children · education · learning · neuroscience · play

Beau Lotto + Amy O’Toole: Science is for everyone, kids included | Talk Video | TED.com

Beth Kelley

What do science and play have in common? A lot. I would argue that science and play are cut from the same cloth. And so does Beau Lotto.

Neuroscientist Beau Lotto thinks all people (kids included) should participate in science and, through the process of discovery, change perceptions. He’s seconded by 12-year-old Amy O’Toole, who, along with 25 of her classmates, published the first peer-reviewed article by schoolchildren, about the Blackawton bees project. It starts: “Once upon a time … ”

http://www.ted.com/talks/beau_lotto_amy_o_toole_science_is_for_everyone_kids_included#

watch via Beau Lotto + Amy O’Toole: Science is for everyone, kids included | Talk Video | TED.com.

creativity · design · happiness · health · mental health · technology · youtube

Cool Technology Allows Disabled People To Create Incredible Art With Their Minds

Beth Kelley1 Comment

Art has the power to soothe, to heal, to empower, to raise awareness and to move people to action. Using technology to enable people to express themselves through art is great, whether it’s for a cause, or a brand in this case.

To raise awareness for their brand, an art supply company created this viral campaign featuring real people using technology to create beautiful abstract art. Sixteen disabled individuals in China (home to the world’s largest disabled population) were invited to participate in the project, which involved using advanced brainwave scanning technology in conjunction with detonator-equipped, paint-filled balloons. The video seems to show that by concentrating really hard, the participants were able to trigger the colorful explosions, resulting in some very unique pieces.

more via Cool Technology Allows Disabled People To Create Incredible Art With Their Minds.

behavior · community · happiness · music · youtube

The Gift of Music In A Nursing Home. – LittleThings.com

Beth Kelley

Give a little kindness and playfulness in an otherwise stale, quiet, and sometimes depressing space, and see how far it goes!

The Piano Guys is a group of amazingly talented musicians, who are all about putting on a spectacular show and as you’ll see in this video, it was way better than any of the old timers ever expected. The group showed up at Stirling Court in St. George, Utah and surprised the residents with a truly incredible Charlie Brown medley.

As you’ll see, the senior citizens were delighted by the classic “Peanuts” tune on piano and couldn’t stop moving their feet. This video is undeniable proof that music is good for the soul. Just look at how the performance lifted their spirits!

video via She Heard Music In The Nursing Home. Her Reaction? HEART MELTING!! – LittleThings.com.

mental health · music

Singing show tunes helps fight off dementia: study – NY Daily News

Beth Kelley

My heart will be blessed with the sound of music.. and your brain too.

A recent research study found that those suffering from moderate to severe dementia did particularly well singing show tunes from movies and musicals such as ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ ‘The Sound of Music’ and ‘Oklahoma!’ in group settings and had a marked improvement in their remembering skills versus those who simply listened during the sing-alongs.

more via Singing show tunes helps fight off dementia: study – NY Daily News.

Uncategorized

Storefronts 2015 Call for Artists Now LIVE!

Beth Kelley

Want to make your city environment a little more enriched? Here’s on way… 🙂

storefrontsseattle's avatarStorefronts

STOREFRONTS 2015 CALL FOR ARTISTS

Photo courtesy Jake Millet Photo courtesy Jake Millet

CALL SUMMARY

Storefronts provides temporary no-cost storefront space in greater Seattle for installation of 2-D or 3-D artwork in a locked storefront or display vitrine for a period of up to four months. The display vitrines remain locked and are viewable through the windows for the duration of the installation.

Stipend: $500, with no allocation for travel or materials expenses
Eligibility: Washington State residents over 18 years of age creating original works
Deadline: February 21, 2015

Program Requirements:

  • Works shall be existing or new works created for temporary installation.
  • All visual media are accepted.
  • Content must be G-Rated and suitable for the general public
  • Flexible, dynamic installations that utilize display windows to their fullest potential and engage with the general public both day and night are preferred.
  • All materials and consumables required for installations are the responsibility of the artist…

View original post 89 more words

architecture · design · family · health

Beauty in sadness: reflecting on hospice | @offbeatfamilies

Beth Kelley

Dying is tough stuff. No question. So it is wonderful to see how facilities are making it easier on the dying and their families to feel comfortable via the design, look, and layout of a space, with everything from the hues on the wall to the view from their window. Amy Marquez shared her observations about her mother’s hospice space a couple of years ago on Offbeat Families (now retired, but visit the sister sites for Pete’s Sake before they meet a similar fate!), and it is a wonderful ode to both her mom and people who cared for her and her family during her last days, but also the importance of creating a great, peaceful, and sometimes playful space.

At first I was impressed with how sensitive and involved the staff was. They made sure she was comfortable, asked us how we were doing and offered to help us if we needed anything. And although my mother had lost the ability to communicate verbally by the third day that she was there, they spoke to her as though she was able to answer and talked her through everything they were doing to assist her.

I spent enough days there to really start looking around. This facility was, at first glance, a very nice, tranquil place that was inviting and welcoming to family and friends of loved ones in residence there. Then I really started looking and I was amazed at the amount of thought that had to go in to building this hospice.

read the entire breakdown at Beauty in sadness: reflecting on the hospice in which my mother passed away | @offbeatfamilies.

Patient's room

creativity · play · Social · writing

Play ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ On Twitter

Beth Kelley

My coworkers and I were just talking about Choose Your Own Adventure books the other day. I hated them, but most people liked them a lot. Now, someone has created a version of CYOA on Twitter.

As  one author points out,

“I am pleased to see interesting uses of Twitter to tell a narrative in a way I might actually consume.”

These are a little more dark than the kid’s versions, but still interesting.

Eden notes that he’s not by any means the first person to try and conduct a CYOA story via Twitter, but he’s the first person we’ve seen try and do it in a fully self-contained way – most use tweets to link to external URLs to continue the story or make choices. The downside of this is that each link cuts down on the amount of the story that can be told in a single tweet. It also ends up with users being redirected all over the place, so the chances of finishing it are probably slimmer.

We’re not going to ruin the story for you, but if you have a few minutes to spare and fancy trying to get through the story without meeting a grisly ending, then you can do so at the starting point above.

try it out via Play ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ On Twitter.

I agree this is a great use of the platform to tell stories in an interactive, fun way, and play of people’s nostalgia for the book series.

Uncategorized

Legislations on play

Beth Kelley

It’s pretty standard now that cities around North America have instituted "no playing" laws in various parks, beaches, and other apparatus, usually stemming from a death or serious injury of a play participant.

Most of the time it is understood, or when asked police will straight up tell you, that the signs are merely to cover the city’s own legal interests, and that they will not enforce their rules about no climbing on very climbable structures, jumping into a local swimming hole from a tall rock, or tobogganing down big wide open hills.

However, this legislating of "no play allowed" is damaging in a couple of ways:

1) It teaches people to break or ignore the rules, and

2) More importantly it sends the message to everyone to be wary and scared of either trying to play on slightly to somewhat challenging terrain, or being caught when they do.

It creates a fear state surrounding something that is an innate part of mammalian existence, being able to play and explore your surroundings in a playful manner.
I think it is fair to have a sign saying "hey, look out, you could hurt yourself," but to outright ban it is not productive.
Some of these communities’ members are fighting back against these laws, arguing that legislating us all to safety is not the way to go.

The good folks of Hamilton, Ontario, in Canada, have created a petition to get a "no tobogganing" rule off the books.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B65R8oaD4tc#t=22

What do you think? Do you tend to ignore these kinds of signs? Respect them? Fight them? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

behavior · community · hugs

A Simple Idea that Can Change All The Grumpy People You Live Around : Free Range Kids

Beth Kelley

A Simple Idea that Can Change All The Grumpy People You Live Around : Free Range Kids

First, get out your hankies. Then, consider what would happen if everyone in town could thank and encourage each other via a public message board. That’s what one anonymous Canadian wondered, and so he or she started a website (and Facebook account) called “Spotted in Windsor,” in Ontario.

It was inspired by a similar site the local university created, according to metronews.ca.

Most of the posts are positive, but not all.

Editor’s note: Some are downright heart-wrenching.

read some here via A Simple Idea that Can Change All The Grumpy People You Live Around : Free Range Kids.

How to make a tabletop telepresence robot to beam yourself into meetings
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How to make a tabletop telepresence robot to beam yourself into meetings

Beth Kelley

Having a face to chat to and seeing their responses has been found to be better for working with people and building work relationships. This is a nice relatively cheap hack that you can do to make sure your coworkers know you’re there, at least electronically, while facilitating working offsite or remotely as needed.