- Imagine—Start with an idea.
- Create—Build something based on that idea.
- Play—Test and tinker until you feel reasonably satisfied.
- Share—Show someone else, see what they think.
- Reflect—Consider what you've done, decide what to do next.
These steps are repeated as reflection leads to new ideas for extending or refining what has already been done. Learning builds on learning in an iterative cycle.
Initially, I thought about how these steps described the way in which my children learned as homeschoolers. I provided them with a rich environment (art supplies, building blocks, dress-up clothes—various materials that didn’t “over-constrain” or “over-determine,” to use Resnick’s words), and I could hardly stop them from imagining, creating, and playing. They invented worlds, wrote plays, and designed experiments. They eagerly shared what they were doing with friends and family. By the time they were school-age, they began teaming up with other homeschoolers to work on projects for science fairs or to explore their options on field trips. Discussing what they were doing and revising as they went along was a natural part of the learning process for them. They didn’t know what it was like to be told not to share their work with others, and they weren't afraid to try and fail (and try again) because there were no grades to worry about.
Initially, I thought about how these steps described the way in which my children learned as homeschoolers. I provided them with a rich environment (art supplies, building blocks, dress-up clothes—various materials that didn’t “over-constrain” or “over-determine,” to use Resnick’s words), and I could hardly stop them from imagining, creating, and playing. They invented worlds, wrote plays, and designed experiments. They eagerly shared what they were doing with friends and family. By the time they were school-age, they began teaming up with other homeschoolers to work on projects for science fairs or to explore their options on field trips. Discussing what they were doing and revising as they went along was a natural part of the learning process for them. They didn’t know what it was like to be told not to share their work with others, and they weren't afraid to try and fail (and try again) because there were no grades to worry about.
Then, I had a different but related idea. How might these stages apply to the way teachers plan their classes?
As one of my classmates in the course pointed out, software developers sometimes use an iterative cycle, or "Agile Method," to design, build and test new software. Instead of defining an exhaustive set of all requirements, documenting them all in great detail, fully implementing them, and then—at the very end of the long cycle—testing the final product (which by that time may or may not meet changing customer needs), the Agile Method builds incrementally, testing and refining along the way. Thus, there are more opportunities for "playing," "sharing," and "reflecting."
As one of my classmates in the course pointed out, software developers sometimes use an iterative cycle, or "Agile Method," to design, build and test new software. Instead of defining an exhaustive set of all requirements, documenting them all in great detail, fully implementing them, and then—at the very end of the long cycle—testing the final product (which by that time may or may not meet changing customer needs), the Agile Method builds incrementally, testing and refining along the way. Thus, there are more opportunities for "playing," "sharing," and "reflecting."
Similarly, what if curriculum was designed in a more flexible, modular way? Teachers could began with an overall framework, a general sense of what the course would cover, but the exact details could be developed during the year with input from the students. Maybe this wouldn't be practical for a teacher with many students in many classes, but for a home educator, it works like a charm. I can begin the year knowing that I want to put together a course in physics, for example. I set aside a month or so for concentrating on electricity and magnetism. I don't have to insist that my kids learn how electricity works by following a prescribed set of weekly lesson plans. From one week to the next, we can choose from many options (labs, books, online simulations, science museums)—whatever helps them to "imagine, create, play, share and reflect." Perhaps one of my kids finds all she needs to know in the library; another diagrams circuits; another decides to build a computer. In the end, they all understand the fundamentals of how electricity works and, more importantly, how it is useful to them.
My longterm goal is to help my kids to think like scientists and gain an appreciation for science at a deeper level than they would if they simply memorized a disconnected bunch of meaningless facts. If the freedom to choose how they learn helps them to own what they learn, then I feel it's worth the effort to involve them in the planning stages.
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