Media Arts: we met during 7th and 8th periods, though during the mid day as opposed to the end. The flip-flop schedule was due to the convocation/installation of the new Headmaster--Mr. Jon Brougham at the beginning of the day. Nice event. Well received, I believe.
Since classes were only 25 minutes in length, I determined the best possible activity to get the kids "kinetically thinking" along the lines of media...and messages...was to construct--what else?--paper airplanes. After a crash course in aerodynamic design, we marched up the hill and proceeded to zing 'em into the Headmaster's office through his open windows looking out over the Mall!!
I know, I know. It sounds a bit too "Dead Poets Society"-esque, right? Teacher sneaking his charges out of class to do the whole "carpe diem" thing out on campus. Could this be a prank potentially fraught with calamitous ruin? Kids throwing paper airplanes into the Headmaster's office!! Tsk, tsk. Or is this exercise merely a demonstration of the limits and strengths that paper embodies in our digital world? Of course, it was the latter (since Mr. Brougham was in on the event from the start and threw open the windows himself before we readied, aimed and fired!)
I'll back up a bit on our story: the students were given the assignment to write a short message to the new Headmaster on regular letter sized paper. Then, without any prior knowledge, they individually constructed a paper airplane out of their letter, guided by the design developed by "alphageek" Takua Toda as seen in the September '09 issue of Wired magazine. With the remaining time (mere minutes) in the class periods, we trekked up the hill and launched our flyers! A fun time had by all, including Ms. Sherry Roberts (Assistant to the Headmaster) who couldn't stop laughing at the many failed attempts at getting the planes "off the ground/into the window", shall we say!!
Tomorrow's class: "Why Paper is Eternal"
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