The Four Cs of Learning

The Four Cs of Learning

This is an interesting blog post by Jeff Utecht, who is an educator, consultant and author. He writes about the Four Cs and says there is nothing new in the list that educators haven't been doing for years. How we view them now is new. He expands and gives ideas on these:

• Communication: Teaching to communicate the way the world communicates
• Collaboration: Across space and time
• Creativity: To a global audience
• Critical Thinking: Creating Problem Finders

Then he adds one more, the 'C' word of education, CONTROL. He says, "When we talk about giving up control in the classroom we do not mean giving up structure. If you are going to give the control of the learning over to the students it means you need more structure in place not less. Routines need to be in place, timing needs to be clearly delineated, and a system needs to exist so that students can have control of the learning. Giving over control of the learning to students does not mean less prep-time, less work for the teacher…..at the beginning it actually means more work as teachers learn a new way of structuring their classroom around student interest, student questions and take on a new role as a facilitator and coach of learning."

Sir Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Kira Koop

IL - Creativity

Robinson, K. (February 2006). Ken robinson: Do schools kill creativity? [Video] TED.com: TED2006.
(but also here: https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity?language=en)


Summary:
Sir Ken Robinson delivered this TEDtalk more than ten years ago, and in it, he very cleverly mixes story and ideas to illustrate his points and connect to his audience. He addresses the notions of creativity, of failing, of the hierarchy within schools of subjects and values, as well as multiple intelligences.

I quite enjoyed this talk, in part because it's always immensely satisfying to listen to English accents, but the content was also very interesting. I personally disagree with his emphasis on "originality" - after all, the quotation "good artists borrow, great artists steal" - Picasso, probably - is generally understood to mean that most creative content references other ideas - but he did say one thing that has resonated with me specifically: to be creative, you must be prepared to be wrong, to fail.

I was thinking about this within the context of my fine art background through high school, before my BFA. My high school art teacher built "idea pages" into his assignments for us. We weren't allowed to start a project until we had shown that we had sat down to think about and work through the process, come up with three separate plans (complete with symbolism, colour theory, media, and style) and chosen the one that worked best. It was still a high school class, and grades were still very much the method of receiving feedback, which meant that "failing" was tied into assessment, rather than the thing you created, but this process allowed us to figure out a few failures (to communicate? to create? to idealize?) before we even started. Furthermore, it removed the fear from the process: if you didn't show through your idea page that you had grappled with failure as part of the creative process, you didn't do it right, and you wouldn't receive the marks for it.  

Nevertheless, his talk goes far beyond this one idea, and I hope you enjoy it.

Smartphones give new life to audiobooks

Aubree Burkholder

IL

McClurg, J. (2016, October). Smartphones give new life to audiobooks - usatoday.com. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2016/10/07/audio-books-sales-growth-smartphones/91132274/

Summary:

This article explains that audiobooks are not an obsolete media, but instead are exploding in popularity and attracting a whole new generation of audiobook listeners. The article also explains that while reaching a new clientele is by far the best aspect of the downloadable audiobooks, the fact that downloadable audiobooks are a fraction of a cost of audiobook CDs are no doubt a great feature as well.

Evaluation:

I enjoyed this article because offers a new hope for audio book lovers that the media will not fall into shadows, and has instead found a new clientele base. I myself have begun using my own smartphone to listen to audiobooks while at work or while driving.  

A School-wide Gamification Project Created by the Teacher Librarian

Gabrielle Thormann

IL, CO

Squires, T. (2016).  Student engagement through library-led gamification.  Library as Classroom.  Retrieved from:  https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/recording/playback/link/table/dropin?sid=2008350&suid=D.5D141781486B23E7660294861CD3B7

This entry is an audio recording available only through the Blackboard Collaborate system.  

This middle school teacher librarian had the support and opportunity of her administration and staff to create a school-wide gamification project.  She created teams of 7^th graders against 8^th graders, used digital technology, specifically Edmodo to create groups for communication between students.  Stories were built in the morning with the cooperation of staff, missions and goals were set, strategy cards to assist missions, and points allotted and listed in spreadsheets.   Students were also required to turn in a paper report of their work in the games, as well as other simple assignments and activities during the game.  Squires created a video about the game, and submitted to ‘Follett Challenge’ and won a substantial amount of funds. 

Summary

I’m always interested in hearing/reading about how teachers apply theory and create projects, and so found this audio recording interesting and supportive.

Note:  Here is the link to other talks also available through Blackboard Collaborate:

http://www.library20.com/page/classroom-recordings

Genius Hour in the Library

Debbie Gibbons

IL

Rush, E. B. (2015). Genius hour in the library. Teacher Librarian, 43(2), 26-30. Retrieved from

http://libaccess.sjlibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=llf&AN=111875244&site=ehost-live

Summary:

This is a reflection by one elementary librarian on her first year of implementing a Genius Hour in her school library. Students in grades 3 - 5 were allowed to explore, research, or study any topic during their weekly library period. The librarian, the classroom teacher, and the students all had responsibility for monitoring and evaluating the process and progress. One key factor was to encourage the students to take risks and turn “failures” into learning opportunities. The article offers a checklist to implement a Genius Hour in your own school.

Review:

In the same way that students were encouraged to take risks, the author took on a new endeavor in starting a Genius Hour in her library. She admits that not everything was perfect, and there were things that she would do differently the second year. The checklist allows the reader to learn from the author’s missteps. I especially appreciate that she revealed that there were a handful of students who looked like they were diligently working all along and then had no work to show at the end of the project. She then offers a practical suggestion for how to better support those students the next year.

T is for Transmedia

Sannwald, Suzanne

IL

Herr-Stephenson, B., Alper, M., Reilly, E., & Jenkins, H. (2013). T is for transmedia: Learning through transmedia play. Los Angeles and New York: USC Annenberg Innovation Lab and The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. Retrieved from http://www.annenberglab.com/projects/t-transmedia

Summary: The linked paper provides a comprehensive review of transmedia “play” and how this connects with learning. Particularly with libraries transforming into Learning Commons, and their increasing support of constructivist and discovery learning, this study provides helpful background information and research that supports the learning benefits of transmedia play. Educators may be familiar with research regarding functional literacy and increasingly about information and media literacy, but they may not be aware of transmedia literacy and the way that these extensions may legitimately support learning goals. While transmedia may be at times accused of being evidence of gross commercialization, this paper looks at how it serves as an entry point for children to not only learn with high self-motivation and interest, but also encourages them to participate as content creators themselves.

Evaluation: I recently learned about transmedia in INFO 237, and I think that there is nice synergy between this topic and the investigation that we have been doing in INFO 250 regarding discovery learning. In particular, I think that it is important that Teacher Librarians become well versed in supporting students as creators, and that we are able to articulate the relevance of this constructivist learning to their overall educational experience.

The information-seeking behavior of grade-three elementary school

Kari Nelson

IL

REFERENCE

Nesset, V. (2009). The information‐seeking behavior of grade‐three elementary school students. Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 46(1), 1-3.

SUMMARY

Nesset discuss the importance of introducing and experiencing print and electronic sources from a young age. From this study, information seeking in the elementary school is represented in a three phase model: preparing, searching and using.  The preparing stage being the direct instruction of needed vocabulary and steps to complete the process.  The searching stage being the physical action of searching and the using stage is applying what the students learned.  Information seekers in elementary schools need exposure to the three phases early so they can build upon them in upper grades.

EVALUATION

I liked how this article shows that young students are ready to be educated in information seeking. As an educator, I see that children such as kindergarten and 1^st grade don’t complete research because it is “too difficult”. This article shows that we are in a time where they have been prepared for technology and just need the opportunity to have experience with it.

Can Any School Foster Pure Creativity?

Shawn Pomatto

IL

Soling, C. (2014). Can any school foster pure creativity? Mind/Shift. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.kqed.org%2Fmindshift%2F2014%2F03%2Fcan-creativity-truly-be-fostered-in-classrooms-of-today%2F%3Futm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Bkqed%252FnHAK%2B%2528MindShift%2529&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHR8pcR4DeAfPVpEWEozd3Dj7QxnQ

The question is how can we promote creativity in schools?  Studies show that creativity can lead to innovation and problem solving capabilities.  So how can we provide an environment which nurtures this type of growth?  The problem is that schools are designed around discipline and rigidity of rules enforcement. Standardized tests results try to suggest that creativity can be measured by a single number.  That is impossible.  Creativity is not designed to be defined by one single definition.  If we are to teach creativity in a school, then we must make fundamental changes in the way in which a school operates.  Creativity is reliant upon unconventional means.  it is the invention of something new and unique.  Therefore a school who doesn't embrace differences, but instead relies upon maintaining order, may not be the right environment for fostering creativity.

What one needs to realize is that we cannot simplify change by only attacking curriculum.  We must also shake the very foundations from which schools are run.  Promoting creativity must be all inclusive and not merely specific to the confines of a classroom.  The entire school needs to comply with the movement in order to significantly make a difference in the lives and learning experiences of students.  Previous standards based tests frowned upon failure.  It was not o.k. to miss test questions.  When in reality, we learn best when we have experienced failure, as we now know what steps will bring us to failure, and which steps will bring us success.  Failure is a necessary step in the process of learning.  If we are to successfully promote creativity in schools, then we must be prepared to let some of the control escape our grasps, and allow that control to be embraced and facilitate by our students.

Refreshing Information Literacy.

Young, Alice

IL-Creativity 

IL-Research about IL

Refreshing Information Literacy.
Martin, J. (2013). Refreshing Information Literacy. Communications In Information Literacy, 7(2), 114-127.

Models play an important role in helping educator implement and promote information literacy. Over time models can lose bearing with the advances in technology, society, and learning theory. Practitioners and scholars often call for adaptations or transformations of these frameworks to articulate the learning needs in information literacy development. This study analyzes four recently published models from the United Kingdom.

The article presents complementary, yet distinct findings from data that focus on reoccurring themes for information literacy practitioners. The author suggests revising models is a way to refresh information literacy. Most of the models creators view their work as a continuous process of improving information literacy guidelines, considering that information literacy is an evolving concept and as such professionals should continue to adapt guidelines to keep amidst. Such practice will insure frameworks are current and motivating to the progressing community.

What to Expect From Librarians in the 21st Century

Fleming, Giovanna

SandlianSmith, P. (2013, December 16). What to expect from libraries in the 21st Century. Retrieved

          May 4, 2014, from Youtube website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa6ERdxyYdo

CO- Collaboration

ET- Common Core

IL- 21st Century Library

CA- New methods

Summary:

          This video featuring Pam Sandlian Smith is amazing.  She explains with emotion and grace the importance of having libraries as community hubs, learning places, “idea stores”. (Sandlian Smith, P.,2013) Librarians treat everyone with respect and allow them to have a special place to dream and be inspired.

 

Yes, watch this if you get a chance before you do anything else today!  Libraries have been "common core" for years. Many of us know already the other "c's" librarians bring to the table: community, connections, and cornerstone.

These are the type of libraries, everyone should want to have in our communities.  Our librarians are worth their weight in gold.  It would be "absolutely" wonderful to have more weekly hours in the library on a regular basis.  Let's not keep it a dream, it should be a reality for every student.  I keep hearing teachers saying, "Librarians are a gift."  I believe librarians are a necessity. How wonderful would it be to have a lounging area, a creative area, a research area?

Libraries have been common core for years, the four "c's" come easily, but, we also believe in another few "c's". They are "community, connections, and cornerstones".  We inspire, collaboratively, and build communities. Our libraries should be research centers, safe learning school community hubs with color printers connected to the library computers, lounge areas, as well as creative areas. Pam refers to the London Libraries in the video.  London is now calling their libraries, “idea stores”.  Let’s go shop for ideas. (SandlianSmith, P.,2013) How incredible is that?

I believe our librarians are worth their weight in gold.  Staff members around my sites are constantly saying, "librarians are a gift." Of course, absolutely!!!  I believe and say to them, "librarians are a necessity."  At times, it is exhausting but, we do take time to reflect. We evolve, we become better and we inspire others to do the same.  

"why do we need libraries"...."who else is going to do this?"  (SandlianSmith, P.,2013)I realize the focus of the video is of public librarians but, school librarians are created from the same cloth.

Evaluation:  

 

          This video brought me to tears and later, gave me goosebumps.  It’s emotional and inspirational. Would I recommend this video to others? ABSOLUTELY, “who else is going to do it?”.(SandlianSmith, P.,2013)

Reinventing classroom space...

Young, Alice

IL-Research about IL
IL-Creative Thinking

IL-Creativity

Reinventing classroom space to re-energise information literacy instruction
Julian, S. (2013). Reinventing classroom space to re-energise information literacy instruction. Journal Of Information Literacy, 7(1), 69-82.

Librarians in academic settings spend a significant amount of time teaching students information literacy skills. Teachers adapt their teaching activities to the constraints of the physical setting of the classroom. Brigham Young University's Harold B. Lee Library modified a classroom from a traditional lecture room to a room where the seating was mobile. The teachers and students were observed and surveyed to see if the change in physical environment impacted the teaching style or learning activities used. The findings indicate that teachers use familiar routines and lessons in both a traditional lecture-style classroom and a newly-designed flexible learning space as they present information literacy instruction.

The research implies that changing the classroom seating from static to flexible had a positive impact on teacher and student. The article suggests that lecture-based teaching style may be efficient, but it does not give students what they need in this technology-driven age. This area of study was interesting and encouraging in that it provides a hopeful voice for the small changes that may impact student learning positively. With the minor change in furniture rearrangement and redesign, the classroom became a flexible learning space that will increase student satisfaction and engagement.

NYC iSchool: A Model for 21st Century Learning

Besich, Lauren

NYC iSchool. (2013, December 2). NYC iSchool: A model for 21st century learning [Video file]. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/ipU1E2u-gGQ

 IL

 

Summary: NYC iSchool is a selective high school in NYC rooted in 21st century teaching and learning.  They break the mold of traditional high schools through real-world relevant learning experiences, student choice and responsibility, collaboration, technology integration, problem-based learning, and areas of focus. 

Evaluation: PLEASE, if you watch anything else for this class, watch this!  It is remarkable to see a school shed the traditions of the 20th century, and redefine the high school experience of the 21st century.  I get so excited watching this video and exploring their website (http://www.nycischool.org/home).  NYC iSchool has done a remarkable job creating a student-driven environment focused on problem solving, inquiry, individualization, collaboration, and choice.  I wonder how I would have turned out if I went to NYC iSchool.  I wonder if they are hiring a librarian?

World Peace and Other 4th-Grade Achievements

Anna Taylor

ET-Inquiry and Problem-based Learning
IL-Critical Thinking

What if you showed kids failure because life has failure? They learn from it.

John Hunter has shown his students how to learn from failure through his teaching method: playing a game called "The World Peace Game". Take a look at this short clip below to get the idea.

John's students are typically 4th graders and use resources like "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu to help learn how to create peace through war and chaos. This game is able to explore creative thinking, empathy, compassion, sacrifice, critical thinking and collaboration. John gives the students the floor to make things happen and serves as a guide and supporter, or as he says "clock watcher". Pretty amazing. Take a look at the great TED video to find out more and check out his book for even more inspiration!

Play in the Library

Jennifer Brickey

ET—Educational Theory

Crow, S., & Robins, J. (2012). Play in the Library. Teacher Librarian, 39(5), 36-43. Retrieved from http://edition.pagesuiteprofessional.co.uk//launch.aspx?eid=5e332207-1bc6-4a7d-8ce1-01b678060ecf

In their article, Crow and Robins liken inquiry-based learning to playing in the library. They draw upon the Self-determination theory (SDT) which “identifies three components whose combination leads to motivation: competence, autonomy, and relatedness” (p. 37). In a library or learning commons setting, Crow and Robins believe that students have the most optimum environment—one that is both physical and virtual—to find pleasure and satisfaction by examining information and displaying it in a creative way. They go on to explain how “stories and storytelling” and “questing” allow students to role play and investigate. Navigating is both an effort of searching and evaluating. It’s not enough to find a sources; a student has to judge its credibility and authority in addition to synthesizing results in order to determine the best answer for a problem. Crow and Robins admit they lack data that supports their theory of play in the library; however they do recognize that play is in the “roots of human evolution” (p. 42) and by making play central in the library maybe students will transition into lifelong learners and seekers.

To me, Crow and Robins’ observation and argument for play directly links to the Big Think concept. The notion that students, with the help of teachers and teacher librarians, can explore any topic they want in the library in a way that is thoughtful, collaborative, and engaging only accentuates the concept of play. The possibilities for learning seem endless and attractive. 

Common Core Standards: Transforming Teaching with Collaborative Technology

Dawn Hall

CO

Tucker, C. (2012, October). Common core standards:Transforming teaching with collaborative technology. Teacher Librarian, 39(6), 30-37.

                This article discusses how the Common Core Standards require students to work collaboratively and how important having skills in this area is to their future learning and professional lives. Tucker points out that technology provides many great options to foster student collaboration. She describes how she uses the Collaborize Classroom platform in her teaching and how it has transformed her students’ engagement in learning. She also mentions the Google Docs suite as another useful tool for student collaboration and provides several great suggestions for how to use it in different subject areas.

 

Seeing Curriculum through a Child's Eyes

Chaltain, S. (2013, March 5).  Seeing curriculum through a child's eyes [web log post].  Retrieved from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/civic_mission/2013/03/_seeing_curriculum_through_a_childs_eyes.html

In this article, the author describes the teaching method at Mission Hill School in Mass.  This school premises its educational model on recognizing students as individual learners with unique learning styles and learning pace.  As such, teachers work with the same students for two years in order to develop a more in-depth and personal knowledge of each student's learning and to monitor their progress with their individual learning goals.  Moving away from worksheets, regurgitation and memory drills, the school promotes hands-on experience and exploration.  Further, teachers have authority at Mission Hill to help influence and design their curriculum, based on their understanding on the front line as teachers.  The author compares this type of education, which is funded largely on creativity, individuality and flexibility, to his daughter's education, which is limited to paper and pen activities and so on.  The article also includes a short video on Mission Hill School.  My favorite quote from the video comes from the school principal, who says "If we want children to be inventors, we have to give them opportunities to invent; if we want them to be artists, we give them lots of opportunities to create art; if we want them to be problem-solvers, we give them moments of independence to figure out things for themselves."  What a refreshing perspective from a school administrator!

I definitely recommend taking a few minutes to read the article and watch the video - both are valuable and inspiring.

If Students Designed Their Own Schools

Chazyvr. (2013, February 13).  If students designed their own schools. Retrieved April 28, 2013 from http://youtu.be/RElUmGI5gLc

This video starts off with a great quote from a student: "It's crazy that in a system that is meant to help and teach the youth, there is no voice for the youth at all."  So true!  In the video, we meet nine students who are participating in a self-designed curriculum at a high school in Mass.  The program is a semester-long, and is founded on each student's personal curiosity.  Each week, a student develops a question regarding something  about which he/she has a personal interest.  Then he/she investigates it and presents his/her findings to the group and invite discussion.  Meanwhile, each student commits to an individual semester-long project, such as learning an instrument, writing a play, and so on.  The program allows for flexibility, creativity, and critical thinking.  Rather than a regurgitation of facts, it emphasizes in-depth learning and individuality.  The results thus far show that the program suits various types of students well, inspiring their passions and enhancing their skills

I thought this video was incredibly interesting and inspiring!  I can imagine how it could motivate even a historically unmotivated or disengaged student; as one students comments "every single person wants to learn about something...everybody is interested in something."  I feel energized and excited to think about how I could use these program's concepts in my own teaching.

Flippin' out

Shapiro Brian

IL

Tucker, B. (2012). The flipped classroom: Online instruction at home frees class time for learning. Education Next, 12(1), 82-83. Retrieved from http://educationnext.org/files/ednext_20121_BTucker.pdf

Having read several articles about flipped classrooms, I decided to review this article because it functions well as a quick, concise overview of an introduction to flipped classrooms. It begins with a brief history; five years ago, two science teachers in Colorado, Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams, decided to record some of their lectures to support students who missed class. As is often the case in education, something new grew from this original goal. The teachers received feedback that other students were using the recorded lessons as a way to reinforce the concepts from class, entirely by choice. Since then, these educators have written a book about the flipped classroom and the Khan Academy has posted over 4000 educational videos. Ted TALKS are also a popular choice for online videos that may introduce, or more thoroughly explore, a subject.

Flipping a classroom can be very effective for presenting content—in forms of lectures, demonstrations, etc. If students are watching (at their own pace and with the ability to go back and re-watch as is needed) these lessons as homework, then they can practice the skills in class, with individualized support of the teacher. Teachers also have reported that it is easier to provide remediation and differentiate for advanced students this way. But teachers are careful to point out that it is not the lessons themselves (though they need to be thoughtfully created or chosen) but the way that they are integrated into the classroom that is key to the success and the improvement of practice. Also—that individual teachers should not be expected to purchase the technology needed, except by choice.

Despite the positive experience many teachers and students are having with varying degrees of flipping their classrooms, the article reminds the educational community of several aspects to consider with this revolutionary way of changing classroom practice. The article cautions, “And, in today’s highly polarized political environment, it also runs the risk of being falsely pigeonholed into one of education’s many false dichotomies, such as the age-old pedagogical debate between content knowledge and skills acquisition.” It is something to keep at the forefront of the discussion—that it is another option for creative, effective instruction—not a fix-all. It may work better for some subjects and some lessons within a subject. Also, it is not something to leap into, but to change in incremental, thoughtful ways. Schools need to consider the access to technology that their students have outside of class, as well as how something engaging and special could become tedious if it’s what every teacher is doing, or if the videos are not engaging or of high-quality instruction. The bottom line is it is an exciting practice that teachers/librarians should continue exploring and using in a measured and creative way, combined with the other best practices we are already doing.

Can Repetitive Exercises Actually Feed the Creative Process?

Jessica Jones

CA

Korbey, H. (2013, Febuary 22). Can repetitive exercises actually feed the creative process? MindShift. Retrieved from http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/03/teachers-students-digital-games-whats-the-right mix/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FnHAK+%28MindShift%29

Summary: Repetitive exercises, commonly called “drill and kill” exercises, are known for killing any interest that a student might have in a subject, but there is a debate within the educational world that perhaps these exercise may be able to promote creativity. Korbey shows the different sides of the “drill and kill” argument by interviewing educators, from pro-repetitive exercises and Teach Like a Champion author Doug Lemov to anti-repetitive exercises arts and literacy educator Kurt Wootton. Lemov, as quoted by Korbey (2013), explains that, “creativity is play within a system of rules, and you can only play with the rules once you understand the system” (para. 16), which means that students must have memorized the rules through repetitive exercises before they can use creativity with a concept. Wootton, however, believes that “brining in the creative process shows students ‘the whole game’ and gives them a reason to go back and get better at specific skills that require rote practice” (Korbey, 2013, para. 11). Wootton’s beliefs stem from the scientific standpoint that John Kounios, Professor of Psychology at Drexel University, brings into the article. Kounios points out that often after people have mastered a subject, they have a more rigid, or locked in, way of thinking about it which makes it harder to use creativity with the subject (para. 8). Korbey’s presentation leaves the impression that it is possible for repetitive exercises to lead to creativity, as long as there is a balance of “drill and kill” exercises and engagement in creative play during the learning process.

Evaluation: After having read this article, I can see how the use of “drill and kill” exercises can be beneficial but not on their own as Lemov believes. There needs to be a balance between creative play and repetitive exercise for students to learn the content of the lesson but not lose their interest in it. At the end of the article, Korbey points out that the British government offers a poetry contest where they want the poem delivered “by heart” instead of by rote, which I believe sums up the importance of creativity and engagement in lessons. Although it is possible for students to memorize facts and recite them or write them down, it is more important for them to feel connected to them so that they will not lose that information as they age. 

Peace with Lions

Parker, Linda

ET
IL

TED Conferences, LLC.  [TED2013]. (2013, March). Richard Turere: My invention that

        made peace with the lions [Video file].  Retrieved from 

        http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_turere_a_peace_treaty_with_the_lions.html?                                           

This video shows an amazing African boy who had a problem: lions kept killing his family's cows.  As the tender of this flock, young Richard set out to find a way to solve this problem.  After some trial and error, he discovered that lions seemed to be fearful of moving lights, so he developed a system that would create that illusion.  The result: the lions stayed away, the cows survived, Richard installed other devices on other local farms, and he ended up getting a scholarship to an excellent Kenyan school.  He aspires to be an engineer one day and I'd say by the looks of things, he's well on his way!