Engaging Millennials in an Age of Sensory Overload
Think for a second. How often have you heard recently about the benefits of some fancy pants new tech device? Smart Board- Gotta have it! iPads for every student- Duh! But wait, there's more!- Check out this new app that generates lesson plans, sets up lab experiments, AND does your laundry with color save bleach! Educational tools are starting to sound a bit like infomercials...
It's getting pretty wild out there.
What if your whole room was a presentation, and a project? What if you didn't need an iPad, but instead got automatic buy-in from, say, a $2 Wal-mart bathmat which, with only a pair of scissors, you have now made into a "toga"?
Friends! Romans! Countrymen! Lend me your ears- Buy 2 togas get a 3rd free, AND we'll throw in a pint of fake blood for FREE!
Not every school can afford to spend thousands of dollars on today's advanced educational tools, so we went in the opposite direction.
How about this for a team building activity?
Let's pretend for a second that none of today's technology existed and get back to the basics: Props, costumes, scents, lights, sounds, not-so-special effects. Cloth, towels, beads, rocks, plastic plants, wood planks, foam board, spray paint. These items are cheap, easy to repair and replace, and with a little creativity, let the students truly immerse themselves in the unit they are studying.
We have 3 simple goals today: 1- Present the research which justifies our tactics 2- Show you some of the ways we have implemented these techniques 3- Give you a chance to brainstorm ways to spice up a lesson or unit you already enjoy