Part 3:
A day at M.I.T with Mitchel Resnick:
Building Learning Communities/Alan November Conference 2007:
The day began at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) with Mitchel Resnick , director of the Lifelong Kindergarten Project. Mitchel believes that we should be helping children grow up as creative thinkers. He stated “Our ultimate goal is a world full of playfully creative people who are constantly inventing new opportunities for themselves and their communities.”
The Lifelong Kindergarten group is fortunate to be located within the MIT Media Lab, a hotbed of creative activity. In one corner of the Media Lab, students are designing new musical instruments. In another corner, students are designing new social-networking software. This type of activity makes the Media Lab not just a good research lab, but a GREAT place for learning, since people learn a great deal when they are actively engaged in designing, creating, and inventing things.
Unfortunately, most children don't get the opportunity to engage in these types of creative activities. In school, they learn specific facts and skills, but rarely get the opportunity to design things -- or to learn about the process of designing things. Outside school, they interact with electronic toys and games, but they don't learn how to invent or create new ones.
In the Lifelong Kindergarten Group, they are trying to change that. They believe that it is critically important for all children, from all backgrounds, to grow up knowing how to design, create, and express themselves. They are inspired by the ways children learn in kindergarten: when they create pictures with finger paint, they learn how colors mix together; when they create castles with wooden blocks, they learn about structures and stability. They are extending this kindergarten style of learning, so that learners of all ages continue to learn through a process of designing, creating, experimenting, and exploring.
After Mitchel’s introduction of the “Lifelong Kindergarten Project” philosophy, he introduced us to “Scratch” and “Cricket”. We were all given a project to explore as an individual or as a small group of 2 or 3.
It is hard to describe the experience. I was allowed freely to follow a process as I did as a 5 year old. First “ Imagine” – thinking what I wanted to do, then “Create”- build my project, “Play” -with my project, “Share”- my experience with others, and then “Reflect” -on what I had learned, mistakes I made, changes I could make etc. Then I started the process all over again.
Quite a revolution in learning: - allowing me to make mistakes, reflect and then try it again. Imagine the possibilities if we start to “Think Different” in our teaching methods, move the student center stage, and remove the teacher from the center of the stage.
After the first session, I wandered around the “Lab”. Mass chaos; it appeared to be very disorganized and an office that had piles of clutter. (See photo) BUT..what a creative environment. Real learning going on with graduate students all working on projects, asking questions, exploring, sharing , creating and then reflecting on what they did.
After lunch I had the opportunity to visit with Mitchel about 21st Century Learning and the model he uses. We had a great discussion about his vision, current and future projects. I was provided this opportunity because I decided to direct my own learning and attend the workshop. I know Mitchel enjoyed providing the workshop to our group….but I am the one who reaped exponential benefits as a learner and obtained many new ideas to bring back to our Durango School District. What an incredible opportunity for this “Durango Country Boy”.
As my mind is racing during this process, I realize my heart is pounding……I am really excited about the new process of learning experience that I had just participated it. Mitchel is really on to something here. What a shift and change in thinking about learning styles. How would we do this in a school? We really have our work cut out for us!
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