This site is now an archive. For the current version of LCL, please visit learn.media.mit.edu/lcl.

Dance STEAM (previously, Systems Dance Troupe)

KathyG

Dance STEAM

(previous name: Systems Dance Troupe: a conceptual tool)

Introductory information video (QuickTime):*
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwR6Uymtc-cmY242R1RELW5TZHc/edit?usp=sharing

Larger description:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwR6Uymtc-cmRnMwbEJ1cU9UMDg/edit?usp=sharing

Examples of projects:

A. Nested loop function - see,
- billyzhuptl, “Flower Nested Loops,”
http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/2794599/7
- LangTutorials, “How to create a nested loop in Scratch,”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnAo3Q6u60c2>

B. How a car works – a simple wheels-engine-steering system, or a complex piston-fuel-ignition-
battery-spark-combustion model

C. Interactions in a city – LCL participant ClairevR commented on my post last week, analogizing one
of her previous projects with children to recreate the interactions and workings of a city: “We used
projected images and maps of...London...to visualise and identify the elements of the system and to
create the menu [of operations, movements and meanings].”

*Text of video:
The project-in-progress I want to share with you is a Systems Dance Troupe. It's a conceptual tool to bring abstractions and systems concepts down to earth, and make them easier to understand and modify for basic learning, prototyping and experimentation.
Examples of projects for the Systems Dance Troupe and a link to a larger description of the project are posted along with this introductory video in the Share Fair. The Dance Troupe is a conceptual tool, so it's easier to understand it by trying it, instead of just hearing about it or reading about it. You might be able to incorporate it into your own Share Fair project!
The origin of the project was my thinking about some concepts raised by Papert in Mindstorms, including his point that our culture needs better tools for understanding and working with systems concepts.
Thanks to other participants in the LCL community who commented on my draft project last week.
I'd love to hear your comments now or in the future, especially about what worked or didn't work when you tried the Dance Troupe with different ages and kinds of groups!

Project-in-Progress for Learning Creative Learning (KathyG May 4, 2014 draft)

EARLIER THREAD ON SAME TOPIC:

Kathy​G
Apr 25
So as to (hopefully) get your comments on this, I'm reposting as a new topic in this week's discussion forum:
Here's the link to a discussion draft of a project-in-progress for a conceptual tool, a "Systems Dance Troupe:"
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwR6Uymtc-cmaVBHTnN0MTdyM3M/edit?usp=sharing
Comments welcome!

Claire​vR
Apr 26
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for sharing your draft conceptualisation tool. I have done something similar with children to visualise and enact the workings of a city. It was helpful for the children to have a 'menu' of operations / movements / meanings. We used projected images and maps of the city in question (London) to visualise and identify the elements of the system and to create the menu.
Having the menu supported their thinking about the 'construction' or 'coding' of the elements and interactions of the system (city) they where trying to recreate.
I like the idea of using an online environment to document the system decisions. It creates a usable record.
Thanks for your ideas!
Kindly,
Claire

Kathy​G
Apr 26
Thanks for this great practical example! Using the multimedia (projected images and maps) is an inspiration for the initial "imagine" part of the learning spiral. Whether the "menu" is provided or is created as part of the project would, I think, depend on the situation.

megapequeno
May 1
I really like your draft. I think it is a great idea to have students act out these concepts. I especially like the idea of using Who's on First as way to illustrate the confusion that can happen regarding symbolic/abstract modes of thought.