Welcome to the SEED Briefing for Volunteers Khafji, Saudi Arabia April 22, 2006 Tom Lough

What is SEED? A volunteer-based corporate non-profit educational development program whose members share their passion for learning and science and create opportunities for youth around the world

What are the goals of the volunteer briefing? Help other volunteers, teachers, and students to: Plan and facilitate a successful collaborative workshop Learn more about workshop tools and their applications Be able to establish and facilitate a project-based learning- while-doing environment Encourage behavior that is collaborative, respectful, and safe Find appropriate roles to support and encourage all participants Motivate participants to sustain their learning activities beyond the workshop

What are the goals of the collaborative workshop? Create awareness among teachers of the benefits of the LWD methodology Generate interest among teachers for implementing the LWD methodology in their own teaching Assist teachers in planning how to implement the LWD methodology in their school settings Create ongoing collaborative communication among teachers from different schools Create a self-sustaining movement among participating teachers to continue the LWD methodology after the workshop

Rather than as a “science lesson” or a “mathematics lesson,” project based learning focuses first on identifying a problem to be solved. What is project based learning? As a byproduct of this project, participants develop a deeper understanding of related concepts from many different “subject areas” in an authentic and engaging way. As a byproduct of this project, participants develop a deeper understanding of related concepts from many different “subject areas” in an authentic and engaging way.

What is Learning While Doing (LWD)? Active Simultaneous roles of learning and teaching Diverse styles and approaches Exploration and risk- taking Collaborative Curriculum “on demand”

Collaborative Learning Work in groups Respect each other Encourage everyone to be both a learner and a teacher Involve all group members

Workshop Theme: Water Local and global perspectives Basis for group projects Motivation for sustained work beyond workshop

Learning Tools Water testing kit GoGo board, sensors, output devices, and software

Safety Considerations Establishment of constant safety awareness Initial safety orientation (procedure for fire and other hazardous events) First aid kit and fire extinguisher location Walking safely Seatbelts in transportation Goggles for soldering Knife blade safety procedure Immediate reporting of unsafe situation

Project Development Stage 1: Brainstorming Stage 1 group task: brainstorm project concept ideas related to the theme for 15 to 20 minutes Generate as many different ideas as possible Write down each idea in a list Do not evaluate or discuss any idea – yet Encourage all group members to contribute ideas Make use of unusual ideas to inspire more ideas

Project Development Stage 2: Project Concept Stage 2 group task: Decide on project concept Discuss and evaluate ideas on brainstorm list Begin grouping related ideas Assemble as many groups of ideas as possible into a system for the project concept Where possible, relate to the workshop theme and make use of the workshop tools Draw up a plan, including a schematic and perhaps a flow chart, to communicate your project concept

Project Development Stage 3: Project Completion Stage 3 group task: Work together to develop, test, revise, finalize, and present finished project Start and maintain project journal Develop and test a prototype Make necessary revisions and test again Develop animation or computerized simulation Finalize project prototype Share project with others

Project Components Working model Schematic diagram (and optional flow chart) Project report in MicroSoft Word, including GoGo procedure

Project Sharing All group members participate Explain the scope of the project, how it is related to the theme, and the problem it is designed to solve Demonstrate the working model and the simulation Describe the problems encountered and how they were overcome Invite questions from the audience

Newsletter and Directory Encourage specific teachers and/or volunteers to take responsibility for developing: Pictorial directory of all participants, including photograph, name, affiliation, and address. Newsletter of the collaborative workshop, including photographs and descriptions of the events of each day.

Teacher Meetings Held at the end of each day Give teachers the opportunity to discuss observations and methodology Invite questions about how the workshop projects and approaches might be extended into the regular school year Encourage teachers to discuss among themselves ideas for future workshops and related initiatives

Workshop Sustainability As the workshop ends, ask yourselves: What did the students learn? What are the indications that they learned these things? What did you, the facilitators, learn? What will you, the facilitators, commit to for the future?

Workshop Agenda Saturday Familiarization with tools Start on project work Sunday Finish project work Project sharing