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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Special Assignment #1

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Are your reading the Class Blog regularly? You should be! this is the first Special Assignment that will be added to EDM310 in part to make sure you read the Class Blog regularly but also to link you with new places/new ideas.

Read and watch (1:48) A light bulb moment. The post is by Dina Tillman. The video is by The Fun Theory.com. Who is Dina Tillman? Who sponsors the Fun Theory web site? Where did this post get published?

Leave a comment on the post. What was your reaction? What do you think as a result of watching the video and reading the post?

76 comments:

  1. Dina Tillman is a student at the University of South Alabama majoring in Elementary Education. The Fun Theory website is sponsored by Volkswagen and this post was published on Thefuntheory.com.

    When I first watched this video, it took me a moment to catch on since they were still setting up. Then I got a bit of humor out of it just watching people's reactions to the piano stairs. They were clearly having fun with it!

    As a result of watching the video and reading the post, I realized that in order to lead people in a positive direction or to get a certain reaction, sometimes you have to find fun, creative ways of showing them how. It teaches us that we can take something ordinary and find a fun, creative approach to make people learn. It also shows that people see things a lot differently when you add something fun to the mix.

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  2. Dina Tillman is an Education major at the University of South Alabama. The sponsor for the website is Volkswagon and was done in Stockholm, Sweden.

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  3. This post was published on the EDM 310 Alumni Blog by Dina Tillman. Dina Tillman is an education major at the University of South Alabama, and an Alumni of EDM 310. The sponsor for the website thefuntheory.com is Volkswagen.

    To read my comments about this post please visit the EDM 310 Alumni Blog.

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  4. Diana Tillman is a student at the University of South Alabama and is an Elementary Education major. She was also an EDM310 student last year. The Fun Theory website is sponsored by Volkswagen, and this post was published by thefuntheory.com.

    My first reaction to this video was that it was so smart. I think it is a pretty cool concept to take boring everyday things and make them fun again. This video showed how you can mix things together to make something as simple as taking the stairs engaging to people.

    I think as a result of this video and post, I realized that as a teacher I will probably have to think outside of the box on a daily bases to keep the students engaged. I think this also shows that I will need a good balance of different things in the lessons I teach. I enjoyed this video so much that I went to the Fun Theory website and watched other videos.

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  5. Dina Tillman is a mother of two young children. She is also a student at USA. She wants to be an elementary teacher.

    Volkswagon sponsors The Fun Theory website. According to their website, their website is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behavior for the better.

    The video was produced in the subways of Stockholm, Sweden. It was interesting to see how the people were attracted to something new and different.

    It amazes me how so many different things go back to our class, EDM310, and the discussions that we have.

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  6. Dina Tillman is a student at South who was part of the Spring 2010 EDM310 class. Her blog from the class can be found at http://TillmanDinaedm310.blogspot.com/.

    The Fun Theory website (www.thefuntheory.com) is a website by Volkswagen. According to the website, "This site is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better."

    I was very interested initially in this video just because of the fact that it had to do with a piano - a music teachers dream video!

    This video just goes to show what we can do with everyday objects to spark creativity. If we, as teachers, can figure out a way to develop things like this in our classrooms and transfer it to our children, then I think we are set!

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  7. Dina Tillman is a student at South majoring in Elementary Education. The Fun Theory website is sponsored by Volkswagon which makes sense because Volkswagon has been all about making ordinary things fun for a long time, like cars. What a great idea Dina had tying it to making education fun.

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  8. Dina Tillman is a student at the University of South Alabama whose major is in Elementary Education. The Fun Theory website is sponsored by Volkswagen and the post was published by thefuntheory.com.

    I thought this was not only a witty video, but also very intelligent. The use of creativity and originality turned ordinary things into something exciting. As a teacher, this should be one of your main goals. In order to make a child learn, they must first have a desire to learn. The best way to make learning desirable, so to speak, is to make it fun and understandable. I think it's fair to say tat everyone wants to enjoy what they are doing, young or old.

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  9. Dina Tillman is a student at the University of South Alabama and she is majoring in Elementary Education. The Fun Theory website is sponsored by Volkswagen and the post was published by thefuntheory.com.
    This video was a humorous video and was fun to watch the people with the piano stairs. this goes to show that almost anything can be made fun and as a teacher you should try to make learning fun. this is so that the students enjoy learning

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  10. Dina Tillman is a student at South majoring in Elemebtary Education. She is married and has one daughter and one son. Dina was a member of the EDM310 spring class in 2010. The Fun Theory website is sponsored by Volkswagon and the post was published on Thefuntheory.com.

    My first reaction when watching this video was that I myself would have been guilty of not taking the stairs until they where made fun. This short post of one minute and fourty eight seconds has really opened my eyes. I now have a better understanding of how something ordinary can quickly be changed into something interesting.

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  11. Dina Tillman is a student at the University of South Alabama whose majoring in Elementary Education. She also took EDM310 in the Spring of 2010. Volkswagen sponsors the funtheory.com and funtheory.com also published this post.
    When the video first started I thought it was going to be about the obesity rates in America. Luckily they started putting down the piano keys. That really took me by surprise! I loved watching the people when they first stepped on a key and how they reacted to it all.
    This post and video made me realize that teaching can be fun and I know what type of teacher I want to become. I want to be the teacher that turns my classroom into a fun learning environment. I want to engage my students in the process as well. This video was excellent and really drove home with me!

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  12. Dina Tillman is a student at USA majoring in Elementary Education. Funtheory.com is sponsored by Volkswagen with the idea “that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behavior for the better.” This particular video was posted on the EDM 310 Alumni blog for the students of the spring semester in 2010; it was posted yesterday. While the video itself is entertaining, it is the motto that I quoted above that is where the true inspiration is. So many students complain of the tiring chalk and talk methods that have dominated education for over fifty years. Technology is one of the tools that we can use to get students excited about learning; connecting with fellow classmates, as well as those throughout the United States and abroad, and bringing subject matter to life for even the youngest of students.

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  13. This was a very interesting way to get people to chose the stair. Now think if everyone chose the stairs, how would our society be health wise.

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  14. Dina Tillman is an Elementary Education major at South Alabama. The sponsor of the Fun Theory website is Volkswagen. The post was published on Thefuntheory.com.
    I think that what they did in the video is a great way to get someones attention, and to get them to be a participate in something. This could be a good way to get students to think and do different things in the classroom.

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  15. Dina Tillman, a contributor to the EDM 310 Alumni Blog, is an Elementary Education major at the University of South Alabama. She is married with two children, a 9 year old daughter and a 7 year old son. She was a student in EDM 310 last spring.

    The Fun Theory is a website/group sponsored by Volkswagen that "is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people's behaviour for the better" (Volkswagen 2009). The particular video we watched, Piano Staircase, took place in Odenplan, Stockholm.

    After watching the video and reading Dina's post about it, I immediately commented on it. Watching the video and reading her post truly affected my day for the better. I have already watched all the Fun Theory videos. They were always very entertaining and inspirational. I loved their ideas of making things fun and unusual to get people to make better decisions for themselves. I also shared a similar opinion with Dina. I wanted to be a teacher different than the ordinary. I absolutely agree with the way she related the piano staircase to the teacher she wants to be. I didn't want to be an unimaginative, regular teacher like a normal staircase. I didn't want to be the teacher that found the easy way out of everything and didn't offer a challenge to my students like the escalator. I want to be that challenging and inspirational teacher.

    Thank you, Dr. Strange for posting this special assignment. It really made my day!

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  16. After watching the video and reading your post I would have to admit that the connection you made with the video was awesome.I worked with preschoolers before and you have to use so much creativity to keep them interacting in class time. I believe that in all grades making class and learning fun and using imagination is so important.

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  17. Dina Tillman is a student at USA. She is majoring in Elementary Education. Volkswagen sponosors thefuntheory.com and thefuntheory.com also published the post. The film was made in Sweden. I think its a great video. With 66% more use of the stairs its perfect proof if you make something fun people will do it. I know I would be running up and down the stairs playing a little tune.

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  18. Diana Tillman is an Elementary Education major and Volkswagon sponsors the funtheory.com site.

    I have seen either this video or something similar before, and love the idea! I agree completely that making behavior changes (or in the educational setting, making learning fun) fun will work better than just boring old routines. I hope that the red tape/requirements of teaching in high school won't keep me from remembering to make learning fun.

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  19. Dina Tillman is a student at University of South Alabama, majoring in Elementary Education. She was in EDM 310 spring of 2010. She is married and is a mother of two.

    Volkswagen is the sponsor of the Fun Theory. The website states they are about simple fun that changes peoples lives for the better.

    I love the thought of being the piano stairs and not just plain stairs. I wanted to be as inspiring and motivating to my students as possible. I thought the connection she made to teaching was very awesome.

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  20. After watching the video I couldn't agree more with what they are trying to prove. The same can be applied to teaching. Students who are interested in what they are learning are going to hold in the information a lot better than the students who do not care to be there. If a teacher can make learning interesting and most of all fun to students then teaching becomes easy.

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  21. This is a great video! Dina Tillman, who is an EDM 310 alum and Elementary Edu. major was kind enough to share it with us! The video was posted on the Fun Theory website, which is sponsored by VW. I have to admit, I'm not sure I would have had the same connection to education, or "lightbulb moment", as she did if I had watched the video outside her post. What an excellent thought to tie together! I know for myself, the teachers that I remember the most, the ones who really got through to me, were the ones who made learning fun. This should be our goal as future educators. Our students will learn and retain more if we can make it interesting for them. I agree with Dina, I don't want to be the plain stairs either!

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  22. Dina Tillman is an alum from the Spring 2010 EDM 310 class. The Fun Theory web site is sponsored by Volkswagen. The video was created by Thefuntheory.com and published for us to see on the EDM 310 Alumni Blog.

    This was such a great video! I love that Dana Tillman made the connection to education because it really got me thinking. Hopefully as future educators, we can all take a little advice from this video. Just as the creators made the stairs more appealing, hopefully we as educators will be creative enough to motivate our students in ways we have never considered before.

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  23. Dina Tillman is a student at USA. She is majoring in Elementary Education. Volkswagen sponsors The Fun Theory.com. The video was made in Sweden and published by The Fun Theory.com. This was a good video. It is perfect proof, with 66% more use with the stairs like piano keys, that making something fun more people will try it. I know I would be going up and down the stairs making a nice tune.

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  24. The post was written by Dina Tillman, an elementary education major at USA, and posted on the EDM310 alumni blog. The Fun Theory is a project sponsored by Volkswagen.

    This is such a great idea! I love the use of this as inspiration for teachers. We should all strive to bring fun into our classroom so that our students aren't trying to get out of work by taking the elevator or do the work just to get a grade. I hope that as teachers we can create in our students a self motivated love of learning and exploring by making all subjects fun.

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  25. Dina Tillman is an alumni student of the EDM310 class. She is a student at University of South Alabama majoring in Elementary Education. She is married and has two children. The sponsor of TheFunTheory website is Volkswagen and the post was published by TheFunTheory.com.
    I really enjoyed watching this video. I never would have thought to compare this video to teaching. I love how she said, “That when teaching I would not want to be boring or teach in the same old habits.” I really liked how she compared the escalator as the “old” teaching habits and used the piano stairs as “new” and “fresh” teaching ideas. Who would not want to go up the piano stairs? I myself would choose the stairs, without a doubt! The important lesson behind this video is that when a teacher has new teaching initiatives then of course children are more apt to be involved and be interested to try something new.
    I agree with Shaska Crabtree, I will definitely try to think outside of the box. Especially after watching this video. Love, love, love the video!

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  26. This video is so awesome and inspiring to me, and should be to all soon-to-be teachers. This video makes me realize that if we just take the time to think for a second we could make so many tasks in our daily life fun! The piano idea on the stairs was so brilliant. I'm silently thinking to myself, "Why didn't I think of that? What can I personally think up next?" Although I think this is great for teachers to see, I really think all people should be inspired by this. I love anything fun and life SHOULD be fun so this video reinstates the simple fact that not only do I choose to have a fun life but I will choose to have a fun classroom. It CAN be done. Even though I'm going to be a math teacher and that is the definition of boring to most people, I am making a vow that my math classroom will have a fun classroom. Yay!! I agree with everything that Dina said in her post. I also want to learn creative ways to teach the same boring concept. And I don't want my students to take the easy way out just to regurgitate facts back on each test.

    Dina Tillman posted this video on the EDM 310 Alumni blog. She is a mother of 2 and a student here at USA seeking her elementary education degree. This video was published by the fun theory.com and that is sponsored by Volkswagen.

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  27. Thanks to everyone for the great comments! I am so glad you have had a chance to view the video.

    As teachers, it will be our job to engage our students and encourage them to learn. The only way to engage them will be to present our lessons in a way that will make them want to learn. Presenting things to them in a fun, different way will keep them engaged and wanting to learn more.

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  28. Dina Tillman is elementary major at the University of South Alabama. The video was published by the the fun theory.com and sponsored by Volkswagen. I thought that was awesome that such a large corporation funds these projects! The post was made to the EDM310 Alumni blog page. It is great to know that this blog exists - I can' t wait to see what other interesting subjects appear from past students as they put what they have learned in EDM310 to use!

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  29. This video was posted by Dina Tillman, a Elementary Education major from the University of South Alabama. The Fun Theory website is sponsored by Volkswagen and this post was published on Thefuntheory.com.
    I think this video is a really great example of how we as future educators can make it really enjoyable to do the right thing or learn to do new things. I'm glad that Dina posted this video to remind us all of how our classrooms should be run. This is also a good example of how we can motivate ourselves to do things we don't normally like to do. For example, if I want to start a new work out routine, but I really don't enjoy working out, I can take certain steps to make it more enjoyable. I can ask friends to go with me or invent a really unique routine with music to go along with it. I think that is just one way that we can take this video and apply it to our own lives.

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  30. Dina Tillman is a student at the University of South Alabama. She is majoring in Elementary Education and has taken EDM310. Volkswagon is the sponsor of The Fun Theory website, where the video is posted.

    I loved this video! Not only did it get people to get more active by taking the stairs, but it also got people to be more active by jumping up and down the stairs and playing on them.

    The video reminded me of why I wanted to be a teacher in the first place. To make learning fun and interesting! I want to add all kinds of creative projects into my lesson plans when I become a teacher.

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  31. Dina Tillman is an education student, and previous student of the EDM 310 class, here at South Alabama. The Fun Theory website is sponsered by Volkswagon. This video was posted on the Alumni Blog.

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  32. Dina Tillman is an elementary education student at University of South Alabama. The fun theory website is sponsored by Volkswagon.
    This video was kinda neat, and amazingly close to what I believe would happen in this country if someone would invest the time and energy to create this same system oaround our public transportation systems. I would take the stairs if this was an option. This may also help with our nations growing waist line

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  33. Dina Tillman is a student at South Alabama. She is studying Elementary Education. Volkswagon is the sponsor, and the video was published by thefuntheory.com.

    I thought the video was great! It really makes you think about how easy it is to get people to do things they wouldn't normally do by making it a little bit fun. In the video the target was all ages. I know for me, I will be working with a much smaller target which I am hoping will be an advantage for me. The idea of taking the steps over the escalator relates to my field(P.E.) very well. I want to get kids to be more active, and am always looking for ways to make it more fun.

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  34. Dina Tillman is a student at South Alabama. She is in the education field and wants to be a teacher. Volkswagon sponsers this post. this was found on thefuntheory.com.

    I absolutely love this video! I feel like the way that Dina Tillman made the analogy with her wanting to be the "musical teacher" and not the escalator being the easy way out or the normail boring stairs connects in a very real way that us Elementary Education majors can understand. This was a great video!

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  35. Dina Tillman is an Elementary Education major at the University of South Alabama. She participated in EDM310 spring semester of 2010. The Fun Theory website is sponsored by Volkswagon. The post, Piano Staircase, was published on thefuntheory.com as well as on youtube.

    I found the video to be inspiring. It's amazing what people will do if an activity is made fun. As a future educator, I hope to employ this same concept. It is important to show students that learning can be made fun. Activities that incorporate creativity or originality become more enjoyable and easier for students to execute in an effective way.

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  36. I love this video! Very fun and interesting to watch. Dina Tillman is majoring in Elementary Education, here at South. She took EDM 310 last year, and obviously learned from it. Volkswagon sponsored the Fun Theory website. It was posted on thefuntheory.com, the edm 310 alumni blog, and I also saw it on twitter.com.

    Learning can be easy or it can be hard...this video shows how it can be easy and fun!For children, it is important that we teach in a way they will remember, not just what is convenient for us. I want to not only teach children, but also make a difference in each child. I want to create a learning environment that is fun and inviting. I hope to help kids find a way to do things differently, to think outside of the box. This video helps with that idea.

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  37. Dina Tillman is a student at the University of South Alabama. She is majoring in Elementary Education. She is married and has two children.
    Dina Tillman's blog for EDM310 Spring 2010.
    The video was posted on YouTube, but there was an article posted on the New York Times' website
    The Opinion Pages on October 13, 2009 by Stephen J. Dubner.
    The video was sponsored by Volkswagen.

    As far as my reaction to the video, I found it to be entertaining. Dina brought up a good point using the video as a symbol of education. I know that one day I would like to use my skills of "thinking outside of the box" to help my students. I think overall she did an excellent job of explaining her ideas of teaching through this video.

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  38. Dina Tillman is a student at South who is an Elementary Ed. major. I saw the video on the alumni page, but it is also on youtube, and thefuntheory's website. The fun theory is sponsored by Volkswagen.

    I loved the video, it was a great idea to get people to do something they normally wouldn't. I think everyone could use this video as an example of how to teach or get a point across better.

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  39. Dina Tillman is an Elementary Education major at the University of South Alabama. The video was sponsored by Volkswagon and was published by thefuntheory.com. I loved this video. If we as teachers could broaden our horizons and step out of the box, we could expand our student's minds. In order to do that, we have to get and keep their attention by keeping things fun and exciting. We need to change things up every once in a while. This was a great way to show that change can inspire people to do different things.

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  40. Thanks for the "special assignment", Dr. Strange. It was a lot of...well, FUN! Dina Tillman, an Elementary Education student at the University of South Alabama, deserves a pat on the back for posting. Kudos to Volkswagon for sponsoring such a cool initiative! For almost an hour now, I've enjoyed "Piano Stairs" and many other videos published by thefuntheory.com.

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  41. Watching "Piano Stairs" was a great special assignment! It really made me think how you can get almost anyone to do almost anything if you make it fun. This will be a really great tool to use and the classroom and I can't wait to watch more videos and get more ideas. Also, Dina Tillman is an Elementary major at the University of South Alabama and a former EDM310 student. The video was also sponsored by Volkswagon.

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  42. Dina Tillman is a wife with two children ages 9 and 7 years old. She is also a student at the University of South Alabama, majoring in Elementary Education. The Fun Theory website site published the video and was the website is the sponsor Volkswagen. The video was taken in Stockholm, Sweden.

    I liked the video and wouldn’t mind trying someday to create something to do in class that makes kids excited to be in school. If you change how we do items from day to day then life isn’t as boring.

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  43. Dina Tillman is a USA student studying Elementary Education and she is an EDM 310 alumni. Volkswagen sponsors thefuntheory.com and the post was published on the EDM 310 Alumni Blog.
    I thought this video was very interesting and entertaining. The results were surprising because of the substantial number of people who chose the stairs as opposed to the escalators just because they were designed to be a more fun. I really like Dina Tillmans analogy of the stairs with the escalator being the easy way out, the plain stairs being presenting the same stuff in the same old way, and the musical stairs being presenting the old stuff in a new way. I am in agreement with Dina I too want to be "the musical stairs" teacher.

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  44. Dina Tillman is a student at the University of South Alabama majoring in Elementary Education. She is the mother of two children as well. The website is sponsored by Volkswagen. The video was done in Stockholm.

    I loved this video, it was creative. I think being able to create a fun way to learn is the best way be productive in the classroom. This was a great example how turning something boring into fun for any age.

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  45. I am not sure where you wanted us to post our comments here or the alumni blog so I decided to do both. :)
    Dina Tillman is a student at the University of South Alabama majoring in Elementary Education. The Fun Theory website is sponsored by Volkswagen and this post was published on Thefuntheory.com.

    This video was a great way to show how a little creativity can go a long way. I also want to be the kind of teacher who imports arts and creativity into my classroom in hopes of getting my kids excited about learning!

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  46. Dina Tillman is an Elementary Education major here at South Alabama. She is a wife and a mother of two children. The sponsor of the Fun Theory is Volkswagen and was published by TheFunTheory.

    I think this video was awesome. It was a great example on how we can be creative to provide a positive learning enviornment. I think as future educators we should make our learning environment as fun as possible because no child likes to be bored. So, if we have a fun and creative way of teaching our students will be more willing to learn.

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  47. I'm with Abby - wasn't sure if this is where you wanted our comments or not, so both it is!!

    To sum up my comment on the alumni blog, I think that the reason that we don't see such innovation here in the U.S., is because we are actively restricting it. Here, such a project would be met with legal issues that would stop it cold in its tracks.

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  48. Dina Tillman is an Elementary Education major at the University of South Alabama. The Fun Theory is sponsored by Volkswagen and is published by TheFunTheory.
    The video posted showed how people can be creative everyday to stay
    Healthy and make boring things seem fun and exciting. If I was there I would have taken the keyboard stairs that makes sound. When each person used the keyboard stairs they each had a moment of excitement and curiosity of what each stair sounds like. As teachers if we use these techniques students will be curious and they would want to learn.

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  49. Dina Tillman is an Elementary Ed Major at USA and is the mother of two young children. She is a contributor to the EDM310AlumniBlog and also has a coupon blog (I found that very interesting and am now following). VW sponsors the Fun Theory web site.

    I really enjoyed the video (I would love to have stairs like that). Not only was it fun, but Dina's ideas gave it new meaning. It inspired me to open my mind and think outside the box while also giving me the desire to enable my students to do the same. Thank you to Dina for posting the video!

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  50. Dina Tillman is a college student at the University of South Alabama. She is majoring in Elementary Education. The video was published on The Fun Theory web site and is sponsored by Volkswagen.

    This is a great video! I love how they changed the stairs into musical stairs in order to get people to use them. It looks like so much fun!


    Dina, you made an interesting analogy in regards to teaching and the stairs. So many times teachers get complacent in their teaching always doing and teaching the same old way and never taking a step out of the box to try something new. I think that teaching requires innovation and imagination. I too want to be one of those teachers, striving to teach children in new and different ways so that I can keep them interested in the learning process and give them access to knowledge and understanding.

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  51. Diana Tillman is a student at the University of South Alabama and is an Elementary Education major. She was also an EDM310 student last year. The Fun Theory website is sponsored by Volkswagen, and this post was published by thefuntheory.com

    I thought that it was a great idea. everyone wanted to take the stairs after they made them into a piano, I think it would be fun to have piano stairs.

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  52. Dina Tillman is an elementary education major at the university of south alabama. The video is from the Fun Theory Website that is sponsored by Volkswagen.

    I thought that this video was very creative. I liked seeing how people wanted to take the stairs just to hear the piano sounds as they walked up or down the stairs. I think this is a very cool idea.

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  53. Dina Tillman is an Education major at the University of South Alabama who wishes to be an elementary teacher. The sponsor for the website is Volkswagon and was completed in Stockholm, Sweden. Dina had a fabulous idea on how to make education interesting and fun!

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  54. This is a great video! Presenting learning as fun will only help students! Students who are willing to learn and want to learn will obviously learn more and more efficiently than those who don't care to be there! As a future teacher, this concept is huge. I think all teachers must have the attitude that learning can be fun. In the end, that makes all the difference.

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  55. Watching the fun theory video was extremely interesting and rewarding. I even watched a few more of the videos Volkswagon had sponsored. Dina Tillman, a former EDM 310 student and an education major at South, has voiced her aspirations to implement this technique in her classroom once she becomes a teacher. I feel it would be an idea all education students should consider in order to keep students interested in learning. I plan to do some more research on the fun theory in the future for ideas I may one day be able to use.

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  56. Dana Tillman is an Elementary Education major at the University of South Alabama. Volkswagon is the sponsor of the Fun Theory web site. This post was done in Odenplan, Stockholm and published on TheFunTheory.com.

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  57. Dr. Strange, thank you for sharing this post with the EDM 310 class.

    I really enjoyed the post, "A Light Bulb Moment" by Dina Tillman, who is also an elementary education major at the University of South Alabama. I like how the people on the video took something simple that has to be done everyday and turned it into something that engages the mind. It is inspiring for a teacher to be able to use this idea and take it to the classroom.
    I agree with Dina Tillman, I too want to be the musical stairs teacher. I want to encourage my future students and have them enjoy learning instead of it being a chore.

    The other video "The Fun Theory" is sponsored by Volkswagon and was published in Stockholm, Sweden. I liked how these producers took something negative, like speeding, and turned it into a positive. This concept can be easily applied in the classroom with all ages. What a great way to change people's thinking by using positive reinforcement.

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  58. These videos were very interesting! Dina Tillman, who was an Elementary Education Major at USA. Watching these videos has encouraged me a lot!

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  59. Dina Tillman is a student at the University of South Alabama majoring in Elementary Education. The Fun Theory website is sponsored by Volkswagen and this post was published on thefuntheory.com and on EDM310's Alumni Blog.
    When I saw this video I literally got chills! I think it is truly inspirational, and I completely agree with Dina about being a creative teacher who actually challenges students. I want to inspire my kids to not only learn my material, but to look for knowledge on their own as well. If I can make learning fun, exciting, and important, more children will excel and get the most out of life. These people simply made stairs into a piano and 66% more people took the stairs! Everyone has the power to change the world and we need to start now!

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  60. Dina Tillman is an elementary education major at the University of South Alabama. TheFunTheory.com is sponsored by Volkswagen. The post was published on the EDM310 Alumni Blog.

    I really enjoy how this class makes you think outside the box. First of all who ever thought about turning that regular staircase into a piano is a genius. Second, Mrs. Tillman making a connection to how she hopes to teach one day is equally as profound. I am so excited to be able to get access to other educators thoughts, and I hope that I will be able to help others in the future as well.

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  61. This video was made by Dina Tillman who is pursuing an Elementary Education Major at the University of South Alabama. The sponsor for the website is Volkswagen and was completed in Stockholm, Sweden. I really enjoyed watching the video. It make me laugh out loud watching all of the people poke fun at the stairs.

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  62. Dina Tillman is a student at the University of South Alabama majoring in Elementary Education. The sponsor of The Fun Theory is Volkswagon. The post was published on thefuntheory.com.

    I really enjoyed the video and thought it was really funny. As a future teacher, this should be an example of why we should integrate new, interesting things into the classroom.

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  63. Dina Tillman is a University of South Alabama student with a major in Elementary Education. The Fun Theory website is sponsored by Volkswagen and this post was published on the EDM310's Alumni Blog.

    Watching this video really opens your eyes on the importance of having fun and how it motivates people to do everyday things. Not everyone likes to exercise and would choose the easy way out (escalator). However, when they made "exercise" fun by adding the piano keys to the stairs, people enjoyed it. This goes to show how a little bit of creativity can make anything more enjoyable!

    Although classrooms are a place for learning, I feel it is important to incorporate fun into them as well. Sometimes it is difficult to get children to focus on things if they do not find them intriguing. If you find ways to make learning fun, chances are, your students will remember it better.

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  64. Dina TIllman is a student at USA. She is majoring in Elementary Education. The Fun Theory.com is sponsored by Volkswagen and the post was also published by The Fun Theory.com. The video was made in Sweden.

    This was a very interesting video. With 66% more use of the stairs it is a perfect example of if you make something fun and different people are willing to do it.

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  65. Dina Tillman is a student attending the University of South Alabama. She was previously enrolled in EDM 310. The website is sponsored by Volkswagen and the post was published on the EDM 310 Alumni Blog.

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  66. I love this video!
    Dina Tillman is an Elementary Education major at the University of South Alabama. The post was published on the EDM 310 Alumni Blog and was found at Funtheory.com, which is a website that is funded by Volkswagen.

    After watching this post, I am even more excited to be a teacher! I definitely want to be the "piano stairs" teacher when I start teaching. I want to make things fun for my students, but I also want them to work hard to learn. This video proves that even hard, challenging things can be fun if someone puts a creative twist on them. Loved it!

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  67. This video was too cute! Dina Tillman is currently studying at the University of South Alabama in Elementary Education. This post was shared on the EDM 310 Alumni Blog and was found at Funtheory.com. This clip was filmed in Sweden and got the funding from Volkswagen.

    What a creative post I thought! It was not too long and easily got a humorous point across. I took as saying have a light mind when it comes to teaching do not be too serious but stay creative and your students will have fun! This is a self goal!! Great choice on special assignment! <3

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  68. Dina Tillman is currently attending at University of South Alabama. She major in Elementary Education. The Fun theory was sponsored by Volkswagen and it can be found at Funtheory.com.
    I think this video is very creative and great! this video give an example for how we, as future educators can teach our children to learn by the enjoyable ways rather than the boring way that children tends get bored at.
    This video is great! I love it!

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  69. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  70. Dina Tillman is a student at South Alabama majoring in Elementary Education. The Fun Theory is sponsered by Volkswagen. You can find it at funtheory.com.
    I love the connection she made! It's so true that you want to do more, like learn in school, when it is made fun. I hope to make all my lessons fun and educational so my students will actually like learning. I don't want them to think of school as boring. I want them to want to come to school because they know they will have fun learning something new.

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  71. Dina Tillman, a contributor to the EDM 310 Alumni Blog, is an Elementary Education major at the University of South Alabama. The Fun Theory is a website sponsored by Volkswagen. The particular video took place in Odenplan, Stockholm.

    After watching the video I felt inspired. I loved the way she related the piano staircase to the teacher she wants to be. It makes me wanna be a better teacher and really help the children learn!

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  72. Dina Tillman is a student at the University of South Alabama. Her major is Elementary Education. She has a 9yr old daughter, and a 7yr old son. She is also a Libra, and was a student in EDM310 las spring. VW sponsered "The Fun Theory" web-site and the video took place in Odenplan,Sweden. the video was posted to the EDM310aAlumni Blog.

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  73. Dina Tillman is a student at the University of South Alabama, she is and Elementary Education Major. Dina is also a former EDM310 student. The fun theory website is sponsored by Volkswagen. This post was published by thefuntheory.com

    When I first started watching the video I thought it was very interesting. I loved watching the reactions of the people playing on the piano stairs.

    This video made me realize what kind of teacher I wont to be. I wont to be the kind of teacher who thinks outside of the box. I wont my students to be excited about learning.

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  74. Dina Tillman had the pleasure of experincing EDM310 Spring 2010. She is an aspiring Elementary educator studying at the University of South Alabama. Volkswagen sponsers TheFunTheory site where the post was published in reguards to initiate a more fun, public environment.

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  75. Dina Tillman is an EDM310 alumni. She is in the Elementary education program at USA. Volkswagon is the sponsor of The Fun Theory site.

    I think we can all get wrapped up in a routine. It is comfortable, we know it and it works. In this case the routine is the escalator. Maybe this is what happens with teachers in education, or for that matter any profession. We want to do the routine or what is comfortable. Most people cannot blame us for that.

    But, as my former pastor once said, "Just because something is new and uncomfortable does not mean it is bad. In fact, it probably means you are growing. You are putting yourself in a situation you have not been in before and you are learning."

    Since I have been out of school, I can't say that I remember any one teacher's class lecture or any one textbook very clearly, if at all. But I can however, remember quite easily, in high school dissecting a frog, talent shows in junior high, elementary field days and my teacher reading Judy Blume books to us each day after lunch.

    My point is we remember and enjoy what is fun or at the very least a change in the routine. I see this as the musical stairs in our life. So, why not try to push ourselves out of the routine a bit more and make our life a much more memorable experience.

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  76. Dina Tillman is a student at South Alabama majoring in Elementary Education. The Fun Theory is sponsered by Volkswagen. You can find it at funtheory.com. It made an everday process such as walking up the steps a fun experience and this is how teaching should be. Made more enjoyable by the instructors so that students will focuse more in classes.

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