Jamie McKenzie-Make Mystery a daily event versus routine

I was glad I decided, although at the last minute, to attend an all day Jamie McKenzie seminar. It is a nice complement to Alan November's thought about kids and understanding the grammar of the internet. McKenzie , like November in his "Thinking Zach to Think" seminar, places emphasis on technology as a tool that is used to encourage the students to THINK CRITICALLY, a skill which i often think is sorely lacking.
McKenzie's workshop was intimate, with about 25 teachers in attendance, all with laptop computers for a hands on involvement with the class. We began with an inspiration image that talked about vertical, or logical, thinking and extending it to lateral, or critical and complex, thinking. He emphasizes synthesis, and the utilization of programs , such as the 6 Traits, as synthesis tools. He suggest that teachers propose mysteries that don't necessarily have a clear answer rather than puzzles which has pieces that fit neatly together for a defined purpose. The emphasis should be on: composition,comprehension/inquiry and communication.
As an example of some of the ways we can ask students to " infer-question-picture-recall-0synthesize -flex- were demonstrated with the use of some of the Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty videos discussing society's images of women. Great example of some tools that help you to think critically about images, a recurring theme in McKenzie's presentation.