Thursday, January 27th | Remix continued...Professional Model & Project Ideation

At the discretion of the staff member (with feedback from the group) continue the work from yesterday. It will be helpful if everyone uses the template; there are green copies in the office. When the project ideas are ready to share with others in the school, please give them to Kimberly.  We will use these on Friday or Monday.

Today we will look at the professional models staff have selected and look at them through the lens of the questions that Ted posed to the school at Town Hall: What problems do you want to solve? What ideas, thoughts or emotions do you want to express? We will also begin to brainstorm ideas for our own projects. 

Please take attendance using the Spring 2016 | P-Block Ideation Attendance. Today's agenda is printed and in the office. 

DO NOW: Professional Model [10:00 - ??]
Purpose: Staff members select and share a professional model that represents a remix in order to examine the parts and purposes of a creative and innovative project. To some extent, the aim is to work backwards from a product to better understand the seeds of the project and how the creator(s) got from idea to product. 

  • Revisit Copy. Transform. Combine. 
  • We are also looking at what problem is being solved and/or what the creator/artist wants to express.
  • Discuss which thinking routine would be helpful. Choose one. (Suggestion Below)
  • Share professional model. (Example Below)
  • Debrief with thinking routine. Also discuss what problems you think the creator/artist wanted to solve and what s/he wanted to express. Make the thinking visible, by taking notes during the thinking routine and recording the responses to the questions. 
....

Professional Model Example:

For this professional model, it makes sense to use a Think. Puzzle. Explore. thinking routine because it is a project that has future implications. In other words, it is a project that is still evolving and the creator ends with questions. Prior to watching the video, I'd share these prompts with students and ask them to take notes.
  • What did the artist think was a problem? What did she think was important? What kinds of thinking was necessary to create the project?
  • What questions did the artist have to ask herself throughout this process? What questions would you ask of her, if she were here presenting this idea to you?
  • What elements of this project would you like to explore? Habits? Processes? Possibilities? 

"Making it Real" by Allison Wood TEDxTeen

...

(OPTIONAL) REMIX continued... [you decide]
Purpose: Build off of the discussion of the professional model, connect to previous days' discussion, and finish what was started.
  • Finish remix project ideas from Wednesday.
  • Continue conversations about Copy. Transform. Combine. and/or Town Hall
IDEATION: brainstorm [?? - 11:05am] 
Purpose: Reflect on personal interests, passions, preoccupations and generate seeds for personal projects. Resist closure. 
  • Begin with problems you want to solve. Staff might begin by modeling this, and then create an environment where students can think and write independently. This writing will be kept as evidence in their folders. It's important that, despite any preconceived or ongoing projects, students engage this this openly. What keeps you up at night?
    • What problems do you want to solve in your school?
      [Example: Despite opportunities to do in depth projects and think time, I still feel rushed]
    • What problems do you want to solve in your community?
      [Example: Tons of sewage just dumped into Lake Michigan; this makes me angry]
    • What problems do you want to solve in your state/nation?
      [Example: Very few college students are studying to become teachers.]
    • What problems do you want to solve in the world?
      [Example: How can European countries support refugees?]
During this process, staff should visit each student and push for details about the problems and reasons why the problems are important to the individuals. For example, if  I am feeling rushed at school I should also explain when I feel rushed, how it affects me, why it worries me...

TICKET OUT share [11:05 - 11:15am]
Purpose: Understand the interests and preoccupations of group members. 
  • Share out one problem you are most passionate about solving.

Wednesday, January 27th | Remixing

Today we are going to experiment with generating ideas and remixing them. Both of these processes are important for the ideation of our own projects. 

Please take attendance using the Spring 2016 | P-Block Ideation Attendance spreadsheet. Remember that there are printed materials and agendas in the office. Today you'll need small pieces of paper or post it notes (I prepared some and put them in the office) and a project suggestion template.

DO NOW: Generate [7:55 - 8:05am]
Purpose: Students will generate a range of ideas in order to share some of their interests and to seed the remix.

  • Right away, take 5 small pieces of paper or post it notes. 
  • On each of the pieces of paper, write an idea that might be part of a project. Ideas can be large (like "competitive sports") or specific (like "pickling onions"). Choose ideas that are somehow related to what you know and care about.
  • Regroup, circle up, share out two of your ideas aloud with the group. Then put all five of each person's ideas in to a bowl, hat, or pile. 
DO NEXT: Discussion [You decide]
Purpose: Continue or revisit conversation from yesterday in order to refresh understanding of the definition of creativity presented by "Everything is a Remix."
  • Continue Connect. Extend. Challenge. conversation, if incomplete from yesterday.
  • Review connections, extensions,  and challenges, but try to clarify examples of Copy. Transform. Combine. 

CREATE: Combine... [8:20 - 8:50am]
Purpose: To test a theory of creativity in a low-stakes setting, applying Habits of Learning to the Creative Process. 
  • Each person should choose one idea from the pile.
  • Each person creates a mind map for that idea. [3 minutes]
    (A mind map is placing the idea in the center of a page and making a web of related ideas and questions extending out from the center.)
  • Each person is randomly paired with another person.
    (You can do this by counting off or assigning them to the person directly across from them in the room/circle. They should not work with the people directly next to them, because they may have overheard or helped with mind mapping.)
  • Pairs of people are challenged to come up with a project idea that combines the two ideas. Each pair should decide and write down the following to share with the rest of the school. It needs to be readable. (Note: These are project ideas, not projects anyone is required to do.)
    • Develop a driving question or two. (Make sure it is a true driving question.)
    • Identify the research that would be necessary for this project. (Do the best you can.)
    • Describe the project idea. (Parts and purposes...)
    • Explain what would make this project truly innovative if done to the maximum of its potential awesomeness. (No limits!)
    • Connect the project idea to at least one larger concept. (Contrast, Metamorphosis, etc)
TICKET OUT: Share [8:55 - 9:00am]

Purpose: Create a gallery of student project ideas.
  • Each pair should present their project idea to the group.
  • Staff should collect the project idea sheets and give them to Kimberly
...

Reminder to staff to prepare a professional model for tomorrow. Students will begin ideation of their own projects tomorrow as well.

Tuesday, January 26th | Creativity : Everything is a Remix

Today we will continue to build the group and strengthen our intellectual opportunities through sharing ideas. The goal is to share the air, every voice promoted and valued. We want to get the most out of our surrounding people and environment as possible, because everything is a remix...at least we are going to explore that everything could be a remix today. Again, Habits of Learning are needed for optimal ideation.

Yesterday we were challenged to create in-depth, group-specific definitions of concepts. How did that feel? Was there motivation to get it right? Fear of defining it wrong? Our results (7 of 11 concepts and definitions are posted):
Balance: Optimal combination of life-related elements that creates harmony and stability
Flexibility: The ability to adapt
Metamorphosis: A scientific and/or philosophical process living and non-living things go through, typically characterized by physical change but can also include non-physical change
Resilience: Not giving up, continuing persisting or rebelling when things get hard or tough in a physical or mental way
Migration: The process of moving an object or idea from one destination to another
Equity: Bringing of people to a similar level so that people have what they need
Contrast: Showing the difference between two or more things to make them stand out together
Divergence: deviation from existing systems and societal norms through actions and thoughts.
Staff please take attendance using Spring 2016 | P-Block Ideation Attendance. Remember that there are printed agendas and materials in the hanging file folders in the office. Today you'll need Connect Extend Challenge graphic organizers with film outline on back, copies of the concept definitions, and manilla folders for each student. 

DO NOW : Folder Creation [10:00 - 10:10am]
Purpose: Develop an organizational tool for ideation. Personalize to build the group.

  • Each student should take one manilla folder.
  • Write names clearly on the tab.
  • On the back of the folder, create a sketch (no words) that captures the concept that your group defined yesterday. Try to recall the discussion and represent as many ideas as you can remember, not just your own. Be thoughtful, you'll have to look at this for two weeks or more.
  • Share out sketches and reasons.
DEFINING CREATIVITY : Because, what is it? Is everything really a remix? [10:10-11:00am]
Purpose: Engage with an existing and widely discussed definition of creativity in order to build some context for this semester's challenge toward more innovative projects. 
  • Distribute Graphic Organizer for Connect. Extend. Challenge.
  • Show "Everything is a Remix"while students note their connections, extensions, and challenges.
  • Follow with a discussion, every voice sharing at least one connection, extension, and challenge. Staff can decide if this is done through a mix-and-mingle, rounds, or another total participation strategy. 
  • Capture key ideas from the discussion to display in the room for later reference. 
  • Students should keep their own Graphic Organizer in their folders.
REFLECTION: Remix [11:00 - 11:15am]
Purpose: Experiment with the concept of "remix" by applying it to your own interpretation
  • Turn your attention to the back of folders, where sketches were created.
  • Review the definitions created by other groups about other concepts.
  • Choose one.
  • Transform your sketch so that it also reflects another concept in addition to your original concept. For example, if you started with "metamorphosis" you will now add "balance" or "equity" or "divergence". (You are taking an existing definition, combining it with ours, and transforming your sketch)
Leave Folders with P-Block teachers for evidence of learning.