VAK Learning with waste

What do you do if you would like to learn something new? Do you go out and get a book on the subject, or call your friends up to hear what they have to say about it? If you are a hands-on person, you are more likely to learn by trying it out yourself.

VAK Learning is about reaching out to learners through one or more of their dominant sensory receivers. It can be through their sight (Visual) or hearing (Auditory) or getting them involved through some actions (Kinesthetic). These learning styles were introduced to us by Professor Lim. I did a research and discovered that you can even run VAK Learning Styles Tests to figure out your preference.

See what VAK Learning has inspired me to create for children of the Sunday Dharma School in Bandar Sunagi Long:

Audio
1) Prof Lim has suggested that we cultivate a culture in the school. What are the qualities we want to see in the children? I would like each child to have STAR qualities, that is:

Strong (will not be affected by negatives comments or persuasions with bad intention)

Thoughtful (of surroundings, nature, environment and people)

Always

Reliable (will listen to guidance and be trustworthy)

Since it is easier to remember nursery rhymes, I modified the song "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" so that they can sing and rap to remember these qualities.

Sing: Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
Rap: I twinkle, twinkle, Oh so bright
Sing: How I wonder what you are.
Rap: Strong and Thoughtful that's how I am
Sing: Up above the world so high,
Rap: Always reliable, I always will be
Sing: Like a diamond in the sky.
Rap: Yeah, I make my teachers, Oh, so (or parents) proud
Sing: Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
Rap: Learning and sharing the Dharma ways
Sing: How I wonder what you are!
Rap: Living together, peacefully, the Dharma ways
Rap: We can twinkle, twinkle, Oh, so bright

Visual
I have created an appreciation chart with strings of good attributes hanging on it.



Strings of good attributes are strings of beautiful words. So, I named it "Poem in my Ears".



Kinesthetic
1) Each time a child shows a good attribute, the teacher who noticed it can mark it on the star cut out with

a) child's name
b) Teachers name and date
c) child's good attribute

Material used in this project are:

1) Plastic bags cut into strips
2) Newspaper cutting (for good attributes)
3) Cardboard

So how will these stars be displayed? What can the children do with their collection of stars? Watch out for the answers in my next posting.

The cords? Don't throw them!

If you have used cut outs from paper bags to decorate the "Chest of Drawers", what did you do with the cords tied as handles to the bags?

Here is my cord makeover.



How do you like my new necklaces?



Ha, Ha. I have fooled you. It is actually a piece of necklace that I can wear both ways. It's my green focus "OM WELL" creation. What's that...?



That's "One More, Want less". Create or buy things multi functional and you buy less.

The "Scrap House" project

I watched the "Scrap House" project on National Geographic channel this morning. It is about the process of designing and building a home entirely out of refuse from San Francisco landfills and junkyards in four weeks to celebrate "World Environment Day 2005".

Take a peek at what it looked like before it was demolished.



Looking at the material used in building the "Scrap House" should make you wonder how these items landed in the junkyard. From watching the TV progamme, I came to know that some of the material were available in high numbers because construction sites have to purchase material in access of requirement to cover any shortages from defects.

Do a search on "overruns", "surplus", "overstock" and see what you can find. Some of these are likely items produced in excess of anticipated future sales or they maybe from companies that have closed down.

Let us work on this on a smaller scale. How can these be re-used if you would like to create your own "scrap room"?

Styrofoam? Not for packaging only.

One of my friends sent me some Styrofoam pieces found in the packaging of an item she bought. She has read my blog and thinks that I can re-use anything. Not one to give up on a challenge, I did a search and this is what I have discovered.

The Dow Chemical Company, the manufacturer of Styrofoam, has many craft projects on its website if I need some ideas and inspirations.

In fact if I join their Craft Club, they may offer me free crafting supplies to test drive their product. To give you an idea, check out the Modular Wall Decor created by DIY Maven from the supplies received from Dow Chemical.

I remember when I was still schooling, I was taught how to create relief art out of flat sheets of Styrofoam boards. Here are the steps:

1) Draw a scenery with figures on a piece of plywood, which formed the base of the work.
2) Trace out the figures on a piece of paper and cut them.
3) Place the traced images on the Styrofoam and cut the shapes with a form cutting equipment. This is like a saw except that the blade is just a thin piece of wire that is heated by a battery. You place the Styrofoam against the heated wire and it will cut through it.
4) Stick the cut Styrofoam on the picture where the figures are before painting the picture.

And if I do come across round Styrofoam balls, I can consider creating Temari.

So, what if I have more than I can use up in craft? Cut them up into cubes and use them as inserts for cushions.

And if you are in a business where you require lots of inserts in your packaging, consider investing in a Recky Foam Saver which has grid openings which heats up to cut the Styrofoam into 3/4" Cubes size. Or you can grind the Styrofoam into its original beads size with a Foam Gobler. That way you can save cost on inserts by recycling Styrofoam that most people would not keep.

So, what will I be creating with my Styrofoam? Watch out for it in my next posting.

Kids undies. Too good to throw?

Some children outgrow their clothes very quickly and their siblings get their "hand me downs" that are as good as new. With that in mind, I used to buy T-shirts and pants for my son that a little girl would be able appreciate. So, what about the underwear?

I remember my daughter came home from the kindergarten wearing a pair the school had provided because she has had an "accident" in the toilet and stained her own. So, I have decided to pass the ones my children have outgrown to the daycare centre I placed them in.

So, when one of my friends asked me what she should do with her children's underwear, I gave her the same suggestion. She wonders if anything can be created out of them since they are still as good as new. Here is one idea to start with.

Undies Wallet

You like that? Then, you may want to explore with adult unwanted underwear, like the lovely piece of brassier you got yourself just before you discovered that you were pregnant with your first child! How about making one into a purse. Keep a lacier one for making a purse for a night out.

OK, I have to admit that your love ones may not want to be seen out with you when you are parading your bra bag. So, how about making them into Scented Bra Pouch? That way you won't be missing them as you can still have them in your wardrobe.

I am prepared. Before my friend start asking me what she can do with the rest of her baby stuff, I have some listed here.

Cloth Diapers
Learn to tie dye your cloth diapers and make them into Britches or Pot Pourri Round or make them into hand towels with the help of your kids.

Baby bibs
Purse
Purse

Socks
Pot Pourri Holder

Cute t-shirt
Pillow

Overalls
Overalls Bag
Another option if you do not sew. Use glue.

Jeans
Bag

You can still let the younger ones wear clothes that have been stained. All you have to do is bleach the whole piece here and there or stained areas only creatively or stain them further in the colours you like.

To make a boy's pair of pants more effeminate looking draw patterns on it with the help clorox pen. If you cannot find it in the shops, look out for glue stick with pointed tip dispenser and use it as container for your clorox once the glue is used up.



Oh, don't forget, if you live in America, Patagonia Inc, a leading US outdoor clothing company, recycles polyester clothing and that includes your undies.

there is a place to send in your unwanted undies.

Teaching children? You need props too.

If you are teaching a group of fidgety young children and find it very hard to gain their attention, who do you call? Your right brain, of course, to wake up your creativity so that you can create some visual props for the next lesson.

I have offered to create a lesson plan touching on "Perfect Speech / Mindfulness", since it was a topic I have touched on in my blog, "Philosophy Recycled".

This little prop I have created is to remind the children to handle their words with care.



I will be on a look out for newspaper articles of fights and crimes of passion instigated by harsh speech. A good way to show them the cause and effects of one's action in the heat of the moment. If they are not mindful, they have the power to hurt another with mere words.



What can that power transform words into?



What a wonderful way to be able to teach the children with the help of some free material. So, what if I am not able to think up of any props to create on the topic I am working on? I can get the children up and moving with some right and left brain activities to improve their concentration. This is Brain Gym and is taught to the students of the Sunday Dhamma School in Bandar Sungai Long.

If you would like to create the same prop, I have the instructions posted on my blog, Creative Recyclers.