One man's trash is another man's education

Arvind Gupta: Turning trash into toys for learning

I chose this video because I wanted to be inspired and work on being more creative with my lessons and activities. This talk didn't disappoint. His talk related to everyone in the room, was creative and the speaker, Arvind Gupta, was enthusiastic. He used things we throw away to demonstrate everyday science. Throughout the lecture, he mentioned that when the kids create he " sees a gleam in their eye." (Gupta, 2010) I couldn't agree more. I have a few labs and lectures where I ask the students to create, whether it be paper mache stomachs, using a paper clip to demonstrate the curvature of the intestines, or just drawing. I feel it is using art to teach science! I enjoyed another quote from Arvind - "what you use it for is limited only by imagination". (Gupta, 2010)  This is the challenge for instructors in my opinion, being creative and relevant to the students that come in every year.  This video showed that playing with material and creating can benefit learning. To me it doesn't just have to be an expensive model or a textbook. "People want to make things" and they get a thrill of what science is all about."(Gupta, 2010)  I hope I can bring more creative ideas and activities into my lectures for the benefit of my students. I keep on reminding my students that it is ok to have fun while learning, it doesn't just have to be serious. PLAY with the material.

Gupta, Arvind (speaker). (2010) Arvind Gupta: Turning trash into toys for learning. Ted Talk. Video retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/arvind_gupta_turning_trash_into_toys_for_learning#t-7348