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Personal Perspectives on Pedagogy by J. Reid OCT

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Before designing spaces for problem-solving and inquiry, our group first discussed the keywords and elements outlined in the Ceppi and Zini book. The list of words and elements included were: recognizability, horizontality, the central piazza, transformability, transparency, and atelier. For inspiration in developing our design we paid attention to light, color, materials, smell, sound microclimate and relational forms viewed in two separate YouTube videos "Open Windows from Reggio Emilia" and the Ted Talk "99 Languages to Give Back to Children". The basis of our design and all of our inspiring pieces came from following the Reggio Emilia approach, which is described as: "an innovative and inspiring approach to early childhood education which values the child as strong, capable and resilient; rich with wonder and knowledge. Every child brings with them deep curiosity and potential and this innate curiosity drives their interest to understand their world and their place within it".

Reggio Emilia schools use a collaboration between teachers and architects in the building of schools and classrooms for elementary children. Recognizability is one of the guidelines that have been developed for architects and designers that have a pedagogical association. Recognizability simply means the school design must keep its distinctiveness as a school, as noted by Ceppi and Zini "It is important that it continues t maintain its own specific identity. This does not mean simulating a home or representing a school in the traditional sense, but a new identity with recognizable elements that make it possible for the school to be immediately identified as such". A horizontal layout or "Horizontality" is another element found in the list of keywords outlined in the book. We had to make sure our building was free of hierarchies among the numerous spaces within the school. The range of activities that children need to experience within this horizontal layout includes cooperative assignments where they build relationships, lots of project based curriculums, and activities that encourage choices, problem-solving, and discoveries in the process of learning.

The element of a large central area called the "Central Piazza" is also included in our design. It is a central meeting place within the school that serves as the town square within the school building. Even here there is a pedagogical implication because the central piazza supports the development of relationships and promotes group interaction, social relations and the child's belief that they have a public identity. Having a town square has another pedagogical aspect highlighted by the following Ceppi quote: the central piazza eliminates the need for corridors, and is another distributive aspect based on choice: the refusal of spaces dedicated exclusively to distribution and connection, thus those which are not easily suitable for children's activities, spaces which have been used traditionally as a method of order and control over children, a way to impose the disciplinary rules of the adults". Hallways and corridors are where negative behaviors occur, and this environment contributes to the negative responses in the children. The Central Piazza element within our school design reduces children's stress and supports teachers offering the fewest transitions and the most uninterrupted time.

Transformability and flexibility are components our group was very conscious of when developing our design. "The school environment must lend itself to manipulation and transformation by adults and children alike, and be open to different ways of use. The school should be able to change during the day and during the year, to be continuously modeled and redesigned as a result of the experimentation of children and teachers". Being aware of how the different areas of a classroom have different powers of stimulation we made sure the design of our school implemented the use of partitions, moveable furniture, walls, and panels. All for short term room flexibility and a quick way for teachers to change the environment to promote positive interaction. Our long term transformability options included the use of the latest technical building systems (electrical, heating and plumbing) that make it easy to enlarge the school and add spaces over time. We could easily add an atelier that would entice the children. The Atelier is another great area where the children could go and use for problem-solving and inquiry-based projects. It is a studio space found in infant-toddler centers and preschools and "viewed as complementary to the classrooms and adult workspaces rather than a substitute for them. The atelier is used for research, experimentation, and manipulation of a variety of materials". Including an atelier studio within each classroom would make each area more beautiful and inviting. A special teacher called the "atelierista" with a background in the visual languages would work with the classroom teachers and contribute to the collaborative energy children feel in the environment.

The local culture and geographical location of the center are reflected in the environment by fostering the inside-outside relationship through the use of conservatories and interior courtyards, with plants and other elements (local farm equipment, community artifacts, etc.). It also encourages connections to the environment for both children and adults. To enrich relationships and attachment to the place, an entrance that welcomes guests and delivers information on the local culture, school and community activities would be included. The close relationship between school and community is a fundamental concept of the Reggio Emilia infant-toddler centers and preschools. Our design made sure to express these principles in the distribution of the spaces. Our group envisioned the children, families, and teachers present in the environment outside of school hours and for various activities which may not be strictly about school "from teachers' meetings and professional development seminars to parent-teacher meetings, parties and special events, parents' advisory council meetings, and neighborhood activities".
APA Citations:
With the help of floorplanning software, I used our group discussion findings re: designing spaces for problem-solving and inquiry to assist me in creating floorplans for this assignment. I also personally chose to focus on multi-sensoriality, which involved the light, color, materials, smell, sound, and microclimate. "Multisensory means just what it sounds like, using the visual, aural, tactile, and kinesthetic senses to teach. By tapping into the different senses, you create a more concrete and complete learning experience for your learners." Multisensory approaches to teaching help all students because it presents all information to students through sensory modalities that include: visual, auditory, smell and touch. Keeping the concept of multi-sensoriality in mind I would make sure the sensory stimulation I introduce can be controlled in each dedicated space or room (intensified or reduced). As an educator, I would strive to present problem-solving and inquiry-based activities in isolation with active or passive interaction, while always promoting collaboration in education.

Malaguzzi, L., Ceppi, G., & Zini, M. (1998). Children, spaces, relations: meta project for an environment for young children. Reggio Emilia, Italy: Reggio Children.

H. (2016, July 20). Reggio Children and 99 Languages to Give Back to Kids | Vea Vecchi at TEDxReggioEmilia. Retrieved January 20, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoFrWQe_WQc

L. (2011, April 10). Open Windows from Reggio Emilia. Retrieved January 20, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxxjn4-JFew

What is the Reggio Emilia Approach? (n.d.). Retrieved January 20, 2017, from http://www.aneverydaystory.com/beginners-guide-to-reggio-emilia/main-principles/

(n.d.). Retrieved January 20, 2017, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multisensory

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Designing Spaces for Problem Solving and Inquiry

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Before designing spaces for problem-solving and inquiry, our group first discussed the keywords and elements outlined in the Ceppi and Zini book. The list of words and elements included were: recognizability, horizontality, the central piazza, transformability, transparency, and atelier. For inspiration in developing our design we paid attention to light, color, materials, smell, sound microclimate...

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Hacking Your Classroom

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Each session focuses on practicing a different core design capacity: Noticing, Ambiguity, Negotiation, Metaphors, and Critique. The classes include experimental workshop exercises, presentations, facilitated discussions and structured debriefs. For new designers and non-design students, muscles are awoken for the first time. For more seasoned design students, we introduce tips and techniques for strengthening their fundamentals.

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Do schools kill creativity? | Sir Ken Robinson | TED

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George Lucas Educational Foundation Celebrating 30 years

How are educators harnessing the energy of the maker movement to inspire student exploration across multiple subjects? Discover resources and share advice.

Schools don't need a lot of money or a dedicated space to try maker education-a cart with some basic materials will suffice.

Makerspaces build students' cognitive abilities while fostering independence, perseverance, and self-regulation.

Emily Pilloton, Founder of Studio H, a design/build class at REALM Charter School and Girls Garage both in Berkeley, California, describes how she "knew there were things about architecture and design that could have a deep impact in the classroom."

All points of arts integration -- from benefits and implementation to linking the arts with core curriculum -- are covered in this roundup of useful Edutopia blog posts, articles, and videos.

Combining science and literature can help students engage more deeply with both subjects.

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George Lucas Educational Foundation Celebrating 30 years How are educators harnessing the energy of the maker movement to inspire student exploration across multiple subjects? Discover resources and share advice. Schools don't need a lot of money or a dedicated space to try maker education-a cart with some basic materials will suffice.

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Cybrary Man's Educational Web Sites The internet catalogue for students, teachers, administrators & parents. Over 20,000 relevant links personally selected by an educator/author with over 30 years of experience.

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Maker Ed's Resource Library includes content to help educators and facilitators from all backgrounds and environments get started and continue making in education.

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Design Thinking is a mindset. Design Thinking is the confidence that everyone can be part of creating a more desirable future, and a process to take action when faced with a difficult challenge. That kind of optimism is well needed in education.

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Teaching Through Invention
Invite your students to invent a better mousetrap -- or a better mouse! This week, Education World lessons focus on inventors and inventions, challenging your students to see the world in a whole new way. Included: Five "inventive" problem-solving lessons.
"Throughout history, inventions have helped people discover new worlds, build communities, develop resources, increase productivity, cure diseases, ease burdens, and enjoy life to the fullest. ... New inventions lead to new technologies, create new jobs, and improve our quality of life."
--The U.S. Patent Office

Inventing -- building something new or making something better -- is often thought of as a purely creative act. In fact, invention demands much more than a vision. It requires previous knowledge and new information; the ability to observe, analyze, and identify problems; and the utilization of critical-thinking skills to find appropriate and workable solutions. This week, the Education World lesson planning article focuses on inventors, inventions, and the process of inventing, requiring your students to utilize all those skills in productive and enjoyable ways.

A brief description of each activity appears below. Click any headline for a complete teaching resource!

Big Ideas Quiz Whiz
The National Geographic Kids provides a quiz that test kids' knowledge about inventors and inventions.

Selected Resources for Patents, Inventions, and Technology Transfer
Stanford University provides this list of links to resources about patents and the patent process.

Inventors
This About.com site offers many resources on inventions and inventors, including inventors categorized according to such ethnic or minority groups as women, Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, Chinese, and so on.

Inventors and Inventions Theme Page
The Community Learning Network provides an excellent list of links to sites containing lessons and activities about inventors and inventing appropriate for K-12 students.

Wacky Patents
This archive of wacky patents includes the inventor's name, the patent number, and patent design illustrations.

Inventors and Inventions
Education World provides two original Internet scavenger hunts on inventions -- one for elementary students and one for older students.

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Teaching Through Invention | Education World

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Invite your students to invent a better mousetrap -- or a better mouse! This week, Education World lessons focus on inventors and inventions, challenging your students to see the world in a whole new way. Included: Five "inventive" problem-solving lessons.

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Maker Education Initiative - Every Child a Maker

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TakePart | Stories That Matter, Actions That Count

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Stories That Matter, Actions That Count.

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Why STEAM before Higher Ed

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Open-source programming platform

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Open-source electronic prototyping platform enabling users to create interactive electronic objects.

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How the maker movement transforming education

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How the maker movement transforming education

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article from We Are Teachers

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The maker movement, a technological and creative learning revolution underway around the globe, has exciting and vast implications for the world of education. New tools and technology, such as 3D printing, robotics, microprocessors, wearable computing, e-textiles, "smart" materials, and programming languages are being invented at an unprecedented pace. The maker movement creates affordable or even free versions of these inventions, while sharing tools and ideas online to create a vibrant, collaborative community of global problem-solvers.

Fortunately for teachers, the maker movement overlaps with the natural inclinations of children and the power of learning by doing. By embracing the lessons of the maker movement, educators can revamp the best student-centered teaching practices to engage learners of all ages.

One might try to marginalize robotics or 3D fabrication as having nothing to do with "real" science and dismiss such activities as play or as just super-charged hobbies. However, today's new low-cost, flexible, creative, and powerful materials should be viewed as building blocks for today's children. They offer much more than just "hands-on" crafting-these tools bring electronics, programming, and computational mathematics together in meaningful, powerful ways. We must reimagine school science and math not as a way to prepare students for the next academic challenge, or a future career, but as a place where students are inventors, scientists, and mathematicians today.

Three big game-changers of the maker movement should be on every school's radar:

Computer-Controlled Fabrication Devices
Over the past few years, devices that fabricate three-dimensional objects have become an affordable reality. These 3D printers can take a design file and output a physical object. Plastic filament is melted and deposited in intricate patterns that build layer by layer, much like a 2D printer prints lines of dots that line by line create a printed page. With 3D design and printing, students can design and create their own objects.

Physical Computing
New open-source microcontrollers, sensors, and interfaces connect the physical and digital worlds in ways never before possible. Many schools are familiar with robotics, one aspect of physical computing, but a whole new world is opening up. Wearable computing-in which circuits are made with conductive thread-makes textiles smart, flexible, and mobile. Plug-and-play devices that connect small microprocessors to the Internet, to each other, or to any number of sensors mean that low-cost, easy-to-make computational devices can test, monitor, and control your world.

Programming
From the Next Generation Science Standards to the White House, there is a new call for schools to teach computer programming. Programming is the key to controlling a new world of computational devices and the range of programming languages has never been greater. Today's modern languages are designed for every purpose and learners of all ages.

"Hard fun" and the process of design

The tools and ethos of the maker revolution offer insight and hope for schools. The breadth of options and the "can-do" attitude espoused by the movement is exactly what students need, especially girls who tend to opt out of science and math in middle and high school.

However, hands-on making is not just a good idea for young women. All students need challenge and "hard fun" that inspires them to dig deeper and construct big ideas. Making science hands-on and interesting is not pandering to young sensibilities; it honors the learning drive and spirit that is all too often crushed by endless worksheets and vocabulary drills. Making is a way of bringing engineering to young learners. Such concrete experiences provide a meaningful context for understanding the abstract science and math concepts traditionally taught by schools while expanding the world of knowledge now accessible to students for the first time.

Tinkering is a powerful form of "learning by doing," an ethos shared by the rapidly expanding maker movement community and many educators. Real science and engineering is done through tinkering. We owe it to our children to give them the tools and experiences that actual scientists and engineers use, and now is the time is to bring these tools and learning opportunities into classrooms. There are multiple pathways to learning what we have always taught, and things to do that were unimaginable just a few years ago.

Celebrating young talent

The maker movement celebrates the talents of young people such as Sylvia (aka "Super-Awesome Sylvia") who has a webcast show, Sylvia's Super-Awesome Maker Show; Joey Hudy, who surprised President Obama with a homemade marshmallow cannon in the White House; and Caine Munro, a young man who made an entire game arcade entirely out of cardboard and tape and inspired the world in the process.

Of course, these are extraordinary young people-but there are extraordinary young people in every city, every school, and every classroom who deserve the same opportunities to express themselves by inventing, creating, and making. When the same tools and intellectual processes are found and required in the physics lab, art studio, and auto shop, schools can finally stop sorting children into academic and vocational tracks. All students need experiences that call upon their heads, hearts, and hands.

Lessons from the maker movement

"Doing" Is What Matters

Makers learn to make stuff by making stuff. Schools often forget this as they continuously prepare students for something that is going to happen next week, next year, or in some future career. The affordable and accessible technology of the maker movement makes learning by doing a realistic approach for schools today.

Openness

The maker movement is a child of the Internet but does not fetishize it. Makers share designs, code, and ideas globally but making occurs locally. Makers share their expertise with a worldwide audience. "We" are smarter than "me" is the lesson for educators. Collaboration on projects of intense personal interest drive the need to share ideas and lessons learned more than external incentives like grades.

Give It A Go

Back in the '80s, MacGyver could defuse a bomb with chewing gum and paper clips. Modern MacGyvers are driven to invent the solution to any problem by making things, and then making those things better. Perhaps "grit" or determination can be taught, but there is no substitute for experience. The best way for students to become deeply invested in their work is for their projects to be personally meaningful, afforded sufficient development time, given access to constructive materials, and the students themselves encouraged to overcome challenges.

Iterative Design

Computers make designing new inventions risk-free and inexpensive. You can now tinker with designs and programs and make prototypes easily and quickly. This is a departure from the linear design methodology that assumed that mistakes were expensive and need to be avoided. However, many educators are still clinging to old design models where students are provided recipes and prescriptive rubrics that hamper student imagination and preclude serendipitous learning. This practice deprives students of the opportunity to take risks and learn how to navigate their way to the end of a sophisticated project.

Aesthetics Matter

Many maker projects are indistinguishable from art. It's human to embellish, decorate, and seek the beauty in life. In schools, there is a movement to add the Arts to STEM subjects (STEAM). That's a good instinct, but if school hadn't artificially removed all traces of creativity and art from STEM subjects, we wouldn't need to talk about STEAM. Find ways to allow students to make projects with pride and unencumbered by categorization.

Mentoring Defies Ageism

As Sir Ken Robinson says, school is the only place in the world where we sort people by their manufacturing date. The Maker Movement honors learners of all ages and embraces the sharing of expertise. Young people like "Super Awesome Sylvia" and Jody Hudy are valued alongside decades-older master tinkerers and inventors. Schools may create opportunities for mentoring and apprenticeship by connecting with the greater community. The classroom teacher shouldn't be the only one with access to expertise.

Learning Is Intensely Personal

The current buzz about "personalized learning" is more often than not a scheme to deliver content by computerized algorithm. Not only is it magical thinking to believe that computers can teach, it confuses learning with delivering content. Learning happens inside the individual. It can't be designed or delivered. Learning is personal-always. No one can do it for you. Giving kids the opportunity to master what they love means they will love what they learn.

It IS About the Technology

Some educators like to say that technology is "just a tool" that should fit seamlessly into classrooms. In contrast, the Maker Movement sees tools and technology as essential elements for solving unsolvable problems. To makers, a 3D printer is not for learning to make 3D objects. Instead, it is the raw material for solving problems, such as how to create inexpensive but custom-fit prosthetics for people anywhere in the world, or how to print a pizza for hungry astronauts. The Maker philosophy prepares kids to solve problems their teachers never anticipated, with technology we can't yet imagine.

Ownership

One motto of the maker movement is "if you can't open it, you don't own it." Educators often talk about how learners should own their own learning, but if the learner doesn't have control, they can't own it. Teachers should consider that prepackaged experiences for students, even in the name of efficiency, are depriving students of owning their own learning. Learning depends on learners with maximum agency over their intellectual processes.

Getting started with classroom making

Luckily, getting started with making in the classroom is not just about shopping for new toys. Making is a position on learning that puts the learner in charge. Giving students time to brainstorm, invent, design, and build-and then time to fix mistakes, improve, test, and improve again is crucial. The sidebar below, "Project Ideas for Maker Classrooms," contains some ideas, but the most important element of classroom making is allowing the students to have agency over their own creations.

This doesn't mean that the teacher does nothing! Far from it. Being a guide, studio manager, and motivator is the important work of the teacher. Resist the urge to lecture students about invention and just get busy.

Whether you are getting started in your classroom or building a Makerspace, the most important thing to remember is that making is about making sense of the world, not about the "stuff." Making connections and making meaning are the true results of classroom making, not the plastic or cardboard artifacts. However, you'll be even more beneficial to your students if you develop fluency with the materials, tools, and processes available in your learning environment.

The Common Core and the new Next Generation Science Standards emphasize critical thinking, creativity, and twenty-first-century skills. To achieve these goals requires taking a hard look at both what we teach and how we teach it. The Maker Movement offers lessons, tools, and technology to steer students toward more relevant, engaging learning experiences.

Invent a new toy! Use recycled materials to design and build a fun toy or game. Have a toy fair where everyone can play with your inventions. Use any materials and tools you have access to, from cardboard to 3D printers.

Use Scratch, a free computer programming language designed for young people from the Lifelong Kindergarten group at MIT, to write your name on the screen or to animate your initials. Check out the library of over three million projects on the Scratch website and "remix" one of them into your own computer program.

Build a marble wall with marble runs, ramps, and wheels. Do-it-yourself physics and motion comes to life! Add counters, switches, and diverters to increase challenge and fun.

Investigate stop-motion animation and make a movie about a historical event.

Sew a new friend. Felt, LEDs, conductive thread, and craft materials combine to create stuffed animals, wearable electronic jewelry, headbands, belts, and more.

Create an avatar that represents you using simple graphics programs.

Kits provide easy and fun ways to learn to solder. Soldering is a useful skill for building more advanced electronics. Try Drawdio, which turns a pencil into a simple music synthesizer. Or Minty Boost, a battery-powered cellphone charger that fits inside a tiny gum tin.

MaKey MaKey An "invention kit for everyone," MaKey MaKey should be a part of any tinkering classroom. MaKey MaKey creates a simple connection between the computer and everyday objects. Imagine playing music on bananas or using playdough as a game controller. Create MaKey Makey invention time for students to tinker, explore, and invent!

Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and other open-source microcontrollers can be used to solve everyday problems, build robots that respond to sensors, lights, and colors, or talk to the Internet. Ask students to invent their own robots and machines. Then document those inventions online so others can learn from their efforts.

Program a game showcasing your knowledge of a mathematical topic. Free and low-cost software options can be found in the resources of Invent to Learn.

Low-cost, wearable, washable computers, such as Lilypad and Flora, can make computers mobile and take clothing into the twenty-first century. Explore ideas at sites such as the LilyPond or in books such as Arduino Wearables by Tony Olsson.

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The Ultimate Guide to Using the Maker Movement in Education

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The maker movement, a technological and creative learning revolution underway around the globe, has exciting and vast implications for the world of education. New tools and technology, such as 3D printing, robotics, microprocessors, wearable computing, e-textiles, "smart" materials, and programming languages are being invented at an unprecedented pace.

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Bluehost - Top rated web hosting provider - Free 1 click installs For blogs, shopping carts, and more. Get a free domain name, real NON-outsourced 24/7 support, and superior speed. web hosting provider php hosting cheap web hosting, Web hosting, domain names, front page hosting, email hosting.

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Ayah Bdeir: Building blocks that blink, beep and teach

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Ayah Bdeir: Building blocks that blink, beep and teach

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TED

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LittleBits Brings Open-Source Electronics Home

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Ayah Bdeir: Building blocks that blink, beep and teach

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http://www.ted.com Imagine a set of electronics as easy to play with as Legos. TED Fellow Ayah Bdeir introduces littleBits, a set of simple, interchangeable blocks that make programming as simple and important a part of creativity as snapping blocks together.

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What are LittleBits?

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LittleBits Brings Open-Source Electronics Home

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Little Bits Electronic Building Kit Review

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CNN's The Next List profiles Ayah Bdeir, inventor of a new generation of LEGOs called littleBits. For more CNN videos, check out our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/cnn Or visit our site at http://www.cnn.com/