Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Inventions Scamper

Inventions Scamper

When we invent something we might have to look at something a different way and change things. This one way to help us think about things in a different way.

  • S = Substitute
  • C = Combine
  • A = Adapt
  • M = Magnify
  • P = Put to Other Uses
  • E = Eliminate (or Minify)
  • R = Rearrange (or Reverse)
dog bowl

Substiute - change metal for waterproof foldable plastic
Combine - a bowl that has a cushion pillow as part of it
Adapt - build the bowl into the deck of the house so sunk into floor
Magnify - make it so the bowl collects water from the roof or get fed from a tank
Put - it over a dogs mouth as a muzzle
Eliminate - foldable makes it flat and small
Rearrange - use a muzzle or a lead

Work as a team to make a Scamper

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Reality Check -Inventions

After a long time of being busy helping setting up a new professional learning community I finally had a chance to work with students again. So what Am I trying to concentrate on.

  • lots of opportunity for students to contribute, think, do and to create flow
  • using visual material and offering some choice for students to select material
  • reflection on what we have created and opportunities for students to outline where their learning is at
  • looking at habits of mind as prompts for just in time learning opportunities “what habit of mind do you think could have helped you get past this point?” “taking responsible risks”
  • letting student thinking and communication exist in its own right ie not all thinking needs to be reported on or commented on it can just “be”.
  • integrating literacy work into just in time teaching moments with questions like “If this is going to be read by others what might we need to in terms of editing?”
  • Having student share reading and retelling of others oral and written ideas

 

The investigation prompts and some outcomes are below

 

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We are going to look at a couple of movies to find out.

 

Here are a few more links to inventions, and kid inventions; have a look.

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This is what 4km thought what  they did was to use typewith.me to describe everything they thought about where inventions come from and then we put them into this Wordle This is what we thought.

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Where do Inventions come from? from Media team on Vimeo.

What we think about inventions and where they come from.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Education Quotes

Please help me collect some of the great educational quotes. You can even make your own ones up. If you are good ;-)

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Motivation

Daniel Pink talks about motivational aspects in his book Drive

Motivation requires three aspects

  • Real sense of purpose
  • Sense of Autonomy
  • Sense of potential Mastery in what they are attempting

It concerns me that sometimes we seem to focus on things we think they should know rather than what motivates them.
Dan’s talk on the subject has a lot to offer educators looking for improved student outcomes.

At the school where I work I heard some students who were working on a market day project the other day say to a teacher "I have never worked so hard before". The way the student said it was with immense pride. The project has obviously struck a chord and motivated students to learn and achieve.