New Propeller Academy Online Store!

Show your school spirit with Propeller Academy logo products. Fun items like T-shirts, caps, tote bags, mousepads, blankets, yard signs, clocks, mugs, aprons, water bottles, and even a Christmas stocking. The school makes $1 profit from each item.

http://www.cafepress.com/propelleracademy

 

Making a Propeller

Because it’s fascinating… here’s everything you never knew about how propellers are made.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65sdTFdj5VU

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYprHKWqZ5E

FREE Propeller Coloring Book

Looking for a fun activity for your kids…or even a great way to unwind and de-stress?

 

Download our free Propeller Coloring Book pages with many things “propeller” in the world. Get out a box of crayons and be artistic. Be creative and add elements like birds in the sky, people in the windows, etc. Color outside the lines if you like.

Includes pictures of an airplane, biplane, helicopter, fan, windmill, wind generator, submarine, boat, propeller beanie hat, pinwheel, and even the Wright Brothers first plane. Can you think of any more propeller things we can add? The pages are FREE for you to print and color anytime.

Why Schools are Killing Creativity

The educational model that came out of The Enlightenment really pushed for economic and intellectual pillars. This model is outdated, exclusionary and not effective. Sir Ken Robinson has some truly interesting thoughts into trends and future outcomes if we change education to match the imaginations within our children. He advocates for arts education and an aesthetic experience. He believes that we are educating the creativity out of our children – and this is dangerous formula for life success in a world that is changed beyond concrete information.

The World is Closer than You Think

One of the hottest selling books is Thomas Friedman’s The World is Flat which talks about the historic events that have converged to create a global marketplace. The reason his ideas are fascinating to educators is that most of our schools are not preparing students for their future. Most schools are educating students for 40 years ago. This lecture is from MIT, and while I personally agree with many of Friedman’s ideas, a Biblical worldview in not the lens through which Friedman is speaking from. As Christians, we understand that change is all around us, but our faith compels us to respond in hope, faith and love.

The lecture by Thomas Freidman was interesting and thought provoking. As a former corporate consultant, and as an owner in a technology company, I have witnessed the rise of workflow software, outsourcing, off-shoring, uploading, supply chaining, insourcing, in-forming, and wireless growth of interactive media and communication. Most corporate projects have these elements within it to manage. From a corporate perspective, Freidman was spot on in 2005 with his assessment of globalization.

Fueled by an economic crisis, Freidman could not have known how the market would accelerate the rate of these trends.

The final thoughts that Freidman finished his lecture with have stayed with me for several days. “Everything is commoditized except imagination.” He went on to add that America’s greatest asset is American creativity and positive affirmation. We need to “export hope; not fear.” This is foundational to the educational experience we provide at Propeller Academy – hope.

Competition has never scared me. I think that is what Freidman is advocating for – be prepared to think bigger, have relationships in places you never dreamed of, create solutions to problems, and allow people to implement them wherever the market takes it. Where this gets dicey is education because this is a world that is not in play everyday within the educational experience of a majority of teachers or their students. But we can change that, and at Propeller – its what we are wired for.

Global Trends Reveal Opportunity for Christian Education

In the book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Daniel Pink (2009) writes about the impact of the three A’s (Abundance, Asia and Automation) on our current situation and future realities.

Pink’s notion that material wealth has left people desiring more in their lives is similar to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs that says when basic needs are satisfied, people begin to look for more meaning in life. Abundance allows for people to seek beauty, significance and purpose. Our society celebrates acts of selfless care, living to make a difference and seeking your true self. One example is talk show host Oprah Winfrey who inspires and tells stories of people who are making a difference and people who are finding their true selves. Her message resonates with her audience because they want to experience more beauty in their lives. While there is controversy about her belief system, there is little doubt about her impact on our culture.

The rise of Asian economic influence is a new reality within the business sector. The idea that routine functions can be done for less helps to make profit. Another advantage to having these countries economies grow is that is raises their standard of living. For decades, countries with high percentages of poverty (China, India, Pakistan, Philippine’s) have relied upon international aid or charity to care for the poor – if they have cared at all. By creating access to better wages, these countries can provide opportunities for their people and raise the standards of education and economic security. The work ethic, determinism and the ability to see the opportunity makes these workers strong allies in global economics.

The opportunity for industrialized nations is to continue to innovate, invent, and create economic growth in new business development – or as Pink describes, “The Conceptual Age”. Another benefit of globalization is that it is now easier than ever to deliver products and services to new markets and new pockets of people that have never been able to purchase items due to poverty. By opening global markets, Americans can still flourish economically because there are simply more people who need them.    Localized services are still going to be in demand. Children need care providers, elderly people need lawn services, and houses will still need repairs etc. While the debate rages about globalization and creates fear about jobs, I believe that there are many reasons to be hopeful that the future may not be bleak as some futurists predict. While the Bible prophesies Christ’s return, the Bible also commands believers to hold unto hope and to not be afraid.

Automation is a tool to build efficiencies and profitability, but it is not a relational experience nor does not fit every business/education model. Automation allows for reports to be run and for processes to get smoother, but people still need to interact with the automated procedures to create the meaningful experience that customers expect. Recently, I needed to schedule an appointment. I chose to do it online because the telephone option had a 20-minute wait. The criteria for me is that if a computer can do it faster, let it.

When it comes to education, if a computer can replace a teacher – the teacher is not that good. A great teacher knows how to utilize automated technologies to interact with students. For quizzes, tests and tracking activity – it makes sense to automate because it allows a teacher to focus on higher level thinking activities, like discussions, to help develop learners. I firmly believe that technology is a tool; not a replacement for relational connections.

The hardest part of any tool is getting people to know what it is capable of. A piano is a great instrument on its own, but to experience its true majesty, it has to be in the hands of a talented musician who has taken the energy to learn how to make it work. The same is true of educators who are willing to continue to learn how to use new technological tools. Educators who practice and explore new possibilities will advance the learning experience to a true artistic, beautiful and meaningful level. This new reality should excite educators because it will allow them to experience a greater level of autonomy, mastery and significance through their work that is more engaging and fun to participate in.

Intrinisic Motivation vs. Rewards

Have you ever wondered about why some people are highly motivated, and others are ready to let life waste away?

Autonomy, mastery and purpose are highlighted as tools to engage people towards their most significant work. Daniel Pink shares highlights from his book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.

At Propeller Academy, we are innovating the student experience by engaging them through some of the ideas Pink reveals about motivation.

Time Perspective, Pace of Life, and A Boring Education

Professor Philip Zimbardo shares his perspective on time (past, present, future) and how it impacts work, taking care of your self and even how kids navigate their world. Did you know that a child drops out of school every 9 seconds in the United States – and boys are at the center of it. There is a crisis occurring, and this RSA Animate video sheds a different perspective on why.

If you are raising boys, there is some really interesting information that talks about how education is not geared towards how their brains have been rewired.