Elevator
Nodes is a software solution that shows the relationship between seemingly divergent topics through a simple graphic interface. Search a subject term and Nodes creates a network of topics (obvious or obscure) that relate in some way. This system would be grown by a global community that tags articles and helps build the connections.
Description
One of the signature characteristics of a creative mind is the ability to see problems from different angles. Today, more and more industries are looking for individuals who can dynamically approach problems from varying points of view. Yet, our current educational system promotes understanding the world via single-problem/single-solution relationships. The question then stands, how do we train students to think holistically when they are only being fed myopic causal relationships?
Nodes is a software solution that allows teachers and students to immediately see the relationship between seemingly divergent topics through a simple graphic interface. The user would populate the search field in the center of Nodes and then points of information would populate the screen for the user to explore. Any topic could be entered and evaluated. Say for instance the user was to enter “American Revolution.” Nodes would send the query to our servers and reply with things such as:
Athens – Birthplace of the ideology that would become the North Star of modern governments around the Globe.
2011 Egyptian Revolution – An example of a modern revolution and a fight for freedom.
Triangle Trade – Trade circle between the Americas, Europe, and Africa.
Anti-Smoking Legislation – Tobacco was a huge financer of the war, and an industry grew out of the aftermath. Causing an epidemic of oral cancer across America.
Vietnam – A French colony that once independent would tie up the U.S in a bloody conflict for years.
Olympic Shooting – The world’s first sharpshooters were created in this war, and they would lay the groundwork for an Olympic sport.
Each topic would come with an explanation of the relationship as well as links to websites were they can learn more. This software is a blend of Google, Wikipedia, Wolfram Alpha, and RSS feeds. If we can simply show the relationships between topics, both academic and cultural/social/pop-culture, we can hopefully open students minds to a wealth of possibilities.
The real value of Nodes is that it is directly shaped by the contributions of a greater global community. We would provide browser-based widgets that allow people to tag, describe and post articles to the Nodes database. Just as easily as people post to Reddit or Delicious, they could post to a system that helps children around the world become more effective and creative students. Tags could consist of different school subjects that the article relates to as well as interests and potentially careers that are effected by the subject matter. Curators (potentially made up of a community of power users) will help maintain the integrity of the system by helping filter out bad tags, system gaming, etc.
Nodes can be an excellent resource for students, teachers and parents alike. Teachers use this as a tool to help build lesson plans and to help kids draw connections between what they’re learning and what they’re into. Students use this system as a research tool for homework. Parents use the system to help their kids with their projects.
My favorite NRBLB concept - captures "seemingly," "connections/metaphors," and "combinations of disparate ideas" in one nice round.
