Good Teaching and Learning Can be summed up
in the Book: Thirteen Thinking Tools from the Most Creative People
as identified by the research of Michele and Robert Root-Bernstein
The 13 thinking tools are:
Observing, Imaging, Abstracting, Recognizing Patterns, Forming Patterns, Analogizing, Body Thinking, Empathizing, Dimensional Thinking, Modeling, Playing, Transforming, Synthesizing
I am an interdisciplinary educator by training who went to art school to understand the connections between disciplines and methodologies. Polymaths are thinkers who cross disciplines and develop fluency in many different areas that allow them to make breakthroughs in ways others can't. We need more polymaths in the world.
Research Inspired Teaching
All of the work posted in this online forum comes from my active classroom and is strongly influenced by the research done by Robert and Michelle Root-Bernstein. These two scholars have documented clear connections between the disciplines of art and science and the disciplines that are connected to these two main areas of study. Their research shows that in-order for our society to develop more broad minded thinkers that are able to achieve success in their disciplines or in other interdisciplinary areas of study they need opportunities to practice a variety of types of thinking. In their book Sparks of Genius. The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World’s Most Creative People (1999), they describe numerous examples of how famous and non-famous scientists excel in their area of research by practicing all or most of the following types of thinking: observing, imaging and visualization, abstracting, pattern recognition and pattern invention, analogizing, dimensional thinking, modeling, body or kinesthetic thinking, manual dexterity, familiarity with tools, transforming data into visual or graphical forms, converting theories into mechanical procedures, understanding data and experiments kinesthetically and empathetically (SEAD: White Paper).
The lessons and projects included in this blog are examples of applying this research to my everyday science teaching. This blog started as a way to start describing the many layers to what I teach on a day to day basis.
Interdisciplinary EDUCATION IS.....
Traveling abroad naturally expands a person’s perspective of themselves as the world around them changes. New foods, sounds, smells and experiences constantly remind students that they are in a new land with new customs and norms. The senior class has traveled to such places as Spain, Italy, Eastern Europe, Greece, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and beyond. The senior seminar experience is rigorous and immersive. Students begin the year by learning about the science, history, art, and literature of the place they will travel to. This epic field trip will help them choose their interdisciplinary capstone topic which will lead to deep research, a 12 page paper, a 20 min presentation and a hand-built 3D artifact of their research. Learning this way is deliberate and mindfully crafted. AIM Academy believes that each student can rise to the expectations placed upon them with a wide variety of opportunities for success. Check out the AIM website for more information about the details of the Senior Seminar learning experience.
GLOBAL EDUCATION PROJECTS: LITER OF LIGHT
Students at AIM Academy learned about sustainable development and the simple ways they can provide marginalized communities worldwide with a brighter future as they build solar lights with the founder of the international non-profit organization Liter of Light.
The grass-roots non-profit is seeking to raise awareness for sustainable development issues by teaching others how to build solar lights as a solution to energy poverty. This project is directly aligned with the Oxfam Global Matrices.
The poster below was presented at the 2015 ISTE Conference in Philadelphia, PA.
The poster essential explains three projects that taught students science and technology through using Makey Makey Circuit Boards, Underwater Robots and Arduino Boards to create bioluminescent robots.
three STEAM projects
Underwater Robots
Using SeaPerch materials, lessons and direction, the lessons I created focused on the design and building process involved in building and underwater robot. Students first learned about deep sea research and the scientists that build underwater submersibles that carry sensors and travel to the sea floor. NOAA Underwater submersibles
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/technology/subs/subs.html
http://www.seaperch.org
Bioluminescent Robots
Inspired by the Make Magazine coffee bot robot found o the website below, students in the Design Science Lab Class made bioluminescent robots that either away from light or ran towards light. This is a departure from how organisms in nature make their own light but overall, students learned a lot about both nature and how to make a robot. Using arduino circuit boards and a bit of coding, students made coffee can robots that resembled organisms.
check out the original idea at http://makezine.com/projects/make-34/coffee-bots/
Music Trees
The quick description is that students were given the task of creating a hand made tree that made music. We had makey makey boards available to use and garage band within our mac computers. We downloaded an Arduino code and changed a few things within the code in order to repurpose the back side of the makey makey board.
http://www.makeymakey.com/
Makey Makey Music Trees
This is a brief overview of a very successful collaborative project that took place between two very different schools.
Music Trees: The Lesson
AHC Publications
● Cline, A. 2018 Global Thread Report for AIM Academy, June 5, 2018.
● Cline, A. 2017 Global Thread Report for AIM Academy, June 2, 2017.
● Cline, A., ExCite Center Drexel University STEAM Educ Workshop, Interdisciplinary Education: Merging Disciplines and Methodologies For the Sake of Cognition. February 20, 2017.
● Cline, A. Thinking Across Hemispheres. Clot Magazine. London, Sept 7, 2016.
● Cline, A., R. Ervin, S. Chinosi. Learning Science through building and programming circuit boards. International Society for Technology in Education, Philadelphia, PA. June 28, 2015.
● Cline, A. When Science Meets Art. Clot Magazine. London, April 15, 2015.
● Herman, C., A. Cline, S. Braccia, M. Dunn, A. Gubanich. Another way: Doing it differently at AIM. Partnership for 21st Century Skills Summit, Washington, DC. March 26 and 27, 2015.
● Cline, A. University of the Arts Alumni Workshop Speaker Series. Designing the Microscopic World: Connecting students and scientists through art and Art and science of the sea floor. April 12, 2014.
● Cline, A., T. Moore. Humans and the ocean are inextricably connected. New England Ocean Science Education Collaborative: Ocean Literacy Summit Woods Hole, MA. November 7, 2014.
● Cline, A.; Moore, T. S.; Design science meets ocean science: Engaging challenging learning with innovative projects while collaborating with an ocean scientist. (Abstract ID: 16698) ASLO Ocean Sciences Meeting, February 23-28, 2014.
● Cline, A. Examples of Teaching and Learning through the STEAM lens. January 24, 2014
● Cline, A., P. Chick, K. Young. Art and Ocean Science: Using art to teach ocean science topics to formal and informal audiences. National Science Teachers Association Meeting, Philadelphia, PA. March 18-20, 2010.
● Cline, A., A. deCharon, Scientist Educator Partnerships to Enhance Rural Ocean Literacy. National Science Teachers Association Meeting, Philadelphia, PA. March 18-20, 2010
● Cline, A. H., T. S. Moore, D. Grant, S. Carroll, S. Comstock, K. Fitz-Randolph, V. Macoy, C. Nylen. Bringing ocean science research to the middle school classroom. Ocean Sciences Meeting, Orlando, FL. March 3-7, 2008.
● Cline, A., A. Adamek, N. Wolff, S. Ryan and J. Levin. The Changing Ocean: On-line Tools for Teaching Ocean Science. National Marine Educators Association Meeting, Portland, ME. July 25, 2007. Lessons can be viewed at http://research.usm.maine.edu/gulfofmaine-census/education/tools-resources/onlin e-lesson-plans
● Cline, A., D. Blaha. Earth Exploration Toolbook Chapter, When is Dinner Served? Predicting the Spring Phytoplankton Bloom in the Gulf of Maine. November, 2007. Online lesson can be viewed at http://serc.carleton.edu/eet/phytoplankton/
● Cline, A., R. Morrison, P. Chick, T. Kent, D. Goodwin, J. Smith, K. Donahue. Seasons of the sea: An ocean observing informal education exhibit at the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, NH. American Society for Limnology and Oceanography Session CS09 Abstract ID: 241, Santa Fe, February 7, 2007. http://www.cooa.unh.edu/presentations/ASLO_SSC_Exhibit.pdf
● Cline, A., T. Moore, J. Salisbury, J. Pringle, and A. Plagge. UNH GIS Day 2006 Posters showcasing research going on inside OPAL and the UNH Coastal Observing Center. Nov. 2006 http://www.cooa.unh.edu/GIS/GIS2006.jsp
● Ecosystem relationships in the Gulf of Maine — Combined expert knowledge of fishermen and scientists, NAMA Collaborative Report 1: 1-16, Aug. 2006. http://www.cooa.unh.edu/pdf/NAMA_ecosystem_project.pdf
● Cline, A., J. Campbell, R. Morrison, D. Blaha. Preparing Educators with Practical Science: Ocean Observing in the Classroom, MTS/IEEE Oceans 2005. http://www.ocean.us/system/files?file=5Data_in_Ed-ClinePaper.pdf.
● Integrated Ocean Observing System-Coastal Observing System and Education Workshop Report: Promoting Lifelong Ocean Education, Using the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) to Shape Tomorrows Earth’s Stewards and the Science Technology Workforce. Workshop Committee Member. March 2004. http://www.ocean.us/documents/docs/Education%20Report/LoRes_Final_IOOS_ Edu_Pub.pdf
● Cline, A. COOA: Monitoring, modeling, and analyzing. U.S. Senate Hearing on the Ocean Commission Report, September 27, 2004 http://www.cooa.unh.edu/poster2.jsp
● Cline, A. COOA: Education and outreach. U.S. Senate Hearing on the Ocean Commission Report, September 27, 2004 http://www.cooa.unh.edu/poster1.jsp