This book has been cooking a long time, fueled by our belief that many schools are heading away from what real learning looks like – projects that are student-centered, hands-on, and authentic. But there is a technology revolution out there that has the potential to change that. New materials and technology can be game-changers: things like 3D printing, microcomputers like Raspberry Pi and Arduino, sensors and interfaces that connect the physical world to the digital, and programming. At the same time, a vibrant “maker movement” is spreading worldwide, encouraging people to make, tinker, and share technology and craft.

Invent To Learn is for educators who want to learn about these new technologies and how they can work in real classrooms. But it’s not just about “stuff” – we explore teaching, learning, and how to shape the learning environment. By combining the maker ethos with what we know about how children really learn, we can create classrooms that are alive with creativity and “objects to think with” that will permanently change education.

Student leadership
One chapter of Invent To Learn is about how learning by doing also gives students a chance to become leaders in their schools and communities. Giving students access to modern creativity tools and technology is not about “jobs of the future,” it’s about real learning NOW.

Making for every classroom budget
Even if you don’t have access to expensive (but increasingly affordable) hardware, every classroom can become a makerspace where kids and teachers learn together through direct experience with an assortment of high and low-tech materials. The potential range, breadth, power, complexity and beauty of projects has never been greater thanks to the amazing new tools, materials, ingenuity and playfulness you will encounter in this book.

Check the Invent To Learn website for information on getting the print or Kindle version of the book, and also about professional development for your district.

Sylvia

Find out more about Oba Ambassadors, or contact us to learn how you could have your own custom student Ambassador program to support your online or blended learning initiative!

Sylvia (email me at sylvia at genyes dot org)

Alliance College-Ready Public School Student Technology Leaders collaborating to assess projects completed by their peers. Photo credit: Courtesy of Alliance College Ready Public Schools

Edutopia: Can PBL Help Pave the Way to College Success?

In this article by Suzie Boss, Edutopia explores research underway that asks if student leadership, technology, and project-based learning can better prepare students to stay in college.

In high-poverty neighborhoods of Los Angeles, students attending Alliance College-Ready Public Schools have good reason to be hopeful about life after high school. This network of 21 public charters has sent more than 95 percent of its graduates on to college since it was founded in 2004. But we all know that getting into college isn’t the finish line. “What does it take to stay in college? What does a student really need to know to be college-and-career ready?” asks Toria Williams, director of innovation and technology for the Alliance. “That’s an ongoing conversation here.”

Some of the answers about college readiness may soon emerge from an initiative called College YES. Funded by a five-year, Investing in Innovation (i3) grant, College YES emphasizes project-based learning, student leadership, STEM education, and technology integration as building blocks of student success. Generation YES, a nonprofit that encourages students to take a lead on improving their own education through technology, is partnering with the Alliance to implement College YES. To track results, Gen YES has introduced a technology platform that’s custom-made for PBL.

This custom platform, TechYES, is something that we have been working on for quite a while. It complements the way students and teachers really work on projects. This project-based learning environment includes lesson planning, customizable rubrics, student portfolio space, and a three phase assessment built in. It also allows teachers and students to align projects to the Common Core and ISTE NETs standards for technology.

>> Read more about College YES on Edutopia
>> Visit TechYES and explore what project-based learning looks like

Sylvia

There’s nothing more exciting than seeing students step up and hit a home run when presenting, and there’s nothing more excruciating than watching the slow-motion train wreck of a bad presentation by young people who are clearly unprepared or uninterested.

Here are some tips to have the “home run” presenting experience instead of the “train wreck”! (By the way, authentic student voice doesn’t mean they don’t need adult help.)

Ten Tips for Coaching Student Presenters

1. Make it personal. Have each student tell their own story from their own perspective. It will be more engaging than a generic presentation of what the whole group did.
2. KISS. Edit down to the essentials. As you practice, help them edit their story down to the essential points. Stick to a 5 minute rule – no one person should talk for more than 5 minutes at a time. Break up the presentation with videos or demonstrations.
3. Practice, but not too much. Practice out loud in front of other students or teachers if possible. Try not to over-practice; it will sound forced and boring.
4. Memorize the opening line. Practice the first line until they can do it in their sleep.
5. Don’t use a script. Even a memorized script will sound stilted.
6. Try it without notes. It’s a crutch that can be more of a distraction than a help.
7. Look at the audience, not the screen. Don’t stare at or read from the screen, it disconnects the speaker from the audience.
8. Timing is everything. Agree on a “secret signal” that means wrap it up. Practice this so they learn to complete a thought without stopping mid-sentence. Explain that you will interrupt their presentation if they go on too long.
9. Audiences may behave badly. One very odd thing about conferences is that people may get up and leave in the middle of a session. This is normal – don’t take it personally. Be sure to warn students.
10. Be authentic. Some people are serious, some are born game show hosts. Let them be who they are, use their own words, and show their own personalities.
11. Rules are made to be broken. If you have one (or more!) exceptionally articulate students, give them more time, but make sure they can stick to the essential message of the presentation.

For more tips, check out this PDF – Sharing Student Voice: Students Presenting at Conferences (PDF). It also covers:

• Balancing the needs of the audience with the needs of students
• Research on student voice, 21st Century skills and student empowerment
• How to plan and submit sessions with student presenters
• Maintaining student ownership and authentic student voice
• Logistics tips for bigger conferences and exhibit halls
• The role of the teacher

Let’s get out there and share!

Sylvia

Two infographics below with primary and secondary results – these are large files, so why not make a poster! And ask your students what their top ten are to compare.

Sylvia

The Adobe Foundation invites you to participate in the second Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards, a global online youth media competition showcasing creative and socially-conscious media from youth ages 13–19.

This media festival seeks to recognize outstanding creative projects that demonstrate imagination and expression along with an evident motivation for social change.

Also announcing, for the first time ever, Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards has partnered with UNICEF to provide the opportunity to implement active change in communities worldwide. The Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards will supply three youth-led projects with grants totaling $90,000 to support their initiatives.

First submission deadline for any media created between 2010–2012 will be February 22, 2013. All submissions created after January 2013 must be submitted by April 19, 2013.

Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards

What I tried to do is make the case for:

1. Projects not just for younger students, but all ages.
2. Projects as a way to allow multiple problem-solving and mastery styles.
3. Playing the “Whole Game” (from Making Learning Whole: How Seven Principles of Teaching Can Transform Education by David Perkins)
4. Why technology has changed the design process, with an overview of the move from sequential design to spiral design methods.
5. How computers support spiral design and also different problem solving styles and mastery styles.
6. How spiral design can be adapted to the classroom and why it is so appropriate for children.
7. Why all of this is important in the real world and jobs of today.
8. How students can play a role in all of this, not just as objects to be changed, or workers, but as participants and co-creators of knowledge.
9. How doing so actually supports teachers as they change to a more student-centered, project-based classroom structure.

I think I tried to put too much into the hour, but I’m so excited by all of these ideas and how computers can be used to really engage and inspire young people to do work that is powerful and meaningful.

Sylvia

A modern learning environment should reflect everything we know about building a community, developing young people, and providing a healthy environment for human beings. We know that people, no matter their age, feel better and are more productive in spaces that are comfortable, clean, and suited to their individual needs. When leaders make these choices — in fact, insist on them — it shows respect for the people who inhabit them.

If we take the time, we can structure learning environments that meet all the needs of children and the adults who teach them. Yes, of course they should be safe, secure, and healthy. But we can go further. We can make these spaces more flexible so that the inhabitants have control over aspects that matter to them. We can make them quieter, calmer, and more comfortable. Most of all, we can use design to improve learning opportunities for everyone.

Prakash Nair, a futurist, planner, and architect with Fielding Nair International, a leading architectural firm specializing in school design, says, “Rather than simply be invested in short-term fixes, any new support for school facilities that districts receive should go to develop tomorrow’s facilities as infrastructure responses to an educational philosophy—one whose goal is not to control students, but to empower them to take charge of their own learning.”

We can build spaces that diminish the distinction between the “control spaces” – such as teacher desks, podiums, projection screens, and the “controlled spaces” – student desks facing the front, electronics that are not controlled by the user, locked thermostats, loud bells and intercoms that interrupt at will, etc.

We can give design projects large and small over to students. Why can’t students help design a new classroom, community space, or play space? But this can’t just be an imaginary project, some generic “school of the future.” Why can’t they do it with their real environments?

This creates natural collaboration opportunities with peers and experts of all sorts, provides challenges at many levels, and, best of all, is really useful. Giving students this kind of responsibility creates a win-win situation where students are valued for their expertise and hard work – real, needed work!

All of this has to do with respect:

• Respect for the inhabitants by flexibly addressing needs of mind, body, and soul
• Respect for the community by designing a welcoming space that lives in harmony with its surroundings
• Respect for the communal and the individual
• Respect for nature by creating sustainable, green spaces
• Respect for learning and the importance school has for our community, nation, and world
• Respect for tradition balanced with respect for progress and new ideas
• Respect and celebration of all aspects of the human spirit that education aspires to. Learning is not just about math or taking spelling tests. The goal of education should be that art and science flourish together, so that young people can imagine and become their best selves.

This sense of respect, belonging, and shared responsibility is the essence of citizenship and leadership. When we show young people that we care about them, we communicate that what they do matters and is valued by the whole community. Respect for others, communicated through the design of educational spaces is leadership that can change lives and make the world a better place.

Sylvia

Sylvia Martinez is President of Generation YES. Prior to joining this non-profit, she was VP of Development at Encore Software, a publisher of game and educational software on PC, Internet, and console platforms. For seven years, she was also the executive producer at Davidson & Associates/Knowledge Adventure, an educational software developer.

Martinez has an M.A. in Educational Technology from Pepperdine University, and a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles.

WashingtonExec got the chance to speak with Martinez about her role at Generation Yes, how to get involved, the future STEM holds, and more.

WashingtonExec: What is your background and how did you get involved in STEM?

Sylvia Martinez: I have an electrical engineering degree and worked in aerospace on the GPS satellite navigation system development right out of college. After I had children, I became interested in using computers in education. I got a masters in education, then worked as an executive producer for Davidson & Associates, of MathBlaster software fame and other software and console game publishers.

WashingtonExec: Please describe your day to day responsibilities at Generation Yes.

Sylvia Martinez: Generation YES is a non-profit with a mission to empower young people to make a difference by using technology in education. We have curriculum and online tools that help teachers and students collaborate to use technology in the classroom. As president, I speak, write, and evangelize about our mission. It encompasses product development, PR, marketing, development, grant writing, and working with educators all across the US.

WashingtonExec: The U.S. is not turning out the engineering students that we need to in order to compete as an innovative country. Why is this issue so important to you?

Sylvia Martinez: For me personally, becoming an engineer was the intellectual turning point in my life. I was always good at math and science in school, but learning to solve real problems that could make the world a better place meant that I could make a difference. I want everyone to have that feeling.

Children need to have those powerful experiences at all ages, to prove to themselves that their ideas are valuable and can turn into positive action. Those experiences are key to innovation.

WashingtonExec: What’s your view to get more parents involved in STEM?

Sylvia Martinez: I think schools need to be more open to the whole community, not only parents. We need children and parents to see that science is around them everyday. STEM isn’t worksheet problems or vocabulary words.

WashingtonExec: What are some simple ways to get their kids more involved in STEM at an early age?

Sylvia Martinez: Parents can seek out experiences where their kids get to make and do things. The Maker movement has exploded recently. Get a copy of Geek Dad or Geek Mom and make something with your kids–anything from cooking and sewing to building a fort. Sometimes moms do not realize that the crafts they do have terrific STEM connections. The act of making something reinforces learning, and also teaches habits of persistence, willingness to “have a go”, and mindfulness. Parents should not accept schools where science and math only happen on paper and are only measured with multiple-choice tests.

WashingtonExec: What’s the best STEM success case study/project that you have been personally involved in?

Sylvia Martinez: For the past 5 years I’ve been on the faculty of Constructing Modern Knowledge, a summer institute for teachers. Every year we bring amazing resources like Legos, robotics, wearable computers, and more for teachers to play with and learn to use. Many teachers are a bit unsure of themselves as scientists and it’s crucial that they have experiences just like ones that are good for kids. Every year, teachers amaze themselves with the projects they do in a few short days. Our graduates report this changes the way they teach and that to me is a huge success.

WashingtonExec: What’s the future of STEM? How can other like-minded people get involved?

Sylvia Martinez: I am hopeful that students will get more hands on, experiential learning, with modern materials and more engaging projects. I also hope that we can empower younger students to experiment with the digital world. So much is possible these days with very inexpensive microcomputers, 3D printing, robots, and other fascinating technology.

However, I worry that the US is too focused on test scores and simple standardized assessment. The future will be about who can be creative and innovative, not who gets the best test scores.

People need to speak out about what’s important for education. We need all kids to have access to engaging, experiential learning opportunities, not just test prep.

WashingtonExec: What blogs/resources are useful to check out?

Sylvia Martinez: I post a lot of resources on our Generation YES blog http://blog.genyes.org and there is more information about the Constructing Modern Knowledge summer institute at http://www.constructingmodernknowledge.com. Our website http://www.genyes.org has many free resources such as how to start a student-run “Genius Bar” at your school. We hope that people take these ideas and work with students to make them happen. It’s only by working collaboratively with young people that education will improve and move forward.

Like Generation YES, YATST engages young people in leadership roles with a focus on creating models and evaluation studies to show what active youth involvement looks like. There are real gems in here for anyone looking for startup advice on creating a youth-adult partnership on any topic. One of the many noteworthy ideas – ask students AND adults about the impact of educational initiatives.

Honestly, it’s tough to convey how much support these programs need – it sounds so easy, yet it’s a profound change in attitudes and relationships. It’s also tempting to soft-sell the work required because if you make things sound difficult, people won’t try it at all. But like YATST, we here at Generation YES are doing our best to spread the gospel worldwide.

So please read on for Helen Bettie and download the study (PDF) for some great advice -

Sylvia

The “Youth and Adults Transforming Schools Together” Vermont initiative has accrued five years of experience in guiding the work of school youth-adult teams engaged in participatory action research to increase engagement in learning. The organization has evolved from the four original pilot schools to 11 member schools, ranging from one to four years of on-going commitment to this work. YATST provides the training and support to facilitate transformation spearheaded by these youth-adult teams, continually fine-tuning tools and strategies to guide this complex endeavor.

Dr. Dana Mitra conducted a comprehensive 2011-12 year-end evaluation (download PDF), assessing the following areas:

1. Fidelity to the YATST theory of change
2. Training and support for participants
3. Longitudinal understanding of the YATST group life cycle
4. Outcomes
5. Sustainability and scale

In the course of her research, Dr. Mitra and her research assistant Catharine Biddle, interviewed nine principals and 14 YATST lead teachers, reviewed over 150 documents and attended a three day summer orientation for YATST teams. She also interviewed several key staff members from the Vermont Department of Education. This research suggests that YATST is on the right path:

“”Few models of youth-adult partnership exist in the United States and of these, YATST has one of the most sophisticated visions of this work…The strengths of the YATST program include a clearly articulated theory of change, strong support for relevant skill-development that is differentiated for participating youth and adults, as well as a reflective, research driven organizational culture….The forms of technical assistance provided by YATST staff are highly sophisticated and a model nationally and beyond for how to provide support to a youth-adult partnership process. ” (p. 1-3).

While Dana focused primarily on adult perspectives of the YATST experience, Dr. Dick Corbett explored the experiences of students on YATST teams by interviewing a sampling of 18-20 team members from four different YATST schools, for each of the past two years. His report summarized:

1. How and why students joined YATST
2. The evolution of student empowerment
3. Student reflections on their impact on school change
4. Reflections on the implications of “theories of action” within YATST schools

Dr. Corbett’s conclusions were similarly encouraging:

“To say that the students had found their voices would be an understatement; the second section describes an evolution into empowerment that appeared to surpass simply being confident with sharing opinions and facilitating discussions. The students entirely expected to make a difference, especially because all of them had had firsthand experiences with provoking thought among their peers and instructors”. (p. 1)

Both reports also delve into the challenges of this work. How do we engage and sustain a truly heterogeneous mix of students in this work, reaching out to those most disenfranchised? How do we institutionalize these youth-adult teams so that they are not marginalized or vulnerable to administrative shifts or re-prioritizing? How do we document the subtle markers of change when provoking a youth-adult learning partnership paradigm shift? What can be done to sustain team commitment in the face of the sometimes “glacial” pace of school change?

-Helen Bettie, YATST

Download the evaluation (PDF)