Month: November 2018

LEGO® can be used for more than building cars or bridges! LEGO® models are used to analyze complex systems, understand emotions and be used to communicate in a way that can be more effective and efficient when compared with the written word or pictures alone.  LEGO SERIOUS Play®, a technique used by leading corporations and world-renowned facilitators can be used to transform learning right in your classroom.  The technique is simple to learn and really works.  This article will unfold the basics of the technique and how it was used in a grade six science class.

What is Metaphor Speak?

LEGO SERIOUS Play® or LEGO Build to Express® both use a technique that challenges participants to view LEGO® as more than just a simple building system.  Rather than blocks for building, LEGO® pieces can actually become containers of meaning, similar to words or pictures.  All language is deeply rooted in metaphorical meaning, representing ideas, values and culture.  So too, LEGO® can be used to represent abstract meaning, emotions, feelings and relationships.  Take, for example, the LEGO® dog.  The piece can be used to represent a physical dog.  But with a metaphorical interpretation, this same dog can be used to represent obedience, protection, danger or companionship.  A bucket of LEGO® now becomes a bucket of meaning where students can connect abstract concepts together in new and innovative ways.  The potential connection between abstract ideas can be very rich.  Students begin to make conscious and subconscious connections between building elements; wondering how the dog element fits into a model that expresses, let’s say, leadership.

As students move away from concrete physical representations presented by the LEGO® retail side, they too can become master builders; no longer needing any instructions.  Missing bricks or complex builds can be replaced with words and explanation.  The simple rule is: students build what they can’t explain and they explain what they can’t build.  By broadening the scope of a build to include rich metaphorical meaning and conversation, the act of creation becomes much more efficient and meaningful.  A simple green LEGO® brick can be used to build a bridge, or used as a representation of environmentalism, envy of the main character, the signal to take action, a pickle or a peaceful state.

What is more, because our language is structured using metaphorical meaning, students will often incorporate meaning into their model without necessarily being conscious of its message.  So, students may put a crown on a mini figure (a symbol that denotes control or authority) without much thought, but when other students are given the opportunity to interpret the build, rich conversations oftentimes springs forth.  The technique is simple and it really works!

Younger students are used to this method of building and explaining; they’ve been doing it since they began to play.  As the student gets older, they lose the open-ended-ness of meaning; sticking to more literal representations.  After a couple class examples (I show them the green brick and they brainstorm what it could represent both physically (a tree) or abstractly (greed), students quickly begin to see the possibilities and begin to layer meaning all throughout their builds.

Grade 6 Science:  Invertebrates

Trish Wouters, a grade six teacher, was looking for some alternative ways for students to express understanding.  She was also looking for methods to remediate 21st-century competency skill sets, specifically by providing an experience where students would design, build and test a variety of prototypes.  Together, we came up with a couple of LEGO® interventions that make use of the metaphor speak technique described above and LEGO® MINDSTORMS® robotics.  The latter will be covered in an upcoming article, using both concepts of representation and robotics.

We began by introducing the metaphor-speak technique, each student having the opportunity to interpret a simple teacher build, followed by a series of simple builds that express more abstract concepts.  Examples included: ‘build a model that represents leadership’ and ‘create a model that shows what it feels like when you are listened to by teammates’ (LEGO® Build to Express® is an excellent resource for ideas).  Having already explored a variety of invertebrate animals and armed with a new way of expressing their understanding, students began to create builds that showcased a self-selected invertebrate.

Using information cards and the internet for reference material, students were able to represent the key physical and behavioural features of the animal, using metaphor and even colour to represent the reactions of the creature to predators or food sources.  Stories naturally emerge from LEGO® creations; students began to create narratives, weaving together scientific fact and narrative fiction into their builds.  The bonding between narrative and fact leads to knowledge that is retained long term and is more meaningful.  By creating a physical LEGO® model of abstract concepts, ideas, and relationships, students remember the build and are able to better explain what each element represents.

Each student had the opportunity to record their build and was eager to share their work with students.  Although the actual build time was short, students had plenty to share about their builds.  The technique captured student understanding much more efficiently and effectively when compared with other traditional forms assessment, like reports, powerpoint slides or tri-fold boards.

 

For more reading on this powerful technique, check out the following sites:

Serious Play Pro Everything you need to know about LSP and corporate facilitators.

David Gauntlett Amazing author and thinker, his work was used extensively to bring metaphor speak into the classroom. He authored a video on the technique: LSP in 3 Minutes

Per Kristiansen:  Master Trainer and facilitator of LEGO SERIOUS PLAY, was head of LEGO SERIOUS PLAY at LEGO, is a partner in Trivium, the focus is the same: Unleashing Play.  His book on corporate LSP was used as a foundation to construct many learning experiences for the school setting. @Per_LSP

trivium.dk

Strategic Play A great Canadian company offering training experiences, check them out!

 

Walk through the hallway of any school and you are likely to see a younger student reading with an older student.  In this one-on-one pairing, trust is built between both students, the younger knowing that she can make a mistake and receive guidance, the older experiencing the pride felt when given the opportunity to help.  A reading buddy can go a long way in building particular skill sets in a child, but, more importantly, can give our older students the chance to tangibly make a difference in the life of another.  If this model can work with literacy, why not with STEM?

 

 

Nothing energizes a student like the opportunity to help others in a meaningful and powerful way.  Effective communication, collaboration and mediation skill sets have never been more necessary as we prepare our students for an increasingly globalized work space.  But how are they to develop these skill sets if our students are never given authentic opportunities and challenges to put these traits to the test?  

Much of our time as educators is spent equipping students with content knowledge and practical skills within the confines of the class.  Yet, these student-experts can be facilitators and, more often than not, can be effective teachers.  Using student facilitators can actually lead to more effective dissemination of technical knowledge and practical learning strategies when compared with the traditional teacher-driven classroom.    

Student leadership has become part of the learning culture at our school.  Students facilitate robotics camps, remediate the inquiry method with younger groups and have played an instrumental role when guiding students through challenge-based learning activities within the classroom.  

Let’s explore the fundamental principles that we’ve used to inform and empower our students to become leaders of today within the school so that they can become the leaders of tomorrow.

Reorient the Role of Leader

‘Leader’ is a loaded word!  An adolescent, as they grow and develop, can understandably develop a concept of leadership is synonymous with power, control and authority.  Further compounding this, students look to by the ‘leaders’ of popular culture, politics and team captains, some of whom may be anything but.   

A good starting point is to challenge this notion of leadership.  Watch the ideas flow when it comes to the characteristics that define poor leadership.  Gradually students begin to connect the dots, recognizing that true leadership is ultimately a role of service: walking hand-in-hand with teammates to achieve common goals, develop new skill sets and help them to be the best version of themselves.  Leaders listen. Leaders see strengths and come up with solutions to remediate weakness.  Above all, effective leaders care deeply about those who have been placed in their care.  

Finally, I have students define their own role of leader, in the context of facilitating learning experiences for others.  As a leader, we want to help students make decisions in an explicit way and to work together in pursuit of goals.  As a student facilitator (I prefer this term over leader), good questioning and observing is at its heart.   

Guiding, Observing and Questioning

For many students, the roadblock to learning is oftentimes not knowing how to tackle a problem in a systematic way.  As protocols and problem-solving methodologies are explicitly taught and modelled by the teacher, our students will have more tools at their disposal when tackling tough problems.  Student facilitated learning presents an amazing opportunity for student facilitators to model and discuss each step of the problem-solving process with the participating student. 

Our students use the following model:

1. Brainstorm possible solutions
2. Select a solution to try and come up with a plan (designs, pictures, lists of materials)
3. Build and test a solution
4. Discuss the results and improve your solution

At each phase, the facilitator ensures that each step of the problem-solving process is complete before moving on.  Student facilitators also are able to observe results and ask thought-provoking questions that help guide discovery.  Good facilitators never give the answer, but ask good questions or create learning experiences where the student can discover the answer.  We should never cheat the student out of the experience of discovery by revealing the correct answer for the sake of moving on.  The act of discovery enflames, motivates and ultimately builds confidence in one’s own abilities.  

Student facilitation also provides an opportunity to celebrate successful outcomes, both with the task at hand but also the collaborative and problem-solving skill sets being practiced.    

Sample Observation Questions

Say:  I noticed that (Name) really did this…

Say:  (Name) improved at this…

Say:  (Name) did this well… 

Sample Reflection Questions

Ask:  What did we do well at?

Ask:  What do we need to improve on?

Ask:  What will we do differently next time, in order to improve?

Documenting the Learning Process

Student leadership plays a huge role in the documentation of the learning and discovery process.  At any moment, effective facilitation puts the discovery process on pause for reflection and documentation.  Metacognition can be made explicit through discussion with a facilitator who poses reflective questions.  Such promptings are necessary, especially with young, eager learners who want to rush headlong into a solution.  By posing questions, facilitators listen to concrete responses that help the child better understand what they plan to do and the reasons for taking any course of action.  By talking it out with the facilitator, students catch their own mistakes or flaws in thinking, revising and avoiding unnecessary testing phases; ultimately making the learning experience more efficient.  At each phase, the facilitator can document for the child or ensure that the documentation is complete, before moving on to the next phase along the learning journey.    

Know your Role

As a student facilitator or leader, it must be stressed that the role is simply to provide the tools so that the student can achieve their goal.  This can be pointing to physical materials, teaching new skills, or by introducing step-by-step protocols to break down the learning process into manageable tasks.  Student facilitators are not allowed to do the task for them, the work must be their own!  With robotics, student facilitators are not to touch the robots but can guide.  Also, they are not to take on the role of disciplinarian, all issues are referred directly to the teacher.  For many student facilitators, this is a major source of relief.  At the beginning of any task, I always make this explicit, for both facilitators and participants alike.  

Conclusions

The benefits of student facilitation are manifold.  It is oftentimes more effective, efficient and leads long-lasting learning when compared to traditional teaching approaches.  For the facilitators, it is an opportunity to develop leadership skills and recognize that they can make a tangible difference in the lives of others.  For the participant, they are more willing to approach difficult or challenging tasks, knowing that the facilitator is there to support, guide and to provide encouragement, walking side-by-side throughout the entire learning journey.  

The Maker Space movement has taken the educational field by storm, empowering students to harness their own creative potential by solving challenges that matter to them and as a way to express their imagination.  You’ve spent a good deal of time finding Maker Space challenges, have all the mixed media materials on-hand and grinning students eager to dive in…but have you considered that they may not have the necessary strategies in place to be successful? 

Maker Space is more than crafting, it is a pathway of discovery, experimentation and learning that few kids experience now in the modern age.  Before the crafting scissors come out, it is important to consider what learning strategies and skill sets need to be explicitly taught before unleashing your kids.  Failure to do so can lead to poor results, frustration and ultimately disinterest in STEAM centred tasks.  As educators, we can explicitly model and design protocols so that the outcome of any Maker Space activity is both efficient and effective.  We want all of our students to succeed, so it stands to reason that they need the time to learn about and practice critical thinking, decision making, goal setting, effective communication and observation skills (to name but a few!).  Maker Space can be a power training place where students make use of these skills and grow in confidence to face the increasingly messier problems of the world.

 

Dana MacDonald, teacher and FIRST LEGO League coach extraordinaire expressed an interest in designing a Maker Space for her classroom.  She wanted a space that not only actively promotes the inquiry process but a place where students could acquire and practice the necessary problem-solving strategies and protocols, thereby making the entire learning process more effective and efficient.  As these practices and protocols became second nature to the students, it was hoped that students would be better able to design and manage their own projects; setting goals that truly engage and challenge.  Finally, it was hoped that by remediating the strategies involved with the inquiry process students would, could have meaningful opportunities to make new connections and transfer their own learning insights from one situation to another.  

Having designed a series of LEGO Robotics camps and learning experiences, a simple framework was created to guide the students more effectively through the learning process.  

Stage 1: Setting the Stage

With any great task, a person understands their own role within the project and believe that they have the ability to succeed.  Recognizing the importance of this, Dana started this inquiry by looking at STEAM and the individuals who have contributed so much within each of its categories.  By looking at both modern day innovators and those of the past, students were challenged to take on the awesome role of artist, engineer, scientist and mathematician.  Moreover, students were challenged to accept these roles today, not in some distant future or after years of study.  

Stage 2: Modelling the Process

A simple framework of inquiry was developed and then demonstrated, through teacher direct modelling.  At each stage of the framework, we took time for students to brainstorm and document the particular actions or questions to be used during each phase of the inquiry task.  

Phases of the Inquiry Process

1.  Challenge: The challenge is presented.

2.  Solve it:  Brainstorm as many different ways the challenge could be solved. 

3.  Choose it:  Select one of the solutions you have created. 

4.  Design it:  Draw and label an image of your prototype.  Include a list of all the materials you will need.

5.  Test it and Improve it:  Using a chart, students would identify a minimum of three instances where they test their creation, observing what worked, what didn’t and what changes they plan to make before moving on to the next building phase.

6.  Communicate it:  At the end of every challenge, all students share about their learning journey, demonstrate their solution and discuss some of the challenges faced along the way and what they did to overcome roadblocks.  This can take many forms including video posting, business pitches, or writing pieces.  

Explicit Teacher Modelling

Our challenge was simple: to devise a way to help Bob, our LEGO mini-fig across a 30 cm body of water.  Students came up with a wide range of ideas.  As teachers, we took care to document each idea, modelling the documentation process that was expected from students. 

Before choosing the solution we were to attempt, students were then asked to consider the limitations placed on the challenge: time limit of 2 hours, the building materials being only LEGO (we later added string) and that at no time was any part of your body to pass over the river.   After selecting a solution, Dana drew a detailed design that included multiple perspectives, labels and arrows indicating the direction of movement.  We also included a materials list, although limited by the challenge itself.  By modelling the process and demonstrating what the expectations were for each phase of inquiry students had a much better idea of the process.  

Stage 3: Gradual Release and Skills Reinforcement

Students were then tasked with completing the challenge on their own.  An important note that we have found critical to success.  Before a student moved onto the next phase of the inquiry process, students would check in with the teacher who, after a short conversation, would sign off on the respective phase, offering input related to the documentation.  

This was especially true during the prototyping phase, where testing and improving their solutions occurred.  A major goal was to slow down the pace at which students move through the phases, allowing for periods of reflection before enhancing a solution.  Students typically opt for the first solution that pops into their heads, rather than carefully considering all potential options and selecting the one that best fits the situation.  By signing off on each documented prototype observation and improvement phase, the teacher could have highly constructive conversations and ensure that student thinking has been properly documented, as a scientist or engineer would.  Students were required to complete a minimum of three prototyping phases in order to pause, evaluate and determine the next steps in the building process.  

As each student-teacher conferencing opportunity occurred, students gained greater insight into the inquiry model.  Having achieved a solution, students were also challenged to increase the level of difficulty on their own; moving away from straightforward solutions to solutions that involved greater engineering challenges.  As students came to recognize their own role in determining the criteria for success, they likewise became more empowered to set the bar high, adding increasing layers of difficulty to their own design criteria.  

 

This speaks to the striking advantage of Maker Space, in that it challenges students not only to come up with a solution but to dream up a solution where they are challenged to innovate, learn and test.  Many students were able to solve the challenge quickly, yet were excited to have the opportunity to push their own learning towards tough solutions that would hopefully prove more effective (many original solutions would have required Bob the mini-fig extensive recovery time at the hospital).  With a successful outcome becoming less important in the eyes of the student, the challenge of the learning journey becomes the priority; ultimately the joy of learning and discovery being the source of pride, rather than the win.  

Next steps will include rolling out this approach in the Kindergarten classroom and to try out the use of STEAM student facilitators to guide, assist and document new Maker Space initiates.  Stay tuned!