Tentative Syllabus for Learning Creative Learning (MAS.712)MIT Media Lab, Spring 2013Note: All speakers are confirmed, but readings and activities are still evolving February 11: Creative LearningReadings:* Mitchel Resnick (2007). All I Really Need to Know (About Creative Thinking) I Learned (By Studying How Children Learn) in Kindergarten. ACM Creativity & Cognition conference. February 19: Interest-Based Learning (class on Tuesday this week)Panelists: Joi Ito, Mimi ItoReadings:* Seymour Papert (1980): Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas (Foreword: The Gears of My Childhood) * Joi Ito blog posts: Formal vs Informal Education, Reading the Dictionary, Dubai and Learning about the Unknowable* Joi Ito (2012). Keynote to Open Educational Resources meeting (video), Hewlett Foundation.* Mimi Ito et al. (2009): Learning and Living with New Media. MacArthur Foundation.Activity: Write about an object from your childhood, in the spirit of Papert’s gearsAdditional Resources:* Mimi Ito et al. (2013). Connected Learning: An Agenda for Research and Design, MacArthur Foundation.* MacArthur Foundation (2012): The Essence of Connected Learning (video). * Wired Magazine (2012). Open university: Joi Ito plans a radical reinvention of MIT's Media Lab.* Sherry Turkle (2007). Evocative Objects: Things We Think With (Introduction, and selected essays - Cello, Knots, Stars). MIT Press.* Sherry Turkle (2008). Falling for science: Objects in Mind (Blocks, Steps, Venus Paradis Coloring Set). MIT Press. February 25: Constructionism and MakingPanelist: Dale DoughertyReadings:* Seymour Papert (1980): Mindstorms (Chapter 1: Computers and Computer Cultures)* Seymour Papert (1994): The Children’s Machine (Chapter 7: Instructionism versus Constructionism)* Dale Dougherty (2013): The Maker Mindset, in Design, Make, Play.* Mitchel Resnick et al. (2009): Scratch: Programming for All. Communications of the ACM.Activity: Create a Scratch project introducing something about yourself.Additional Resources:* Seymour Papert (1980). Mindstorms (Introduction: Computers for Children, Chapter 2: Mathophobia: The Fear of Learning, Chapter 3: Turtle Geometry: A Mathematics Made for Learning).* Mitch Resnick (2012). Let’s Teach Kids to Code (TED Talk video). March 4: Powerful IdeasPanelists: Alan Kay, Brian SilvermanReadings:* Seymour Papert (2000): What’s The Big Idea? Toward a Pedagogy of Idea Power* Mitchel Resnick & Brian Silverman (2005): Some Reflections on Designing Construction Kits for Kids. Interaction Design and Children conference.* Alan Kay (2003): Our Human ConditionActivity: Design an activity that engages people with a powerful idea March 11: Open LearningPanelists: Mako Hill, Philipp SchmidtReadings:* Ivan Illich: Deschooling Society (Chapter 6: Learning Webs)Activity: Teach something to (and learn something from) another person in the class March 18: Social CreativityPanelists: Gerhard Fischer, Andres Monroy-HernandezReadings:

* Gerhard Fischer (2011): Understanding, Fostering, and Supporting Cultures of Participation. Interactions. * Andres Monroy-Hernandez (2012): Designing for Remixing (excerpts)Activity: Work on a collaborative project where you remix one another’s work March 25: No class April 1: Learning in CommunitiesPanelists: Geetha Narayanan, Natalie RuskReadings:* Natalie Rusk, Mitchel Resnick, & Stina Cooke (2009): Origins and Guiding Principles of the Computer Clubhouse, in The Computer Clubhouse: Constructionism and Creativity in Youth Communities* Geetha Narayanan (2007): A Dangerous but Powerful IdeaActivity: Visit an after-school or other informal learning programAdditional Resources:* Seymour Papert (1980). Mindstorms (Chapter 8: Images of the Learning Society) April 8: Motivation and PersistencePanelists: Avi Kaplan, Natalie RuskReadings:* Carol Dweck (2000): Self-Theories (Chapters 1-3)* Daniel Pink (2009): Drive (excerpts), or Drive video clip* Paul Tough (2012): How Children Succeed (excerpts), or This American Life radio program Activity: Make a Scratch project showing something you spent time and effort creating or learning as a child.Additional Resources:* Alfie Kohn (1999): Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, Praise, and Other Bribes (Chapter 1, Chapter 3). * Mitch Resnick (2012): Still a Badge Skeptic. HASTAC blog. April 15: No class (work on diving-deeper projects) April 22: No class (work on diving-deeper projects) April 29: TinkeringPanelists: Karen Wilkinson, Mike Petrich, Eric RosenbaumReadings:* Mike Petrich and Karen Wilkinson (2013): The Art of Tinkering* Mitchel Resnick & Eric Rosenbaum (2013): Designing for Tinkerability, in Design, Make, Play.Activity: Combine physical+digital with WeDo, PicoBoards, or MaKey MaKeyAdditional Resources:* Luigi Anzivino and Karen Wilkinson (2012): Tinkering by Design: Thoughtful Design Leads to Breakthroughs in Thinking* Sherry Turkle & Seymour Papert (1990). Epistemological Pluralism. Signs. May 6: Supporting Creative LearningPanelists: Karen Brennan, Amon MillnerReadings:* Karen Brennan (2012): Best of Both Worlds: Issues of Structure and Agency in Computational Creation, In and Out of School (excerpts)* Amon Millner (2010): Computers as Chalk: Cultivating and Sustaining Communities of Youth as Designers of Tangible User Interfaces (excerpts)Activity: Create a tutorial (using any media) to help someone learn to do something in Scratch May 13Poster PartyDemonstrations of diving-deeper projects and reflections on the course