MAS.967 - A Survey Seminar and Action Laboratory at MITMedia Lab
Organized by Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum of MIT Media Lab's Lifelong Kindergarten TA'd by Amos Blanton, also from Lifelong Kindergarten
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Description
Wtf is going on? Why are people limping out of 20 years of schooling without
directed motivation, a solid internal compass, or a commitment to passionately
pursuing their interests? Let's examine why in a cozy, edgy, authentic seminar
where we balance theory with real-world action (praxis). We'll study the radical
learning greats such as Illich, Papert, and Llewelyn, with focused readings and
videos followed by discussion. Whenever possible we'll try to have the authors or
their direct students available for Q&A&Q. And through hands-on labs and projects
we'll design and enact experience-based transformations, like improvised music,
consciousness altering strategies, electronics workshops etc. We can't wait to
see you realize your wonderful ideas!
Practicalities
Grading: You design it yourself
Meeting: Tuesdays 3pm-6pm, dinner served at 6pm, and labs arranged at different times
Room: For the seminar - E14-493, 4th Floor New Media Lab Building
Open Hours: Mon & Wed 1pm-2pm
Actions Weekly: Readings and Media, Design Activity, Lab
Write down what you notice when engaging in the readings and media: Specifics from the text. What puzzles you? What constructive ideas do you have for your own way forward?
Do the design activities for your own progress, not to impress anyone. For example, when assigning yourself a grading mechanism for the first week, do it in a way that will help you, not to do a "good job" for the "teachers"
Semesterly Project -- Develop and enact a learning experience. Iterate (at least once)
Places you can hold your final project:
Any place you choose
An MIT class that is already taking place
The Lego Lerning Lab E14-445
Mini Maker Faire Cambridge, May 7 from 12-4 at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
Sprout
Schedule
Week 1 (2/15): Learning Experiences: What can they be?
Introductions all around
Course overview
Guest Speaker: Bilal Ghalib, The Two Hands Project (documentary about makers and hacker spaces)
Discussion: Learning Experiences
Activity: What's your most powerful positive learning experience? Negative?
Illich "Why We Must Disestablish School" p.1 through the first paragraph on p.4. From "Deschooling Society". Further Reading: Deschooling Society, Tools for Conviviality.
Guests: Unschooler (Liam) and Counselor (Amos Blanton) from Not Back to School Camp
Guests: Mitch Altman from Noise Bridge, Saeed Arida from Nuvu
Dinner provided by ___________
Lab: Visit Sprout
Week 7 (4/12): Alternative Schooling Models
Media Artifacts and Readings:
Check out some of the videos here
Guests: Bakhtiar Mikhak
Dinner provided by ___________
Week 8 (4/26): Transformative Gatherings
Media Artifacts and Readings: Alex Grey, Burning Man documentation, Education as Transformation (Katz)
Guests: Sam Cassat, Sean Stevens
Dinner provided by ___________
Lab: Visit an Unschool, the Sudbury Valley School (April 30th, 1pm-4pm, 2 Winch Street, Framingham, MA, leave MIT at noon)
Attend a Transformative Gathering (Do this during the semester) -- Example Frost Burn, Dances for Universal Peace (March 4, 12 and 18, and April 1, 9 and 15), Quaker Meeting (Sundays), Critical Mass (March 25th, April 29th, 5:30pm Copley), etc.
Week 9 (5/3): Final Project Presentations & Cupcakes & Dance Party
Dinner provided by ___________
Week 10 (5/10): More Final Project Presentations & More Cupcakes & More Dance Party
Dinner provided by ___________
