I visited Kitty Hawk, North Carolina recently. Here’s a bit of trivia –
The Wright Brothers didn’t make their historic flight from Kitty Hawk. Instead, they flew from what today is known as Kill Devil Hills, which wasn’t incorporated as a town until 1953 – 50 years after the Wright Brothers flew. Back in 1903, Kitty Hawk happened to be the closest town to where the brothers made their mark in the history books. In fact, Orville and Wilbur hiked 4 miles from the flight site to the nearest telegraph station to notify their father of their success. That telegraph station was located in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
But enough with the historical trivia. Let’s talk problem-solving.
The Wright Brothers story is filled with challenges, problems, and failures. But Orville and Wilbur both followed a problem-solving strategy that would serve today’s young learners, whether they attend traditional school or learn out-of-school, well. This problem-solving strategy is well-presented at The Wright Brothers National Memorial, which is well worth a visit whenever you find yourself on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Seek Advantages
The Wright Brothers believed in finding advantages during their inventive phase. Seeking advantages was the main reason the brothers ended up traveling from their Dayton, Ohio bike factory to North Carolina’s Outer Banks in the first place. It’s said that the Wright’s came to Kitty Hawk for wind, sand, and isolation, and they got all three.
In learning, seeking advantages is a good way for a young learner to find out what supports they have around them, to make the learning goal somewhat easier.
Overcome Challenges
For the Wright Brothers, the advantages of wind, sand, and isolation, at times, became major challenges to conquer. Too much wind and sand made test flights difficult at times, with the brothers crashing their gliders more often than not. Rebuilding and repair became a daily chore. And isolation, although it allowed the brothers to work in peace, caused Orville and Wilbur to long for letters from their family and celebrate fresh food that interrupted a daily diet of stale canned goods. There were always Outer Bank residents interested in the brothers’ activities, but the island population was small in the early part of the 20th century, which led to loneliness and depression.
All good learners need to have a plan for overcoming challenges. Like the Wright Brothers, strategies to overcome challenges are usually found in the young learner’s ability to identify the advantages available to them.
Keep Learning
In 1900, Orville and Wilbur built a glider based on the data of fellow aviator enthusiast Otto Lilienthal’s data and equations. The brothers discover there is not enough lift generated by the glider’s wings to support the weight of a pilot. Instead of giving up, Wilbur and Orville continue to fly the glider as a kite and continue to collect data, data that becomes important to the brothers three years later.
The ability to learn how to become a lifelong learner is something traditional school fails in too often. And, in order to become a lifelong learner, one must commit to continue the learning process over and over again.
Anticipate Setbacks
Wilbur and Orville’s return to Kitty Hawk in the summer of 1901, and their experiments don’t go well. The new glider, bigger than the one that failed in a year previous, still struggled to get off the ground with the weight of a pilot. While they end up making their longest glides to date, they face problems with the control system. Wing-warping often caused the glider to spin into the ground.
Failure is not something we are interested in when it comes to learning, but struggle is. Most experienced learners, like Wilbur and Orville, embrace the cadence of “struggle, struggle, struggle, struggle – breakthrough.” Without the young learner struggling, true breakthroughs in learning probably will never occur.
Details Matter
Without the data sets from 1900 and 1901, it is safe to say that there would have been no manned flight for the Wright Brothers in 1903.
Like the Wright Brothers, young learners and their supportive coaches need to pay attention to the details associated with learning.
Details matter – they matter a lot.
Do It Yourself
In the fall of 1901, Wilbur and Orville believed the numbers they used to calculate lift (the force that keeps a plane in air) were flawed. They decided to throw out the data created by experts (including Otto Lilienthal’s) and started to collect their own data – after they built their own wind tunnel! After collecting their own data, the brothers calculate life in a different way, and that way becomes the basis for their success in 1903.
Sometimes young learners just have to roll up their sleeves and figure it out. Trial and error is still one of the best learning strategies around.
Don’t Give Up
“I confess that in 1901 I said to my brother Orville that men would not fly for 50 years.” – Wilbur Wright
But the Wright Brothers didn’t give up, and kids interested in becoming smarter and stronger don’t give up either.
Refine Your Work
In 1902, the brothers added a movable rudder and a wing-warping system, controlled by the pilot’s hips. These changes turned out to be a game changer for Orville and Wilbur.
Refining your work is a key element to problem-solving as a young learner. Review, reflect, change.
Sharpen Your Skills
In August, 1902, after adding a movable rudder and a wing-warping system, Orville and Wilbur Wright returned to Kitty Hawk to test their new glider. It was during this time period, the brothers began to believe in their ability to achieve powered flight.
Like the Wright Brothers, young learners benefit when they practice “stickwithitness” – the ability to persevere while becoming smarter and stronger.
Make Doubters into Believers…and Keep Going
After 1903, the Wright Brothers made it a priority to convince the world that manned flight was not only possible, but that it would become a favored choice of travelers everywhere. And the brother kept working and kept going. On October 5, 1905 Wilbur flew for 39 minutes and over 24 miles. They had come a long way since Kitty Hawk.
Seek advantages. Overcome challenges. Keep learning. Anticipate setbacks. Details matter. Do it yourself. Don’t give up. Refine your work. Sharpen your skills. And make doubters into believers…and keep going.
All good strategies for building young learners into expert problem-solvers.
Til tomorrow. SVB
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