Airplane Activity

The Airplane Activity (aka "Throwing Your Money Away") was developed as a way to engage people in thinking about what is involved in learning from and with others and the role of documentation in a learning group. Part of the point of this activity is to watch people solve a problem or build understanding (in this case about aerodynamics) in order to get them quickly into a meaningful conversation about individual and group learning. What principles can participants extract about learning in groups and documentation as a process of observing, recording, interpreting, getting multiple perspectives, sharing information back with learners, and using the experience to plan future learning experiences?

Materials needed include 8.5 x 11 paper, scissors, scotch tape, paper clips, pennies, wooden coffee stirrers, pencils, and markers. The activity takes a little over an hour.

Looking at Learning in Groups: Visual Essay and Discussion

Looking at Learning in Groups: Visual Essay and Discussion offers an engaging way to begin a conversation with students or colleagues about learning in groups—what it looks like, the potential benefits and challenges, and related questions, thoughts, and feelings. It draws on the visual essays included in the Making Learning Visible book, two of which are posted on this Web site. We also include suggestions for documenting the experience in order to extend your own or students' learning