Yesterday, we had a Employees Assembly after faculty. The main target of the assembly was on math, which is all the time fascinating to me in my present place as a Studying Specialist, because it’s actually the one topic that I don’t train. We began with a warm-up exercise although, which brought on me to mirror greater than I assumed.
This exercise was finished with directors in the course of the P/VP Studying Time the day earlier than. In small teams, we got straws and Play-Doh together with this problem.
Speaking as a gaggle, we determined to begin by making a triangular-based pyramid and a triangular prism, after which constructing our tower from that. We obtained began on the primary two 3-D figures, however rapidly bumped into an issue: the Play-Doh was too delicate! My teammates met with extra success than I did. Irrespective of how a lot or how little Play-Doh I used, I couldn’t even get two straws to stay collectively.
- I persevered.
- I began once more.
- I diversified my quantity of Play-Doh, however principally all that I did was smash bunches of straws.
At this level, I put down the straws and Play-Doh and took a while to simply watch my teammates. Some might need stated that I gave up. Possibly I did, however primarily based on what occurred subsequent, I’m calling this “considering time” as a substitute.
When the 3-D figures that my two teammates created additionally collapsed, I re-read the directions. Maintain on a minute: did we have to use the straws and Play-Doh to construct the 3-D figures, or may we create the 3-D figures out of Play-Doh solely, after which use the straws to construct a tower popping out of them? That is the place math and literacy intersect. Primarily based on the directions, we may do that.
My group was on-board. One group member steered that we may use the additional Play-Doh to create spheres to carry the straws collectively. Sure!! The Play-Doh was nonetheless actually delicate, and our tower was not that tall nor did it keep standing for lengthy, however with a large enough base, it did handle to face up proper for lengthy sufficient to be judged. Wanting round, we truly might need ended up with the tallest tower.
What’s the lesson right here?
This expertise obtained me considering loads about college students and inventive downside fixing. It could have been straightforward for all of us to stroll away from this problem. We would have liked to assume in another way to construct this tower, after which we would have liked to construct off of one another’s concepts and work as a group, to create the absolute best construction. I’m left questioning how we will present college students with extra of those productive battle alternatives, and the way we will mannequin for college students how we interact in a few of these experiences ourselves. Ideas? A problem may be nice, and a few assume time, a brand new perspective, and a few final minute downside fixing, may be great too!
Aviva