This blog is a place to share research, experiences and inspirations around teaching and the world of Early Childhood Education —which I believe includes just about anything and everything creative.

Archive for Inspiration

Why Teach Design Thinking?

Every now and then I have some time to browse through the numerous links that I have saved in my “play+design” folder. I don’t know how long this resource has been sitting there but I am happy to have become reacquainted with it, today.

“The information on this website is provided free to anyone interested in teaching children and young adults the creative and critical thinking skills they need to cope with any subject or situation.

Written by Dr. Charles Burnette, translated into Korean and edited by Yi Ji Hyun, the information on this website may not be revised or reproduced for sale without the written approval of the author, but may be freely copied and distributed if there is no cost to the recipient.”

In other words, SHARE!

Design thinking is multidisciplinary and applicable to any subject.
Design thinking may be applied by anyone to problems of any scope or scale, in any context, using any mode of thought, expression or action and any medium or discipline appropriate to the task at hand. Many different points of view are active during design thinking and any subject may be taught through a design project.

Design thinking integrates imagination and analytical thinking.
Design thinking fosters the exploration, and analysis of relevant information and its effective organization to establish ideas of value regarding a particular context. In contrast, rote learning is hard to remember and use because it has no motivating context of application. Design thinking also teaches how to cope with inadequate information, and uncertainty in order to achieve a goal.

Design thinking emphasizes constructive thinking over factual retention.
Because a design problem may have many different solutions, Design thinking requires ongoing definition, representation, and assessment. It is a continuous learning experience arising out of a need to obtain and correctly apply knowledge to achieve goals that may change as knowledge of the problem and its context is acquired.

Design thinking links information to experience and responsible action.
Design thinking organizes thought to empower effective action, and builds self-esteem and competence by requiring responsible performance in actual circumstances. Knowledge arises naturally from experience making it easier to understand, remember and apply.

Design thinking encourages objective assessment and values.
Design achievements are demonstrable and provide an objective basis for acquiring values. Success is understood through continuous evaluation of progress toward recognized goals and self-assessment is structured by the designer’s own efforts to achieve their goals.

Design thinking promotes cooperation, socialization and humanistic understanding.
Design thinking in groups encourages the development of different perspectives and social skills, including the ability to negotiate, communicate, follow, and lead. Children learn ethical and moral values by directly addressing human needs and desires and sharing their thoughts about what is appropriate and effective.

Design thinking promotes the development of knowledge through creative learning experiences that integrate all modes of intelligence and link learning to effective thought and action in the context experienced by the thinker. It involves consideration of people, resources, relationships, contexts, methods, values and knowledge. It calls on the humanities and the arts to express, communicate and situate ideas and to interpret potentials, on technology to implement them and on science to assess their outcomes. Education emphasizing Design thinking can produce an understanding of art, science, technology and the humanities that is integrated, interdisciplinary and humanistically focused. It can bring art education into contact with mainstream subjects, free technology from its obsolete framework in vocational and industrial arts, and put science to work in concert with the humanities.”

Discarded Toys

Interviews: Robert Bradford

“When and why did the idea first occur to you to take toys as your inspiration?

I began using toys as my central material about five years ago, it started in my studio in Cornwall and began simply from a few moments that I spent staring into into my childrens cast off toy boxes which happened to be stored there. I responded to the variety of colours and forms they presented, the random juxtapositions, and the non rational ‘meanings’ that those combinations started to take on My work over several years had usually incorporated elements from my immediate environment, everything from whole books magazines and twigs collaged into paintings t, scrap building timber furniture and tree waste into sculptures. There are many reasons for choosing scrap, the obvious first one being financial. I have always enjoyed working on a physically large scale, paintings that you could feel that you could enter, sculptures larger than life. For some time I was making pyrotechnical fire sculptures in parallel to the more permanent pieces so it would have been wasteful to use new flammables. I have always disliked the blandness of many traditional sculptural materials clay bronze stone plaster etc. I like materials that are more obviously malleable, that have already had a life, have been part of other peoples lives. To me the fact that these things have been used ,touched by humans for other reasons than making art automatically adds depth to the work by giving it a history both separate to the work and integrated within it. The toys are mini sculptures designed by uncredited people. It is both theft and accreditation.”

via The Cool Hunter

Film & Sound. Old School.

Norman McLaren was a poet, for whom images, color, sounds and music had special resonances which he was capable of exploring in their entire range and magnitude. Today, more than fifty films remain as evidence of his gifts.”

Watch both films and allow yourself to be equally amazed.

Cinema.

Making of…

*Norman McLaren film archive courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada

Anna Emilia

It has been 9 months since I returned to Paris – I have come to appreciate, more than ever, art + photography by those who live and are inspired by places in this world that are less inhabited by city folk – more natural, spacious and quiet.

A painting by me, a painting by the nature.

P.S. Anna has prints for sale in her shop

TEDX Next Generation

The internet+social media have saved the Gap from ugliness this past week and these presentations have reassured me that the power of the internet is being used for more than helping a brand save face. Remember the old saying (old show) ” Kids Are People To”? Well, TEDX NG is a great platform for reminding people of this, in some cases, proving it.

“August 28th, 2010, a dynamic group of teens presented their ideas for the future to an audience ready to be inspired at the first ever TEDxNextGenerationAsheville (TEDxNGA). This interactive, multi-media event at The Orange Peel in downtown Asheville was an opportunity for growth, learning and fun for our entire community and a springboard to action. Watch the videos now to experience the power of these young people’s passion and ideas”

“11 year-old Birke Baehr spoke about “What’s Wrong With Our Food System? And How Can We Make A Difference?” His talk has currently (on September 30th) been viewed over 104,000 times in the 1 short week that it has been online. The world is ready to listen to what youth have to say. We need to hear their wisdom.”

via playful learning + twitter

English Paper Piecing

One of many inspiring projects from The Workroom, a sewing and craft space in Toronto.

more photos here

August 31st…

It has been rather quiet around here, okay more like silent. The “quietness” is going to continue for about another week or so as I get myself organized (school starts this week) and our internet connection gets sorted. If you are on twitter, I will be posting random updates/photos via mobile phone here: @urbanpreschool

Below is a short list of blogs and websites that I visit frequently – people and organizations that I admire and look to for inspiration. Enjoy!

Bakers and Astronauts (Allie will be presenting at PechaKucha Night Brussels in September), 5x5x5creative, Atelierista-Anna, Turtlewings, Whole Education, Progressive ECE Blog, School within a School and Public Workshop

-> 40 minutes on the metro in the morning is a good thing with new posts by Atelierista-Anna

Living Architecture

Quand les ailes s’en mêlent… from Guillemette-Lanthiez on Vimeo.

I have fallen in love with the mobiles of Guillemette Lanthiez. She aspires to create living architecture with these mobiles – the ‘volume is light and the scenery of each place is emotionally charged’.

“Guillemette Lanthiez est architecte d’intérieur. Dès l’obtention de son diplôme de l’ESAG Penninghen en 2006, elle rejoint la maison Chanel et y affine son goût du travail minutieux où la qualité prime. Aujourd’hui Free-lance, elle poursuit sa collaboration avec Chanel ainsi qu’avec différents architectes. Elle fait également partie du groupe d’artistes “Manjari & partners”, un lieu d’échange et d’inspiration autour de l’image.

Elle aspire à créer une architecture vivante, ou les volumes et la lumière font de chaque lieu des décors chargés d’émotions, qui se transforment, se modulent et deviennent acteurs.

Le mobile c’est une fascination d’enfant que Guillemette poursuit dans l’age adulte. C’est un révélateur de la présence de nos corps, de notre souffle. Comme dans un jeu, son équilibre est sans cesse remis en cause. Destiné à un lieu spécifique, il lui donne une âme unique et insaisissable, en constante mutation.
Guillemette crée ces mobiles spécialement pour les lieux que vous aimez et les adapte à votre espace.”

via Emilie

Yarn Scraps

I am in constant dialogue with myself when it comes to storytelling – searching for new ways to engage children in language and the arts. Felt cut-outs and recycled cardboard are useful but at this stage in my teaching career, I feel the need to challenge myself to involve a more diverse range of materials within storytelling, for both myself and the children. I have always welcomed the use of whatever is available in the room or on the shelf closest to you when a child asks you to read a story but… my goal is to create a thoughtful collection, something more permanent. With an emphasis on reusing materials and objects that I already have within my home, I am determined to make props for each of the stories I have in my library before I head back to school September 1st.

This afternoon while browsing my inspiration folder, this photo by the talented Miss Yokoo has reminded me that no matter how fuzzy or twisty the scraps from these ‘homemade props’ may be, they are worth saving and sharing.

Art + Photo by Yokoo

I like the idea of art that is temporary; creating on a bare table top or a the edges of a bookshelf. If you do too, be sure to have adhesives and paper nearby – some children just aren’t willing to accept that their creations get picked up piece by piece and put back into a glass container for use another day.

Katie Salen: Learning With Games

A professor of design and technology at Parsons The New School for Design talks about the value of games and the empowerment of play.


Discussion Questions (edutopia.org)
1. What are the benefits of kids learrning to be designers?
2. Can games help kids build confidence? Why, or why not?
3. Is there educational value to video games? If so, share specific examples.
4. How can teachers and parents use the social nature of games to connect with kids?
5. How can games and game design principles be used in the larger curriculum, especially with assessment?

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