Wonder, Create and Take Action With Tech

Purpose & objective

Educational Challenge: How do we foster creativity and a sense of wonder in students with limited time and resources? We start with being creative and wondering ourselves. Then, by bringing in tools and resources that support student choice, voice, wonder, and creativity, students begin to take an active role in their learning.

Objectives:

Participants will be able to:
• Infuse creative opportunities through technology into their daily instruction.
• Actively engage in creative strategies, working within parameters.
• Identify tools appropriate to subject, age, and context to inspire wonder, spark creativity, and encourage action.
• Reflect on and share ways to take action around what they have learned.

Success criteria: participants will feel excited and empowered to apply what they have learned in their schools and share their own work with others.

Model:
The model employed in this workshop has three simple components: Curiosity, Wonder, and Action. While introducing participants to resources and tools to incorporate these pillars into the classroom, the workshop is structured according to the pillars.
The start and end of the workshop are bookended with creativity exercises, the middle involves sparking wonder through the exploration of tools and resources, and action is addressed through reflection and sharing of how to apply what was learned during the workshop. It is fast-paced and highly interactive but also allows for time to slow down and create.

Tools:
Collaboration method- Google Jamboard (one for each pillar to collect reflections and applications)
Tool dashboard will be created using google docs for easy access to tools/resources that can be used for each of the three pillars.

Wonder tools/resources may include:
Project Noah (https://www.projectnoah.org/),
Popplet (https://www.popplet.com/)
podcasts for kids, (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/the-best-podcasts-for-kids)
www.Belouga.org
Dollar Street (https://www.gapminder.org/dollar-street

Creativity tools/resources may include:
Storybird (https://storybird.com/ )
book creator (https://bookcreator.com/)
canva (https://www.canva.com/education/)
fanschool (https://go.fan.school/schools)
sutori (https://www.sutori.com/en/teachers)
buncee (https://app.edu.buncee.com/)
weebly (https://education.weebly.com/ed-features.php)
Sound Trap/ Garage Band
WeVideo

Action tools/resources may include:
book creator (https://bookcreator.com/)
buncee (https://app.edu.buncee.com/)
Dollar Street (https://www.gapminder.org/dollar-street
SDG collaboration projects (this will depend on what is active at the time) but similar to the global write and climate action project.
Global Lighthouse Studios (http://www.globallighthousestudios.org/)

Outline

Introduction & Creativity Exercise (10 minutes)
The session will open with a short creativity exercise to help get participants into a creative mindset. This exercise will be something participants can use in their classrooms. Participants will have the option to complete the exercise digitally or in analog format.

Wonder Dashboard
For each ten-minute section, participants will have a chance to explore some resources or tools related to each of the three pillars. The start of each small section will include an introduction to each pillar and time to choose 1-2 of the linked resources to dive into further. While they are doing this, they will be adding to a collaborative jamboard that will be accessible after the presentation.
Tools and Resources for Creativity (10 minutes)
Tools and Resources for Wonder (10 minutes)
Tools and Resources for Action (10 minutes)

Action Reflection & Creativity Exercise (10 minutes)
Participants will reflect and share in their chosen medium about the tools and resources shared. What is one thing you will take with you from today’s workshop? (or similar reflective exercise)

The session will end with another short digital creativity exercise. Participants will be encouraged to share their final product with a wider audience whether it is on social media or the person sitting next to them.

Supporting research

• Sir Ken Robinson’s research on creativity particularly this tedtalk: https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare
• A Creativity Conundrum: Can Schools Teach Students to Innovate? https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/a-creativity-conundrum-can-schools-teach-students-to-innovate/2020/02
• Austin Kleon’s website and blackout poetry https://austinkleon.com/category/newspaper-blackout-poems/
• Why are School Buses Always Yellow? By John Barell (teaching inquiry K-8)
• Factfulness by Hans Rosling (global statistics)
• https://www.gapminder.org/dollar-street