Bins On the Wall

Imagine that you are a kid, full of beans. You want to get into your body and feel your blood and the exhilaration that comes from challenges physical and mental at the same time? What will you do? Paint? play jumprope? bang on a drum? Or climb the rock climbing wall? The rock climbing wall at NewEdge Academy allows students to navigate an 8’ tall wall that surrounds our learning space. 

Moving up and down as students traverse 40’  of horizontal wall they develop muscles, core strength, as well as finger and toe strength.  Maybe, even more importantly, they develop focus, learn to breathe and really be present in their bodies. This is one way to achieve the state of flow. In the flow state, we can learn at warp speed. There is wonderful new research in the benefits of flow states. Stealing Fire, by Jamie and Steven examines flow in detail. Athletic events can bring us into flow. And so it is with a rock climbing wall. 

Thinking bins

While on the wall, students are invited to delve into thinking bins which hang on the wall at various intervals. In these bins are quandaries in various categories. The categories are developed and changed or moved organically. Sometimes it is fun to have a topic for rumination as you hang from the wall, in the state of flow.

one bin could be:
what do you do when…?
for example: situations and appropriate responses
there is a game in this bin called Ramifications, which teaches social emotional intelligence in a situational game
sopa opera scenarios
real life situations that happened that you need help figuring out

one bin may be:
you decide: explore evidence and opinion
conspiracy theories
historical events
news, real or fake?
leaps of logic — persuasion

one bin might be about:
problems that need solving, or project ideas, writing prompts , math facts, physics, chemistry, logic puzzles and more! The ideas for what goes in the bins are limitless. Students may personalize their bins for current, relevant topics to ponder. Climbing walls with learning bins— creative ways NewEdge Academy teaches, crafted for all kinds of learners.

Plus: future developments for the NewEdge Academy campus
identity corner for acting
book nook and
creation station
craft and art center
invention bench
climbing wall with thinking bins
terrain obstacle course
pole and silks weights and bench