SpottyBanana

TED Talk Inspires Young Inventor to Bypass College; Win Thiel Fellowship

Yoonseo Kang was a member of his high school Robotics team. He thought he might like to study engineering and economics in college and his family was looking forward to his successful college career. However, according to an interview by MAKE, Yoonseo watched the Open Source Ecology’s (OSE) founder Marcin Jakubowski’s TEDTalk and decided to take [...]

Learning Calculus and Quantum Physics Through Comics

Many people find calculus and quantum physics intimidating. These subjects are for geeky, smart kids with no social life, right? Well, geeky kids might find calculus fun and interesting in ways most others may not, but thanks to comic-style books on these subjects, calculus and physics feel more like reading the Sunday comics in the [...]

Ivan Illich – Seeing the Future of Education?

According to Ivan Illich in 1972, “Universal education through schooling is not feasible”. His radical ideas regarding schooling provoked much debate back in the 1970s, with most dismissing him as an over-zealous new-age hippy. Could it be, however, that he was rather a forward-thinking would-be educational revolutionary? Are his ideas still valid today, and have [...]

Summer Fun: Easy Origami Projects

Regardless of your plans this summer, its always fun to make stuff. We’ve found several really easy Origami projects that even younger children will enjoy. Best of all, the resulting art is functional and beautiful. Our favorite project is the box with lid. Not only are these little boxes attractive, they are great for gift-giving, [...]

Apple’s Publishing Apps Appeal to Homeschool Authors

It’s as if Steve Jobs had homeschoolers in mind when the folks at Apple created the newest version of iBooks. It certainly keeps in step with their mission of magic. iBooks 2 includes the iBooks Author app which may be the coolest thing I’ve seen this year. Granted, it’s barely Spring, but you get the [...]

Will Our Children Earn Badges Instead of Degrees?

Posted by ginac on March 7th, 2012

New York Times education reporter Tamar Lewin recently covered the ongoing race for a new system of qualifications assessment to replace the traditional university degree. In her article, Lewin describes how the future of higher education may be one in which institutions divvy out a badge for a particular skill set acquired. While federal and private student loans are sure to still be a vital component of attaining an education, such alternative means of acquiring the expertise necessary for a particular profession could make it much easier for individuals to become career qualified.

In fact, Lewin goes on to explain that several companies such as Microsoft implement a similar program, while Mozilla and other nonprofits are currently working together to successfully create a degree alternative that catches on with individuals and employers alike. Central to such efforts is the mastering of virtual learning. By bridging the gaps that currently exist on account of geography, academic entities can establish a variety of educational opportunities that are otherwise impossible to put into practice on a strictly brick and mortar scale.

But challenges remain, primarily in the area of authentication of merit. What makes your standard diploma from a recognized university so valuable is that the accreditation is assured, which means the individual has earned their degree. For badges handed out by a variety of institutions of differing origin and function, equal assurances must be established. Some suggest the creation of universally accepted testing centers in every major urban area, in which potential badge earners take their final exam under the eyes of objective overseers.

Either way, the fact remains that the traditional college degree is by no means a legal requirement for employment. It’s merely the most commonly accepted way that employers are able to evaluate a potential employee. Once there’s a way for applicants to present proof of qualification without a four-year degree, the entire higher education apparatus is sure to wobble on its previously firm foundation.

By Samantha Peters

Samantha Peters is an avid blogger and manager of theeducationupdate.com, where she passionately writes her love for education and tech innovation news in the world of education.

The Secret Behind America’s Innovation Isn’t the Classroom

Posted by ginac on February 25th, 2012

Michael Pitrelli’s article on the secret behind American innovation is intriguing. As we spend more money on classroom education, race to beef-up STEM (Science Technology, Engineering, and Math) curriculum, figure out how to keep children from dropping out of school, and add even more tests to a student’s day to measure success, we may not impact the desired outcome at all. According to Michael, there is something else Americans do that gives us an innovative edge and it isn’t found in the classroom. What is it? Read Michael’s article to find out.

SpottyBanana’s ‘Make Things’ Pinterest Board

Posted by ginac on February 17th, 2012

Check out some of the cool projects we’ve collected (from Spottybanana and beyond). We created a tidy Pinterest board for our reader’s convenience. What is Pinterest? If you don’t know, you should probably head over there now and find out about the fastest-growing social sharing site on the internet. If you know about Pinterest, head over there now and see what we’ve collected!

Make Things

Chipotle Commercial Leads to a Lifetime of Teachable Moments

Posted by ginac on February 15th, 2012

The real star at the Grammys this week wasn’t one of the performers. In true Super Bowl style, at least one of the commercials was just as significant as the main event. The restaurant chain Chipotle aired a 2 minute ad during the Grammys that, at least in my mind, blew away anything else from that evening.

The commercial shows a farmer progressing from a small, family farm to a large, commercial operation. Despite his success, the farmer sees how the animals are unhappy being confined in cages and pumped full of antibiotics and chemicals to get them to market faster. His conscience gets the better of him and he breaks down the huge commercial mega-farm to return to the old-fashioned way of raising food, humanely and sustainably.

The commercial itself is brilliantly designed with a “circle of life” theme. What goes around comes around, as they say, and when we provide responsible stewardship of the animals and the land, mother nature rewards us with wholesome, healthy food whose nutrient content outpaces that obtained from “progress” and commercial farming “success”. You may also notice the young baby in the beginning is the young adult at the end, and the farmer and his wife have gray hair after their awakening, a symbolic testament to their acquired wisdom.

The commercial meat industry needs to change; this Chipotle commercial makes that clear. But to be effective, this change cannot come from the top down, it needs to be a grass-roots movement based on a cascade of individual decisions. It’s about making lifestyle changes, one determined family at a time. Stop buying foods that are conventionally raised, because whether it’s produce, meat, or dairy, if the methods weren’t healthy for the plants or animals in question, they aren’t good for you either.

Teaching homesteading to your kids isn’t just for 4-H projects anymore, it’s fast becoming a necessary part of life. To provide healthy, affordable, and humanely-raised food to your family, one of the best options is to do it yourself. Every family can grow a percentage of their own food, whether it’s in a large backyard garden, several patio containers, or even a few plants strategically placed in a sunny window. Many of us can sustainably raise chickens, rabbits, or goats, and even those of us who can’t raise our own could learn to buy products from those who can, rather than from the big commercial farms. Buy local and do your part to starve the beast.

Kudos to Chipotle for their creative genius in smashing big agri-business while promoting such a serious, yet hopeful, message. Their commercial is a beautiful story of transformation, and yet a story of urgency and substance without a sugar-coating of fluff. Meat doesn’t come from the grocery store, kids. It comes from animals, who should be treated well and allowed to live in the environment, and eating the diet, that nature intended for them.

This is one of those life skills parents need to pass down to their children, and the ultimate in project-based learning. Incorporate your learning into living a healthier life, and teach your children to do the same. You don’t have to launch at light speed , but definitely start moving. Chipotle may not have coined the phrase themselves, but they’ve issued us a powerful reminder that, as farmers and consumers, we’ll reap what we sow.

About the author: Jennifer Needham, gardening geek and nutrition educator, is an eclectic homeschooling mom to 5 kids. Visit her blog here: Nutrition Education for Healthy Kids.

Call for Contributors

Posted by ginac on February 13th, 2012

Spottybanana is looking for a few good writers. Because we focus on child-led, project-based learning, we are seeking a few new voices that are similarly passionate about learning, especially non-traditional, informal, and eclectic learning methods. If you can say yes to at least three of the following, you should definitely apply:

1. Excellent writing – This is a must. An engaging and concise style is important. You should have outstanding grammar and spelling skills, too.

2. You are a parent. Having children definitely provides excellent insight into how to help kids learn. And since that is what SpottyBanana is about, you’ll get extra points just for being a Mom or Dad.

3. You have something that sets you apart from your peers. Maybe you weld metal sculptures, eat insects, or speak multiple languages. Interesting hobbies are a plus!

4. You are passionate about learning (not the same as education). We’re seeking new voices with opinions that lie way outside brick-and-mortar schooling. If this is you, share examples.

5. You have keen interest in global learning, social justice, empathy, or tolerance (share examples).

6. You can contribute at least one article per month.

7. You love technology, are a technologist or science geek, or have a college degree in a science discipline.

This is not a paid opportunity. However, it is a great way to get increased exposure for your writing. Each of your posts will contain your bio., a photo of yourself (optional), and a link to your blog or website. SpottyBanana will share articles on our social media channels and through email news updates.

How to Apply:

Send us an e-mail telling us why you’re a great addition to SpottyBanana. Include samples of your work and address at least three of the listed requirements above. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Apply

Nicholas Negroponte on Solve for X: Learning By Themselves

Posted by ginac on February 9th, 2012

Google’s new moonshot thinking initiative, Solve for X, is a TED-like big idea gathering where iconic thinkers’ talks are video recorded and shared freely online. Of particular interest is Nicholas Negroponte’s talk on tablet computing technology innovations that might revolutionize learning in the emerging world. Nicholas talks about amazing innovations for tablet devices. Someday soon, tablets will be waterproof, durable, have very low power consumption, novel new mesh networks for creating internet connectivity anywhere, and the ability for multiple tablet users near each other to create an ad hoc satellite antenna array. The best part is what Nicholas is doing with reading. If his bold experiment works, he’ll prove that children can teach themselves to read without classrooms, teachers, or even other literate people. If even some of these big ideas materialize, technology and out-of-the box thinking will democratize learning and disrupt the ‘big box’ approach much of the world now delivers in schools.

Solve for X

5 Tips for Preparing for Your Child for the Future

Posted by ginac on February 7th, 2012

Reading and math are important skills. Everyone might agree that they should be included in a learning plan. However, there are numerous ways to engage children in learning–not all of them geared with a look to the future. For example, learning to read is a milestone no matter how it is accomplished. But once it is accomplished, is it cherished and celebrated or checked-off on a long list of checkboxes our education system uses to measure success? Here are five tips for preparing learners to thrive in a global, connected future.

1. Encourage life-long learning. In the not-too-distant future, computers will change the way doctors treat patients. People will be connected to information about other people and places through wearable electronic devices embedded in clothing or accessories. Fossil fuels will be history and new sustainable technologies will power our world. These are just some of the changes that our children will face as they grow to adulthood. Are we preparing them for living in a connected, technology-centered existence? There isn’t a way to teach the math and physics of technologies yet undiscovered. In fact, it is highly possible that today’s physics is wrong. The best plan is to encourage children to relish learning. Worksheets, quizzes, and standardized tests are not effective tools here. Instead, empower children to follow individualized learning paths, support their needs for mentors, supplies, and resources, and celebrate engagement.

2. Embrace technology. Like it or not, society is becoming increasingly technological. Basic computing skills are not enough in a globally competitive marketplace. Emerging markets around the globe are innovating with mobile devices and reinventing banking systems, communication norms, and low-cost transportation solutions. Printed works will continue to diminish, new content, including college textbooks, may only be available digitally, and college courses may become something you do for a few hours per day on your iPhone. Most schools in the U.S. still ban mobile devices in classrooms, yet these are the most powerful and affordable learning tools on the planet.

3. Reward curiosity. Curiosity goes along with encouraging life-long learning. A child’s questions should never be dismissed as silly, inappropriate, or annoying. Instead, encourage questions, respect differing opinions, and reward curious behavior. Classrooms that reward compliance and order are killing curiosity. Curious minds solve problems, find innovative solutions, and question injustices.

4. Hack the world. The word ‘hack’ in this case means simply to modify or change. Encourage children to write their own endings to stories they enjoy. Help children modify their toys to make them more interesting. Build your own computer from spare parts. Install a small camera on a remote controlled helicopter and take photos from the air. Learn to make things from other things that might otherwise be discarded. Join a hackerspace in your community and learn basics of microcontrollers.

5. Embrace diversity. As technology brings communication tools within reach of more and more of the world, people around the world will continue to connect with each other for business, learning, and social interaction. Encourage tolerance, celebrate differences, embrace other religions, races, cultures and ethnicities. These are tools for global cooperation in science, the arts, and peace.

So, reading and math are important skills at the foundation of all learning. However, teaching them as opposed to fostering learning within and around them is short-sighted. Prepare children for the future by encouraging open-minded curiosity, providing plenty of opportunities for children to hack their learning landscape, and connecting and embracing the world’s amazing diversity.

Saylor Offers Free Online University-Level Courses For 13 Areas of Study

Posted by ginac on February 4th, 2012

You can gain University degree-equivalent knowledge in any of thirteen different areas of study. You won’t pay any money. You can study at your own pace and when and wherever you choose. Best of all, the textbooks that go with the courses are free and authored by university professors from around the world. The only thing you won’t get is a degree or certificate. But for an increasing number of learners around the world, that is OK.

Saylor is a 501(c) 3 non-profit institution whose mission is to give an alternative for those who are geographically or financially excluded from traditional higher education. Saylor now offers complete programs in thirteen areas of study, including Mathematics, Computer Science, Business Administration, Economics, History, and Psychology. Some of the courses within the areas of study are in various stages of completion, but most areas of study are well-developed. Completing any of these areas of study equates to earning a Bachelor degree in a university in the U.S.

According to Saylor,

We have developed a structured and intuitive format for content delivery and are working to find, develop, and organize the material a student needs to know to earn the equivalent of a degree in any of the top ten majors in the United States.

Although Saylor currently focuses on undergraduate college level areas of study, it intends on tackling primary, secondary, and post-graduate levels in the future. With this, home learners and unschoolers will likely have even more choices for quality learning. Perhaps Saylor and other open initiatives will encourage more parents globally to consider home learning or unschooling for their children instead of sending them to institutions. Like it or not, education is becoming increasingly democratized. Institutions and educators who cling to brick-and-mortar classrooms, printed curriculum material, and the associated bloated budgets (and fees) are going to find it increasingly difficult to attract the next generation of learners who enjoy free, high-quality learning on their own terms.

By Gina Clifford

Gina Clifford is the founder and publisher for SpottyBanana. She is a child-led, project-based learning advocate, an internet technologist, and a TEDx Organizer. Gina enjoys sharing learning resources, ideas, news, and voices that disrupt the status quo.

What Higher Education Can Learn From Video Games

Posted by ginac on February 2nd, 2012

Game-based learning motivates students both in and out of the classroom

Game-based learning is so effective because the actual progress built into any game is the actual lessonóbe it the skill and dexterity needed to shot a precise arrow to the knee of your opponent in Skyrim, or the strategy and technique needed to maneuver an aircraft during a Federal Aviation Administration flight simulation to train new pilots. The truth is when individuals are actually engaged, for example with a game they enjoy, their minds experience the self-fulfilling gratification of coming to understand how to succeed regardless of the gameís entertainment or real life learning value. This is much more effective when you compare it to memorizing facts in cheap textbooks.

The benefits of delivering game-based learning to educate college students or train employees for a new job are huge when you consider the following stats:

72% of U.S. households play computer games or video games on a daily basis
Approximately $25.1 billion was spent on video games, hardware and accessories in 2010
1 million+ subscribers spend approximately 23 hours a week playing World of Warcraft
Surprisingly, 42% of all game players are women so there is (almost) equal motivation from both sexes

What do these statistics from the Entertainment Software Association tell us? That we live in a world where all ages, sexes and races are willing and motivated to learn specific skills if we engage their problem-solving skills via a well-designed game rather than the same old lecture in a classroom. For example, game-based learning is now being taught to train:

Surgical students on proper laparoscopic techniques on virtual patients
Pilots in training via flight simulators until they are ready to fly real aircraft
New emergency responders to deal with callers under duress
Fire fighters and police in simulated hazardous or dangerous, life-threatening settings

A well-designed game or simulation can train an individual and arm them with the proper techniques for their job in a safe settingói.e., pilots can be trained via flight simulators until they are prepared to take on a test pilot (or modified aircraft) and then move on to a Boeing with passengers.

Why is game-based learning so effective?

Weíve all been there, an employee training program, a college lecture, or a workplace safety meeting where we’re simply not engaged and not really paying attention to the techniques. During times like these, true and effective learning, which is acquiring the problem-solving skills and techniques necessary to respond under pressure in a variety of situations, is never effective. Games, on the other hand, simulate teach one the skills they need to use in the face of a real challenge. Games teach:

Via interactive experiences that actively engage the learner in the learning process
By drawing us in to the virtual environment that look and feel familiar and relevant
By helping individuals see the connection between the learning experience and a present situation (e.g., be it by busting down walls with your Angry Birds slingshot or understanding how the skills you’re learning will translate into and improve your real-life job)
Practical skills in a cost-effective and low-risk environment (e.g., safety training using simulated crane machinery)
Learners to re-enact or practice a situation multiple times and exploring different actions and consequences to truly understand how tragedy occurs (i.e., a patient death during a surgical simulation) and how to successfully overcome it next time
Use the value of working toward a goal by challenging us to problem-solve, choose actions and face the consequences of our actions
By allowing us to make mistakes in a risk-free setting by learning through practice and experimentation
The practice of behaviors and problem-solving skills that translate from the game environment to real life

Compared to traditional, lecture approaches learning where students sit passively either in a classroom or training boardroom to learn the workplace procedures by memory without any real-life interaction; game-based learning lets individuals learn the facts by testing (via practice and failure) until we commit it, not only memory, but also understand the howís and whys of our success in a real-life situation.

by Brenda Ortega

Brenda Ortega works as both a substitute teacher, freelance writer and sometimes finds time to write her own blog The Educational Bar. She loves delving into the research side of writing, which mostly focuses on educational issues. She has written for a variety of material, giving tips for students on cutting university costs; to parents on saving money for your child’s education; and even hopes to help educate others with her learning enhancement-based topics.

Apps, Androids, iPads: Using Tablet Computers to Enhance Student Reading

Posted by ginac on February 1st, 2012

As tablet style computers become more common, it is necessary for educators to determine how best to use them in the classroom setting. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the unique advantages tablet-based educational applications (apps) offer in teaching children effective literacy skills. By making effective use of these new and interactive techniques, instructors can better help develop a child’s reading skills while assisting them in learning how to study independently.

For early readers, applications may involve reading while listening to the tablet read aloud. This has the advantage of allowing the student to have the book read to them at their own speed and time, while the instructor can work with other students. Android based applications like the NOOK Kids Read to Me, available for the Nook Color and Nook Tablet, can allow the instructor to avoid reading to the class as a whole, which often results in some students falling behind due to the lack of an individualized setting.

Beyond the simple use of read-aloud functions, tablet apps can allow a student to interactively explore the book, touching various icons and characters, which then react in a number of ways. An example of this would be the Pocket Phonics app for the iPad, which reads the word aloud and then lets the child select the correct letters, which correspond to the phonetic spelling of the word. For this, both speech and literacy are enhanced, allowing the child to progress independently, without requiring constant supervision, essentially allowing early readers access to an online school platform while the teacher tends to other students.

Tablet apps also allow visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners to more effectively achieve literacy skills. By allowing the student to touch a word, bringing up its definition and audio pronunciation, while also letting the student physically trace the letters on the tablet screen, differing types of individual learning styles can be accommodated. This interactivity can also adjust itself for differing stages of student development. A child who is just learning the sounds of letters can touch and trace the on-screen letters, while a student who has graduated to more advanced reading skills can use the same app to bring up the definition of the entire word, as well as hearing its pronunciation.

For the teacher, this allows the use of tablets to assist students to independently learn, freeing the teacher to focus on the most important aspects of teaching. Rather than whole class activities, such as read aloud sessions, which often fail to assist all students equally, the instructor can now focus on those students who are most in need of help. In addition, the interactive nature of many reading instruction apps can be used to effectively match themselves to the students’ level of competency, avoiding potential discouragement that could strike a student who is faced with work beyond his or her current competency.

The growth of tablet based education has dramatically expanded the options available to educators. By making use of the wide variety of literacy training apps available to the various types of tablets, an educator can effectively create a classroom environment that encourages independent learning activity on the part of the students. This can allow the teacher to more productively work with those students who need it most, without neglecting the other students thus improving the overall class productivity.

By Elaine Hirsch

Elaine Hirsch is kind of a jack-of-all-interests, from education and history to medicine and video games. This makes it difficult to choose just one life path, so she is currently working as a writer for various education-related sites and writing about all these things instead.