London2Oklahoma schools arriving at CWF2010
The Creativity World Forum was a breeding ground for … wait for it … Creativity! One very creative idea that formed into reality was the London2Oklahoma #PopUpSchool. Students from A+ schools in Oklahoma and London met and, with the help of “professional learners”, created a PopUpSchool. This school literally Popped Up out of the creation that was the Creative World Forum and from idea that students can learn in creative, non-traditional ways.
The concept of the Pop Up school is a belief that formed from an idea. The website explains it best:
We believe that learning should be fun, engaging, challenging and purposeful. Above all it should be creative. Learners need opportunities to make meaning. This is an active process which requires teachers to act as facilitators, promoting enquiry and problem-solving. We recognise that people love to learn but that this natural urge to be creative can often be stifled by formal education. Successful learning often begins with a question and young people can benefit from the support of more experienced learners. Teachers (or learning professionals) can fulfill this role but so too can parents, care-givers, older students and members of the local community. There are clearly concerns about eSafety, but the internet provides us with amazing opportunities to connect with other learners and learning professionals across the globe. This is the kind of learning we are attempting to model in our Pop Up School.
One student asked me to write a question that I would have about the future. I wrote, “What will humans do when computers supersede the brain capacity of computers?” The idea for collecting these questions was to see what problems or concerns the future may face and what innovative thinkers today may do to solve these issues.
One of the PoPUpSchool kids
The students had a booth in the showcase area and created a learning space in the lobby of the conference. Students asked guests to write how they learn best and what they would tell their “13 year-old selves”. These snippets of thoughts were collected and displayed. I told my “13 year-old self” that “It will get better”.
I didn’t get to see the presentation live at the forum but as technology allows us, you can watch it here.
Pop Up kids took part in the removal of the balloon art. They had a blast!
Fabulous presentation! Wow!!! Thanks for sharing this, Bonnie.
The CWF has shed its magic all over Oklahoma. This rich experience will continue to enrich us and our citizen’s as we grow and become more and more creative.