Background
“Strewing” is a home school term, invented by Sandra Dodd. The basic idea is that items which could inspire curiosity are left in often random places where students can explore at will. Part of the trick to strewing is that you do not tell or require the students to look at the items, as this tends to destroy their natural curiosity, and makes them less likely to want to explore the chosen item.
The advantage of strewing is that students will learn far more if they choose to than if they feel forced to. While some topics may have to be required, the more that students pick up thinking it’s their own idea, the better.
Classic examples of strewing include leaving interesting books, art supplies, and science supplies (i.e. binoculars) lying around. Part of what I want to explore in this Smore is how to expand the concept of strewing to digital media.
Examples
One of the most basic ways I have used this concept with digital media is to have an interesting website appear on the start-up screen when they are going on the web, and then changing that site occasionally.
Other things I have done is list interesting websites on the front page of our class wiki, or even put links to sites in particular student’s pages if I think it will interest them. I also have a diigo account linked to our class wiiki of various sites, although perhaps I should switch to symbaloo as it is more visually interesting.
Having a plethora of interesting apps, in various subjects, on our ipad is another way of applying the concept of strewing.
My newest change is to encourage my oldest student to set up a feedly, so he can subscribe to interesting, and educationally appropriate blogs. While this is more directed by the student, it also marks the transition from me leaving interesting sites for my student and him finding his own.
For any of these methods to work, students will need some free time to explore their environment.
Challenge
What ways can you use apply the concept of strewing to your classroom, both digitally and non?
