I have been planning my lesson on Synectics for my class and my head is still spinning a bit. Although I really identify with this model on a personal level, because I create analogies for just about everything I try to explain to anyone, I am finding it a challenge to wrap my head around all the steps in the process. The process itself make total sense to me, it seems very logical and very effective. Perhaps this is the manner in which I learn best because there is almost an instinct drawn to it for me. However when going over the steps and working through my topic I am left hoping I do have a classroom full of kids blankly staring at me as if I am a blithering idiot.
I will think it through for a couple more days and practice it in my head and hope for the best! I guess that is the best any of us can do when we are learning new techniques.

Problem Centered Inquiry

I am really conflicted on this model. On one hand, I feel this model is the most conducive to be taught in an EAST environment. It is exactly what we do as facilitators to lead students through the problem solving process they encounter in their project. I felt, however, while planning my lesson, that I was being too repetitive. I really had a hard time distinguishing the differences between the third and fourth steps. I was also a bit unsure about how to assess the learning in this model. I chose to have the students document their thoughts through the entire process and to reflect on the process, but I was not really as sure of myself as I would have like to be.

Concept Development Model

It took a while for me to find a concept to teach using this model, but I really did like the idea. At first, I thought a concrete subject would be easier to teach that a more abstract one. I realized that if I am to follow EAST pedagogy, then I really needed to take a more student centered approach. I chose the concept of technology, a really broad topic that I worried the students may take in a totally different direction than I wanted. I feel even with these difficulties, this model is well suited to the EAST model. It alllows the teacher to guide the students into looking more deeply at their own thought process, and also get an idea about how others think. I also really appreciate that the model can be taught, practiced and used by the student to refine knowledge and brainstorm new ideas on other concepts.

Concept Attainment Model

In theory, I really like the ideas behind this model. I feel it is an attempt to get students to see how concepts are formed and to get them to create their own definitions of a concept rather than memorizing what a teacher writes on the board. I like the idea, but in an EAST environment this may present some challenges.
While the idea itself is very student centered, which is complementary to EAST philosophy, the concepts in EAST are not as concrete as in the regular classroom. This is making it hard to plan a lesson. I really feel it is going to be quite confusing for my students to be able to define a concept by its attributes when they are dealing with community service projects rather than concepts that are more easily defined.
I have chosen my concept, which is Project Selection and my attributes are the criteria that projects must meet. On paper, I feel it follows the Concept Attainment Model, but am curious to see how it plays out with my students.
Even if they are lost at first, and the concepts are hard for them to digest, I think they will learn from it and be able to apply this type of learning in other situations.
I am taping my lesson tomorrow, so I will post results of student reaction and my feelings about how successful this model was in my class.

This is my first blog site, so I am excited about learning to use it for this class!
Nice to be back in class and around other educators.