part one: article
In part one of our lab this module, we were asked to read The Creativity Hack You Can Do In Your Sleep by Jim Stone.
part two: working on the problem
Questions you are struggling with
- What system should I use to host my database (microsoft excel, google sheets etc.)
- I have debated this question for the past couple weeks when thinking about the database. During my incubation period, I came to the conclusion that I would be using google drive because it can be accessed by multiple users and be stored on a cloud. If I had five people who wanted to shoot a basketball but only one basketball, it would take longer for everything to happen.
- What is the best way to log the scores (by test, by year)
- I believe that scores should be logged by test so that scores will be right next to each other so it can be easier to see the progress that a student is making on a particular test over time.
- How should each grade be organized (alphabetical or by teacher)
- Grades or tabs will be organized by homeroom and then be alphabetical. This can be rearranged after each school year.
- How will I get the Phys Ed teachers to buy into this
- This database will take time to get used to but I believe that most teachers will buy into the program. Scores will be recorded three times a year, so you'll be able to see results over a long period of time. It's almost like a longitudinal study.
- What am I going to use this information for
- This information will be used to see which areas that the students need to improve on for their physical fitness. It will also direct our lessons so that we can incorporate our weaker areas into our units to help improve the scores.
Issues or variables that present a problem for you
- Teachers who do not know how to use the database
- There are a few teachers that do not prefer to use technology. Setting up professional development and asking for help can help them get more comfortable with the database.
- Will a certain program be around for awhile
- I'm concerned that google drive won't be around forever. Even though our school is a google district, what would we do if we couldn't use the drive. AOL didn't last forever.
Thoughts that are kicking around in your head on your problem
- I want to be able to share this information with my students
- I want the students to be active with their scores when it comes to fitness testings. Maybe we can have the students look at their scores from the previous year and set short and long term goals with their parents at the beginning of each school year. This way there is parental involvement.
Possibilities, ideas, or solutions that have entered your mind
- Asking other area districts what they do with their fitness scores and how they track them
- I was able to send an email to two other local districts to see how they track scores and what they do with the grades. It will be interesting to see what they say.
part three: incubation
In part three, we were asked to take a half an hour break from our lab activity. I decided to shoot a basketball around.
part four: reflection
In part four we were asked to add notes to our ideas above. These notes and comments are in red font and are in bold text. We were also asked to reflect on our incubation process. Below are my thoughts.
After brainstorming for 15-20 minutes and asking essential questions about my problem of practice, I found that I could not just stop thinking about some of the solutions. In a way, this incubation period was like a thought walk because I was able to get up from my desk and just move around the gymnasium. I was able to use some of my senses: hearing the ball bounce around the court, feeling the texture of the basketball, looking at the sights throughout the gym. The last sense, was one that instantly solved an issue. I took a look at the rack of basketballs and they were color coded: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. Each row had 5 of each color so we could track what color ball was missing at the end of the period. We have five fitness tests and each could be a different color on the database. This would be an easy way to see the five tests all on one spreadsheet. Who would have thought that I could relate the color of a basketball to a way to track scores.
I don't think I could ever fully clear my mind because I knew that as soon as the time was up, that I would be going right back to work. I do think that working-take a break-back to work, is a great way to get new ideas and to attack problems from a new angle. I know that before this module, I would use this process almost all the time when I was having trouble. I never knew that there was a term for it though. Now whenever I need a break, I will call it my incubation break! It's funny that it works for a lot of people and it's proven scientifically to work but they don't know exactly why it works. In Stone's article he says that there are six different hypothesis and one or a combination of all, could explain this process.
As we go through each stage of design, my problem gets a little bit clearer. Each design has different tools to help the designers think of all angles when trying to solve their problems. I will be using both brainstorming and incubation as tools going further.
I don't think I could ever fully clear my mind because I knew that as soon as the time was up, that I would be going right back to work. I do think that working-take a break-back to work, is a great way to get new ideas and to attack problems from a new angle. I know that before this module, I would use this process almost all the time when I was having trouble. I never knew that there was a term for it though. Now whenever I need a break, I will call it my incubation break! It's funny that it works for a lot of people and it's proven scientifically to work but they don't know exactly why it works. In Stone's article he says that there are six different hypothesis and one or a combination of all, could explain this process.
As we go through each stage of design, my problem gets a little bit clearer. Each design has different tools to help the designers think of all angles when trying to solve their problems. I will be using both brainstorming and incubation as tools going further.
References
Stone, Jim. (2015, January). The Creativity Hack You Can Do In Your Sleep. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/clear-organized-and-motivated/201501/the-creativity-hack-you-can-do-in-your-sleep