Nikhil Goyal: "Why Kids Hate School?" @ TEDxBFS (2012)

At the age of 19, activist and author Nikhil Goyal (@nikhilgoya_l) has accomplished no small amount.  An activist and champion of self-directed learning, Goyal has spoken at Google (@google), MIT (@MIT), Yale (@Yale), Stanford (@Stanford), and the University of Cambridge (@Cambridge_Uni).  He has appeared on various news stations, has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and has even authored the book One Size Does Not Fit All:  A Student's Assessment of School.  In this #TED Talk delivered at the Brooklyn Free School (#TEDxBFS) in 2012, Goyal begins by speaking about the shortcomings of school.  Although he is perhaps too strident and jumps from topic to topic using quotes, he does offer an organic vision of education that considers not only educators, administrators, and parents but also students themselves as its policymakers.

'Education is a process of living, not a preparation for future living.'  Let me say that one more time.  'Education is a process of living, not a preparation for future living.'  ... Because we have to get over this notion of education prep and move to life prep.  We have to create an educational society where learning is democratized and where kids are natural learners.  Where we're tinkering with the world.  Where they're changing things, they're pushing the human race forward.
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Around the world today we're watching millions of young people that are under the age of twenty-five collectively protest for self-expression, transparency, and the sweet taste of freedom.  What we're doing to them is we're not giving them a voice.  We're not letting them speak out.  We're putting them on the sidelines.  What I like to say about public education is that we have 'the kids table' and we have 'the adults table.'  At the adults table, that's where all the decisions are made.  It's like Thanksgiving; we're separated.  And really, that's how it is.  We need to have one table where we have kids and adults.  What we offer, most importantly, kids, is a fresh perspective.

Thoughts? Please post in the comments section below.

Khaled: Alisa Kwitney &​ Graphic Novel Writing

To hone his writing abilities as he generates content for his graphic novel, Khaled (known as "K.") has enlisted Kildonan's Literature teacher Alisa Kwitney (@akwitney) as his advisor.  Kwitney is no newcomer to the genre.  Author of more than six books, former full editor at Vertigo (@vertigo_comics), and former editor at DC Comics (@DCComics), Kwitney continues to maintain an active presence in the world of comics and graphic novels even today.  She approaches her professional relationship with K. with an indefatigable sense of humor and a stress upon endurance.  No less importantly, she has given K. a new framework in which to write.  Below she discusses the mindset with which a writer must approach that structure:

When you're writing a comic book script, you're writing with a very specific reader in mind -- the artist. The artist is your first and probably your most careful reader, because she or he will have to go back over your panel descriptions again and again. Your artist will have to study your words until he or she sees them from all angles and can draw them on the page. So, in order to write well for the artist, the writer has to become the artist.

Before his advisorship with Ms. Kwitney, K. composed his graphic novel using typical prose.  His narrative consisted of long, descriptive paragraphs that encouraged the reader to generate, in his/​her mind's eye, every image.  Since his working relationship with Ms. Kwitney, however, K. has learned that images place certain constraints upon his writing, for better and for worse.  He has abandoned his uninterrupted prose for an organizer that allows him to think in shots, in panels, and in pages (not unlike a cinematographer).

Those panels that an audience finds visually stimulating are quite surprising.  A panel in which a character walks down the street or engages in a prolonged car chase is frozen (unlike in a movie).  The image, despite its narrative potential, is unexciting for its repetitious visuals.  A panel in which a character busts through a wall executes an abrupt action that does not repeat.  The image is exciting AND possesses narrative potential.  Ultimately, K. continues to experiment with this "visual writing" by playing with silences.  He is starting to explore what an image can say without the accompaniment of words.

What do you think? Do you have a suggestion or question for K.? Please post in the comments section below.

Description of 1st image:  Alisa Kwitney, pictured.  Image located at www.alisakwitney.com.  Kildonan and its IP program claim no ownership over the above photo.

Description of 2nd image:  A draft of a comic book in-progress.  Image located at www.wikihow.com.  Kildonan and its IP program claim no ownership over the above photo.

Marcus: The Oculus Rift

Ever the game aficionado, Marcus has been exploring innovative elements of gaming.  He is currently developing a biometric experiment that he hopes to commence in the near future.  He has also begun to explore cutting edge gaming devices.  Of those that he has researched, no competitor currently bests the Oculus Rift (@oculus_rift).

Developed by Oculus VR (@oculus), the Oculus Rift (OR) is essentially a virtual reality (VR) device that a gamer can wear on his/​her head.  According to the Oculus VR website, the OR achieves impressively realistic vision, in part, by directing one image to both eyes simultaneously.  A gamer is also able to enjoy "360° head tracking, allowing you to seamlessly look around the virtual world just as you would in real life. Every subtle movement of your head is tracked in real time creating a natural and intuitive experience."  Gamers have heretofore been able to control a camera angle/​point-of-view (POV) only using a control stick or a mouse.  With the OR, these same users can turn their heads and expand their field of view much as they would in real life. (For a clip showing a gamer use the Oculus Rift with Minecraft, please see below).

This device has been something of a Holy Grail (or pipe dream) in the gaming industry for years.  Now that it is here, it opens up possibilities for increasingly immersive gaming experiences.  But...what else might it do? Might a therapist repurpose it to provide targeted desensitization therapy? Might the Armed Forces use it to develop tolerance of stress and pain? The opportunities are endless.
And Marcus agrees.  He believes the OR to hold such potential that he purchased the device himself.  Kildonan's tech expert, Mr. Stark, felt similarly; for its educational promise in teaching game design and digital literacy, he bought two.

Have a comment about the OR? Please post in the comments section below.

Description of 1st image:  A user wearing the Oculus Rift.  Picture located at www.oculusrift.com/rift/.  Kildonan and its IP program claim no ownership over the above photo.

Sam Chaltain: "The Art (&​ Science) of Great Teaching" @ TEDxYouthBFS

 
Former educator, writer, and education activist, Sam Chaltain (@samchaltain) partners with schools and school districts "to help them create healthy, high-functioning learning environments" (passages taken from URL of Chaltain's talk).  In this #TED Talk delivered at the Brooklyn Free School (#TEDxBFS) in 2012, Chaltain highlights the recent changes to education and advocates the need for balance:  between teacher and student, art and science, and - most fundamentally - between understandings and applications of freedom.

...the biologists are telling us that life - whether it's an ecosystem or a public school system - is best organized by principles of ecology, not hierarchy.  The quantum physicists would tell us that change - whether it's a human being or a sub-atomic particle - is best understood by principles of relationship, not force.  And we should take heed that freedom - whether it's a teacher or a student - is best unleashed through simple, shared structures, not unbounded prairies.  This is the lesson that exists for all of us.  This is what the natural world reminds of us every day.  This is what Dewey was urging us to think about one hundred years ago.  And this is our road map forward:  art and science, individual freedom and group structure.

What did you think? Please post in the comments section below.

Jonathan: Alejandro Cartagena &​ Snow Series

Though he does not like to admit this himself, IP has changed Jonathan.  Although he began the year uncertainly, skimming the surface of various topics and feeling unsure of how he might direct his focus, he has gradually become a veritable workhorse.  Having carved out a corner niche for himself in the upstairs studio, he spends most of his time taking new photos, combing through them using a television positioned on his worktable, and manipulating the photos' finer details using Adobe Photoshop.

Currently, Jonathan is working on two projects.  First, he has found a new mentor in Alejandro Cartagena.  Born in the Dominican Republic and now working in Monterrey, Mexico, Cartagena creates photography series that "employ landscape and portraiture as a means to examine social, urban and environmental issues. His work has been exhibited internationally and is in the collections of several museums..." (passages taken from the Bio of Alejandro Cartagena's website).  Jonathan finds himself particularly fascinated with Cartagena's Carpoolers series.  While analyzing the photo at right, for instance, he noted an interesting contrast:  American pedestrians would suffer a ticket if they hitched a ride in the back of a truck, while for Mexican residents, this practice is a normal and accepted part of life.  Jonathan is engaging Cartagena's work not only on an artistic but also on a cultural level.

Jonathan has also capitalized upon the many snowstorms still sweeping through the Hudson Valley by developing a photography series focusing on snow.  During the past several closures, Kildonan community members have frequently seen Jonathan scaling snow drifts for the perfect shot, a scarf wrapped protectively around his camera.  His photos are evocative of rich textures and the muffled stillness of a storm.  Those that resonate most with me, however, succeed for their peculiar capacity to capture the paradox that is Nature:  its orderliness and chaos, its wildness and delicate beauty.

What are your thoughts? Do you have insights on Cartagena or Jonathan's snow series? If so, please post in the comments section below.

Description of 1st image:  Two pieces within Cartagena's Carpoolers series.  Photo located at inhabit.com.  Kildonan and its IP program claim now ownership over the above graphic.

Description of 2nd and 3rd image:  Original images belonging to Jonathan E.'s "Snow" series.

Rachel Smith: "Drawing in class" @ TEDxUFM (2012)

Senior Consultant and the Director of Digital Facilitation Services for The Grove Consultants Internationa in San Francisco," Rachel Smith is a visual facilitator, has led her own graphic design company, and continues to explore the intersection of education and technology (passages taken from the description of Smith's TEDx Talk).  As such, she proposes that visual note-taking - a record system consisting of pictures in addition to words - is an important learning tool...not for dyslexic students but for all children.  Smith elaborates upon her thoughts in a talk given at TEDxUFM (@TEDxUFM) called "Drawing in class":

Visual note-taking opens the door for more playful connections between information, for students to use their imaginations in an activity that can often be very passive (note-taking).  It also helps students to create a personal visual memory aid that they can study from later, that they can look at and [use to] tell themselves the story again.  When a teacher is teaching, what they're doing, really, is telling a story about something they're passionate about.  And when a student takes visual notes, what they're doing is making that story visible.

We're going to go over three simple steps that will get you set on this road, get you started.  And the first one is to choose a tool that works for you.  The second one is to start building up that mental library of images (that I talked about).  And the third one is to really practice listening and capturing the key points.

When you've done visual notes, the way that you tell if you did it right is if you can look at your notes and tell back the story that you heard from that speaker.  Then you did it right.  There's all there is to it.  There's no more than that.  Can you look at it and recall the story?

What do you think? Do you employ visual note-taking? Please post in the comments section below.

Description of 1st image:  A sample of Rachel Smith's visual note-taking strategies.  Photo located at nsanc.org.  Kildonan and its IP program claim no ownership over this picture.

Sugata Mitra: "School in the Cloud: What Happened after TED Prize 2013" @ TEDxUFM

Two years ago, Professor of Educational Technology at the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences (@secls) at Newcastle University (@StudentsNCL) Sugata Mitra (@Sugatam) won the 2013 TED Prize.  In the following @TEDxUFM Talk (delivered at Universidad Francisco Marroquín, Guatemala), Mitra speaks about the progress he has made over the past two years:  "I made a project for TED. ... I would build seven laboratories, seven learning laboratories.  Five of them would be in India, and two of them would be in England."  His insights remain provocative, and his passion for self-directed learning proves as infectious as ever.

Well, there are reports from all around the world that children are not asking questions to people.  Or at least if they have to ask a question to a person, they do that after they have asked their phones.  Children don't want to learn how to multiply, divide, add, and subtract because they say they already know how to do that.  It's done with phones.  Children don't want to particularly learn to read because they say there are things that can read out things to them even if they don't know how to read.  At the moment, they don't like to write by hand because they want to know why they should learn to write by hand.  Will ever do it in the rest of their lives? So what happens in a world where reading, writing, and arithmetic are treated in such a cavalier manner?

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In Killingworth, this is a room:  it just looks like a nice lounge with computers and an XBox (@XBox)  And the teachers, when I built it, they said, 'Sugata, this is a bit too much.  Do you have any idea of what they will do with that XBox? They will do nothing else except play with the XBox.'  So I said, 'Well, that's our challenge, isn't it?' If you've gone in there to teach Geography and the students are playing with the XBox, it means that Geography is more boring than the XBox.  Then we should re-look at Geography, chuck it from the curriculum, or put it into the XBox.  Somehow.

Description of the 1st image:  Mitra's SOLE learning laboratory in Killingworth, England.  Photo located at blog.ted.com.  Kildonan and its IP program claim no ownership over the above image.

For a post discussing Mitra's "The child-driven education," please click here.

For a post discussing Mitra's "Build a School in the Cloud," please click here.

"The NAMM Show," by Trey

Three weeks ago, Trey traveled to Anaheim, CA for the 2015 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show (@NAMM, @NAMMShow, #NAMM, #NAMM2015).  He reflects upon his experiences below (using his own words):

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The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) held its annual convention in Anaheim, CA, from January 22-25. It is a huge trade show where companies that sell music equipment showcase their latest and greatest products. This was my second year attending. I couldn't wait to see what was in store for this year’s show.

This year provided me an opportunity to reconnect with Robb from Auralex (@Auralex). Robb is a friend of the Kildonan School.  His company donated the sound panels that I installed on campus last year.  It was great to see him again, and I was able to tell him about my plans to attend Full Sail University (@FullSail).  He was excited and encouraged me to stay in touch.
 
Walking through the aisles of the convention hall, you experience very talented musicians demonstrating wonderful pieces of equipment.

The drum sets, for instance, were breathtaking. My favorite was the Neil Peart up-coming Touring Drum Set that was displayed. (Here’s a shout-out to Emily’s dad who might be a bigger Rush (@rushtheband) fan than myself.)

Saturday morning was a dream come true for me. I was seated in Row 11 for the Steve Wozniak (@stevewoz) presentation. He was very entertaining when talking about his past experiences, and he offered very thought-provoking ideas about the future of technology. I found it interesting that he believes we are limited in the next step towards new technology.  However, I believe that he is from an older generation. After all, the room was full of young music enthusiasts, techno geeks who have many ideas for the future swirling in their heads and the determination to make them a reality.

One of the highlights of the show was catching up with David Rosenthal, the Keyboardist and Musical Director for Billy Joel (@billyjoel). He welcomed me with open arms.  He spoke with me for a while and invited me to stay for a minute because he was going to play some different genres of music. He laid down some classical music and a mix of Billy Joel tunes and The Root Beer Rag.  It was quite an experience.

I made many connections and I am sure I will meet many of my NAMM friends again at Full Sail University!

Description of images:  All photos were taken by Trey on-site at the 2015 NAMM Show.

Tim: Steve Jobs &​ the Ethics of Technology

Ever the savvy technology expert, Tim continues to research drones and game design.  He has begun to complement these explorations, too, by considering the ethics of technology.  This discipline concerns itself with the ethical (or moral) considerations of implementing technology in our modern age.

Tim possesses opinions that are threefold.  First, he sides with the late Steve Jobs, American entrepreneur, marketer, and inventor as well as the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc.  Jobs differentiates between animals and humans in his Steve Jobs on Bicycle (see below), specifically by citing a study that measures the "efficiency of locomotion" of various animals traveling across a flat plane from Point A to Point B.  In this experiment, researchers concluded that the human cannot measure up as a rival to other animals such as the condor.  However, when the researchers then evaluated a human riding on a bicycle, they compiled data measurements that significantly dwarfed all other organisms previously measured.  After reading this research, Jobs concluded that human beings are essentially tool builders; they compensate for natural/​biological weaknesses with the materials that they create.

But Tim goes on to extend Jobs's thinking into a two-pronged critique our culture.  He argues, on one hand, that militaries may wish to curb innovation for innovation's sake due to the risk of reverse engineering.  If they launch drones without comprehensive research into drone defense, for instance, cultural enemies may seize the equipment and use them for counter-measures.  On the other hand, he argues that humans, although they utilize technology, occasionally do not experiment with this equipment to the best of their ability.  This implicit fear hinders humanity; it retards what otherwise could amount to exponential progress and growth, forcing us instead to repeatedly re-hash the same trying problems.  In this scenario, human risk a vicious circle and a technological gap:  a dissonance between our technological capabilities and the technology that we realize and produce.

What do you think of Tim's reasoning? Do you have feedback or a source that he should explore? Please post in the comments section below.

Description of 1st image:  A computer-generated representation of the ethnics of technology and transhumanism.  Photo located at abc.net.au.  Kildonan and its IP program claim now ownership over the above graphic.

Piterson: Aquarium Management &​ "The Sunny"

Piterson has been developing lines of inquiry that allow him to explore two separate interests.  On one hand, he continues to research personal training.  He has completed work on a wooden representation of the human leg, and now he is beginning to craft the ankle and the foot.

On the other hand, Piterson is researching aquarium management and freshwater fish.  Earlier this year, he proposed that the IP community take advantage of an abandoned tank located on-campus and bring some fish to the building.  The IP team consented, and not long afterward, Piterson transported various aquarium equipment to his corner niche:  a tank, a filter, an oxygenator/​air pump, etc.  He then returned from an hour of fishing with several freshwater sunfish.  Most of these proved too big for the tank, but one found it a perfect fit:  "The Sunny."

The IP community has lovingly adopted "The Sunny" as a kind of mascot for the program (which begs the question:  between our Blogtopuses and "The Sunny," might the IP community be fascinated or even obsessed with marine life?).  And yet, though several iPeople and IP advisers assist in caring for the fish, no one has taken greater care of "The Sunny" than Piterson.  He has performed a staggering number of tasks to ensure a quality life for the animal.  He is regularly replacing the water and applying algicide so as to ensure that the living environment is clean.  He feeds "The Sunny" multiple times a day using earthworms, meal worms, and minnows, and he directs a close eye toward the quality of the filter, on the biological aesthetic of the tank, and on the oxygenation and temperature of the water.  With the assistance of other iPeople, he even nurtured "The Sunny" back to health after a misfeeding AND rescued three other fish:  two goldfish and an Oscar.

And how has he done this? He has researched the biological facts of the sunfish:  its lifespan, its diet, the ideal temperature of the water that it inhabits, the flora typically found in its natural habitat, aquarium management, proper filter and air pump maintenance, and bait companies.  No less importantly, he approaches "The Sunny" not only with an intellectual eye but with a refined compassion and humanitarian concern.

What do you think of Piterson's second branch in IP? Do you have any advice for him? Please post in the comments section below.

Description of 1st image:  "The Sunny," as photographed on January 28, 2015.  Photo taken by Mr. Jonathan Bisson.

Description of 2nd image:  A freshwater sunfish.  Photo located at www.freshwater-fishing-news.com.  Kildonan and its IP program claim no ownership over this picture.

Misha: Summer Internships

Determined to earn hands-on experience in real estate and business, Misha is researching programs and internships for the coming summer.  Here are some options that he is considering:

- Summerfuel (@summerfuel).  A pre-college program providing various "personalized adventures for students," Summerfuel offers a particularly exciting opportunity:  Social Entrepreneurship (passages taken from the organization's About Us).  Hosted on the campuses of Stanford University (@Stanford) and Yale University (@Yale), this program introduces "high school students to the cross-disciplinary skills necessary to build effective and efficient business-based solutions to social problems" (passages taken from the Read More).  More specifically, participants "work to develop and implement comprehensive social ventures, from research to operational logistics, marketing, financing and sustainability.  [They] will have opportunities to implement and measure the impact of key pieces of their plans, practicing key presentation and leadership skills along the way."

- The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (@Wharton).  A dynamic business institution since 1881, Wharton offers an intriguing pre-college program named the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Program.  Hosted on the University of Pennsylvania campus, LEAD offers thirty students across the nation the opportunity to "attend lectures by distinguished Wharton School faculty and visiting corporate executives," to "engage in challenging team-based assignments" and to "visit corporations and institutions in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and New York City" (passages taken from The LEAD Program at Wharton).  Enrolled students are also able to network with corporate executives and enjoy various social and cultural activities.

- Marist College (@Marist).  A private four-year institution boasting a reputation as one of the nation's "Best 237 Business Schools" (per the Princeton Review), Marist offers a competitive option for Misha:  the Summer Business Institute.  Hosted for two weeks on Marist's Poughkeepsie, NY campus, this program "introduces students to the world of business and the practice of management" (passages taken from Summer Business Institute).  Students study areas such as the "dynamic world of business, the nature of managerial work, the history of managerial thought," and they receive three college-transferable credits in business.

Misha is diligently preparing his letter to Marist's program, but...which one will he ultimately choose? If you have any advice for him, or if you would recommend any other program not listed above, please post in the comments section below.

Description of 1st image:  Three students enrolled in the Social Entrepreneurship program at Stanford.  Photo added to Pinterest by Jocelyn Su.  Kildonan and its IP program claim no ownership over this picture.

Description of 2nd image:  LEAD at Wharton - Class of 2014, pictured above.  Photo located at www.wharton.upenn.edu.  Kildonan and its IP program claim no ownership over this picture.

Description of 3rd image:  A student attending Marist's Summer Business Institute.  Photo located at www.marist.edu.  Kildonan and its IP program claim no ownership over this picture.

Ned: Repurposing a Truck

After months of patient waiting and research, Ned finally located and purchased a suitable truck.  He has recently begun to apply his knowledge of automotive studies by repurposing the vehicle.  Here are the specs on the truck, affirmed by Ned himself:

The truck is a 1983 C10 Chevy Scottsdale Stepside with 5.0 L V8 engine (brown).  It was used as a scrap truck for a garage in South Norwalk, CT.  The vehicle "runs like a Swiss watch"; there are no significant problems affecting it, the frame is perfect, and everything - on the whole - is solid.

Toward what end is Ned repurposing this truck? He reports that he will restore it halfway and then customize it with a - 2.5 in. drop on the front and a - 4.0 in. drop on the back.  He also plans to increase the horsepower from 305 to 440.  He wishes to replace the rims with a straight black or gun metal set, and he will apply a new color (once he weeds through the myriad of choices that await him).  Overall, he states, he wants to transform the vehicle into a genuine muscle truck.

Ned conducts this work every school day.  After checking in with the IP team, he works throughout the morning with the Maintenance Crew to refurbish the bed, run stress and exhaust tests, etc.  When he is not actively working on the truck, Ned pours over automotive catalogs in search of parts and otherwise continues to explore automotive studies (by reading Stephen King's Christine, for instance).

               

What do you think? Do you have a recommendation for Ned or a question that you would like to ask? Please post in the comments section below.

Description of images:  All photos taken by Ned on site with the Maintenance Crew.