Come Fly With Me...

Many things happening this past week – West Coast style: A Tsunami alert due to a 7.9 earthquake off the coast of Alaska; a 4.0 earthquake (with continuous aftershocks) with epicenter south of Los Angeles; and large amounts of “waste and high bacteria levels” in the oceans and on the beaches. Ideal “lab” and research opportunities related to STEAM!

Through the lens of STEAM, there is a critical need to examine the foundations of how curriculum design and instruction evolve, and how we address learning to learn in preparation for a lifetime of change in the 21st century. One of the main objectives of both art and science is discovery. Another point I’ve mentioned in previous writings is that integrating arts-related skills into discussions, courses, and projects/activities are effective ways to enhance student interest and achievement.

In Bernard Carlson’s book about Nikola Tesla, he says “Inventors must live with an exquisite tension. On the one hand, they must be in touch with their inner feelings, insights, and impulses –what Tesla calls the “promptings of an imagination vivid and undisciplined” – since these are often the source of new ideas and inventions. On the other hand, inventions can convert an insight into practical invention only by connecting it to the larger world of markets and needs, and they do this by systematic thinking and design.” However, a larger question is how do students learn to cultivate their imagination and not let reason overwhelm it?

Perhaps one way to answer this question is through a recent moment in time. Yesterday I arrived at HTHSCV to the sounds of music filling the building. Michael Carter (Math) was “dancing” down the main hallway – rolling a cart filled with materials for class and playing “Come Fly With Me” sung by Frank Sinatra on his boom box. Students, faculty and staff were headed to their destinations in what seemed like a choreographed scene from a Broadway musical. I quietly surmised (as I was tapping my feet to the beat and singing along) that sometimes we just need to get out of our own way – to let the creative power of our imaginations go forth and discover, explore, and reflect upon our continuous emotional and intellectual development. In doing so, we can find our own creative powers ---as scientists, technologists, engineers, artists and mathematicians. This is yet another dimension of the STEAM conversation, and there are more insights and revelations to come!

Driving away from the school I thought about what HTHSCV represents in the myriad of school organizations and environments across the U.S. A poem came to mind, as I hummed “Come Fly With Me…”

The home is filled with

the sound of laughter

sunshine and light,

magical stories and tales,

comfort and love,

truth and honesty,

fascinating ideas and conversation,

hope and kindness.

-anonymous

In my view, this poem embodies the spirit and culture of HTHSCV. I'm looking forward to next week!