@inspirelilminds // ashleybcongdon@gmail.com
MAKE! A CASTLE THAT DEFENDS ITSELF
LEARNING AS MAKING: “Knowledge is a consequence of experience.” Jean Piaget
I was fortunate to attend the 2015 Constructing Modern Knowledge Institute with Sylvia Martinez and Dr. Gary Stager. The entire experience celebrates the constructivist and constructionist theories. I collaborated, explored, and learned alongside a group of teachers intent on building a castle that was self-defending. "Hard Fun!" is the CMK motto! A motto I aim to breathe into my classroom.
ANALYSIS USING A STOP MOTION VIDEO
LEARNING AS MAKING: We read Dan Willingham’s book, Why Students Don’t Like School? and shared our learning with our peers. Our requirements were specific—cover 3 key ideas (from our selected chapters) as well as 3 classroom applications in under 3 minutes. As for the presentation method, the sky was the limit! It was interesting to see how each team interpreted the directions.
3x3x3 Presentation #1 – Focus: Willingham’s Chapter 4 “Why Is It So Hard for Students to Understand Abstract Ideas?”
A STORY OF INTELLIGENCE
LEARNING AS MAKING: This project is a continuation of our team's understanding of Dan Willingham’s book, Why Students Don’t Like School?
3x3x3 Presentation #2 – Focus: Willingham’s Chapter 8 “How Can I Help Slow Learners?”
I-IMAGE
Learning As Making: “People will stare. Make it worth their while.” – Harry Winston
We played around with photography. Terms such as The Golden Mean, Rule of Thirds, symmetry, contrast and movement guided our exploration as our team set out to create an iImage slideshow journal. Our objective was to “dress up” content from our curriculum to make it fashionable, artistic, and ultimately interesting—to make content worth our students’ attention.
