KBLOG 29: Unleashing Creativity: Tips for Helping Students Birth Innovative Ideas. 1. Finding the Passion
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Andrea Piacquadio
The Challenge:
There is always a collective groan when I tell students that they have to develop a science project or design an experiment. They DO NOT relish this “opportunity.” To them it is more a burden than an opportunity. Inevitably because of my approach the burden evolves into the opportunity that I envision for my students. The student-derived project or experiment ends up having a profound effect on them. I am going to write a series of KBLOGS describing tips for helping students’ birth innovative ideas. No matter what the project, it is important to offer students the guided opportunity to take ownership of a self-generated idea from hatching the idea, planning, executing and presenting a final product. This can be a profound student experience that can last a lifetime. In this series of KBLOGS, I want to present strategies with examples that teachers, homeschoolers and parents can use to help their students birth marvelous ideas.
A Solution:
Finding the Passion
Before continuing, watch this Tedx talk given by one of my former students, Rebecca, I think it will set the table for my upcoming KBLOG series about inspiring students and being inspired by them.
Usually, the hardest part of doing a project, for anyone, not just students, is finding an idea. The attitude for most students is that everything has been done already, I cannot think of anything! Many head right to the internet (Google and AI) and type in, “I need a project on so and so.” I always start with this question and ask students to answer the question as a list on paper. What are your passions and interests? The list does not have match the exact project parameters. Once a student list is complete the topics on the list can be linked to the project or experiment at hand. That list could, for example, include dance, ice cream, hiking, video playing, basketball, planets or a personal or family health issue. Once the student has a passion/interest list they have something to work with. Next, I model for students, using an example, how I would begin to explore a passion to develop an idea. I review the steps I would take. As an example, let us explore ice cream.
1. Type into Science Daily “Ice Cream” I went through results of typing in “ice cream” and “melting ice creams” and got these two articles zeroing in on melting ice cream:
Slower melting ice cream in pipeline, thanks to new ingredient
Banana plant extract could be key to creamier, longer lasting ice cream
2. Type into Google Scholar “Melting Ice Cream
Ice Cream Structural Elements that Affect Melting Rate and Hardness
3. Type into Google “The Science of Melting Ice”
If the student reads the above material, there are suggestions for future studies and ideas within that may trigger an idea. For example, studying the process of ice cream melting. Measure the temperature changes in the ice cream as it melts, make a video of the melting process. Make ice cream with different ingredients in it and check for differences in melting related to the ingredients. This is an example of how to help students systematize looking for project ideas.
Below is a sample list of titles of past students’ projects.
· The Design and Construction of an Ice Mold for Sports Injuries
· Comparison of Historical and Modern Weather Data from Brooklyn, NY
· The Influence of Distance on Reaction Time Against Epée Attacks in Fencing
· The Effect of Honey on Kidney Bean Wound Healing
· Social Behavior of Students in a High School Cafeteria and the Importance of Food
My next KBLOG will be about how students can discover ideas to build and test their own inventions.
Resources:
The Dream Machine - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWUYHSFX1Gc
Science Daily - https://www.sciencedaily.com/
Google Scholar - https://scholar.google.com/
