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1step

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The Problem:

In America the education you receive during K-12 is inadequate in the majority of cases. Our rankings as a country are slipping each and every year. In addition to that in many cases lots of time is wasted on things that will never be useful to students. And that’s just briefly addressing the education side of things. In addition to those issues you have additional issues such as school violence and bullying with schools seemingly becoming less and less safe as time goes on.

Solutions:

Homeschool is certainly one solution. The biggest negative you often hear for homeschooling is missing out on the social aspects of school.

Another solution is to start a small school. Which is the solution I want to explore.
WeGrow | WeWork's Conscious Entrepreneurial School is an example of something that was launched out of wework that seems like a similar model to what I would want to see built in my local community.
I would like to use this thread to compile any resources or information that would help someone to start a small school that’s goal would be to help develop future entrepreneurs, leaders and problem solvers.
I think anything in that realm, whether your experiences, or books/information you have read, would be very helpful here.

Any education resources you would like to share?

Any ideas on the best ways to develop entrepreneurs starting at a young age?
 
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ManlyMansNegator

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How do these institutions teach entrepreneurship?

Are they teaching children how to produce value?

If they are, isn't that an extremely vague and ubiquitous concept?

What exactly is the connection between Elon Musks value production and the restaurant down the street , or are they teaching theories in the scene ie. lean startup , cents , innovation etc
 

Runum

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I am a public school teacher. I have taught 5th grade science for 15 years and, of course, I have some thoughts.

Three years ago I decided to up my game at school. I got lots of donations and thousands of dollars in grants. I bought robots, was given class set of chromebooks, got a 3d printer, assembled a makerspace, hot glue guns, lots of cardboard, lots of recycled electronics, and lots of craft stuff donated. I also have 6 huge tubs of legos. I call my classroom "elementary shop". We can build working models of whatever we can imagine. It is cool to see the kids create.

What is much more powerful is to see them problem solve. IMHO we provide too much support and the kids don't have to work to figure things out. We don't want to see them fail.

In my lab I teach the kids to persevere, be tough, fearless, and explain why something isn't working. The environment is supportive and the sessions are not graded, no real academic pressure. This session is totally voluntary for me and the kids, no one is required to participate. Some students still do not thrive in that environment and they do quit.

When I started this, I had visions that all the students would love it and they would find their niche. Not so. That fixed mindset is so ingrained that they do not enjoy the freedom.

I am in my third year of this experiment. Some fastlaners have donated and I appreciate all the support. The program now is at the stage of fine tuning the learning processes and opportunities. We have all the tech and supplies we need to get the job done at this time. I just have to figure out how to get the kids to see their potential, even when they cannot see it themselves.

I hope these rambling thoughts align with or help your thought process @1step . I will be moving on from this in 2 more years so I have more lessons to learn and share.
 
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1step

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How do these institutions teach entrepreneurship?

Are they teaching children how to produce value?

If they are, isn't that an extremely vague and ubiquitous concept?

What exactly is the connection between Elon Musks value production and the restaurant down the street , or are they teaching theories in the scene ie. lean startup , cents , innovation etc

I think mindset is number one at an early age, schools here are built to produce factory workers not future entrepreneurs and problem solvers.

When I started this, I had visions that all the students would love it and they would find their niche. Not so. That fixed mindset is so ingrained that they do not enjoy the freedom.

Thanks for the post, I was hoping to hear your thoughts. Since your kids are 5th grade I wonder if you got them earlier if the mindset issues would be much easier to fix or if a lot of that is a battle that cannot be won because of home life. Thanks for the input and looking forward to hearing more about your class!
 

Runum

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Thanks for the post, I was hoping to hear your thoughts. Since your kids are 5th grade I wonder if you got them earlier if the mindset issues would be much easier to fix or if a lot of that is a battle that cannot be won because of home life. Thanks for the input and looking forward to hearing more about your class!

I don't know. Something to think about though.

Here's the dilemma to me... I want the students' creativity and whimsy, I love that part. But I also don't want a kid to be a creative or whimsical butt head. It seems with some personalities that creativity means a total freedom and freedom means acting out and being ugly to their classmates. They are not mature enough to understand total actions and consequences. So, if the school and teachers teach students to be agreeable and compliant it seems to kill the creativity and carefree attitude. Mandatory standardized testing also kills the creativity but that is a whole political argument in itself.

I want my 100+ kids to be fun, carefree, creative problem solvers but I cannot tolerate them being disrespectful to people in the name of personal expression.

How to manage and teach without killing the individuality? That's a challenge for all the public school factories.
 

Bekit

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I don't know. Something to think about though.

Here's the dilemma to me... I want the students' creativity and whimsy, I love that part. But I also don't want a kid to be a creative or whimsical butt head. It seems with some personalities that creativity means a total freedom and freedom means acting out and being ugly to their classmates. They are not mature enough to understand total actions and consequences. So, if the school and teachers teach students to be agreeable and compliant it seems to kill the creativity and carefree attitude. Mandatory standardized testing also kills the creativity but that is a whole political argument in itself.

I want my 100+ kids to be fun, carefree, creative problem solvers but I cannot tolerate them being disrespectful to people in the name of personal expression.

How to manage and teach without killing the individuality? That's a challenge for all the public school factories.
Oh my goodness, your lab sounds AMAZING!!!

I hear you on the topic of managing and teaching without killing individuality. As someone who has worked extensively with children, both in the public school setting and outside it, I've seen it firsthand.

I wonder if it would help to teach the kids to distinguish between personal character and creativity?

In the lab, they're encouraged to let their creativity have free rein. But their freedom ends there. No freedom is granted for ugly behavior or "acting out," just like it would not be tolerated in a typical classroom. I know this is easier said than done, but maybe a starting point would be just pointing out to them where they have extra freedom in your lab and where they don't.

I would like to use this thread to compile any resources or information that would help someone to start a small school that’s goal would be to help develop future entrepreneurs, leaders and problem solvers.

I think anything in that realm, whether your experiences, or books/information you have read, would be very helpful here.

Any education resources you would like to share?

Any ideas on the best ways to develop entrepreneurs starting at a young age?
I've given a fair amount of thought to the following idea:

Why don't we "begin with the end in mind" with school and create an entirely new educational system that results in the TYPE OF PEOPLE that we want in society?

Currently, the curriculum is built with the topics in mind. "I want to teach reading, writing, math, science, history, geography, etc. because whatever. Kids need to know all these things. And then they can use it for whatever they want."

What if we flipped it and began with the outcomes in mind? "I want to create a program that takes children from kindergarten through age 21, which results in filling all the roles that the next generation will especially need in society: entrepreneurs, leaders, farmers, judges, security forces, teachers, craftsmen, builders, medical providers, etc."

How would this look?

At the earliest ages, every child would be learning basically the same thing. Of COURSE every kid needs basic reading, writing, and arithmetic. Those skills will apply to every possible "role" destination.

But as the child grows, the curriculum and the educator would be looking for signs that each individual child had a special aptitude for a particular role. And then they would start to receive specialized education towards that outcome. The older they get, the more they would receive specialized courses related to their topic, and the less they would receive general education courses. For instance, someone who is headed towards a "farmer" track may take math courses up to Algebra but not advanced calculus. Someone who is headed towards a "leader" track may take advanced history, economics, and leadership courses, while everyone else takes only basic ones. Etc.

Each child would be invited to dream about occupying a position in the role that they seem to have an aptitude for. Of course they would have a choice in the matter... but it would be soooooo much better than just asking kids this arbitrary question, "What do you want to be when you grow up" and getting answers like "firefighter!" "nurse!" "mailman!" "astronaut!" which are probably never going to actually be the career that child pursues once they're grown up.

The result seems to be that (1) society would get better-prepared citizens to occupy necessary roles, and (2) the kids would get a better education to enable them to execute effectively within their role.
 
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Runum

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I've given a fair amount of thought to the following idea:

Why don't we "begin with the end in mind" with school and create an entirely new educational system that results in the TYPE OF PEOPLE that we want in society?

Currently, the curriculum is built with the topics in mind. "I want to teach reading, writing, math, science, history, geography, etc. because whatever. Kids need to know all these things. And then they can use it for whatever they want."

What if we flipped it and began with the outcomes in mind? "I want to create a program that takes children from kindergarten through age 21, which results in filling all the roles that the next generation will especially need in society: entrepreneurs, leaders, farmers, judges, security forces, teachers, craftsmen, builders, medical providers, etc."

How would this look?

At the earliest ages, every child would be learning basically the same thing. Of COURSE every kid needs basic reading, writing, and arithmetic. Those skills will apply to every possible "role" destination.

But as the child grows, the curriculum and the educator would be looking for signs that each individual child had a special aptitude for a particular role. And then they would start to receive specialized education towards that outcome. The older they get, the more they would receive specialized courses related to their topic, and the less they would receive general education courses. For instance, someone who is headed towards a "farmer" track may take math courses up to Algebra but not advanced calculus. Someone who is headed towards a "leader" track may take advanced history, economics, and leadership courses, while everyone else takes only basic ones. Etc.

Each child would be invited to dream about occupying a position in the role that they seem to have an aptitude for. Of course they would have a choice in the matter... but it would be soooooo much better than just asking kids this arbitrary question, "What do you want to be when you grow up" and getting answers like "firefighter!" "nurse!" "mailman!" "astronaut!" which are probably never going to actually be the career that child pursues once they're grown up.

The result seems to be that (1) society would get better-prepared citizens to occupy necessary roles, and (2) the kids would get a better education to enable them to execute effectively within their role.

Tracking is used in some other cultures. As I understand it though, once you choose a track you are not allowed to change. Also, there is aptitude testing. Some tracks are not open to a student if they cannot show the aptitude.

In USA our philosophy is everyone gets the same general education until high schoolish age. Then a student is deemed developed enough to make decisions on tracks. For the last decade it was decided all students should go to college. I am learning the the pendulum is swinging back to allowing and encouraging some students to study trades and tech directions without the thought of a 4 year degree.

Parents that I know of wouldn't want to commit their child to a certain track at too early of an age. IMHO probably general education until age 12 or 13 with some exposure to different tracks starting around 10.
 

Andy Black

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I’ve been giving Maths grinds to school leaving nieces, nephews, and kids of friends for the last 4 years. I’ve also recently started helping coach my kids sports teams.

It’s amazing the difference between kids at 10 and under who will try anything you suggest, and kids at 17 who think they “can’t do it”.

It really bothers me.

I’ve always wanted to catch the kids younger, before they believe they “can’t do Maths”. Thinking they “can’t do Maths” feels like the start of a slippery slope where they label themselves as someone who “can’t do” many other things.

Mother Theresa’s quote in my signature springs to mind. I’ll help my own kids first. Then nieces and nephews, and kids I come into contact with.

Something I’d love to do is take on local youngsters and teach them digital marketing. Maybe I even pop into schools and do it...

There’s something magical about creating a Google Ad and then doing the search 10 minutes later and seeing YOUR ad pop up on Google.

I’m circling this idea of helping the local youngsters help the local businesses get online with a Facebook page, website, Google Ads and Facebook Ads campaigns. This is a concrete deliverable for the kids to work towards. By doing that, I’d get to help them with so many stories and little mindset lessons...
 

Ocean Man

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I was blessed with an opportunity by a mentor, he connected me with a good friend, a teacher at an amazing university teaching entrepreneurship. Although I did not attend the university he allowed me to audit his class. It was amazing, I had to commute every day about 30 minutes - an hour by bus to the university, every other day. He had given us an optional read of The $100 Startup. We formed teams in the class, and came up with ideas about products/services and worked on them.

The team I was involved with decided to work on car air fresheners. I don't know where they ended up because I ended up getting kicked out of the team and couldn't attend at around 50% completion of the class. But it was a great experience, we were given I believe a minimum of $500 to make an MVP. And then we'd present this MVP and our pre-sales/sales to investors which would give us a $1,000+ limit? (I didn't get this far, as I got kicked out.)

But what I'm trying to say is that this entrepreneurship class really, really made me realize that I love entrepreneurship. This is what I want to do and I want to help as many people as I can. For me, it's not about the money, I just want to help people and improve their lives.

If you have the opportunity, attend an entrepreneurship class, and just get out there and do it! You don't necessarily need a class for entrepreneurship. Life is the greatest teacher.
 
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Mattie

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How do these institutions teach entrepreneurship?

Are they teaching children how to produce value?

If they are, isn't that an extremely vague and ubiquitous concept?

What exactly is the connection between Elon Musks value production and the restaurant down the street , or are they teaching theories in the scene ie. lean startup , cents , innovation etc
In my community, hmm...it's quite fascinating. I remember carrying around this big box of toys to sell the Catholic School gave me when I was bout 10 years old in Indiana. In Michigan in 5th grade and 6th grade I sold the "World's Greatest Candy Bars", I think they were called. Also M&M's. We sold Wrapping Paper. I can't remember all the fundraisers, but I remember selling flower baskets every year. I come from and Entrepreneur area. Little children are always in the paper lately show their successes in some way of raising money for their certain cause. I think it just depends on where you come from. We even had car washes to make money for stuff. School store.
I think what happens is you grow up around it and they actually never tell you, they're teaching you Entrepreneur skills or the importance of it.

As I stated this is all about fundraising for camps, trips, sports, and often after that, they forget all about it.

There is actually various different things you learn here for business, depending on what type of Entrepreneur you are. There is the business, the social, and the spiritual/religious with three different agendas. Maybe some of them take on all three agendas. Fortunately their is for profit and non-profit. Different rules of the game.

There is learning how to write grants. There is learning how develop a fundraiser. There is is learning how to the be Entrepreneur who eventually turns into the Philanthropist and donates money to hospitals, research in various scientific communities, and the list is so long on what Philanthropists do in various platforms.

Funny part: All them people in Side Walk are Ignorant and start bashing the Philanthropists because they don't understand who is behind the scenes keeping their schools standing. At least in my small town, the wealthy actually have contributed to the public school systems and there names happen to be somewhere either on the football field, some statue, or some plaque on a building that contributed to some part of history of the school. We have scholarships for students from local people who have built our community.

I believe you can see this with our pubic, christian, other private schools in the area. There is a choice in our area what type of education you want to give your children. Usually this does come down to your local wealth.

And than they love bashing about the non-profits and don't even understand who is behind them to help them out of poverty. I actually had to get on a Social Media Feed on Facebook to shut some people's mouths about my community because they were complaining about the delivery service of a non-profit and how bad they had it. I pointed out, they didn't have it bad as many other geographical areas where you are not blessed to have so many non-profits as they people do in my community.

I talk about Entrepreneurship all the time to some people, and they just are so emotionally attached to working where every they're working. And often, they don't see the opportunities right in front of them. They also don't want to do the work intellectually.

It's the same in School Systems. When I went to High School you had three different groups. The one's who were the wealthy kids that obviously had the awareness from their parents. They excelled at what they did.

You had the middle group like myself from a mixed family of sidewalk, slow lane, and few fast lane in the generations.

You had the one's who were from side walk and had no direction.

And we had a choice of classes to take. We had a Career School we could go too instead of our regular school for half the day. Which I took Graphic Arts and Advertising, but you could have taken all kinds of other options. Which you did learn about running a business in those areas you chose at that particular program, but only a few kids went there which was a school bus of us and you had to meet a special criteria to qualify for the programs which was based on your grades, not so much about whose family you belong too.

I believe the school district is a big key. In America you have unequal amounts of wealth across the culture. Where ever the wealthy are you will find better education in their school systems. In other areas the school systems fall apart. There is not even distribution of wealth in local areas. You get state and federal funds by statistics, analytics, and number crunching.

You can't improve a school if you have no funds like anything else. And you can't update text books, computers, and curriculum without the money whether your private or public. And still even when they do pay tuition, they still have fundraisers, philanthropists, and donations.

Entrepreneurship is taught in a business schools, but fortunately, it's not to the standard you'd learn in this forum or what you'd learn from a Entrepreneur themselves. And this is where you do work experience, or internships and even work for free as college students under an Entrepreneur.

I did this myself from the Career School I went too and my Business School. You find out what is behind the scenes and how your run a company. What goes into it every day from different angles.

I believe you could start a school with M.J.'s books. But I don't think it's his agenda to start an Entrepreneur Start Up School everywhere. It always comes down to money for dorms, housing, and would end up like a University Campus. Lot of commotion, hassle, and people to back it up.
 

1step

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In my lab I teach the kids to persevere, be tough, fearless, and explain why something isn't working. The environment is supportive and the sessions are not graded, no real academic pressure. This session is totally voluntary for me and the kids, no one is required to participate. Some students still do not thrive in that environment and they do quit.

What do you think about class sizes? Wondering about how your numbers compare for the voluntary makers lab vs your regular class and what is manageable for you based on the way you have the lab structured? Do you have a teaching assistant to help you?
 
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It was only a matter of time until this market began to emerge.

In reality, Unscripted is about as good as you can do from a cost/value perspective. But of course, people are inherently inefficient and will be glad to through money at a solution that takes more of their time.

So yea, why not?
 
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Real Deal Denver

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I am a public school teacher. I have taught 5th grade science for 15 years and, of course, I have some thoughts.

Three years ago I decided to up my game at school. I got lots of donations and thousands of dollars in grants. I bought robots, was given class set of chromebooks, got a 3d printer, assembled a makerspace, hot glue guns, lots of cardboard, lots of recycled electronics, and lots of craft stuff donated. I also have 6 huge tubs of legos. I call my classroom "elementary shop". We can build working models of whatever we can imagine. It is cool to see the kids create.

What is much more powerful is to see them problem solve. IMHO we provide too much support and the kids don't have to work to figure things out. We don't want to see them fail.

In my lab I teach the kids to persevere, be tough, fearless, and explain why something isn't working. The environment is supportive and the sessions are not graded, no real academic pressure. This session is totally voluntary for me and the kids, no one is required to participate. Some students still do not thrive in that environment and they do quit.

When I started this, I had visions that all the students would love it and they would find their niche. Not so. That fixed mindset is so ingrained that they do not enjoy the freedom.

I am in my third year of this experiment. Some fastlaners have donated and I appreciate all the support. The program now is at the stage of fine tuning the learning processes and opportunities. We have all the tech and supplies we need to get the job done at this time. I just have to figure out how to get the kids to see their potential, even when they cannot see it themselves.

I hope these rambling thoughts align with or help your thought process @1step . I will be moving on from this in 2 more years so I have more lessons to learn and share.

WOW - My kind of teacher!

I started out being self-taught on "machines." Over the years I took courses on mechanical, electrical, and electronic studies. I understand almost any kind of machine, and was a tech for about 20 years, fixing the most complex of machines every day (copiers, computers, printers, calculators, typewriters, and on and on) I have also rebuilt cars from the ground up. OK - enough background.

I would have loved to have a teacher such as yourself somewhere along the way. Here is a suggestion. Take things apart and make displays to show how they work. A drill - a mixer - an electric razor - a lawnmower engine. Make a hands-on display so students can touch things - turn the gears - turn the crankshaft - and see how things really do work. Sometimes their brains need to be "primed" to be able to grasp engineering concepts. I can't believe at one time I had absolutely no idea of how a car operated. Now, having rebuilt or replaced, or repaired, every part of a car, I know cars inside out. But at first, it was just too much to absorb. I think you need to plant seeds in minds and let them grow. What is a piston ring anyway? How does a battery actually work, and I can make one from a lemon? The ancient Egyptians made batteries using clay pots - how did they do that? Make a simple (and working) electric motor using a paperclip (it's on YouTube). I remember taking apart mechanical adding machines and learning how they actually added numbers. Get an old adding machine so students can see how the parts interact. Get inspiring infographic posters. Do you know the first phone Alexander Graham Bell used had a bowl of acid as part of what made it work? Acid! How would acid have anything to do with a phone? Well - make a poster infographic showing how that process worked. Explain the physics of how an airplane wing makes an airplane actually fly. How can a wing that doesn't flap, actually fly? And how do those jet engines work anyway? And how do they make electricity from Hoover Dam?

I applaud your efforts in teaching. I am sure you will be producing geniuses along the way. I just think you need a "shallow end of the pool" for the beginners to wade in and test the water out first. Not everyone is naturally attuned to that way of thinking.

I wish I was there with you, opening these young minds. We have SO much technology and so little interest in it these days. Brains are being numbed by, of all things - "smart" phones - that have an app for anything, so nobody has to think anymore.
 

Runum

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What do you think about class sizes? Wondering about how your numbers compare for the voluntary makers lab vs your regular class and what is manageable for you based on the way you have the lab structured? Do you have a teaching assistant to help you?

My official science classes vary from 17 - 23 in a typical year. I do have an assistant one day a week. My STEM class will have around 40 4th and 5th graders in it and I do have a full time assistant. My before school voluntary class can have up to 30 and no assistant. The before school class is mostly self directed and I just monitor and provide support to the kids as they need it. Some days the 30 by myself is a little tough but I still enjoy seeing the kids come in.
 

Runum

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WOW - My kind of teacher!

I started out being self-taught on "machines." Over the years I took courses on mechanical, electrical, and electronic studies. I understand almost any kind of machine, and was a tech for about 20 years, fixing the most complex of machines every day (copiers, computers, printers, calculators, typewriters, and on and on) I have also rebuilt cars from the ground up. OK - enough background.

I would have loved to have a teacher such as yourself somewhere along the way. Here is a suggestion. Take things apart and make displays to show how they work. A drill - a mixer - an electric razor - a lawnmower engine. Make a hands-on display so students can touch things - turn the gears - turn the crankshaft - and see how things really do work. Sometimes their brains need to be "primed" to be able to grasp engineering concepts. I can't believe at one time I had absolutely no idea of how a car operated. Now, having rebuilt or replaced, or repaired, every part of a car, I know cars inside out. But at first, it was just too much to absorb. I think you need to plant seeds in minds and let them grow. What is a piston ring anyway? How does a battery actually work, and I can make one from a lemon? The ancient Egyptians made batteries using clay pots - how did they do that? Make a simple (and working) electric motor using a paperclip (it's on YouTube). I remember taking apart mechanical adding machines and learning how they actually added numbers. Get an old adding machine so students can see how the parts interact. Get inspiring infographic posters. Do you know the first phone Alexander Graham Bell used had a bowl of acid as part of what made it work? Acid! How would acid have anything to do with a phone? Well - make a poster infographic showing how that process worked. Explain the physics of how an airplane wing makes an airplane actually fly. How can a wing that doesn't flap, actually fly? And how do those jet engines work anyway? And how do they make electricity from Hoover Dam?

I applaud your efforts in teaching. I am sure you will be producing geniuses along the way. I just think you need a "shallow end of the pool" for the beginners to wade in and test the water out first. Not everyone is naturally attuned to that way of thinking.

I wish I was there with you, opening these young minds. We have SO much technology and so little interest in it these days. Brains are being numbed by, of all things - "smart" phones - that have an app for anything, so nobody has to think anymore.

Thank you for the kind words and the suggestions. We do have makie stuff that they build and we have breakie stuff that they tear apart. I think next year we will do a theme a month. One month we break stuff, one month all electronics, one month all hydraulics, one month robotics, etc. This way I don't have 10 different things going on at the same time and the students can help with each other. Still thinking that I am not fully utilizing the opportunities.
 
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Real Deal Denver

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Still thinking that I am not fully utilizing the opportunities.

Wha Wha What? I have several highly talented friends. I consider us all way above average in skills and abilities. And NONE of us had a teacher that would even approach the category that you are in.

If we only could have had such a great teacher, who knows how much more successful we would have been. Teachers underestimate the influence they have on kids. I did have several fantastic teachers, and I do think about their influence on me on a regular basis. Maybe not every week, but at least once or twice a month. And those were not superb teachers by any means, but still worthy of admiration.

I may have missed my calling. I can only imagine how enjoyable your classes are for your students. I could so easily fit into what you do as a teacher. You could spend some time on so many topics - like technology in medicine, or computer coding, or hydraulics (as you mentioned). There are so many kits available to aid in leaning so many topics. Even the basic stuff - like how is concrete made and why does it turn to "stone?" How to build a house, which would get into geometry in designing roof rafters. I think having an actual application would open these otherwise dry topics up in their minds. Write a computer program. Calculate speed using gear ratios. These kids could turn into geniuses without even trying!

Back in the day... yeah, back when all I had was a pencil and paper. If only...

Keep up the good work. I just hope these kids don't become "immune" to so much knowledge and take it for granted. Here's one more fun suggestion that I like to discuss with people... survival. You are trapped in a [ jungle/desert/island/Hilton hotel lobby] for a month. How do you get water, food, shelter? How do you survive? How do you start a fire? You are at the north pole and you have a pile of wood, but all around you is only snow and ice. How do you start a fire? It's very easy when you know the answer. Ice, formed into a lens that is used as a magnifying glass. That's one example out of hundreds. How to make drinkable water if you're on an island in the middle of the ocean, with only salt water available? Hey, primitive natives do it all the time! How to catch fish if all you have is yourself - no tools - no weapons - no smartphone (ha!).
 

Runum

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Keep up the good work. I just hope these kids don't become "immune" to so much knowledge and take it for granted. Here's one more fun suggestion that I like to discuss with people... survival. You are trapped in a [ jungle/desert/island/Hilton hotel lobby] for a month. How do you get water, food, shelter? How do you survive? How do you start a fire? You are at the north pole and you have a pile of wood, but all around you is only snow and ice. How do you start a fire? It's very easy when you know the answer. Ice, formed into a lens that is used as a magnifying glass. That's one example out of hundreds. How to make drinkable water if you're on an island in the middle of the ocean, with only salt water available? Hey, primitive natives do it all the time! How to catch fish if all you have is yourself - no tools - no weapons - no smartphone (ha!).

Yes, I am from the pencil and paper generation too. Hi tech was a huge 4 function calculator.

Survival is the overall theme of my science classes. The things I teach them help them survive, better. My kids struggle with literacy so we also read novels. This year we read the "Island" trilogy. It's about these kids shipwrecked and their struggle to survive. We also went on a YMCA camp out and they taught the kids fire building and shelter building skills. I try to make this science experience as real and meaningful as possible.

Thanks again the for ideas. Always a way to improve.
 

Runum

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For those that are interested, here is my Youtube channel. I haven't posted as much classroom stuff as I should. That will change soon.

Mr B CGE
 
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This session is totally voluntary for me and the kids, no one is required to participate.

My first day at flight school, someone asked if something was required or optional, the reply came that all of this was optional, you can walk out the door right now and we'll never see you again.

That stuck with me, whatever you're doing, how you're doing it, it's your choice. I wish I had that lesson earlier in life and I commend you on your initiative, even if the little shits won't listen:rofl:
 

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Reading a book called Nurture Shock currently and one of the parts is about sleep and how lack of sleep is killing this generation of students.
One study the book quotes is that on average for each extra 15 minutes of sleep a student gets per night it translates to 1 grade level. I forget the exact numbers at the moment but a study also showed that a 6th grader with 1 hour less of sleep performs more like a 4th grader.
It goes on to talk about how teens don't start producing melatonin until 11pm-1am. With school starting between 7 and 8am most places, teens are getting on average 6-7 hours of sleep per night.
The book also links lack of sleep to obesity and many of the traits you would often associate with a "normal" teen like moodiness.
I am only a little less than halfway through but it's a pretty interesting book so far.
 

Runum

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Reading a book called Nurture Shock currently and one of the parts is about sleep and how lack of sleep is killing this generation of students.
One study the book quotes is that on average for each extra 15 minutes of sleep a student gets per night it translates to 1 grade level. I forget the exact numbers at the moment but a study also showed that a 6th grader with 1 hour less of sleep performs more like a 4th grader.
It goes on to talk about how teens don't start producing melatonin until 11pm-1am. With school starting between 7 and 8am most places, teens are getting on average 6-7 hours of sleep per night.
The book also links lack of sleep to obesity and many of the traits you would often associate with a "normal" teen like moodiness.
I am only a little less than halfway through but it's a pretty interesting book so far.
I would be interested in all that and see it tied in with over abundance of screen time.
 
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I would be interested in all that and see it tied in with over abundance of screen time.

The studies they quote in the book say that kids with less than 8 hours of sleep were 300% more likely to be obese than those with 10 hours of sleep. These were elementary aged kids.
Research in middle and high schools in Houston showed an 80% increase in obesity for each hour of sleep lost.
They briefly address screen time and say there seems to be little correlation between it and obesity. They quote research out of ut austin saying skinny and obese kids watch the same amount of tv on average and then talk more about sleep and correlation with weight.
It seems hard to believe that screentime wouldn’t be a factor but also seems based on all this information that sleep is a much bigger factor that I ever thought.
 

Runum

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The studies they quote in the book say that kids with less than 8 hours of sleep were 300% more likely to be obese than those with 10 hours of sleep. These were elementary aged kids.
Research in middle and high schools in Houston showed an 80% increase in obesity for each hour of sleep lost.
They briefly address screen time and say there seems to be little correlation between it and obesity. They quote research out of ut austin saying skinny and obese kids watch the same amount of tv on average and then talk more about sleep and correlation with weight.
It seems hard to believe that screentime wouldn’t be a factor but also seems based on all this information that sleep is a much bigger factor that I ever thought.
There may not be a correlation between screen time and obesity, got it. But the study is not saying what is causing the lack of sleep. The blue light from the screens suppresses the melatonin and affects the sleep.
Blue light has a dark side - Harvard Health
 

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There may not be a correlation between screen time and obesity, got it. But the study is not saying what is causing the lack of sleep. The blue light from the screens suppresses the melatonin and affects the sleep.
Blue light has a dark side - Harvard Health

Oh yeah I see what you’re saying. They don’t address this aspect at all in the book but you would have to imagine it plays a part.
In regards to school I guess this could be something to consider when assigning work to be done at home although it seems like schoolwork and computers are pretty much tied together these days. Seems like homework at nighttime is pretty common so avoiding giving homework to avoid blue light would probably be the simplest option or perhaps just have them read books
 
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Runum

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Oh yeah I see what you’re saying. They don’t address this aspect at all in the book but you would have to imagine it plays a part.
In regards to school I guess this could be something to consider when assigning work to be done at home although it seems like schoolwork and computers are pretty much tied together these days. Seems like homework at nighttime is pretty common so avoiding giving homework to avoid blue light would probably be the simplest option or perhaps just have them read books
While I am sure that there are schools that issue that much homework to be completed exclusively on a computer, I don't know of them personally.

I can only speak of what I know, my school still does pencil and paper homework and that is for math and reading only. The kids are on screens all evening and it's not for school work.
 

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Pedro Henrique

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It is a idea that everyone in this forum might have already thought. But, it's extremely hard to execute, in my point of view, although the person or team that can do it will have a lot of profit 'cause many people would take their children to a alternative kind of school, for these principles you talked about it.
 

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No experience yet because my son is only 2. I just heard about it from the Mindset book that I read
Thanks this looks interesting!
Have you done this or do you have kids that have done this? Could you tell me a bit about your past experience with the program?
 

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