Exlporing new ways of Kids education

Learnings from Ana Lorena -> https://analorenafabrega.substack.com

Ana Lorena - mental models Hello, thank you Ana Lorena for these great answers so far! My question is: If I want to apply the same methodology to my community and to
Ana Lorena is the chief evangelist at Synthesis, an online enrichment club where kids learn through games and simulations. Students enrolled in Synthesis learn mental models, decision-making, and game theory by playing complex and collaborative games.
I’m worried she is lacking social interactions with other kids. - Give them the freedom to play, explore, and pursue their own interests. https://analorenafabrega.substack.com/p/fab-fridays-issue-11 - 10 tips for Cultivating Creativity by Mitchel Resnick, director of the Lifelong Kindergarten group at MIT
It’s important to remember that kids are designed, by nature, to play and explore on their own, independently of adults. They learn from anything and everything. They don’t need a robust curriculum, elaborated lesson plans, or fancy digital tools in order to learn.
- In this newsletter I share a few simple ideas for kids to learn at home: https://analorenafabrega.substack.com/p/fab-fridays-issue-9
Fostering a love for reading, get them started with the habit of writing everyday and sharing what they write, and teaching basic math skills when the need arises and when they will be used immediately.
So our education system was designed for a very different time and purpose...in the 18th and 19th century, when the goal was not to produce innovative thinkers, but rather factory workers and train people for the military. And it worked. This system lifted us out of the dark ages and permitted the Industrial age to occur. We had several generations of productive, fully employed workers for factories.
But as the world changed and the workplace changed with it, the school system hasn’t evolved much. Schools remain focused on preparing kids for jobs that no longer exist, and continue to enforce and prioritize compliance, metrics, and consumption over creativity, collaborative problem solving, independent thought, and entrepreneurship.
I don’t think we are going to get rid of the school system anytime soon, but what parents can do is start looking for alternatives outside the school system that are prioritizing the skills that kids will need in the future. There are microschools, online programs, bootcamps for kids, online communities, Montessori schools.
If your kids seem to have an aptitude or intense interest for something that is not school related, nurture and prioritize that. No matter what his or her age, when a child has a serious and productive interest in something, do anything possible to feed it. Let them take lessons or classes or join a club, or spend tons of time in their craft. The best thing parents can do here is to be the perfect enabler. By doing that, kids will devote lots of time to it, and that’s what it takes to become truly accomplished at something.
What we’ve seen so far is that kids that go through our program build a wealth of experience solving complex problems as a team and making tough decisions and reflecting on them. They develop their voice in a competitive dynamic, gain a deep understanding of mental models, and learn how to work through complexity. My favorite outcome is how they seem to be more comfortable dealing with failure.
We don’t “measure” with grades or standard metrics. We ask parents to think of where their kids are when they enter Synthesis, and ask themselves over time whether their child is improving in the way they reason through problems or how they synthesize concepts.
So Synthesis is a new educational experience for curious kids who want to learn how to solve complex problems, how to think from first principles, and how to make wise, ethical decisions. We don't intent to reform schools, just provide an alternative way of learning. Here's what we focus on:
https://www.analorenafabrega.com/my-blog/what-makes-synthesis-unique-part-ii
Are there ways we can implement some learning models from Synthesis into our adult lives so that we too can cultivate independent-thinking (at work, home, etc.)? Just seems that as adults we stop challenging our own ways of thinking which is probably perpetuating the rise of extremism we're seeing today.
This is a great question, Ayelen! At Synthesis we design simulations that help kids navigate the complexity and chaos that eventually unfolds in our lives. By playing our simulations, kids develop a body of thinking tools—or mental models—that they can use outside our games to make better decisions and solve real problems.
I think learning about Mental Models is a great way to cultivate your independent thinking. A mental model is an explanation of how something works. At Synthesis we tell kids that Mental Models are like thinking tools (concepts, frameworks, or worldview) that help us understand life, make better decisions, and solve complex problems. And the mental models we teach them don’t just apply to the games, they apply broadly to life and are useful in a wide range of situations.
So I would dive into those! A great place to start is Shane Parrish's Mental Model book.
Also, Paul Grahm wrote a great article on how to cultivate this, and I distilled it in this article. Applies for adults! https://www.analorenafabrega.com/my-blog/helping-kids-think-for-themselves
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I encourage parents to teach kids how to use technology to explore their interests, build something meaningful, share their creative output, and connect with like-minded peers. Here's a great book for parents:
Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and survive) in Their Digital World by Deborah Heitner
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We often underestimate the power of downtime. The unofficial motto of our current education system: 'work more, work harder, and test often.' When the reality is that less is more. Kids need downtime and space to digest, reflect, and connect what they learn. They need time to relax and be bored by inactivity. Downtime is what leads to creative ideas, not back-to-back schedules.
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Hi Arvind, there are several alternatives to traditional higher education now a days. Many students are choosing to take a gap year to pause and think intentionally about the way they want to pursue higher education or to start tehir own thing, others are going to a bootcamps, or taking various credits from many different institutions and putting together their own degree, apprenticeships.
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What are some specific mental models that you hope children learn from participating in Synthesis?
So I will share the 4 simulations we have up and running right now and the mental models that are explored in each:
Constellation is a fast-paced strategy game that challenges students to create the most valuable group of stars in the face of shifting scoring variables. Some of the Mental Models covered in this simulation are Stag-Hunt, Prisoner’s Dilemma, and Resource Scarcity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE1fxpfiU3o
Art For All challenges kids to assemble an art collection through live auctions before traveling the globe in a competition for attendance, profit, and harmony. Kids learn about the winner's curse, contingent value, auction theory, probabilistic thinking, and negotiation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQWviC487CA
Fire Ridge is a fast-paced collaboration game where teams of students work together to fight forest fires under various conditions. This is our first "massively cooperative" game where the opponent is the fire itself. Kids learn about resource allocation and scarcity.
Fish asks kids to manage commercial fishing waters while navigating scarcity and declining ecological systems. Kids have to manage logistical challenges that are constantly evolving while delving into ethical & market-based questions. Kids learn about the mental model Tragedy of the commons
I love that you don't use grades or standard metrics. Is there any way you quantify the impact you're having? No! We record the conversations that our students are having in the breakout groups and share them with our families so they see how their kids are improving in the way they reason through problems, synthesize concepts, and apply the mental models. However, in the intensives program that we are now offering as part of the membership (for kids who want that extra challenge) kids are required to put together a portfolio of all the case studies and problems they solve. https://www.notion.so/INTENSIVES-Overview-03b02cbab40242e0a4be4a719ece82c0
And regarding assessment, I don't think it should be grades, but feedback loops. Like the real world. What are you able to do? That is the real assessment. Let the assessment of what they know be what can they create and build with what they know.
I wrote a bit more about my thoughts on assessment and metrics in this article:
https://www.analorenafabrega.com/my-blog/what-are-we-trying-to-measure-after-all
——>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrUrRjhbWHo