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Hal Portner replied to Peter Lloyd's discussion 'The Current Crisis'

Yes, the choice many of today's quality control people face is: You can have two out of three: Good, Fast, Cheap. As for being paid what you're worth, consider the repair man who was called upon to fix a non-functioning machine. He took a hammer ...

on Wednesday

Hal Portner replied to Peter Lloyd's discussion 'Why Not Hip Hop?'

As long as you ask, Peter ... For me, music is never background. When it's in my sphere, whatever the genre, I choose to either listen to it to the exclusion of other sounds, or ignore it. Because of my classical music training, I would ignore Hi...

November 21

Hal Portner commented on Rachel Pickett's event 'Effective classrooms... we're creating them!'

Will be there in spirit (unless you have figuted out how to beam me up). Keep me updated, please. Hal

November 2

Hal Portner commented on Michael Michalko's blog post 'You and I are going to die'

Thank you for this, Michael. You have given me a special lens through which to see and understand my inherent nature to make it a good day.

October 29

Hal Portner replied to Hal Portner's discussion 'Creativity in Education'

Thanks, Kevin. George Baines did indeed have a vision and inspired others to follow it. We owe him much. I taught in a school years age that not only embraced his 'open-plan' organizational and instructional concepts, but also was actually constru...

October 29

Kevin Byron replied to Hal Portner's discussion 'Creativity in Education'

Hi Hal, It's perhaps an unusual contribution but I thought I would add this obituary of George Baines to this discussion because it tells us so much about education and how one person made a huge difference. The article was written by Cathy Burke...

October 29

Hal Portner commented on Hal Portner's group 'Brainstorming Education Reform'

Getting It Wrong: Surprising Tips on How to Learn New research makes the case for hard tests, and suggests an unusual technique that anyone can use to learn By Henry L. Roediger and Bridgid Finn https://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=...

October 21

Hal Portner replied to Hal Portner's discussion 'Critical vs Creative Thinking'

Knowledge is power? Hmmm, lets invert this: Power applied is knowledge!

October 18

Profile Information

Location:

Wherever I go, there I am - currently in Western Massachusetts

About Me:

Education consultant/author: Teacher Induction and Mentoring
Musician/composer (on occasion)
Oil Painter (occasionally}
Occasional poet
Longtime Member: Peter Lloyd's 'Head Shed'

Website:

http://www.portner.us/Hal

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John Seely Brown on Creativity

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Hal Portner's Blog

Talking Paint

Four West Salem, Oregon High School students have won first place in a national science competition for a project that imagines paint that can "talk."

The science and technology competition for students in grades K-12 asks students to
research existing technology and create innovative ways to use that technology in the future.

The Salem students won for their project called S.M.A.R.T Paint, a special paint that could help detect black ice, sense fires, prevent pressure tank explosions, and ref… Continue

Posted on May 14, 2009 at 3:04pm —

Lets Doodle!

Get Smart! Doodle!

by Tim Newlin
from the Teachers.Net Gazette (http://teachers.net/gazette/APR09/newlin/)
April 1, 2009

People who doodle are smart - they pay more attention and remember things better than those who do not doodle. That's the scientific result of a study done by Professor Jackie Andrade, of the School of Psychology at the University of Plymouth and published by the magazine Applied Cognitive Psychology. The test also showed that fidgeting has the same positive effect. So the n… Continue

Posted on April 1, 2009 at 2:16pm — 3 Comments

buildings of the world

http://villageofjoy.com/50-strange-buildings-of-the-world/

Posted on January 17, 2009 at 9:27pm — 3 Comments

Creative advertising

Rube Goldberg redeux?
http://producten.hema.nl/

Posted on November 28, 2008 at 2:43pm —

Get 'em outside

"...get 'em outside and let 'em play, because inspiration comes from everything," said Brian Wilk, design director for Boys Toys with Hasbro, and the Design Collaborative chairman. "They're being allowed to be artists as well as designers."

Snow Farm, a nonprofit arts education program in Williamsburg, hosted this innovative field trip Wednesday and today for Hasbro design employees from divisions in East Longmeadow and Pawtucket, R.I.
Full story linked below.

http://www.gazettenet.com/2008/09… Continue

Posted on September 18, 2008 at 8:39pm —

Comment Wall (24 comments)

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At 12:28pm on November 20, 2008, Franca Leeson said…: Heya Hal,

I've added the photos: here is the link. You should blog a little note about them with a link and a picture, they're a lot of fun and people might overlook them.

At 4:37am on November 10, 2008, Mark_Abrahams said…: Hal,
It’s always good to hear from you.

Your musings are probably spot on.

I do not propose to further extend our mutual contemplation of what I am doing - we really can't, I'm sure. spare the time. It could all prove to be of no avail. Yet I am full of hope that it will not be entirely fruitless

Anyway, I offer this supplementary clarification.
- What I'm doing is developing a model.
- It is deliberate
- I like to think that, by experimentally taking off the brakes to my individual musings and writing, that I am demonstrating a form of brainstorming. Unlike the lists approach (such as in CPS and Productive Thinking process), my thoughts are aimed to flow as text. Yet only I can fully understand the intent behind the unlisted but linked musings. They have an energy loop. It is a bit coded, almost another language.
- I select a topic about which I am passionate and see where it leads
- Lacking time to assess, correct and check it, my writing may appear rambling. I prefer to call it LOOPY. (Its a bit like saying to someone "I think you are mad" and them responding "Yes, I'm absolutely livid." - joke)
- I will (or I aim to) return to what I produce and edit, précis and, maybe, produce a few pertinent points.
- If this was a creative problem solving approach, I'd be *starring* what stands out as the most pertinent point or points.

So there is purpose behind this seemingly spewed out form of communication. Revealing the journey is, for the average Joe (who is uninformed regarding the worlds of creative thinking) to much to handle. 'They' get lost on the ramble and turn round, go back home and carry on as if the option to ramble was never offered.

I do not recommend this form of communication. Simply, it doesn't work. However, within my model, it does and it will.

All the best
Mark

At 6:53pm on November 9, 2008, Mark_Abrahams said…: Hey Hal,
More on your comments and what I have taken as advice regarding how better to write and present my thinking (or story).

Scoping things and bottom lining to suit the perceived audience is good advice indeed. For a myriad of reasons, I seek to improve my communication (and my coping strategies) so as to better relate and connect. An overly negative approach, at the outset of any communication, is off-putting, especially with regard to conversation.

Anyway, I just thought I'd say thanks for the thoughts and for following a few of mine.
Please remember that I have been basically chucking down thoughts, as a sort of notepad for an audience of one. If I focus on a topic you will see a bit more clarity from me. Some of my stuff is, I acknowledge, in need of either a cutting edit or even deletion – but it is a bit of an experiment.

Trouble is, I’m far too happy. Perhaps I need to be facing a bit more adversity to better focus my attention. I jest of course – my family is all to me and I aim to keep things as sweet as possible.

I will aim to more succinct in our exchanges - assuming there are more (with no timeframe attached)

Regarding ‘education’ – my wife Barbara is still at the sharp end and much better informed than me. She’s just kept to busy to think. I’m just an educationalist hanger–on, a groupie.

All the best
M.

At 11:51am on November 6, 2008, Mary Whelan said…: Thanks Hal - when I saw your photo as a musician I just jumped to the wrong conclusion!
Mary

At 5:41am on November 6, 2008, Mary Whelan said…: Hey Hal!

Thanks for your response and whoa! Where do I start with all the information? Being new to blogging, I'm a bit overwhelmed with the amount of previous discussion to catch up on, but I'll take it a bit at a time.

I see a lot of commonality in the views that I've browsed so far. I've just started doing research into an entrepreneurship programme for primary school children (under 12's) and I'm at the point where I have to decide which way to head. Pilot programme with couple of schools? / County Enterprise Board involvement? / Government grant aid? (no funds, beginning of recession) Dept. of Education support? (nothing but cutbacks happening there!), private company sponsorhip??????

In the past I had a habit of rushing headlong into projects, but now that I'm a Whole Brained person I'm calling upon my logic and rational skills and taking some time with this!
By the way - I liked your Thomas Edison song! I visited his lab in Fort Myers in September, and it was wonderful to get a sense of the great man.
Good luck with your creating.
Mary

At 1:02pm on October 10, 2008, Bob said…: Hi Hal! Thanks for the kind words. I was going for a turn of the century - Jules Verne take on an Idea Port - copper and rivets etc. My web design friend is a great interpreter of ideas. You look like quite a productive and grounded thinker with all the books and teaching. Rock on! Have fun. BOB

At 5:24am on September 6, 2008, Mark_Abrahams said…: Concerning your comments to Barbara 26th Aug at 5:25

Hello Hal,

Mark here, on Barbara's behalf as well as my own.

She is grateful for your response and friendship. Your work and approach to creativity plus good and better teaching is of huge interest.

The systems-thinking and principles of collaborative-doing and committed-leading may take a bit of coming to terms with. Your other thoughts and contributions also deserve a bit more thinking before coming back to you.

Regarding Barbara's Progressive Learning unit, she has fought the way to facilitate and deliver and succeed following Wolfensberger thinking. Wolf was and maybe still is, her hero (tucked in behind me of course..well one has to hope).

Whilst studying as a mature student and busy wife and mother, Barbara was struck by what she came across following leads from Baroness Warnock and upon reading a paper by Wolf Wolfensberger. The thinking behind this fired up something deep inside and inexplicable, because Barbara has, since I have known her (which is the longest of times) wanted to work in the field that, over the last 20 years, she has managed. Wolfensberger and Warnock, amongst others, confirmed what she has always known. The principles of normalization and many other attributable and ethical principles required someone, including Barbara, to break through and tackle the tangle of bigotry. The Education system then caught up with this thinking and paved the way moreso (including funding) to make things happen. This is also where societal theory of support can come in. Not only do students get support but also the teaching staff. By knocking down a few organisational barriers, jumping the educational hurdles and crawling through the political undergrowth, Barbara and her team, with support at executive level, have manoeuvred into a strong and successful position.

Following thinking requiring assured shared resources, a good dollop of reflective practice and simply getting on with the job, including a systemic approach to family involvement, the evidence of success is the smiles on the faces, the certificates of achievement and the workplace successes facilitated by educational support make this, for me, the observer and supporter in my own right, a way of valued thinking and living that just simply makes sense. Barbara also deals with vocational training and placements, so the results are tangible and practical. Monitoring, verification and performance has. more than possibly, introduced an over-regulation but it is, for instance, great to be bale to prove 100% student retention relative to your cost centre, taking into account the 'bums on seats' = £s equation. Crossing all strands of equality and diversity, the results do speak for themselves alongside the Grade 1 teaching assessment.

What can be learned from this, following a lateral thinking approach, is the spin offs. The interaction between students of differing abilities and those societal changes are evidence of the impact this sort of thinking can have. Add employers to the equation and you have a rounded approach. This is, of course, my take on this. From the inside I am sure that Barbara could add the academic flavour. I, on the other hand, can independently view the economic and even the commercial benefits. If strategies were built more from the foundations of having the legal, societal and professional targets in place before building in higher level objectives, then the world we live in, especially the world of education, could, in my opinion (as a lay person but specialising in considerations relative also to health, care and well-being) be a much more colourful and rewarding one. My beliefs are, of course, my own. For instance, I belief that this philosophy, these principles, these methods, could be rolled out in areas where education is still regarded as a luxury. If there is an aim to 'facilitate without borders', then this is one way to do it - by affecting views, challenging discrimination and adjusting perceptions.

If these principles are already taken on board and I just need to be shown the evidence (and better still, a working example) then I would be glad if you could point us in the right direction. Your systems thinking and a whole lot of other practices obviously fit in, within the scope of normalization following Wolfenberger principles.

As for me! I'm just trying to better myself, aiming at the theoretical Maslow principle of realisation.

Are you Mindcamping?

Our Regards to you.

Mark

At 10:18am on August 24, 2008, Kevin Byron said…: Hi hal,

Thanks for the invite look forward to a continuing creative discussion on education and many other things.

Cheers,

Kevin

At 9:05am on August 24, 2008, Barbara said…: Thanks for the welcome Hal. Sorry for taking so long to get back to you.

I was hoping to get a prize. My 100th membership was a designed event by someone close to me. I am told that my prize is actually being a Hub member.

I’m not blessed with a lot of spare time so I aim to get back to you when we can maybe explore those ‘Progressive Learning’ and ‘support’ topics.

Like many, I’m so busy delivering educational packages that, even though we can celebrate a few innovational / transformational success stories for flag waving, we seem to move from crisis mode to crisis mode, trying to keep things in order and maintain focus on student requirements. With better support for teachers, teams and students, things would be improved.

In UK, the paperwork gets in the way and, often, teachers and trainers are covering their own administrative and secretarial duties. This new technological age has a lot to answer for but, by better use of people and technology we could all be better supported to do our jobs and achieve excellence.

From my experience, keeping the creative thinkers under control so that they don’t just keep thinking of a great idea and then moving on to the next great idea without finishing the one they just unleashed is another area of discussion. Good thinking must be wrapped up in a planned package to avoid us chasing the educational tail. Sometimes the tail must take a rest from all that wagging. There’s a tale behind this – someday soon I can, perhaps, explain it.

Another topic: Too much checking, monitoring, invigilation and evidencing can undermine the teaching profession. Central government, political agendas and funding decisions also play a part in undermining the position and adversely influencing performance. This could end up with a discussion about control, free education as opposed to it being privately funded and a required overview to compare which systems work best.

There’s a lot of doubt over here as to whether our kids are really cleverer than they used to be or whether our examination system is now simpler and being dumbed down. This could include the effect on professionalism within teaching. I’d certainly like to see support for improving the way that teachers think. Can we prove if our teachers are better than they used to be by checking what they do? We need to somehow facilitate quality.

Can you give me a short description that could describe a senior lecturer’s working day experience in US?

It may be a while until I can get back to you and the Hub.

At 8:48pm on August 20, 2008, Garth said…: Hi Hal,

Thanks for the friend invite! I see you are currently in W. Mass. and perhaps it might be fun to meet up some time. I'm currently living in Quincy, Mass. I'm in La on a training/facilitation project for this week and will likely be available begining the week after Labor Day weekend. I have and continue to enjoy your posts and the on goning conversations. Be cheerful!

Garth