Saturday, January 4, 2014
Solving Problems for Real World, Using Design Thinking
Here is a great article from this week's New York Times about how students at Stanford are making the world a better place, using design thinking. We are excited to bring this design thinking process to life at Bryant in a few weeks!
Getting Excited for IDEA 2014!
We are in the final stages of preparations for IDEA 2014. We are very excited about all the new and improved elements to the program. Among other things, we will be hosting Providence Improv at the IDEA program this year. They will be presenting on the techniques of improv and how they relate to creativity and innovation. Then they will be performing an improv musical for us on Monday night, January 20th. We also have a great design challenge set up for Monday morning (replacing last year's marshmallow challenge), and we have a whole new approach to helping students understand their cognitive style. Finally, we have partnered with Rhode Island Food Bank to help local families in need. We ask each first-year student to bring five canned goods to the program on Monday, January 20th. January is an especially important time to help the food bank, as donations tend to drop after the holidays (while the need continues).
Monday, February 4, 2013
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Friday, February 1, 2013
Reflections of a First-Year Student
From first-year student John Logan's blog on the Bryant University admissions website:
Honestly, from personal experience, this program was an inspiration for many teachers, visitors, and students (like myself). As a participant, I truly believed I learned much more valuable information compared to an "average" academic classroom setting. To create an innovative, practical design for a real life issue–while only having a few days– far surpasses studying vocabulary words, memorizing information, and reading textbooks in terms of "learning". This unique program has taught me to work with others in a more efficient manner, create innovation for the 21st century, and realize that it's acceptable to have new, but wild visions for the future....
...To sum it up, unfortunately, as most people grow, their imaginations begin to dissolve. One of the best things about being young is that we don't let the facts get in the way of our imagination. For instance, most of us had a vivid imagination when we were young. Now, it's hard for us to even think of a fictional story on the spot as we let society and reality get in the way of our creativity. A factor that separates children from adults is that children aren't trying to get anywhere. As adults, we think too much about the next step, while children use their creativity, and innovation to live for the moment. During the IDEA Program, I felt like a kid again experimenting with new ideas, creating ways the world could be better, and realizing that having an imagination is one the best qualities a human being can ever possess. For the past three days, I had the ability to time travel to my childhood mind this past week.
Honestly, from personal experience, this program was an inspiration for many teachers, visitors, and students (like myself). As a participant, I truly believed I learned much more valuable information compared to an "average" academic classroom setting. To create an innovative, practical design for a real life issue–while only having a few days– far surpasses studying vocabulary words, memorizing information, and reading textbooks in terms of "learning". This unique program has taught me to work with others in a more efficient manner, create innovation for the 21st century, and realize that it's acceptable to have new, but wild visions for the future....
...To sum it up, unfortunately, as most people grow, their imaginations begin to dissolve. One of the best things about being young is that we don't let the facts get in the way of our imagination. For instance, most of us had a vivid imagination when we were young. Now, it's hard for us to even think of a fictional story on the spot as we let society and reality get in the way of our creativity. A factor that separates children from adults is that children aren't trying to get anywhere. As adults, we think too much about the next step, while children use their creativity, and innovation to live for the moment. During the IDEA Program, I felt like a kid again experimenting with new ideas, creating ways the world could be better, and realizing that having an imagination is one the best qualities a human being can ever possess. For the past three days, I had the ability to time travel to my childhood mind this past week.
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