If you haven’t already, take a look at the calendar uploaded and photocopied earlier this week:
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This is a static, PDF version. The updated Google Doc file is here and in the menu to the right of this page.
The calendar gives details on how we’ll spend the rest of the first semester, breaking it up by three-week GAP period. We’re in the middle of a gestalt unit, and the calendar itself teaches you a bit about what that means. On October 16, we’ll shift to an umwelt unit, which is also explained in a bit of teaching done by the calendar itself.
This post is about the umwelt panel of your Q1 triptych. More specifically, it is about the classroom proper — the physical space of Room 210.
Crowd-Sourced Creative Clutter
Here is a photo of a makerspace in Ann Arbor, Michigan:
Click for an article about the space and the spaces it has inspired.
We’re looking for that kind of creative clutter. That’s the phrase we are going to lean on, because it invokes the image of a STEM makerspace. We need the Humanities equivalent of a bin of robot parts, a deconstructed computer tower, a shelf of power tools, and so on.
First, we have to establish that this isn’t the same thing as a typical English classroom. There, you’ll find student work on the walls, posters about reading, bookshelves filled with literature, inspirational quotations, and so on. Which is all great! We should have some of those elements in our makerspace, too. But it’s much less about showcasing student work, which will be part of long-term projects that have an audience bigger than just us and the classroom. And it’s a little less about celebrating literature, because we want to embrace the full scope and sequence of the Humanities.
Instead, it’s about the creative tools and modular components of the Humanities that we can use to transform ourselves and the world around us. It’s about hacking personal and interpersonal system. It’s definitely about hacking the way we learn and how we assess that learning.
That’s why we started with full-sized posters of all the Sisyphean High materials. They aren’t just posters; they have bins beneath them filled with actionable handouts that help us navigate the space. They are visual checkpoints for staying on task and being productive:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2HpaCWOlleySDNEZUlCWi0zQVE
We also have a bookshelf or two stacked with paper copies of the most important instructional posts, guides, and systems; a pair of whiteboards, which can be rolled around the room; moveable chairs and tables; and a Chromebit-enabled TV screen. It’s a good start.
What we need next are two categories of creative clutter:
- Actionable stuff that helps us make meaning in here
- Aesthetic stuff that helps us energize the environment
So we might order a copy of Ken Robinson’s TED Talk for the wall, and we might pull some Sisyphus-inspired symbolism from this video. I think an adaptation of Chad Fowler’s guide to empathy, which we’ll study in a few weeks, would make sense. We’ll certainly get the latest version of our writing system, bishop composition, on posters by the start of Q2.
Here are other possibilities:
We need to talk about how to use Pinterest for our learning, too. Consider making an account and talking to me about how to use it.
This push for creative clutter will be a formal-ish assignment soon, but you can start thinking about it now. What can we do with the space we have? What actionable stuff fits a makerspace as intended in here? Head back to the syllabus for some of the philosophy, and think about how the year has already been different for you. Then ask questions here, suggest ideas in the room, and find some time to brainstorm together about how to fill our space with creative clutter.
A Note on Motivation
Explicit in the language of the upper tier profile is the need to improve the learning environment. That includes, of course, all the collaborative work you do and the investment you make in the online and interstitial elements prepared for you. What this creative clutter concept offers is a way to improve the physical environment. The more you contribute to shaping that environment, the more evidence you have of improving that environment, which pushes you toward those top scores.
As always, I want to emphasize that there is nothing inherently wrong with motivating yourself extrinsically. You can do this because you want a higher grade. If that’s all that motivates you, it’s probably unsustainable; I think that we all need a balance, however, between doing things because they are inherently valuable and doing things because we will be rewarded. There is no ethical issue there.
In this case, for example, you will have evidence necessary for a higher profile if you contribute creative clutter to the classroom. That can motivate you just as much as the desire to make the classroom more galvanizing and comfortable for you and your peers. It can motivate you just as much as the desire to build something meaningful and unique.
One thing that surprised me initially was the picture of a makerspace provided at the top: it depicted a different aspect than the one I immediately think of. When I have organized myself in the past, I think about reducing the quantity of stuff around me- by sorting papers into folders and separating objects into labelled bins and that kind of thing. But reading posts like An Organizational Onus have made me realize that there is a lot more to organization than departmentalizing, because separating all the components of the makerspace to clear space will not help us organize our thoughts or our interstitial writing or our time, which are all aspects to organization that are just as important as organizing in the physical sense. Plus, don’t we want to get our hands dirty and lay all of the learning tools out on the table as we approach problems in a makerspace?
There is also the idea of using Pinterest. I see this as an opportunity to shape the classroom and the interstitial space so it works better for us; if Pinterest works, maybe that is how we have to store our ideas. Personally, I am not all that engaged with Pinterest, so I’m curious to see how it will work in here. I like the idea of contributing to the classroom environment physically as well as through our thoughts and ideas because it provides another way to design the process of learning in order to do the learning itself.
Finally, I would like to share a few thoughts on extrinsic motivation. Last year, I thought that being motivated by grades meant that the learning was corrupted in some sense. But that doesn’t make sense because regardless of why the process happened, it did- and if the learning is based on the process, that means the learning happened too. And to do the critical thinking and reflective writing and completion of assignments that are crucial to this course, we must produce evidence- we must produce something that can be used to justify a GAP score. This kind of thinking was a shift for me because I realized that just because there is any easy case to be made against grades does not mean that being motivated by grades is a bad thing, as long as we are motivated by learning the core skills and how to be better readers, writers and thinkers as well.
I wrote about this in my notes, but I just wanted to share an idea here to see how other people feel about it.
Where I work, we have a box for people to leave anonymous notes, praising other workers or nominating someone for the employee of the month. Some people struggle to recognize their strengths, let alone talk about them when self-assessing. I feel a box to anonymously leave notes praising other student’s work would be a good idea for the makerspace.
I really like the idea that Sasha said. I think that a box would really increase people’s confidence. A lot of people are nervous to share their work or talk about it with other people. But all they need is a little push sometimes and that is what this box would be, That push would be the notes in the box. Sometimes, just a little compliment about someone’s work could change their entire outlook on themselves and their writing. We want to do everything we can do make our peers feel this way and make this classroom a welcoming and interactive environment.
Sasha, I love this idea. It’s such a creative self esteem raiser, too.
I also like the idea that Sasha suggested because I feel it will give people more confidence in their work and make it easier for them to share and open up about it.
I think that this idea is a great way to make someones day, and all work places should have something like this. I think that it would be great, not only having to do with someones work ethic, but even qualities that they have as a person. A lot of people, including myself, admire other people’s qualities from a far, who they might not be friends with or even know personally, and will never actually tell the person face how much they admire that quality/feature about them.
Your peers are right: This is a really good idea. I’d like to see a physical box set up as soon as possible, so let’s work on it tomorrow. We can probably create a digital equivalent, too, through Google Forms. While we’re doing that, let’s think about how our version of an “employee of the month” would work to motivate you all without creating unhealthy competition, stress, etc.
Thanks for sharing this! Don’t let me forget to follow up — my brain is a bit porous these days, what with the small humans running around my house at all hours.
I really like this idea Sasha. By having the ability to praise one another without needing to stand up in class or even say something directly to them we are creating an environment that is comfortable but still yet effective. The praise will embrace postivity in the work environment with still allowing confidence to delevop in yourself if you are receiving the praise. People will be able to feel better about the work they have and not be so reserved on sharing it.
I think this is a great idea- I only have one concern. We would have to emphasize that praise would be directed towards students with an exemplary creative process, who enhance the learning environment, who exhibit the important traits behind this class NOT the students who end up with the best essay or presentation. If we were to emphasize the product instead of the process when submitting comments, it would defeat the purpose of that aspect of the course. That being said, I think that this is a great way to reward excellent work and in doing so, it would incentivize even better work, which is why this idea would be such a great way to energize the environment.
I think that Sasha was talking about the process, because praising someone or nominating them for employee of the month is not specific. Our peers would not praise the essays and pieces that we write, they would be praising us as individuals and our work ethic. Employee of the month does not mean that a person happened to make one amazing thing, it means that overall they have made a positive contribution to the class environment.
The idea of a helpful tip box would also encourage students to try new things, and sometimes fail which is the point of this class. There would be no punishment for failure, in fact, there would be a reward for trying things outside of your comfort zone. You can then use those failures in a positive way by warning students of what not to do, or what will help them succeed. Every experience, whether it be positive or negative, can and should be shared among students to ensure that everyone will be more wise.
Yes, I agree that praise should be for those who enhance the learning environment, however I also don’t think there’s any shame in saying someone wrote a really good essay or did a cool project every now and then, if you’re praising the process that was taken as well. I think being able to say whatever you feel like saying (as long as it’s positive) goes together with the anonymity factor. So I don’t think we should tell people that they can’t direct a message towards someone they feel created something interesting. An important part of the course is developing good skills in reading, writing, and critical thinking. However – I do agree the process is more important than the product, and we should, for the most part, emphasize the importance of the process.
Just like many others, I also think it is a great idea to include a box in our 36th physical chamber that people can deposit positive feedback into anonymously. This will make the environment more positive and motivating for everyone, especially those who need it most (whether they lack writing skills, determination, or self-esteem). I think that we should also include a box for people to include helpful tips that they want to share with others, so the entire class can benefit from their experiences. For example, I found that when I am writing long essays, I tend to drift off in the real world, or go off on a tangent while halfway through the piece. One way I can remedy this is by making sure I keep going back to one concise sentence that summarizes my piece (usually a thesis) to keep me focused and interested. These kinds of helpful tips could help someone who might be experiencing the same problems as you.
This is a really good idea Maria! Maybe these tips can even be posted around the classroom on the walls?
I like this idea Erin but I think it might defeat the purpose of anonymity. Perhaps we could collect suggestions using the box and then if you use someone’s tip, you could recommend that it be posted on the classroom wall.
I really do like Sasha’s idea of the box of the anonymous notes, and I think it will be very beneficial, and make our classes more of a community. However, I also do believe that Erin’s idea is good as well. I think we can do both the box and the wall. The people who want to remain anonymous can put the notes in the box, and the people who don’t mind not being anonymous can post the notes on the walls in the classroom. I think putting the notes all over the classroom will be kind of motivational for all of us, and help bring the classroom closer.
If the tips were put in the box anonymously, they would still remain anonymous when putting them up on the wall. If someone didn’t want their tip shard, they could simply write that on the piece of paper. I’m just kind of confused as to why you thought they couldn’t be anonymous by posting them on the wall?
I love sasha’s idea. Being able to praise other people while still being anonymous seems like an amazing idea. It keeps everyone comfortable but also gives people the positive feedback they need to keep doing what they’re doing.
I believe the best way to enhance this room’s environment right now is through the people. We all sit at the same tables with the same people every day in class, eyes glued to our chromebooks. I think creating a makerspace environment starts with the environment’s inhabitants. This class isn’t connected. Last year, we had group discussions all the time about things we have read either written by someone in the class or a separate author. Perhaps once a week we can try to do a group activity like this. I believe the physical changes to our makerspace will be ten times more effective if this class can connect better.
I love this idea, I have another class where we have discussions like this (typically about poetry) and from what I’ve seen it’s a great way to allow students to connect. We’ve had discussions that were originally intended to last one class, last a whole week of classes
I think so too! If the point of this course is collaboration, we should be trying to branch out to talk to other people who have different ideas. While this can happen somewhat interstitially like commenting here, I think it would be immeasurably better to engage in face-to-face conversations. I would love to hear other ideas about what these discussions could be about.
Put yourself in charge of this, not just in your class period, but overall. I can facilitate — even force the issue, if you think that’s necessary — but it’s always more effective when discussions are driven by students. That way, we lean into the individual aspects of the course without sacrificing the face-to-face collaboration that drives “the stuff of growth,” as Robinson calls it.
Start with the basics: how big you think discussions should be, how long, and where. We can use rooms in the iLC, in addition to moving furniture around in Room 210. Then focus on what you’d like to discuss. This week’s lessons will be online later today, so that’s obviously a possibility; the goal of an academic discussion is to answer big questions and explore important ideas, however, so you don’t need to wait for me to settle on a topic. The word itself, “academic,” comes from Akademos, which was the place where Plato taught his students. It’s about the place and the people, as always, and it’s encouraging that you’ve already sensed that.
I think this is a good idea Flo! It might be nice not to just sit with different people, but to sit in a different spot in the room. Maybe someone will be facing a different direction and see a poster in the room they never have recognized which could be helpful to them. I would also love to not only get feedback from different peers, but hear about their own pareto projects. I’ve taken a big interest in this project and would love to see what others are coming up with.
This is such a good idea!!
My room and this makerspace are more alike then I would have thought. The difference is the clothes that are scattered around my room. My room has books all over, lots of boxes full of work from previous years, a computer, pencils and pens, notebooks anywhere to write whatever I’m thinking, and things I can toy around with while I think (bouncy balls, soft footballs, etc.) My mom thinks its messy, but I feel it is a great place to work on anything from creative writing to schoolwork. In our classroom, I think the amount of collegiality we have is great, and I love asking people about how they like my writing and discussing the writing of others. However, I do agree with Florence, because I think branching out and speaking to others would do nothing but improve our writing more. By improving this, I feel like we can become closer as a class, learn a lot about each other, and make all of our writing better. We as students will be motivated to improve ourselves, not just motivated to get good grades.
I completely agree with Flo’s idea about having group discussion. I think group discussion are a huge part of classes especially ones such as ours. Since our class is predominately self-driven I think a group discussion would allow everyone to see how each student has taken on the task of responsibility in this class. This will benefit everyone because you will be able to see new ways of trying to learn intersistially. Maybe the way you are handling the class right now is not working, so if you learn others actions and how they handle it you can use them to help you. Since collaboration is also a huge part of this space I think we need to interact with people outside of our usual table. I can only see beneficial effects of getting even more point of views and interpretations of the material.
I like this idea because group discussion are helpful and will help people so much.
I agree!
Like Jane, I think using pinterest would be a great platform to share ideas. Since I use pinterest in my personal life, would I need to create a separate account for our makerspace if this is a platform we decide to use? I love Sasha’s Idea of a compliment box, and I agree with florence that the class needs to collaborate as a whole and not just with their individual tables. Maybe a conversation at the beginning or middle of the week to share our progress would work well? Or maybe several days a week we can quickly go around the room stating where we’re at and any ideas we have? Maybe a combination of both? Also, in terms of “aesthetic stuff that helps us energize the environment”, I was thinking more colorful posters, personal photographs on a bulletin board (like we do in Mrs. Lievals class), some christmas lights to brighten up the area, and some plants? What does everyone else think?
I personally have worked in a maker space environment before, and understand how you are shaping our classroom towards that environment. The environment I was in was sort of like an organized clutter. Many projects were going on at the the same time independent of one another, which I feel like is what our class will be like when doing our Pareto projects. In addition, just like in the picture there were many things lying around. I have always liked the layout of maker space environments because if I was stumped on something to do, I could just scan the room and there was a very good chance that something would catch my eye and I would begin doing that. If that is what the classroom is moving towards, I feel that it will truly help some of us work with even less required direction by a teacher than before.
Aesthetically, there are numerous posters that can be put up. Regarding actionable stuff, I think the current makerspace already includes pretty much everything we need to be successful in the course. The only thing I can think of is maybe have mini whiteboards for every table so that each group can share their thoughts. It would also make it easier for the people at tables further away from the big whiteboards to teach each other.
I like the ideas that Sasha and Flo shared. I feel these ideas will enhance our learning environment in the classroom and make us interact more with each other.
I really enjoy the mood of the classes, so far and how we all want to enhance our class environment and our confidence levels. Sasha and Flo orchestrated creative ideas, I love them. I was speaking with Flo and we came up with an Agenda to have a class discussion, the first one possibly pertaining to our pareto projects. I think just having a class discussion once a week or every other week could be fun and interactive yet relaxing.
I completely agree that this class discussion should be implemented into every class at least once every two weeks. It will help us use the physical chamber more effectively by taking what we did interstitially and discussing it. Every week I reflect on this class in a metacognition notebook which helps me get all of my thoughts out onto paper. During one of these class discussions I would love to discuss what I wrote (quickly) in order to share with my class what worked, and didn’t work for me each week and how I’ve grown.
I agree with the ideas in this article and I think that organization is a huge part of doing well not only in school, but in life. Knowing where your materials are and feeling put together not only makes you feel better, but conserves time and makes life easier. I think posters on the wall are helpful because sitting in a classroom with completely plain walls is boring and creates a jail like atmosphere.
Maybe we can spend a class period where we all get together and come up with ideas for posters to put around the room, and even make some of our own.