TechIntersect

A while ago, I introduced readers of this blog to the concept of “Ed Parkour” and today I wanted to share a little bit about what I think makes me a “traceur” or “Ed Parkour” practitioner.

I’ve always been a little bit out of the mainstream when it comes to my approach to teaching. I think it stems from my lifelong struggles as a student. That’s why I think that the concept of “Ed Parkour” is so amazing. It really gives educators support for the notion of teaching from our strengths. Just find what you are good at and go with it! It doesn’t really matter what other folks are doing if you are doing something different and it is working for you.

A few years ago, I attended a Love and Logic teaching conference primarily aimed at K-12 educators, but I learned a great deal that I could use a college educator. (I also had to endure a few painful barbs aimed at college profs, but that’s for another time!)  Sometimes I think we in higher education are much too arrogant to think that we could learn anything useful from our brother & sister educators in K-12. Personally, I try to be open to learning anytime, anywhere from anyone.

It was at that particular conference where I first heard of “brain-based education.” I was introduced to the work of Eric Jensen, and his classic book Teaching with the Brain in Mind. There were several examples of active, brain-based learning activities and I brought one activity in particular home with me to try out.

In my computer networking course, a potentially dry subject to be sure, I am careful to vary my techniques and teaching styles because I have such a wide array of knowledge and interest levels in the course. Some students are keenly interested in the topic, hoping to someday be full-time network administrators, while other students fit squarely in the camp of “wouldn’t be taking this if it weren’t required.” The following game is perfect for my class.

One of the brain-based activities I picked up at the K-12 conference was a “Musical Match” game where students are given cards with 3-4 vocabulary words from the course. When the music starts, they walk around the room, dancing if they dare, until the music stops. Then, they must quickly find a partner, and compare the words in their hand to the words in their partner’s hand, looking for a connection between the two words. For example, one student might be holding the word “switch” and another might be holding the word “router” and they could note that both words are examples of networking hardware.

Sometimes it is really challenging to find a connection, but usually at least one exists, even if it is a rather tenuous relationship. This game is a great way to break up a long lecture class, giving the body a break from sitting and the mind a chance to kick into high gear.

When the music resumes, they start moving around the room again until the music stops, when they will find a new partner. It’s no fair going to the same person over and over!

What is really Ed Parkour about this activity, in my mind though, is a recent modification I made to how we play. I have always been frustrated by the long rows of tables and limited space for play in the classroom. I took a drama class during the last intersession to work on my storytelling skills, and commented to the instructor Randy Mulder that I wished my networking classroom had folding tables like we had in our drama class, so we could create a large play space for the matching game. That’s not a problem, says Mulder, just push the tables to the side, and flip some upside down & set them on the others. It was like a bolt of lightning! Of course that will work! So here is a brief clip of what the game with the re-arranged room looked like:

Sorry, I should have recorded longer, but it’s really tough trying to both teach and document teaching. Usually I don’t remember to take any pictures or anything until it is too late.

Keep in mind, these are not drama students, they are technology students. They aren’t normally exposed to kinesthetic activities as a part of their college experience. I think this simple activity makes a huge impact on a class. It shows students that they can be active rather than passive participants in their learning. That they can make modifications to their learning space. That they can take a chance and actually talk and learn with to someone they don’t know. There are many things that are going on, probably many I haven’t even considered.

So this is how I do “Ed Parkour.” I am open to ideas from outside of my field of expertise, from unexpected sources, and am unabashed about trying them out. Computer students don’t expect to be asked to get up out of their seats and move around a classroom. It is a surprise to them, and I think it creates a moment that stands out in their memories. So tell me, how do you do “Ed Parkour?”

Tags: edparkour, games, learning, portfolio, teaching