Ideas for Improving Team and Personal Creativity Through Musical Improv by Feixing Tuang

This note came in from a fellow #HikeStormer, Feixing Tuang. We started corresponding soon after a Stanford Laptop Orchestra event and the ideas have taken on a life of their own. Her lesson or design seemed so unique and inspiring that I decided to share it both here and on the HikeStorming Facebook Page. 

The YouTube video above shows Feixing performing a piece for her mother. She also performs regularly at Kaiser hospital and is working on plans to create more therapeutic or healing types of music.

Hello Lee,

An idea came to my mind...I would love to share with you and see if you are interested in experimenting this in our Music sessions. 

I did some Sound IMPROV with my team at Cisco. This was my writeup of what we did:

"Stand in a circle. To warm up, someone in the circle starts saying gibberish to the next person. Feel free to act along while delivering the sounds to the next person.

The patterns continues around one circle.

Next, everyone takes 20 seconds to imagine the sound of "earth" quietly. At the count of 3, everyone makes the sound that they had in mind at the same time.

Next, take another 20 seconds to imagine the sound of "sun" quietly.  At the count of 3, everyone makes the sound of "sun."

The last round of improv is to express the sounds of "Universal love" or "creativity." Start with someone in the circle, pass the sounds to the person next to you."

The similar activity could be used for Music improvisation. We can pick ideas, concepts, and see what comes up in our improvisation.

For example, make the sound of "A person waking up in the morning" or "A person finding his flow."

We could start with a round in a circle, then we can layer our sounds on top of each other's sounds...

I think it will be very fun!!!

We could eventually make it a performance at different non-traditional venues too. What do you think?

Regards,

Feixing

Stanford Laptop Orchestra Concert Tonight

Looking forward to tonight's concert, featuring the #Stanford Laptop Orchestra --

works and performances by members of SideLObe: Romain Michon, Madeline Huberth, Hana Shin, Rob Hamilton, Chryssie Nanou, Alex Chechile, Kitty Shi, John Granzow, and Ge Wang.

More here: http://sidelobe.stanford.edu/ev...­

Sign up here: http://www.meetup.com/Silicon-Valley-HikeStorming/events/220146990/

Silicon Valley HikeStorming to Host Emotional Intelligence Session on the Trails of Rancho San Antonio

Sign up Now for Emotional Intelligence Session with #SiliconValley HikeStorming! Only 10 spots! http://t.co/dWQoEndHYg #EQ #hiking
— Lee Chazen (@Lee_Chazen) September 29, 2014

Silicon Valley Group Combines Hiking with Brainstorming

What is HikeStorming?

The idea started sometime in 2012. There were two groups that were both popular at the time (in Sacramento... where I was living at the time). One was TEDx­, which offered participants the chance to meet other creative entrepreneurial types. We would get together to watch inspiring videos as well as organize local events featuring dynamic, interesting speakers. The other was hiking Meetups, which were attracting hundreds, if not thousands to sign up for daily and weekend hikes in the foothills of the Sierra, Bay Area and beyond.

One provided great ideas and a positive open-minded experience with creative and intelligent people. The other provided scenery, great views, camaraderie, a challenge as well as the opportunity to get in shape and lose weight.

So....why not combine the two?

                       

Simple concept: Hiking + Brainstorming = HikeStorming

There is no doubt that groups of people already go out on hikes, runs or bike rides to work on ideas. But, this would be different — better organized, deliberately divergent, utilizing the latest information on creativity, brainstorming, cross-pollination and an actual curriculum to get people talking, thinking and using constructive targets for what to accomplish on each hike.

We could even plan events for CEOs, visionaries, startups or corporate or organizational departments, whereby facilitators would guide members on a day hike to get people out of “ruts” or to open up new pathways for personal or group discovery. Set this in places like Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Los Angeles or any major urban area, and you have a great recipe for full participation and action!

Limitless Combinations of Activities

• Basic idea generation, startup discussions, etc.
• Cross-fit sessions with brainstorming breaks
• Hiking / beach sessions
• Camping / hiking with structured facilitation
• Hikes with different themes, e.g., comedy, philosophy, acting, business strategy, book clubs, music, art, meditation, motivation, emotional intelligence, app development, engineering, writing, etc.

Benefits to Members

• Improved health, i.e., possible weight loss, endurance, stamina, muscle tone, improved cardio-vascular system, etc.
• Meeting like-minded, creative, intelligent and fellow health-conscious people
• Great networking possibilities
• Promotion of ideas, companies, causes, etc., either on hikes, through social media channels, YouTube, etc.
• Generating better ideas through cross-pollination and random interaction with people of different professions / occupations
• Recruiting team members / Co-founders and prospective employees in a stress-free and healthy environment
• Testing out wearable technology and a possible alternative to typical office work environments

Weekly Hikes:

We now have three regular hikes — one on Tuesdays 6 p.m. at Santa Teresa County Park, one on Thursdays at Rancho San Antonio at 6 p.m., and one on Saturdays at Almaden Quick Silver Trail. 

Want to get involved? 

Why sit down at a table, when we could be true to the concept and meet on a trail? Join us next Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Santa Teresa County Park. We’ll hike while working on some ideas and plans. If you want to keep this idea alive, I really need your help. Simply put, I can’t do this alone.

On the table for the planning session:

• Branching out — finding new Locations
• Event Organizers and Assistant Organizers
• Curriculum, i.e. ideas for mixing concepts and getting things accomplished on hikes (see Limitless Combinations of Activities above).
• Getting things on the calendar

Interested in Gamification or Game-Based Learning?

I’m currently looking for both business partners and software engineers to help in developing a 1.0 mobile app for a popular social studies game. The groundwork has been laid, research done, proof of concept is there and investors have shown interest. Just need a team who can meet once a week to help in building a mock-up version or help in launching a crowd-funding campaign. Check out Global Challenge here.­




Silicon Valley HikeStormers has a sponsor! 

Locally-based Treasury Curve of Palo Alto has offered one free hour of consultation on money management for CFOs and treasurers plus free access to their Cloud Based Money Fund Portal to all members of Silicon Valley HikeStormers.

Speaking of sponsors, if you have any contacts or connections who would like to help us out -- for example, a wearable tech company, sporting good store, sports drinks manufacturer, etc. please let me know. We'd love to have their help and maybe pass on some discounts to the group.

Suggested Reading:

Why we should listen to introverts
The science of hiking
How hiking is helping those with PTSD (Imagine what it can do for you).

That’s all for now. See you on the trails!

Lee Chazen
Founder, Silicon Valley HikeStorming

What is the SmartEdPad?

Full disclosure: I'm now Content Strategist for SmartEdPad (by SPED K12, Inc.). As such, my job is to create a clear and understandable message about our product. I'm very happy in this new role since I believe this tool (the SmartEdPad) has the power to transform the way special education programs are administered. Beyond that, there's potential in the future for this technology to help with differentiated instruction in general education as well - as the SmartEdPad makes it easy to offer customized views for each student. And, unlike the iPad, this platform was designed to be dedicated so that students only see what the teacher or therapist wants them to see.

Our partner on this project, Maxit Media, did a terrific job of reducing the message about this product down to under 2 minutes. They created a great story-line, a simple message, introduced engaging graphics and nice sound effects. We appreciate their creativity, dedication and eye for detail!

This video will show you why we created the SmartEdPad and how it's helping people in the special education field. If you have further questions, please call us at 1-800-982-9430, or visit http://smartedpad.com/Contact.

In Honor of my Mom, Joyce Landers Chazen

Joyce Sondra Landers Chazen, 77, passed away peacefully in her home in Lincoln, California, on Nov. 2 after bravely battling cancer. A peaceful woman and always giving of herself, Joycewas many things to many people. A loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and friend to many, together with her husband of 52 years, Marshall, she always had room in her heart -- and frequently in her home -- for the homeless and mentally ill.

Life was an adventure with a consistent theme, helping others. A native of Buffalo, N.Y., she graduated from Bennett High School in Buffalo and the University of Buffalo, she was promptly recruited by the NSA as a code breaker, which she declined (but could explain why her Scrabble-playing friends and family never stood a chance). Instead, she chose to briefly work for the Girl Scouts of America before marrying and raising three sons. Joyce always said that if she wanted a simple life, she would not have married Marshall. It was not simple, nor was it easy, but it was certainly with adventure and many rewards. Together they moved out West, where they would spend the rest of their lives, living in Tucson, Ariz.; Cedaredge, Colo.; Greeley, Colo. (where she would get her master's degree in occupational counseling from the University of Northern Colorado); Cheyenne, Wyo.; Concord, Calif.; and Reno, Nev.; before settling in the Sacramento area.

She grew to love Tucson and the beauty of the desert. As a stay-at-home mom, she frequently volunteered for charitable and political causes. But she really came into her own when, in her husband's struggle with health conditions, she stepped into new roles and responsibilities -- mostly taking on positions that would help others.

She was co-director of the Biofeedback and Stress Management Institute of Wyoming, executive director of the Reno Suicide Prevention and Crisis Call Center, and administrator and counselor for Jewish Family Service of Sacramento, among other roles. Later, she would become the main editor on her husband's book - Your Diabetes Control Handbook.

In between, she cared for Marshall after his frequent surgeries and for her parents. But they also managed to have a lifetime of travel, for business and pleasure, frequently going to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico, but also to China, India and Vietnam. And in retirement she continued to give of herself to such causes as the Women Democrats of Placer County and was often seen at various venues registering voters.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, Sam and Gertrude Landers; and her husband, Marshall. She is survived by her sons, Gary and Lee of Roseville and Aron in Menlo Park; and her grandchildren, Jessica, Monica, Sam and Anne.

Obituary written by Gary Chazen (with edits by Lee Chazen)

Some Thoughts on Ed Tech and the Sacramento Ed Tech Meetup

I thought this was a great discussion on both the positive trends and real obstacles to work in the Ed Tech field. I wanted to bring up one point last night, but didn't get the chance. And maybe this helps to address David's point about civic responsibility.

My argument is that it shouldn't matter if one is in the private or public sector, works at a public school, private or charter school -- is an entrepreneur or works for the government. If one's aim is to improve education by making it more engaging, interesting and interactive -- where people can explore ideas, search for meaning or find areas of interest (while learning the basics) - then does it really matter what sector they're from?

If educational innovation and the development of Ed Tech products is not supported by larger institutions, but the search for market success drives work in this area, then I guess I would have to ask what the problem is in supporting entrepreneurs? That is, I'd like to see more meetings between these various groups, i.e. get educators working with developers and investors so we can work towards getting on the same page and driving or encouraging more innovation. Plus, if points, badges and gamification can work in the classroom so well, wouldn't it be a contradiction to not support financial incentive for successful entrepreneurs. What about promoting partnerships and profit sharing with the public schools?

One of the things we learned from our Education Super Collider event at HackerLab (back in November of 2012) is that Ed Tech is like the Wild West right now. It's a mass of different parties with different interests and even using different sets of vocabulary, i.e. academic vs. business vs. weird "startup language."  Navigating this is difficult. So, if this or any group can help figure out some good strategies for bringing apps, games, platforms and projects to students, this will really help.

Thanks to Sheila Herd,  Jason Fabbri, Paul Smith and HackerLab for putting on this event.

Note: the picture references a comment made at the meetup about young Spock's education - as portrayed in the prequel. 

Criterion Based Reviews of Ed Tech Products

This idea was long over due -- criterion based reviews of Ed Tech products, platforms, games, tools, etc. by educators. Here is a link to the reviews I wrote last spring for EdTechReview.com  Please feel free to add your comments below.

Resources 4 Teaching

Had a Skype chat w/  @Resources4teach. Great potential here for sharing digital teaching products! http://t.co/cxCZVrQFmb #edchat #edu #k12
— Lee Chazen (@rightbrainworld) July 7, 2013

Global Challenge is now on LiveBinder!

LaunchPad Solves Teachers' Organizational and Accountability Issues

It was only a matter of time before someone realized that those in the educational community needed one central site where school and district administrators as well as teachers and parents could visit for objective and professional reviews of education technology software. K12TechReview.com is currently in the process of building such a site and will have it up and running soon. It will be complete with criterion-based reviews by accredited reviewers from the education and technology sectors. Most importantly, instead of just looking at the technical features of a piece of software, these reviews will take a hard look at the actual educational value of these platforms. 

As an accredited reviewer, I’ve now reviewed 5 software applications. Below is a sample of my review of LaunchPad (by ClassLink)

Teacher Experience (A)
The quality and ease of use for the teacher, paraprofessional, or administrator.

LaunchPad is a cloud based k-12 desktop which gives teachers access to not only all their files, documents and media, but to over a 1,000 applications. What you get with this software is basically a desktop, tablet, laptop or smartphone with all of one’s teachers tools, apps and documents neatly and stylishly organized in one convenient place and accessible wherever there is an Internet connection.

The Instructional Desktop is a particularly nice feature. It allows teachers to distribute and collect assignments, upload course materials, create calendars, use whiteboards and create collaborative assignments and projects. A teacher could potentially run class from their desk, behind a laptop and take students on an interactive journey through virtually all class content (including ebooks) in real time and have students actually interact with and discuss information. Students could then go along with each presentation on whatever device they have, be it a laptop, iPad or even smartphone.

In terms of accountability, LaunchPad’s portal feature would be a great way to share practically the entire learning experience of a school or class with parents, board members and interested parties in the community.

Overall, LaunchPad offers easy setup, standard navigation, great collaborative and instructional tools as well as access to hundreds of helpful apps and educational websites.


Student Experience (A)
The quality, ease, and engagement for students and their families.

Students should find LaunchPad engaging, intuitive, easy to navigate, self-explanatory, rich with resources and visually stimulating. By using this platform, students could potentially throw away notebooks, folders and no longer have to worry about crumpled or lost papers as all assignments and class-work could be handed in online.

Because the platform is loaded with tools like real time chat, webcam, screen sharing, calendar function and the fact that students could easily hand in work and collaborate with others, there is an infinite number of ways to be engaged in learning. Plus, in terms of accountability, the students’ parents would have no trouble seeing exactly what is going on in class and what it expected.

No one really needs to refer to a class schedule or syllabus anymore, as instructions and expectations would be clearly visible to all students using the system, either by looking at posted assignments or by accessing the class calendar. A creative or tech-savvy teacher could allow students with different types of intelligence and understanding to demonstrate learning in an almost limitless number of ways. For example, a student might choose to demonstrate learning by way of podcast, blog entry or video if the teacher were so inclined to accept student work in this fashion.


Setup and Implementation (A)
How easy it is to set up and configure, implement, and manage the solution in a K12 setting.

With a platform of this magnitude, there could be a moderately steep learning curve for the non-technical user.  But LaunchPad offers instructional videos, webinars, a free demo,
a blog filled with ideas and explanations and a responsive customer service department. Setup should be relatively easy.


Quality of Features (A)
Feature rich; includes all anticipated features plus offers other at no or little additional investment; features integrated smoothly.

There is an exhaustive list of features offered on the platform. Some of the basic functions include being able to 1.) edit documents locally or from the “cloud,” 2.) run Windows applications on any device; 3.) use collaboration tools, drop boxes and interactive whiteboards; 4.) use SSO (single sign on) feature to access websites and more with a single click; 5.) create portals so people outside of class can access one’s materials and  6.) accommodate BYOD programs, allowing students to use smartphones, tablets, etc.

For the teacher who appreciates style and creativity, one can easily change the look and feel of the interface, change background screens and use an avatar or profile picture. LaunchPad also offers a Google sign on and makes it easy to operate on iPad and other devices.


Educational Value
The value to a K12 setting, especially how it impacts student learning. Non-classroom solutions are evaluated in terms of administrative value.

A platform or system whereby teachers, students and administrators store, share files and use applications, is not by itself educational. But the system does exactly what it is intended to do in that it offers great educational potential. LaunchPad is a facilitative tool, and as such puts the onus on the users to create educational value.

If one looks at the educational value in terms of a teacher being more organized and efficient or being able to streamline their teaching functions, then LaunchPad hits the mark. This platform does a great job of creating community, in that it brings all key players, i.e. teachers, students, administrators and parents together. Systems get better by way of communication and creating feedback loops, and in that sense LaunchPad is an invaluable tool.


Security & Privacy
To what extent and in what way can the solution be controlled in terms of access and privacy.

Access to the platform is encrypted using ssl/https. LaunchPad offers a single sign on feature allowing users to save their credentials for their favorite websites and the ability to log into their resources with a single mouse click. Like anything else, this is secure as long as teachers do not leave their computer unattended after having logged into the program.


Exposure
How well the product protects students from inappropriate or undesirable content.

Content is really determined by the teacher, student and possibly administrator and parent, so this can only be determined by the users. All applications featured on the platform are educationally based and appropriate for student use.


Support
Documentation, support, warranty, etc.

ClassLink offers a blog, FAQ section, instructional videos, webinars and product demos with ideas for educators and information on product usage. Their customer service department offers “100% dedication guaranteed,” and allows users to connect by phone or email.


General Rating
Overall, after considering all elements, how did the product feel?

LaunchPad deserves their many accolades and awards for offering a highly functional, organized, streamlined and stylish product. Once a teacher becomes familiar with the many features and apps and learns how to upload assignments and create classes, the platform should really help teachers and schools to increase (as well as promote and expose) their workflow.

Summary

LaunchPad solves the organizational problems that come along with teaching or running a school by creating a functional and useful place for teachers to put all their content and applications.  But the product goes beyond that by also providing a hands-on way to actually deliver content and evaluate student understanding.  For the administrator or school district, it solves the problem of transparency and accountability. Administrators, for example, can easily monitor how the system is being used and can examine the “output” of the teaching staff.  For these reasons, LaunchPad deserves a high rating.

Response to: Education is the Work of Teachers, Not Hackers

The article Education is the Work of Teachers, Not Hackers was recently posted and discussed on
Andrea Kuszewski's  Facebook Page.

I think this gets to the core of what education is all about, especially in light of all the developments taking place in educational technology.  Because of that, I wanted to share my response here to encourage more discussion.

I think the best teachers facilitate growth in many directions. They shouldn't try to push an academic or literary life on someone cut out to be an entrepreneur and shouldn't guide an academic type to be a business person. And if someone wants to be well-rounded and pursue multiple interests, that's cool too! I say let someone's own curiosity and interests guide the way -- higher education for some, "un-schooling" and entrepreneurship for others. If the "drop-out" ends up lacking in worldly knowledge, he/she can always learn these things along the way, as needed. The only thing that really gets me is this singular definition of success - related to business and material things. When are we going to wake up and recognize not only multiple forms of intelligence, but multiple ways of demonstrating our worth in this world!?

Ambitious Experiment in Educational Innovation to Take Place in Sacramento

Sacramento, CA, November 26, 2012—  They had a simple idea: Find a brilliant mix of innovative people from different professions. Get them together in one space for a day. Invite teachers, EdTech visionaries, hackers and entrepreneurs and encourage them to work on ideas, partnerships, networks, even businesses with the goal of jump starting the economy and revolutionizing education. Call it the “Education Supercollider (Un) Conference” and  give yourself 40 days to make it happen.

“The experiment,” according to The Education Supercollider co-founders Lee Chazen and Charles Van Norman, “is to see if this mix collides in such a way as to produce positive results. For example, the Bay Area is rife with EdTech startups; can the same phenomenon also start and thrive in cities like Sacramento?”

In order to encourage innovation and interaction (often missing from traditional conferences) the event will be based on an “un-conference” format allowing for break-out sessions, spontaneous question and answer periods and “action pitches.” The event will also feature an impressive lineup of innovators and educators, including robotics expert and CEO of Barobo, Graham Ryland, former member of the Google Goggles Team, Dr. Alex Terrazas and innovation expert and former stand-up comic Allen Fahden.  

Adding to the diversity of speakers, the Un-Conference will offer talks by Allan Katzen, owner and operator of Sacramento's Game Truck, "the world’s first mobile video game theater franchise," social entrepreneur and civic innovator Ash Roughani and Andrew Lee, Chief Innovator and Co-founder at iHomeEducator®.

But, in between speakers, it’s anybody’s game! Participants will host their own sessions, and multiple conversations and presentations will go on throughout the day for anyone to wander into and out of. It will be slightly chaotic, and, according to Chazen and Van Norman, “that’s actually the point -- too much structure can stifle creativity and innovation because there is no room to grow. Attendees are encouraged to contribute to the process, instead of just being spoon-fed other people’s ideas and experiences.”

In fact, it is this very problem; the lack of interactivity and engagement with information, that Education Supercollider is targeting.  If the classroom, or any organization for that matter, is too top heavy and rigid, people get bored and feel ineffective. But, open this process up, allow humans to be their natural inventive and curious selves, and everything changes. Classrooms where students are co-creators of the learning experience are much more fun and effective.

The event will take place on Friday, November 30 from 9 to 5 p.m. at Hacker Lab, Sacramento’s newest co-working, bootstrapping and startup space. The Education Supercollider (Un) Conference is sponsored in by The Education Now 2012 Symposium and iHomeEducator, Inc..
 

For tickets and more information, please see: Eventbrite (Un) Conference Tickets