A Small Green Space

Recently, I have been working with shipyards and boat builders who understand the value of space.  The fascinating use of space on yachts  I wonder what it would be like if a shipbuilder built a ship with 330 sq feet like this amazing apartment in Hong Kong that can be 24 different rooms.  This ingenious use of space designed by Gary Chang is definitely food for thought.

Emily Pilloton: Teaching design for change

Designer Emily Pilloton moved to rural Bertie County, in North Carolina, to engage in a bold experiment of design-led community transformation. She's teaching a design-build class called Studio H that engages high schoolers' minds and bodies while bringing smart design and new opportunities to the poorest county in the state.

Conrad Wolfram: Teaching kids real math with computers

From rockets to stock markets, many of humanity's most thrilling creations are powered by math. So why do kids lose interest in it? Conrad Wolfram says the part of math we teach -- calculation by hand -- isn't just tedious, it's mostly irrelevant to real mathematics and the real world. He presents his radical idea: teaching kids math through computer programming.
A real case for a change in Math education.

Recycling Computers

Recycling Computers on the Futures Channel.  Great educational short videos.

Big Numbers

Sometimes it is even hard for adults to understand large numbers.

Zappos Has the Right Idea

The bottom line is culture.  It is time to put his method into the public school systems in our country.  Barbara Kurz a principal that I worked with and for at Jordan Acres Elementary and Mike McCarthy at King Middle School understand what Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos is talking about.  Also, check out his book Delivering Happiness.

RSA Animation of Ken Robinson Talk

Ken Robinson is one of my favorite thinkers and speakers on education.  Here is a talk that is animated by RSA Animate on Changing Education Paradigms.

The Fresh Movie

A great kickoff for any project on sustainable small gardens feeding the world could be this very interesting movie called Fresh. Gather a group of community at a central location and show the film.

Here is the Fresh trailer.

FRESH trailer from ana joanes on Vimeo.

A four year study has been release that Trina Paulus is working on a sequel to her book "Hope for the Flowers,"while all-heartedly promoting a REALLY important document: the IAASTD Global Report, Agriculture at the Crossroads. Over 400 experts from over 100 countries worked for 4 years on this report which concluded that is will be small scale organic agriculture that will feed the world. Surprise???!!

This report was funded by the World Bank, facilitated by all the UN agencies, and pushed by Monsanto, Sygenta, and big Ag until they saw that the conclusion was not going in their favor.

Recycled Moving Chicken Coop in a City

I love clever people. This 3-acre farm in the Austin city limits has a working farm who is starting to use chickens to enrich their gardens. They have made a moving chicken coop out of a satellite dish, home grown bamboo and a recycled bicycle wheel.

FRESH Heroes: Rain Lily Farm, TX from ana joanes on Vimeo.

Students building a Boat and Using Digital Media

Maine's First Ship is a non-profit looking to preserve a short but important chapter of Maine's history in 1607. The goal is to combine the reconstruction of the first ship build by English colonists in Maine and North America with an existing laptop computer project involving over 70,000 Maine students and teachers.



A pilot of this concept was completed this summer. A smaller historic boat from that era (called a shallop), was built by students and community volunteers. Under the leadership of a teacher, a shipwright and a digital media specialist, students were helped to succeed in multiple areas. Not only did they work as a team to create a wooden boat, half models and oars, but they also explained the project to visitors. Students were required to document and share their experiences using laptop-based media software and update the project's blog. This model and subject matter will be used to meet the goals of this expanded statewide project.