Brain, Science, and Inquiry Based Education 2010: Mini-Project Assignment

Brain, Science, and Inquiry-Based Education K-12 Summer Institute 2010

  Mini-Project Assignment

Within the broad area of brain, science, and inquiry-based education, think of some more specific and focused topic that interests you, and that you suspect you know less about that you might.  Using the web and conversations with colleagues and friends, construct for yourself a new understanding of that subject.  Write a short web papers for a general audience that communicates your new understanding and what produced it, and outlines new questions that results from your new understanding.  The objective of the paper is not to persuade others that your new understanding is correct but rather to share with others both your new understanding and the processes that gave rise to it, and so to both contribute to and encourage the development of new understandings by others.

During the institute, you should write at least two web papers on two different topics.  A third web paper may be on an additional topic or be a reworking, with additional resources, of one of your first two topics.  Papers should be made available to others by creating a group post.  

"more specific and focused topic"

something where observations/experiences of others can supplement your own and hence contribute to new understandings

"construct for yourself a new understanding" 

don't look for things that will confirm an understanding you started with; look for things that surprise you; let your new understanding emerge from the process of inquiry

don't summarize what you have read, use it, as well as your own observations/experiences, to construct a new understanding of your own

"for a general audience"

colleagues not at this institute

"share with others both your new understanding and the processes that gave rise to it"

write about your new understanding, not about any particular question that initiated your inquiry, and what brought you to that new understanding

"encourage the development of new understandings by others"

provide links to relevant resources so that others can use your work to further their own inquiries; include new questions that come to your mind given your new understanding

Some samples ...

• Jenna - "New thoughts on right and wrong"
• Teal - "Bird brains and the Monty Hall Dilemma"
• Kate - "Plural selves"

Some possible, arbitrary starting places from New York Times, Scientific American, New Scientist, Neuroanthropology

• Nut? What nut?  The squirrel outwits to survive
• Dysregulation nation
• Cultural difference and social change
• Students, meet your new teacher, Mr Robot
• Building smarter machines
• Why bonobos don't kill each other
• Discovering the virtues of a wandering mind
• How babies think
• Gene switches sexual desires of female mice
• The benefits of blowing your top