​MakerSpace/Design Thinking

Initially based on the EARCOS workshop, Using Maker Spaces to Build a Culture of Design Thinking, by John Rinker
MakerSpace/Design Thinking Podcast with John Rinker, the Master himself:
The term “design thinking” is often attached to maker spaces and STEM labs. However, design thinking is bigger than STEM. It begins with the premise of tapping into student curiosity and allowing them to create, test and re-create until they eventually ship what they made to a real audience (sometimes global but often local).

​Design Thinking (DT) isn’t a subject or a topic or a class. It’s more of way of solving problems that encourages risk-taking and creativity.

More here
While there is so much to consider, don't hesitate.
Put tools and opportunities in children's reach.
  • Start small
  • Throw a tub or two of raw materials and adhesives on a table and let children at it. It will develop and evolve over time.
  • Trust in this:

MakerSpace/Design Thinking
  1. Building as a culture
  2. ​Making as a mind set
  3. Design Thinking as a focus

Hands, tools, minds can easily leverage inquiry links

Design thinking is about solving a problem for a user. It's about filling human needs.

We may be doing our children a disservice by providing them with problems.

We need them to find problems to solve.


Prototyping:
Do it early, do it often!

Think, Make, Learn
Design is an iterative process:
  • Make it
  • Assess it
  • Redo it
  • What's next?

Design Thinking is a collaborative process.


​While we need to time develop our ideas it is often effective to limit time to focus on really producing outcomes. Balance, as in everything, is key.

​At the end of a unit it's too late to say, "It's not really that great?" With Design Thinking you never have to. 
  • ​What is it supposed to do?
  • Does it do it?
  • Does it do it as well as it could?
  • Fix it!

​
Order of Importance
  1. Will it WORK? (FUNCTION)
  2. Will it LAST? (DURABILITY)
  3. Is it COOL/BEAUTIFUL? (AESTHETICS)


Where does the learning begin?
Get children to build with LEGO. Great! They will.

Have them build something purposeful and test it. It doesn't work. WHAT?!
  • ​OK, NOW, I am learning😄!

Language
Teach the specific language and stick to it as this is crucial to the learning.

Example Cycle with Gears
  • Build it
  • Test it
  • Draw it
  • Discuss it
  • Explain it
  • Alter it
  • Predict new outcomes
Makey Makey
Not sure where to start? Get out the LEGO out!
LEGO Engineering and LEGO Mindstorms as well.
Click to expand
Gever Tulley

At Nanjing International School:
  1. Discover
  2. Define
  3. Brainstorm
  4. Prototype
  5. ​Evolve

​Spend your time in these sessions making. Write about it in literacy classes to take it deeper and make links to other aspects of your learning as well.

Children may not seem to go through a process if they jump right in but they likely do intuitively. Some need to draw, some talk and some develop prototypes conjunctively as they go.



PIC Time: Play, Inquire, Create
©Flynn McCreath
Set time for free exploration with creation and making based on an essential agreement/mission statement/sharing by a deadline

"Ownership" of the LEGO
Children can take photos of their creations:
  1. As souvenirs
  2. To help remember how they made things later​
Manage Your Materials
Children need to be made responsible when using, say, LEGO engineering.

Have them take inventory at the beginning.

Missing piece?
  1. Is it really missing?
  2. Is it up front in the lost bits area?
  3. Come see me. Please do NOT "borrow" from other students' kits as this is a recipe for disaster.

Tidy Up Time
  • Pack it
  • Tidy around
  • Put away
  • Teacher may walk around and double-check the floor and monitor/nominate a monitor
Earn Digital Badges for Doing Challenges!
Think, make and improve
Picture
NOT finger cutters
  Safety
  • Tools used properly aren't really dangerous
  • Teach the characteristics of tools
  • Teach respect for them
Picture
Best to be prepared all the same...
An Example of Orchestrating Challenges
  • Give instruction on same basics (say gears). We need to build on a foundation to go deeper.
  • Use parameters for initial challenges
  • Record and share results
  • Then open it up to the why's of the results
  • Open up to freestyle new prototyping
  • If we've now tried to design faster vehicles we can then turn it around. Who can make the slowest vehicle?
It has been said that 70% of your space should be storage space. True or not it is obviously important to have dedicated space for easy storage and retrieval of student works in progress.

​Artefacts are also important to add a dimension of personality and history to the space.
If you can/have space, use tables that are stable when in use but easy to move.

More from Jim Erwin at DEEP Learning Tokyo 2016
Creating Purposeful, Creative MakerSpaces​

These are slides from the AM Discovery Session. The geometric shapes from the first one were used to create a larger shape as in the image next to it. This was a useful exercise for initiating discussion of priorities in the design and creation of a such a space.
A Few More Notes 
Students, in teams, decide what they need to learn to create something then prototyping. Repeat...
QUESTION: What ELSE might happen in the space? Clubs, other classes...
The BIG Three: Safety, people and equipment (Basics like, "Where are our power outlets?")

Once you've got something: Get. People. In the room!
Support is Essential
  • Market it
  • Explain it
  • Get students coming in
  • Be in demand
  1. Get kids into the room (comfortable) start traffic flowing
  2. What does the room feel like?
  3. How are you going to get the children inspired?

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