It’s hard to remember that famous people from history were….well, people. But they were. They struggled to age, they dealt with acne, they liked some foods and disliked others. They even needed to find work at times. Great, amazing, heralded people from the past had to find jobs. I know the following has made its way around the web for several years, but it just resurfaced in my inbox and in talking with some colleagues, they had not seen it. Perhaps you have not either. The following was from Leonardo Da Vinci. It seemed that in 1482, at the age of 30, he wrote a letter containing a list of his capabilities to be delivered to Ludovico il Moro, Duke of Milan to procure a job. Here is the translated text: “Most Illustrious Lord, Having now sufficiently considered the specimens of all those who proclaim themselves skilled contrivers of instruments of war, and that the invention and operation of the said instruments are nothing different from those in common use: I shall endeavor, without prejudice to any one else, to explain myself to your Excellency, showing your Lordship my secret, and then offering them to your best pleasure and approbation to work with effect at opportune moments on all those things which, in part, shall be briefly noted below. 1. I have a sort of extremely light and strong bridges, adapted to be most easily carried, and with them you may pursue, and at any time flee from the enemy; and others, secure and indestructible by fire and battle, easy and convenient to lift and place. Also methods of burning and destroying those of the enemy. 2. I know how, when a place is besieged, to take the water out of the trenches, and make endless variety of bridges, and covered ways and ladders, and other machines pertaining to such expeditions. 3. If, by reason of the height of the banks, or the strength of the place and its position, it is impossible, when besieging a place, to avail oneself of the plan of bombardment, I have methods for destroying every rock or other fortress, even if it were founded on a rock, etc. 4. Again, I have kinds of mortars; most convenient and easy to carry; and with these I can fling small stones almost resembling a storm; and with the smoke of these cause great terror to the enemy, to his great detriment and confusion. 5. And if the fight should be at sea I have kinds of many machines most efficient for offense and defense; and vessels which will resist the attack of the largest guns and powder and fumes. 6. I have means by secret and tortuous mines and ways, made without noise, to reach a designated spot, even if it were needed to pass under a trench or a river. 7. I will make covered chariots, safe and unattackable, which, entering among the enemy with their artillery, there is no body of men so great… Read More
Learning and the Super Bowl
What can the NFL’s most boring Super Bowl show us about better teaching and learning?
Friday Campus Connections
Join us every Friday to see how connectedness shows up in “real-world” stories and scenarios. Here are 5 articles, blogs, or other resources that illustrate the power of connectedness. Of course, we’ll keep blogging away too. We hope you’ll stop back by on Monday, to see our newest post. And don’t forget to follow us on twitter (@IICEorg). Happy Friday!
Don’t Quote Me On That…
Here are some powerful quotes about learning, innovation, education, motivation, and beyond. Enjoy.
Martin Luther King Jr: A Study in Frame and Mechanic
I hope this does a decent job explaining two important concepts: the real power behind Dr. King’s life and the importance of teaching both the mechanic and the frame. Both are likely deserving of future study!
Friday Campus Connections
The editors of EdSurge give you their favorite stories of last year, from complicated community college turnarounds to where IKEA and edtech overlap.
The Idea Train
These professors wanted the stakes to be far beyond grades. They wanted the students to see if the world believed they had met a need, solved a problem, etc.
Friday Campus Connections
Join us every Friday to see how connectedness shows up in “real-world” stories and scenarios. Here are 5 articles, blogs, or other resources that illustrate the power of connectedness. Of course, we’ll keep blogging away too. We hope you’ll stop back by on Monday, to see our newest post. And don’t forget to follow us on twitter (@IICEorg). Happy Friday!
2019 Blogs – So What?
I will remain consistent, blogging every week. I will also remain true to the mission of teaching and learning, with the tangential, in-parallel issues always dancing around better learning too.
New Year’s Resolutions
There is all kinds of science to support the notion that New Year’s Resolutions don’t really work. Most don’t make it more than 3 days, but for those that do, less than 1% reach February. So maybe we should all consider a pact or an accord, instead of personal resolutions. It doesn’t seem like any kind of resolution, especially from a single person at an institution, will make much of an impact. That is even more true if most resolutions go by the wayside so fast. So here are a few ideas for various institutional stakeholders. If you find one you like, pass it around to your peers and see if you can’t find a way to make an agreement. Maybe we can do some good as a collective in 2019… Faculty – as a group, let’s agree to stop using PowerPoint. The tool isn’t “evil” or anything, but it has been so misused and abused, acting like a hammer to punch information into the heads of students, that we should just take a break. One natural offspring of that decision may include less lecturing, which we all know has been shown over and over and over and over again to be highly inferior to other methodologies. Need a way to fill the void? After all, cigarette smokers are told to replace the hand feel with fidget spinners or the mouth feel with gum to ween off of their addiction to nicotine. Addiction to lecture might be just as powerful. So here is an idea. Pick up a white-boarding tool (like you can find with MeTL). The science is clear. Instead of finding the best, high-fidelity, highly labeled graphics, let your students draw them during the conversation. Your knowledge of the subject matter will not only shine as you ebb and flow in and out of the materials and the natural tangents students try to find, but the students will learn faster, deeper, and better. IT – Read some non-IT, educational works. There was an interesting article in the Educause Review about IT leaders being relegated to plumbers and not architects. The points made were very strong and make sense – IT should have a seat at the strategy table. So do yourselves a favor and brush up on what success means and looks like. Don’t leave it all to the Vice President of X. Come to the table with background other than IT, showing your credibility and research into other parts of the organization. For example, read up on the power of mindset, connection, motivation, grit, socialness, and more as they relate to learning and academic success. From Dweck to Lieberman to Duckworth to Pink, there are some great reads out there which curate all of the most important research on those subjects and synthesize them into one volume. This will also show you something important. Not all technology needs, specific to both success and learning, need to take place in the classroom. While you’re researching, note how many… Read More