(by Donna McAvoy, Immokalee teacher, from newsletter) Last summer I had the opportunity to volunteer with the Waveplace Program in Immokalee. I was so impressed with the experience on many levels, most especially with the passion of organizers, trainers, investors, teachers, volunteers, and students. It soon became apparent to all of us that something very special was going on. On the last day of the program, I was sitting next to a smiling gentleman who whispered, "God is pleased." As a result, I was inspired to implement the Waveplace course with my 5th and 6th grade technology students during the...
Spark of Light Mon, 1-Sep-2008 (paula)
(from newsletter) Teaching, learning, playing, creating ... everything is interwoven. The spark of light in a child's mind is there at the very beginning. It is our job, as the caretakers of these bright lights, to kindle that spark and fan them, and watch them grow. This spark wants to grow naturally, strongly, because it knows its purpose: to love, to watch, to learn, to know, to grow. The thing that weakens that spark is fear. Fear keeps us trying to do what we think other people want. Fear keeps us distant from our lives, locked in life-long jobs or...
The Importance of Storytelling Fri, 1-Aug-2008 (mscotti)
(from newsletter) Developing a story invites children to a deeper exploration of their inner reality. The sharing of stories allows them to share a piece of that reality with others. Empathy stems from a willingness to truly hear and identify with another person's perceptions, feelings and views. Stories help build empathy. Developing a story allows the emergence of a child's imagination to manifest itself, whether it's a funny tale, a silly musing, a true experience, an episode of an admired action hero, or an adventure of a ladybug or an errant crocodile. From concept through finished storybook, children develop awareness...
Learning to Learn Tue, 20-May-2008 (jon)
(from newsletter) As I watched the videos of the children and their XOs, it sure looked like a lot of fun! Some of the best learning I have ever experienced came in the guise of doing something interesting and often goal-oriented. While some may enjoy learning everything and anything without a context, this is not the norm (from what I have seen). I never did read the dictionary. Learning while doing was something I learned as a teaching technique while working with Peter Coad. When we combined courseware and lesson plans with trying to accomplish a goal, the learning took...
computer literacy Mon, 21-Apr-2008 (teefal)
Our overall goal with Waveplace is to teach children to become digital storytellers. Just what that means, and can mean, is really the crux of where we're headed. I've been thinking a great deal about this. Most schools define computer literacy as being able to operate Microsoft Office and maybe do a little web design. They're missing the point. That's like saying, 'If you know which end of a book to hold up, and you know how to turn to Chapter Three, then you're literate.' Literature is first and foremost about having ideas important enough to discuss and write down...
Fighting the Fear Wed, 16-Apr-2008 (teefal)
(written by Crissi Corbin, from newsletter) When I first started teaching, just eight short years ago, teachers were given the ability to make and create their own curriculum. As a new teacher I was constantly seeking out new tools to help me educate my students. I had to be creative and make tools to use. Since then, the pendulum has swung the other way. We are now forced to use specific curriculum products. Now I feel my hands are tied much of the year with having to force my students who are below level to use materials that were well...
Are We Preparing Our Children? Tue, 1-Apr-2008 (teefal)
(written by Peter Wholihan, from newsletter) "The opportunities that young people hold for the Caribbean region, where two-thirds of the population is under the age of 30, cannot be underestimated." (Caribbean Youth Development, World Bank, May 2003). Cell phones in the pocket, iPods to the ears, GameBoys in the hand, young people are connected. Are schools? What exactly are our youth connected to and how do they use technology? How about Student Cell Phone Pictures, Passa Passa, and YouTube? If you know what I am writing about, you are connected. If you do not, ask a young person and watch...
Bringing Education to Life Wed, 27-Feb-2008 (teefal)
(written by Jan Kinder, from newsletter) As I watch the youth of today, I'm reminded of growing up in the 60's. Our daily schedules were not hectic and complicated. We started school in kindergarten and before that, play was our classroom. We had imaginative time to expand our minds and develop our creativity, and express our individuality. Our education system, for the most part, supported the 'teachers taught, and students listened and learned' model. One of my teachers however did not conform to that model and has stood out in my mind for over 35 years and influenced my teaching...
Waveplace Brings Spark to Caribbean Children Sun, 10-Feb-2008 (teefal)
(written for OLPC News) We're told the first twenty laptops off the OLPC production line went to our 4th graders in the US Virgin Islands. These lucky kids are taking part in a ten week pilot program conducted by Waveplace Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to bringing digital media skills to Caribbean children. One month into our first pilot, we're starting another pilot in Haiti next week, and we need your help. Waveplace is all about mentoring. While OLPC's notion of "pick up and learn" has appeal, we find that mentors make all the difference. You wouldn't expect a child to...
spark jobs and rote jobs Mon, 15-Oct-2007 (teefal)
Just had the Shift Happens video link sent to me. Quite an eye opener, as is the terrific Pay Attention video, which focuses more on teaching. Put simply: within our lifetime, the "rote jobs" will ship overseas. It's clear from the numbers. What's left are "spark jobs" ... high creativity jobs. Our schools aren't teaching spark. They're teaching rote....
nothing wrong with being wrong Fri, 12-Oct-2007 (teefal)
Towards the end of yesterday's Squeaky Tale, I tried changing the color of something and found (while recording) that I didn't know what I was doing. My first reaction was "Oh geez, I should reshoot that" lest I lose face to the viewing public. Instead, I left my mistake in the video, since it helps demonstrate an important point. Programming is about making mistakes. You try something, see how it goes, try something else, and grin at your flaws. A programmer that thinks he knows everything in advance is a bad programmer. Such an approach might seem alien, since our...
go fly a kite Thu, 4-Oct-2007 (teefal)
In the last two days, I've been teaching twenty-year-old Nicole to use Squeak Etoys. She's never done any programming before, nor does she really know why she'd want to be a programmer, which puts her in the majority. I'm teaching her as warm-up for some video tutorials I'm making for the general public, the first of which is rendering right now. Teaching a novice to program is a humbling task, particularly for an expert. I'm mindful of the pacing of my presentation. Too much and eyes glaze over, too little and boredom sets in. Constructionism is a great fit to...
papert's point Tue, 2-Oct-2007 (teefal)
So here I am, with three months of research, and nowhere to use it. Over the summer, I immersed myself in the writings of Seymour Papert and the works of Alan Kay and Mitch Resnick, both of whom drew inspiration from Papert. I've been walking around with a running dialogue in my head, inspired by the same ideas that launched OLPC and countless other efforts. So what's Papert's point? What's the common gist of the half-dozen books he's written, starting with "Mindstorms" in 1980? Okay, I'll give it a shot. Seymour Papert thinks that we're programming our kids in school...
