Extra Credit Opportunity: LEGO Celebration

The Scandinavia House is hosting an exhibit on LEGO through August. If you visit the exhibit and write 250 words discussing what you saw and how LEGO relates to language, you can earn some extra credit. The things that I would like you to consider in your response is how LEGO gives form to the imagination, how LEGO can convey ideas and emotions, and how LEGO provides a different way of thinking through problems in concern with our internal monologue. Details on the exhibit are below:

http://www.scandinaviahouse.org/events/lego-bricks/

LEGOŸ BRICKS A CELEBRATION!

4-28-2018 THROUGH 8-4-2018

SAT—April 28, 2018 THROUGH SAT—August 4, 2018

TUE-SAT—12–6 PM, free
WED—
12–7 PM, free

This summer, to mark the 60th anniversary of the LEGO¼ brick, the American-Scandinavian Foundation presents an exhibition saluting the LEGO Group as a leader of learning through play, LEGO¼ Bricks: A Celebration! Featuring sculptures, mosaics, and interactive play zones by renowned LEGO¼ Certified Professional artist Sean Kenney, the exhibition will also include an overview of the LEGO Group’s history and educational mission, as well as a variety of children’s workshops at Scandinavia House from April 28 through August 4, 2018.

Free play is how children develop their imagination and is the foundation for creativity. It is the LEGO Group’s philosophy that ‘good quality play’ enriches a child’s life, and lays the foundation for later adult life. Along with young builders, many architects, designers and artists use the LEGO brick to create new worlds of their own. On view in the exhibition are an array of sculptures and wall pieces by Brooklyn-based artist Sean Kenney, featuring iconic architecture, patterns inspired by the Moorish tiles of southern Spain, and a series of works dedicated to exploring the interconnectedness of nature. Accompanied by descriptive panels, viewers can discover the myriad ways the LEGO brick can be used, and an interactive play zone—featuring 30,000 loose LEGO bricks—will inspire builders of all ages to explore the creative potential of their imagination.

The exhibition will coincide with the presentation of the Distinguished Public Service Award to the LEGO Group at the annual ASF Gala on May 10, 2018.

OPENING PARTY 

SAT—April 28, 2018—3 to 5 PM

Join us for a special, family-friendly opening of LEGOŸ Bricks: A Celebration! This event features over 30,000 loose LEGO bricks in our interactive play zone, live music, snacks, and fun for all ages.

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(Photo: Sean Kenney, Back from the Market with Mom, 2018)

LEARNING THROUGH PLAY

Most Scandinavians have grown up with what is often called the “Nordic ideal” — that is, to offer their young children a “good childhood.” In fact, to cultivate this value, in most Nordic countries children are not encouraged to enroll in any form of structured academic instruction before age seven. Instead, children are given opportunities to learn by playing and to play by learning. Young children learn about their world by exploring familiar surroundings by themselves and with others in joyful settings, with freedom to choose what to do and how long to do it. This child-centric approach has demonstrated success in preparing children for more structured learning experiences as they grow older, either self-directed or as part of formal school curricula.

Since the company was founded by carpenter Ole Kirk Kristiansen in Billund, Denmark in 1932, the LEGO Group has been committed to children’s creativity, and to play and learning, as demonstrated in their company name: “LEge GOdt” (Play Well). It has been a leader in early childhood development through its emphasis on re-defining play as a central arena for learning. “Play” can mean many kinds of experiences, from play that gives children the freedom to explore and discover with minimal constraints, to play that is more guided or structured. The nature of a child’s play activity will vary — depending on age, context and culture — and their skills will increase in complexity. However, the basic structures of these skills are present right from early infancy, and are supported and strengthened by high-quality play experiences.

In 1955, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, the son of Ole Kirk Kristiansen, launched the LEGO¼ System in Play. Determined to concentrate on the system’s basic idea, Godtfred Kirk set out to create a small and manageable number of elements. In 1958, the LEGO¼ brick launched with the coupling principle we know today, opening up to endless building possibilities. Designed on the principle that all blocks should interlock and be interrelated, that system became the foundation of the modern-day LEGO¼ System in Play.

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(Photo: LEGOÂź Woodworking Factory, 1940s. Courtesy of the LEGO Group.)

ABOUT SEAN KENNEY

Award-winning artist Sean Kenney (www.seankenney.com) has used LEGO toys to create exhibits, portraiture, children’s books, home decor, and commissioned work for high-profile clients, major corporations, and venues around the globe for over 12 years. He has authored eight best-selling inspirational children’s books, and his exhibit Nature Connects has broken attendance records around the world since 2012.

Sean and his work have been acclaimed by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, PBS Arts, BBC Arts, NHK Japan, Slate, and countless more. He lives with his wife and two young children in Brooklyn, New York.

The exhibition has been organized by American-Scandinavian Foundation for presentation at Scandinavia House. Partial support for the show has been provided by The LEGO Group.

LEGOŸ the Minifigure and the brick-and-knob configuration are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2018 The LEGO Group.

Press Information
To request visual materials and further press information,
please contact: press@amscan.org

 

Extra Credit Opportunity: Resume Workshop

This is a great practical workshop on resume building. If you participate, you can earn extra credit by writing at least 250 words about what you learned, or by sending me a perfectly polished resume that you made at the workshop (this has to be a new or revised resume–not one that you have lying around). Details and RSVP email address below:

Résumé Writing workshops
Your first contact with a potential employer is your resume. Join us at one of these workshops to spruce up your resume and cover letter so you can make a lasting impression.

Conducted by Professor Keith Muchowski
Tuesday, 1 May 2018, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Wednesday, 2 May 2018, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Room: Library A441
Rsvp: kmuchowski@citytech.cuny.edu

Extra Credit Opportunity: CUNY Hackathon

If you participate in the CUNY Hackathon, write at least 250 words about your experience for extra credit. Details are below. You will need to RSVP on their website.

CUNY’s Hackathon is back, and it’s bigger and better. Hack for three days, staying overnight at Baruch College, starting Friday, April 27. Students from all the colleges will learn from industry experts and work together to design and build something cool.

Something to Discuss on Tuesday

I’ve spoken about the necessity of being life-long learners and dynamically adapting your skill set for a constantly changing workplace, but I haven’t spoken about some of the back end concerns of being a worker in today’s industries. Let’s use this story from The Wall Street Journal to kickstart a brief discussion on practical matters that I think you should keep in mind.

Extra Credit Opportunity: Ecofest on April 26

If you attend one session with a lecture, demonstration, or workshop at this year’s Ecofest at City Tech on April 26 in the lower Atrium and write a 250 word report on who spoke and what you learned, you can earn some extra credit. Some events take place during our class time, so those are not available for extra credit, because I want everyone in here for lecture and research studio time. Details are below:

EcoFest, sponsored by the College-wide Sustainability Council, is our annual celebration of Earth Day.

This year’s third annual EcoFest is an all-day event on Thursday, April 26, in the Lower Atrium.

Films, demonstrations, music, speakers (students and faculty), all around environmental themes.

The national theme of Earth Day 2018 is reducing plastic pollution, one of the most dangerous threats to our environment. This theme will be reflected in several of the EcoFest discussions, and in an imaginative display in the windows of the Library.

Attached to this e-mail is a schedule of events for 4/26. To learn more about what you can do to help keep City Tech a vibrant, sustainable community, please go to www.citytech.cuny.edu/sustainability

ECOFEST 2018 Schedule