You're invited to participate in a simple project that will bring people and classrooms together. The project is based on Rube Goldberg machines, and it uses video to connect the different steps of the machine. (That means that it might be possible to create a Rube Goldberg machine with somebody in a different country using a digital sequence of videos.)
This could be kind of fun because students will probably make stuff. They might even invent a few things. They will also need to collaborate with the classrooms who go before/after them...and that's kind of cool too. Part of the project involves taking a short video or TouchCast of what kids make. (I think Laura Fleming and Ross Cooper might get a kick out of the digital curation part.) If you're interested in being on a team with a few other classrooms you can sign-up HERE. That's all there is to it. So sign-up now and invite a colleague near or far to join you in the #GlobalGoldberg project!
Rube Goldberg machines are known for making simple tasks complicated, but that's not what this connected learning project is all about. You don't have to worry about all those complex steps...you just have to worry about your one step. The next person on your team (possibly in a different school or state) will start their step from where you left off.
If we do this well, each step will appear to flow into the next video. This will require higher-level thinking, teamwork, and a bunch of other stuff that might not immediately lead to perfect ACT scores. However, it will model risk-taking, digital-age collaboration, transformative technology use...and maybe even some asynchronous communication.
Check out the sign-up link above and directions on the fancy poster. If you have questions or need any support, please reach out to Eric Hills or myself. Eric is a digital learning coach and all around swell guy. I'm a principal, TouchCast Ambassador, and have gotten used to trying new things. And this one...this could work!
