{"id":435,"date":"2012-05-05T15:35:06","date_gmt":"2012-05-05T06:35:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ruth.ingulsrud.net\/blog\/?p=435"},"modified":"2012-05-13T18:48:51","modified_gmt":"2012-05-13T09:48:51","slug":"challenging-the-base","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ruth.ingulsrud.net\/blog\/2012\/05\/05\/challenging-the-base\/","title":{"rendered":"Challenging the Base"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Challenge Based Learning<\/a>is an engaging multidisciplinary approach to teaching and learning that encourages students to leverage the technology they use in their daily lives to solve real-world problems.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d This statement begins an outline of outcome-focused learning that Apple is promoting and supporting in an effort to revolutionize the way we do education.<\/p>\n

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From Orange Co Register<\/p><\/div>\n

The concept of challenge-based learning really does challenge the basic assumptions of our current educational system. We have an idea of what these kids should know by the time they exit high school and, by-golly, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re gonna make sure they learn what we think they should know. No wonder they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not engaged in this process.<\/p>\n

I asked my daughter, who is in her first year of high school if she thought that what she was currently studying in school was relevant to her life and future work. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Not really,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well then, what would you study if you could choose?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Art, humanities, social studies, science, math that is actually interesting and applicable.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u0153So how is that different from what you are doing now?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I asked. She responded, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The math is not applicable; we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not doing humanities and not a lot of writing in English, just reading; and science class goes too fast and we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve only done, like, one or two hands-on experiments.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

After briefly discussing the concept of challenge-based learning, I asked her what she would be interested in doing.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I would create a piece of art; a large wall mural that would show some of the problems in the world so that people could not just ignore them… like showing the difference between the wealth of countries and the hunger and stuff. Ideally people would take action (after seeing it) and do things beneficial to the world. I would work harder at this project than I do at school now because it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s something that I actually care about.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Changing the world through art? Yes, it is possible. Books and movies and even paintings have managed to change and challenge society\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s view of the world.<\/p>\n

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Elsa explained that math would be incorporated to her project as she used scaling to size for translating her planning paper to the wall, and making sure everything fit in the space that she was given. She would have to budget for the costs of materials and the right amount of paint, etc. Although she didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t yet realize it, she would also have to negotiate the politics and economics of finding an available and appropriately-placed wall on which to display her artwork. She would also have to construct a sturdy but moveable scaffolding to allow her to work on her large-scale work of art and this would exercise her skills in geometry and physics.<\/p>\n

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Photo credit: Mike & Doug Starn on Metropolitan Museum of Art Flickr Read more: The Roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Sprouts a Bamboo Forest | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building<\/p><\/div>\n

Her proposed projects was beginning to have the needed attributes of a challenge-based learning experience. As Apple details in their outline<\/a>, the project should include the following:<\/p>\n