Over breakfast

  • Resources you want us to read related to your domains
  • Norms notes
  • I believe statements

What is learning?

Constructing
mental models

How can you tell if you've learned something?

Externalizing
your thinking

What is externalizing your thinking?

"Externalizing" things
in classes:

  • SWBATDUO
  • Showing your work
  • Problem sets
  • Exams
  • Final presentations

More about measuring than doing.

Draw a bicycle

Take a look at these bicycles.

Externalizing things
in projects:

  • Computer programs
  • Storyboards
  • Machines
  • Emailing someone to advise your work
  • Writing a grant application

Why externalize your thinking?

Song lyrics

When we externalize things, we are forced to encounter the holes in our thinking, whether we are presenting our thoughts to a computer (in the case of programming) or another person (in the case of a theater production) or our own ears (when reading a piece of writing aloud) or someone with different expertise (when we make a blueprint, storyboard, or some other type of plan that must be implemented by someone else).

At Powderhouse, we do projects
because we believe, when done right,
projects set the highest possible standard
for what learning something can look like.

Projects are also...

  • Real
  • Hands-on
  • Allow for divergence
  • Encourage collaboration across skill levels

We've tried to define project.

  • Anything that can be started and finished?
  • Anything with an audience?

But really, "projects" are just our way of making creative work legible to school.

Great learning
experiences and environments

Great projects

process vs. product

Projects at Powderhouse

What tensions do you see between great learning and projects?

What tensions do you see between great projects and school?

Refer to Powderhouse readings we're asking people to do for tomorrow (Thursday) -- specifically telling Rosalie where she'll be reentering into
We're going to start with this talk. As you listen, collect: questions, ideas, tensions. Think about the difference between answers and framing. We created this talk for a particular audience. Over the years, we've created all different design documents for different audiences but also reflecting the constraints of different stakeholders—whether legislative, compliance, etc. Some of the changes in the story of Powderhouse have been bc of these external factors/stakeholders' interests, but it's also changed because we are learning and growing. We talk more clearly now because we are actually more clear. And we want to keep getting more clear, so while this is a Q&A, and clarifying questions/disagreements/confusion are more than welcome, we also hope you'll all have an eye for thinking about better ways to frame and talk about this work in a way that emphasized the things we want to emphasize. We mentioned we need to write a new executive summary, and we hope these conversations will add another level of clarity and concision to the way we all author that together. Link talk