Classroom-less schools in Sweden

I came across this from Stephen Downes. WARNING: images may make educators extremely envious:

The principles of the Vittra School revolve around the breakdown of physical and metaphorical class divisions as a fundamental step to promoting intellectual curiosity, self-confidence, and communally responsible behavior. Therefore, in Vittra’s custom-built Stockholm location, spaces are only loosely defined by permeable borders and large, abstract landmarks. As the architects explained, “instead of classical divisions with chairs and tables, a giant iceberg for example serves as cinema, platform, and room for relaxation, and sets the frame for many different types of learning,” while “flexible laboratories make it possible to work hands-on with themes and projects.”

EDvent Calendar: Day 15 (I've got the power)

My gift to you today is the gift of inspiration. Two amazing stories centred on generating eectricity: first William Kamkwamba talks about building for his village in Africa a water pump and a wind-powered electric generator:

"I found a tractor fan, shock absorber, PVC pipes. Using a bicycle frame and an old bicycle dynamo, I built my machine. It was one light at first. And then four lights, with switches, and even a circuit breaker, modeled after an electric bell. Another machine pumps water for irrigation."

Watch and be inspired:


Second, Justin Hall-Tipping demonstrates a material that allows us to generate electricity using our windows. Truly remarkable.

EDvent Calendar: Day 3 (The Barefoot School)

Barefoot School
Bunker Roy talks about why he turned his back on a potentially prosperous future as a lawyer or a doctor to start a school where you can stay for a day or a lifetime and people with degrees are disqualified from entering:

Innovation: Lamborghini or Lemon?

Graeme Aitken's keynote from ULearn 11 is available. The TLDR version is:

Educators are obliged to cause:

• Successful learning (achievement)
• Greater interest and
• Greater confidence

It's not enough to simply cause one of these to happen, we must maximise the intersection of all three. BUT, educators can waste students' time in three key ways:

• Misalignment (not doing the core business of the task)
• Disengagement
• Lack of success

Evaluate your innovations again these criteria to ensure they are not 'mirage' innovations: