What practical application do the ideas of knowing, making, playing, hanging out, messing around, and geeking out have on traditional classroom environments? How can teachers take the information presented which explained these 6 tasks and alter instruction, but still meet the demands of district, state and national expectations and standards? Or is short, how can I incorporate this into my class and still have students who are able to demonstrate their knowledge on required standardized tests?
Connection:
I saw a couple Tweets about being a "Maker", "Making" and "Maker Ed". I decided to investigate this term as I saw a connection in the Tweets and with the concepts being presented in chapter 7. Being a "Maker", as the Tweets were intending it, means that students have a space in their classroom or school or they attend a Maker Club to create, make, and invent things freeform using knowledge of science, technology, engineering, etc. They can use concrete materials to actually construct objects or virtual tools to design items as well. However, the main focus seems to be on actually doing things hands on. This seems like it really develops critical thinking and problem solving skills. When we build or make things we have to be inventive to make out design work the way we are intending. The Maker Ed "movement" is trying to bring this experience back into classrooms. I vividly remember experiencing the feeling of "making" as a child, not just in school, but at home as well. There is something to be said for children playing in the backyard making and building things. That type of learning runs deep.
I also connected with the concept of playing as learning. This is not a new idea and there is much research showing evidence of the power of play in education, especially in early childhood. Though as the authors point out, play reveals a structure of learning that is radically different from the one that most school or other formal learning environments provide (p.97). This is can be seen by walking into almost any classroom grade 3 and higher. I would even argue many kindergarten classes have had to get away from using play as learning in the last ten years, though sparks of it seem to be coming back here and there.
Epiphany: AHA! Our students already have a new culture of experiencing the world. This is shaping their learning experience. Making, playing, geeking out, messing around, are all tied to how students can function in a Collective. Educators should utilize this rather than fight this.
Reference:
Thomas, D., & Brown, J. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Charleston, South Carolina: CreateSpace.