[open-science] bottom-up events for gifted education (and not only)

Mon Mar 25 19:52:09 UTC 2013

Hi,

I'm Piotr Migdal, a PhD student in quantum optics, drifting to complex systems, data science and programming. From Poland, now in Barcelona.

I hope not to get to much off-topic (as it is rather on a bottom-up initiative in education than on open science per se).
However, I believe that many key issues  of academia and education (including ones with opening up!) have their roots in the structure of top-down large-scale institutions, with their typical inertia (and hierarchical decision processes, which suppress real innovations).

I've co-written an article on an independent camp for talented high school students, which I've been co-organizing:
http://warsztatywww.wikidot.com/en:indie-camp-for-hs-geeks 
It's about:
- how to reach talented kids (and why we never ask about one’s grades or recommendation letters),
- working in an informal atmosphere (where the only things that matter are skills and knowledge),
- bottom-up initiatives (how to bootstrap a valuable event without institutional or financial support),
- emphasis on broadening intellectual horizons and sharing knowledge (as compared to preparation for exams or competitions).

If you have any similar (or opposite) observations on teaching whizzkids, or bootstrapping an event, I would love to hear your voice!
(And even more - if you want to organize one!
At least a blueprint for organizing this camp is open, and I will share it with anyone asking (and I'll put online, once polished).)

And in general (i.e. bottom-up initiatives, not only gifted education), IMHO, the good thing is that:
- starting from a niche is something a group of friends can do, being unrestricted by typical constrains (like university's policy), 
- it is possible to think in a way beyond "how to slightly modify educational or academic world"
(e.g. many assumptions about an age- and grade-based system can be challenged, creating  a place where people go to learn and get inspired, not to get credentials or diplomas; or that teaching should be done only by research workers).

As I side note, I am aware of (and excited by) more organized camps and courses for sake of learning, not diploma-making, e.g.
https://www.hackerschool.com/
http://www.bigdive.eu/ (which I attended and recommend wholeheartedly, if someone is (or want to be) in Data Science)
http://insightdatascience.com/
(not even to mention many e-ducation sites).
Also, I hope/dream that one day there will be a research program based on skills, regardless of one's academic title.

Regards,
Piotr Migdal
http://migdal.wikidot.com/en