Apparently long before David Letterman appeared on the scene, people were obsessed with lists. The historian Herodotus (484 BC–ca. 425 BC), and the scholar Callimachus of Cyrene (ca 305–240 BC) listed the seven wonders of the ancient world: the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of Maussollos, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Architecture plays a prominent role in this list since, of these monuments, four are buildings and the Gardens also contained structures.
For thousands of years, people have been inspired to greatness by the dream of constructing buildings of beauty. Who hasn't looked up at a building and felt awe and wonder, as well as appreciation for the architects who gave us the experience? Since humans began constructing, building design and style has always been considered in relation to materials, environment, use and artistry, often with inspirational results.
My son and I were recently in a diner with Trivial Pursuit cards on the table. He picked one up and asked me, "Who invented the arch?" I was amazed not at the answer (the Romans), but by the question. I never thought about the fact that the arch had to be invented, but rather assumed that it had always existed. Of course it has always existed in nature, but one person was the first to copy that idea and incorporate it into an edifice. In reality, each of the practical, structural and ornamental details of architecture came from the mind of an architect, which means that architects must combine a knowledge and love of science with a talent and appreciation for art and the creativity of being able to think, "What if?"
Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines architecture as simply, “The art and science of building.” Richard Rogers, a British modernist architect, takes it further by saying, "I believe very strongly, and have fought since many years ago, to get architecture not just (included) within schools, but architecture talked about under history, geography, science, technology, and art." Architecture touches so many aspects of what makes us human, and learning about architecture can open up innumerable avenues to learning about humanity.
Since so many deep strains inside us are touched by architecture, how can we encourage young architects and the architect in each of us? Children are natural builders and love to use blankets to create a fort, blocks to create a zoo, sand to create a castle, or sticks to create a magical kingdom. According to Architecture in Education, when children engage in construction play, they face all of the challenges of real architects. Kids have clients who give them problems to solve with constraints, such as the size of the dolls who will use the buildings or the number of kids to fit into the fort. They must use available materials and be aware of the structural limitations of stacking too many blocks or the ‘legal’ implications of using a heirloom quilt. Young builders must consider land use (if I build the castle in the hall, will my brother trip over it?) and deadlines (when is bathtime?). Finally, they aim to impress with their building acumen and inspire awe with their creativity, just as adult architects do. In this sense, you have only to provide space, time, materials and appreciation of their creations in order to let their natural problem-solving skills and ingenuity flourish.
Even without knowing about architectural styles and periods, you can talk with your child about buildings in books and in your neighborhood. Ask questions. Why does a mall have no windows? Why doesn’t a front door have a large glass panel like a sliding door? Why are houses made out of wood and public buildings often made out of bricks or stone? Which buildings are old and how can we tell? How have windows changed over the years? Why are roofs more peaked in colder climates? The questions are never-ending and those of us with children know that they will come up with even more. As your child gets older, specific architectural styles can be explored, along with the engineering issues involved in creating large structures. The guessing, thinking and researching involved will help your child develop curiosity, logic, competence, and a love of learning, whatever profession she eventually chooses.
You can ask yourself the same questions about how form follows function, how materials were selected, and how styles have evolved to fit time and place. You can learn about whichever aspect piques your interest in great structures: the religious art in medieval churches, the efficiency of great modern home design, or the engineering audacity of huge bridges. If you would like to begin to learn about styles, try the website of the Victoria and Albert Museum which beautifully catalogs the distinctive features of each of the ten main architectural styles along with a fun quiz at the end. Don’t forget to play, too, with 3D puzzles, home design software, local architectural tours, or just digging in the sand with your kids!
Museum Tour has many products available for architects, young and old. Try Ubersix contruction sets to erect giant skyscrapers and bridges. Archiquest building blocks are available in several different sets, such as Pyramids, Castles, Pagodas, and Russian Domes. The award-winning Young Architects Building Set, has all the materials for a 10 to 14 year-old to design and build a three-dimensional model of a home or other building. If your architect prefers to read, try the wonderful preschool book Pippo the Fool, which is about a competition to design a dome for a Cathedral in Florence.
Monday, November 9, 2009
The Architect in Each of Us
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The Joys of Open-Ended Play
Consider this: The Children’s Discovery Center in San Jose, California had a problem. They had a 1,200 square foot open space for changing exhibits, which was empty for a month this fall between the departure of one show and the arrival of the next. A museum staffer had an idea: she taped up some discarded boxes and threw them in the exhibit area. After adding a few dozen more boxes, some crayons, masking tape and safety scissors, the museum found they had one of their most popular exhibits of all time: Box City. Given that the museum has had exhibits costing up to a million dollars in the same space, what makes Box City one of the most popular attractions in the museum?
Before we get to that question, consider this: The National Toy Hall of Fame inducts toys each year based on specific criteria including the toy's icon status, the longevity of its popularity, how the toy encourages learning or creativity, and innovation. Past winners have included Legos, the Barbie doll, crayons, Tonka trucks, the jigsaw puzzle, and other usual suspects. Based on their criteria, in 2008 the Hall of Fame’s judges inducted … The Stick. "It's very open-ended, all-natural, the perfect price -- there aren't any rules or instructions for its use," said Christopher Bensch, the museum's curator of collections. "It can be a Wild West horse, a medieval knight's sword, a boat on a stream or a slingshot with a rubber band. ... No snowman is complete without a couple of stick arms, and every campfire needs a stick for toasting marshmallows. This toy is so fantastic that it's not just for humans anymore. You can find otters, chimps and dogs playing with it."
The box? The stick? What is it with open-ended play that makes it so appealing that kids will put down the several hundred dollar video game system to play with a ball of silly putty? It could be that our children’s brains know what they need to develop optimally, just as their bodies know when they're hungry. Research has shown there are several advantages to a child's development if they engage in play that has no defined expectations or outcomes.
Open-ended play develops the imagination. Imagination is the ability to form a mental image of something that is not there. Starting around age two, children can understand the symbolic nature of one thing standing for another, such as a box for a boat and a towel for a sail. The abilities to think symbolically and abstractly are the basic building blocks of creativity and intelligence. Albert Einstein even said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge," and he's no slouch in either department!
Creative play also helps children develop their social and emotional abilities. Kids will try on adult roles and test out ways of acting and being. In this way, they can develop their 'what-if' abilities, which is one way to strengthen their understanding of consequences. Children solidify their learning by not just taking things in passively, such as with screen time, but by mimicking and recreating what they have seen. They can also express themselves emotionally under the guise of being a character and children who playact are known to develop their ability to empathize. Creative play has also been linked to increased cooperation, problem-solving skills, leadership skills and behavioral control, such as using words to express oneself and waiting one's turn. Hmm… Maybe we should have time-outs to play house in Congress. It couldn't hurt.
Spending a lot of time in creative play also helps build cognitive skills. According to a National Public Radio report, "While... play might look a lot like time spent doing nothing much at all, it actually helps build a critical cognitive skill called executive function. Executive function has a number of elements, such as working memory and cognitive flexibility, but perhaps the most important is self-regulation - the ability for kids to control their emotions and behavior, resist impulses, and exert self-control and discipline. Executive function - and its self-regulation element - is important. Poor executive function is associated with high dropout rates, drug use and crime. In fact, good executive function is a better predictor of success in school than a child's IQ." (Creative Play Makes for Kids in Control, February 28, 2008)
So how can we give our children this elixir of all good things? Unlike most parts of parenting, it's very simple: 1) provide a safe space, either in the house or outdoors, 2) provide open-ended materials that will help spark creativity, and 3) provide the gift of time. (Why Creative Play Matters, Zrinka Peters, education.com) Children who have ample opportunity for creative play will be comfortable with it and find occasion for it everywhere. For example, when my daughter was in kindergarten, I received a note from her teacher one day that said, "Would you please talk to your daughter about pretending to be a dog at lunch and eating her meal with her hands behind her back? It was okay for the first week, but now everyone is doing it and they’re not all as neat as she is."
You can provide materials that will spark the creative drive in your child. Toddlers love to mimic so you can provide them with toy household goods or dress-up clothes. Other items that can stimulate creativity are stuffed animals or other figures, and large building blocks. Preschoolers also enjoy creating whole small worlds, such as dollhouses, airports, or towns. They also enjoy dolls, dinosaurs and other representative playthings. Elementary aged children add to the repertoire with puppets, play-dough, adult-style dolls, and more sophisticated building blocks and construction materials. All children love age-appropriate art supplies such as specialty papers, pens, paints and scissors. To encourage creativity, just make sure there are lots of uses, rather than one correct outcome such as with a coloring book or painted figurine. (Structured play is fine at times, too, and can teach skills such as following rules and sequencing.) One caveat regarding encouraging creativity is to stay away from TV show and movie character costumes or props since playacting things seen on the screen is often an act of re-creation rather than creation. What you want is to inspire their own imaginations, like the kids who were given a bunch of rubber gloves in their preschool class. One said, "I'm a doctor." Another pronounced, "I'm a scientist." And a third one exclaimed, "I'm a mommy changing her hair color!"
Museum Tour has highly creative products for every age. Little constructors will like Bumpity Blocks, their siblings will spend hours with Blocks and Marbles, and older kids, 10 and up, love dreaming big with Ubertropolis. For playacting, even a baby can join in with Gentle Giraffe, preschoolers and up will like playing the chef with French Cooking or Green Build-a-Fort. Little artists will enjoy the 3-in1 Portfolio, Colored Glass Tile Magnets or Crayola Art Studio software. These products are the just the beginning of what Museum Tour offers to spark your child’s creativity and development.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Birthday Wish – Foreign Language Tapes
When I was in high school my classmates' response to foreign language requirements was "which language is the easiest?" We were full of U.S. pride and believed everyone around the globe spoke English so there was no reason to have to speak to people in their native tongue. As a result, my friends and I were limited by not being bilingual travelers.
Could it be that our country’s attitudes are changing? It is hard to believe that just a few years ago when we were angry at France for not participating in the Coalition of the Willing in Iraq, french fries became freedom fries in Congress. It made me aware of how our view of foreigners is often emotional rather than knowledgeable.
One thing that international wars accomplish is to make us conscious of being part of a world citizenry. Before 1992 few had ever heard of Bosnia and Herzegovina and certainly could not place these countries on a map. When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, attention turned to the Middle East and by now most Americans can identify the location of Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan. Yet, most people are still uninformed about the cultures of these ancient countries and few of us speak Farsi or Pashtu. Those we elect to office often make decisions affecting the lives of millions without understanding other cultures.
Illegal and legal immigrants from the south have created many city areas where only Spanish is spoken. Bilingual street signs, airport messages, and hospital admittance forms have become the norm in parts of the United States. Slowly, employers are seeing the benefit of being able to speak to a person in his or her native tongue. Bilingual assistance is available in court hearings and government agencies. Museum Tour looks for bilingual call center operators.
Words are important and different languages have words that imply a variety of meanings. Without being able to communicate in a person's native tongue there is a great chance of misinformation leading to mistakes. International travel is much more enjoyable if you can talk directly to the people. Jobs are available to those who speak second languages and, of course, language fluency is imperative for foreign service work.
When talking to Europeans or Asians we often hear that they speak four or five languages fluently. Why are they able to do this and we can not? Is it language fear? Not starting ear training at an early age? Less practice in memorization? Teacher training? Priorities? Expectations? Less international travel? Does the idea that the U.S. is a melting pot play into the notion that everyone must communicate through a common language – English? Does this belief make us less sensitive to the rich cultural variations that might enhance our lives if we embraced differences rather than eliminated them?
I believe that expectation plays a large part in the decision to learn another language. Children in certain countries are expected to speak more than their native tongue and their second language accomplishment is as much the norm as learning to play a sport. Parents encourage their children to travel abroad in order to become a well rounded person.
As a country that considers itself a world leader wouldn’t we be better off if we could speak to others without translators? Leadership involves communication and understanding. Let us help our next generation of children become part of a global community so they can make the world a kinder place. Expect them to become bilingual.
Please let me know your opinion about this issue. Go to Museum Tour’s blog site museumtour.blogspot.com and comment.
Museum Tour offers language product's for young and old. Bilingual Kids: French, Spanish, for ages 6+; Instant Immersion is offered in Italian, Chinese, Japanese, German, Spanish, French, and Japanese which is a comprehensive program for older children and adults; The Talk Now Series is a practical first step for travelers interested in one of 23 language selections. For those who need immediate translation help World Traveler Language Translator offers 44 language translations and is a handy device to take on a trip.
Bullying in Schools - New Epidemic?
In the schools, at home, and at an early age we can do a lot to lower the incidence of bullying and make children aware of the rights of others. The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry says that half of all school children are bullied physically or verbally at one time or another, with cyberbullying being added to the mix. Children who bully are more likely to wind up in the prison system. The consequences of being bullied are diverse, including headaches, poor grades, depression, low self esteem, and even suicide. The Stop Bullying Now Program has developed many interventions that work, and teachers are being trained to recognize bullies and eliminate destructive behavior. Parents should be aware of changes in their child’s behavior and teachers need to pay attention to what is happening in the playground and school halls. A detention or lecture may not be enough. Training and counseling are often needed to assist the bully to learn better behaviors and to help the bullied redevelop self esteem.
Did you know that Plastic Degrades in Sea Water?
Can MP3 Players cause Hearing Loss?
He is concerned that a generation of children who are losing their hearing at an early age. Parents beware! Monitor volumes and teach your children ear safety. Headphones seem to invite people to turn up the volume and the small hairs in our inner ear cannot survive with continuous abuse. There is a relationship to volume and length of time you are exposed. The rule of thumb is to moderate the volume or not use headphones for more than an hour at a time. The second rule is to not have volumes over 85 decibels. For comparison: a humming refrigerator is 45 decibels; voice communication is 60 decibels; motorcycles, firecrackers, firearms are over 85 decibels. Avoid noises that are too loud, too close, or last too long. For more information go to the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The 3 Rs plus Electronics?
Schools concentrate on the 3 Rs - reading writing, 'rithmetic but some do not take into account the changing skills needed to survive in the evolving world. For most of us, words used in the study of electronics are like speaking a foreign language. What is a diode, a capacitor, or resistor, and how do they manage electrons flowing through a wire? What will developments in nano-technology bring to the future and will our lives continue to be propelled into unknown realms? Will I be on the "band wagon" or have to jump off because the unknown is too scary?
My children and grandchildren are far more adept at using the computer, making Internet connections, managing their iPods and MP3 players than I am. They seem to have an intuitive sense of how to connect to the information they want and how to repair problems that have gone wrong in their electrical devices. My granddaughter tells me it is "just a generation thing". Is her mind wired differently than mine? Children as early as 3 years are being introduced to the computer in a way so that it has almost become an extension of their bodies. New software vocabulary is embraced with ease.
Though most schools and families do not think of the hardware part of computers in the same way they do the software part, many jobs of the future are going to go to those who understand the electronics behind the device. These people are going to be able to repair our cars, computers, and phones. They are going to be the ones developing new technology to make devices go even faster. They are the pace setters.Becoming comfortable with technology, terminology, and the ability to change is part of our future. It is time to start introducing children as early as eight to the vocabulary and challenge of electronics so they also will be at ease with the idea of managing electrical flow to produce work. Many people turn to NPR's Car Talk to understand what is wrong and how to fix their cars. In the future there may be an "Electronics Talk" to help fix household devices. For such a show to be possible there needs to be a great many savvy people who talk the talk.
Math and physics teach underlying principles. Electronics show practical applications and helps give reason to the hours of classroom work that a child endures. Electronics offers a great outlet for creative people. It is its own art form using logical thinking to solve problems. Just as understanding something about cars is useful when you need repairs, knowing something about electronics is helpful in working with repairmen. For the inspired who like creative challenges the field is blossoming and "electronics speak" is equal to "future speak."
New electrical devices will also create ethical dilemmas. For instance, children at birth could be easily tagged with an electronic device placed under their skin that will follow them through life. We now track animals in the wild. Why not people? Without understanding what is being developed it will be difficult to participate in the ethical discussion. A democracy only works if you have an informed citizen group. Understanding electronics and contemporary technology in general is part of embracing the world of knowledge.
Museum Tour Catalog offers a way to get started in electronics by playing with simple toys like Elenco's Snaptricity. As you become more comfortable you can switch to circuit boards. These devices teach children the basics of controlling electrical flow to make something happen. They are hands-on activities that produce satisfaction because there is a visible result.
Not only do these toys develop a comfort with the terminology of electronics but they teach children the valuable lesson of following directions. Electronic directions are not much more difficult than following a dress pattern once you learn to understand the underlying principles. Electronics education also offers hand-eye coordination since wires and snap together parts need to be managed carefully. Most of all the field opens a window for creative problem solving, a skill that transfers to other aspects of life.
Items that will stimulate your family's interest in electronics include: Caption Camera; Sylvania 8.9" G Meso XP Bundle; Text Messenger; R/C Snap Circuit Rover Deluxe.
