Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom
by Sylvia Libow Martinez and Gary Stager, PhD
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I first read Invent to Learn when I was transforming myself as a teacher. Back in 2013, I was experimenting with things like the Flipped Classroom and even greater integration of technology into my classroom. I had my Rat Brainiacs crew as 8th grade students. I was mentoring student teachers from the American Museum of Natural History's MAT Program. And I was the Lead S.T.E.M. Instructor and Coach for an after-school program FIRST Robotics Team.
Through my work with the Robotics Team, I realized how little I knew about building, coding, and electrical engineering. I began to immerse myself in learning as much as I could so I could better serve these amazing young people. This book helped me learn why this type of learning is important, and why it needed to become part of my everyday classroom, not just in after-school. |
I was also introduced to Seymour Papert and the Maker Movement. As educators, we stand on the shoulders of giants, and Invent to Learn does a great job introducing the giants that are the foundation for my educational vision and beliefs. Perhaps the most influential is Papert's Constructionism (pg 32). "Learners are empowered to connect with everything they know, feel, and wonder to stretch themselves into learning new things. We seek to liberate learners from their dependency on being taught." Using Making, Tinkering, and Engineering, teachers and schools can allow students to make their thinking visible to themselves, to educators, and to larger, global audiences.
By observing students who are making, we get a window into their thinking processes - much more than we ever will get from a standardized test. Tasks that we provide must be authentic tasks that allow students to determine and design their own answers. Allowing students to ask the questions that are the basis for the task take learning to an even higher level. Stager and Martinez introduce the TMI framework - Think, Make, Improve (pg 52). TMI takes away the words, "I'm done!" from the classroom. It also doesn't focus on "fast failure", but instead focuses on the continuation of all work, whether a fail or success. There is always more we can do, another step to take, a new path to follow.
I enjoyed the tips for project design that were provided. The Eight Elements of a Good Project (pg 58) provide a foundation for learner-designed projects. There is a great importance placed on asking worthwhile questions, completing substantial work, using technology, and good prompts. Every learner should be able to answer the questions, "What are you learning, and how will you share your learning with others?"
"Understanding is the result of existing knowledge accommodating and explaining new experiences." (pg 70)
To start making your classroom more student-centered, demonstrate a concept and then ask students to do something. (pg 70)
With these ideas comes the need to help students embrace their inherently human qualities - especially curiosity and creativity. So many students have learned to play the "School Game" where they learn single answers to bland problems and how to please teachers and tests. This becomes ingrained in young people, and by middle school, I have experienced many students not interested in trying something where they do not know the answer. With time and opportunity to embrace their curiosity, they always came around. "Teaching is not testing." (pg 82) Can we take the time to rethink the relevance of grading in classrooms that are embracing modern learning? Are grades as important as feedback? Plenty of research says no. Grades are part of the problem of the School Game. Let's rethink what school should be, and start to focus on learning as the objective, not grades.
The book then begins to describe many of the Maker tools out there that can be brought into the classroom. I've already used Arduino for a self-designed middle school robotics program. I personally like to build things at home. Even more, I love to build with students. With resources like Invent to Learn, we can learn how to let go of our control in the classroom and give the power of learning and leadership back to students. They can lead their learning. They should lead their learning.
By observing students who are making, we get a window into their thinking processes - much more than we ever will get from a standardized test. Tasks that we provide must be authentic tasks that allow students to determine and design their own answers. Allowing students to ask the questions that are the basis for the task take learning to an even higher level. Stager and Martinez introduce the TMI framework - Think, Make, Improve (pg 52). TMI takes away the words, "I'm done!" from the classroom. It also doesn't focus on "fast failure", but instead focuses on the continuation of all work, whether a fail or success. There is always more we can do, another step to take, a new path to follow.
I enjoyed the tips for project design that were provided. The Eight Elements of a Good Project (pg 58) provide a foundation for learner-designed projects. There is a great importance placed on asking worthwhile questions, completing substantial work, using technology, and good prompts. Every learner should be able to answer the questions, "What are you learning, and how will you share your learning with others?"
"Understanding is the result of existing knowledge accommodating and explaining new experiences." (pg 70)
To start making your classroom more student-centered, demonstrate a concept and then ask students to do something. (pg 70)
With these ideas comes the need to help students embrace their inherently human qualities - especially curiosity and creativity. So many students have learned to play the "School Game" where they learn single answers to bland problems and how to please teachers and tests. This becomes ingrained in young people, and by middle school, I have experienced many students not interested in trying something where they do not know the answer. With time and opportunity to embrace their curiosity, they always came around. "Teaching is not testing." (pg 82) Can we take the time to rethink the relevance of grading in classrooms that are embracing modern learning? Are grades as important as feedback? Plenty of research says no. Grades are part of the problem of the School Game. Let's rethink what school should be, and start to focus on learning as the objective, not grades.
The book then begins to describe many of the Maker tools out there that can be brought into the classroom. I've already used Arduino for a self-designed middle school robotics program. I personally like to build things at home. Even more, I love to build with students. With resources like Invent to Learn, we can learn how to let go of our control in the classroom and give the power of learning and leadership back to students. They can lead their learning. They should lead their learning.