Motivation Monday

Jay Silver, Inventor, Founder/CEO of JoyLabz, is an inspiration to the Maker Movement.   He founded Makey Makey: An Invention Kit for Everyone in 2012.  Over the past two years, my students, grades 2-8, have enjoyed "making" things with our Makey Makey.  We launch with the ever-popular banana piano, and branch out from there.

Makey Makey (affiliate link)

I recently read the article on Edutopia: Trees of Knowledge. Silver metaphorically addresses how learners can "sprout new branches and grow their trees to the tune of their own heart's song."  He also references the "roots" to his learning tree.  What "roots" have helped you grow your tree?

To encourage students to create their own viewpoint, and essentially their own world, we can encourage conversation with answers like, "I wonder"  and "Tell me more".  Answer questions with questions to help students grow as learners.  Encourage students to be "active curators of their own viewpoint on the world, not a recipient of my viewpoint."


Click through for some Monday Motivation:

1.  Jay Silver's Ted Talk: Hack a banana, make a keyboard!

2.  Article on Edutopia: Trees of Knowledge

3.  Opinion Piece: The Future of Education Demands More Questions, Not Answers

4.  Jay Silver's Website

5.  Follow Silver @wakeupsilver and @makeymakey on Twitter