Going Further

So I feel like my last post on plastic cup towers needs a follow up post.  My class successfully completed the challenge which was to build the tallest tower they could given 30 cups and the limits with the two elastics.  It needed good conversation, collaboration, and the willingness to try and experiment as well.  Failure was suffered several times when towers were knocked over (some of them near the end when it happened) but resiliency won out when they simply started all over again.

Risk

Resiliency

Collaboration

THESE are the skills I want to foster in kids when I teach.  Knowing your times tables makes you good at multiplying but you are limited in any further results.  The ability to work together, to risk possible failure, and to know how to work in a team are the skills that carry us forward as contributing citizens of society.

What I also loved was that after the challenge was over.....the kids took it further.  The challenge I gave them wasn't enough.

Let's make one that touches the roof!

Quickly followed by, let's start it on the floor and THEN touch the roof!

Their desire to iterate the original challenge resulted in them challenging themselves, taking things a step further, and experience great levels of success.  Here's the photo evidence of that.