When I was 17 I wanted the new Nike Bo Jackson cross trainers. They were the first cross trainer shoe, inspired by THE greatest cross training, multi-talented athlete, Bo Jackson. They were functional and just as stylish. The green and yellow combination was daring and to top it off (literally), it had a Velcro strap across the laces. Wearing them made you faster and cut quicker (or so it seemed). The $120 price tag, in 1989 no less, was a bigger obstacle. I asked my parents if they would buy them (my mom was an awesome stay-at-home-mom by choice, and my dad was a high school guidance counselor… thus money was a little tight) and they said no.
However, undaunted I pooled my money together and went to the mall and bought them myself. Why you ask? Because I thought it was an investment in myself. I thought they might make me a better athlete, and quite possibly, more girls would think, “Wow… those shoes are awesome” and really think I’m cool. (The male seventeen year old mind is a shallow one). So, I bought them, much to my parents chagrin, and began working out in them, but with one difference- I cleaned them daily. I would wipe them off nightly, making sure they looked like new for as long as I could. Why? Because I had ownership and I had truly earned those shoes. Had my parents bought them, they would have been brought in muddy.
Taking all the red tape aside (which might make this blog post seem silly) what if this could happen? I have read several articles on similar ideas happening in developing countries, where instead of money they give local families goats, chickens, or bee keeping materials. Then the people would produce with their new “gift” instead of just consume. Like the parable of give a man a fish and feed him for a day vs. teach a man how to fish and feed him for a lifetime.
Organizations that want to end poverty in developing nations are starting to look toward innovative and creative was to encourage entrepreneurialism. So why not in our schools? Instead of ordering that third workbook, could you asked the students what they might want to purchase to produce and not just consume. For example, watching YouTube clips are great, and students can learn a lot from them. However they (the students) are consuming the YouTube clips. What if they decided to buy a class video recorder? I’m talking a “blogging” type camcorder that only runs $100. Could they not produce their own content? Maybe make some tutorials or lessons for the world to see instead of relying on another YouTube video to consume. Think of what that has done for the music department at public school 22 in Staten Island, New York. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IofUCkW63aM&list=PLr1Him8ENDbQl7Pk7WETjg35m4NnpjeaG This program now gets thousands of views on YouTube. They aren’t just putting on PTO functions, they are creating content for the world to see. (Darn good content, btw).
If video is not their thing, maybe the class would want to purchase a variety of seeds, fertilizer, and some garden tools. The kids might love growing, caring for, and harvesting fresh vegetables as a class. Possibly the parents would buy the remaining supply, or the class could donate it to a local food pantry. If they want to collaborate, they could connect with a local restaurant and have a chef teach and prepare a “class grown” meal.
I know there might be a ton of red tape involved in what I just wrote about (usually the things that take the joy out of creativity) but you get my point. By allowing the class take some ownership in what you buy will allow them to feel more empowered. Just like when I washed my Bo Jackson’s every night, ownership creates pride and responsibility. I also understand that budgets are tight just about everywhere, but being innovative means we work around problems… not complain about it. Constraints lead to creativity. Having everything you want is a curse, and having your students prioritize on class materials is a step in the right direction. Lastly, having them think about crossing over from being consumers of content to producers of content can be a bigger, more meaningful journey!
Let me know what you think. What ideas have you thought about for your class? Do you have any success stories that deal with student production?