project and the study of patterns will allow my students to better understand themselves and the world around them. Everyone can benefit from looking at the world logically, quantitatively, aesthetically, and analytically. I believe the benefit will come from thinking mathematically, not just calculating problems. Applying mathematical concepts to how we think about the world can create a new type of learning, a new way of looking at the world around us. The pedagogical and content aim of the project is as previously mentioned to allow students to transition their thinking about how to solve problems. Allowing students to work in a technological environment by providing access to technology that allows them to create their web design. While they are accomplishing this the teacher will be there to guide and provide access to necessary resources. The ultimate aim is that students will communicate what they have learned about their chosen area of patterns through technology.
Often times we look at education as disseminating facts and processes so that students can pass the test. This project and projects like it are catalysts for meta-cognitive learning. Our students, students of the 21st Century need these meta-cognitive foundations. They need to leave academia with the ability to think on their own and think on their feet.
The 8th grade class of Lavizzo School most likely will not be able to tell you about their meta-cognitive processes however they will be able to talk about their new learned way of looking at the world around them. They will be better prepared to coexist in high school. Preparing our students academically, technologically, and aesthetically should be the intention of elementary school. Finally,I hope to inspire my students to love to learn through real-world connections to learning.