Tinkering School s Best Practices for Building with Kids

Tinkering School s Best Practices for Building with Kids

Tinkering School s Best Practices for Building with Kids Building and Tool Use.... p. 2 Managing Projects....... p. 5 Managing Tinkerers....... p. 7 1

BUILDING AND TOOL USE Post a Big Drawing, Visible to Everyone A large, clear concept drawing helps kids visualize the project and keeps the project at the center of the group s attention. We ll have whiteboards and butcher paper available, use them liberally a drawing as simple as this one can be a collaborator s best friend. Post a Big Punch List, Visible to Everyone A collaborator s other best friend can be an equally prominent punch list an ordered list of specific tasks coming up in the project. Having the punch list written where all can see (rather than in the collaborator s head) can empower kids to take a bigger role in project management. For Tiny, Physical Help Requests: Do It, Undo It, and Stay as Support 2

When a kids asks you to help change a drill bit, tighten a clamp, etc., explain that you re gonna demonstrate it, then undo it, then keep them company while they do it for themselves. This builds their confidence in their fingers, and establishes that collaborators are there to empower kids and reduce dependency. Give Warnings Before Transitions Give every kid you re working with a verbal heads up 5 minutes before transitions (e.g., the transition from Build time to Clean Up time). Clean As You Go Cleaning up tools and unused materials as you go rather than letting a pile accumulate until cleanup time keeps the space clean, safe and sane, keeps tools on the wall where others can find them, and creates meaningful work opportunities. It s also just the right thing to do! Make Work Comfortable Kids (and adults) will grow frustrated more easily when they have to contort their bodies into uncomfortable positions to work. Show kids how to set up the work benches and sawhorses, and use clamps to keep hands free. Create situations where kids can work overhand, standing up, with work between their waist and chest. 3

Use Relative Measurement Measuring in units (in our case, inches) can be tricky for the oldest kids, and downright 1 developmentally inappropriate for younger kids. Often, building problems can be made more clear using relative measurement. For instance, if you need to cut a piece of wood that s exactly as long as Piece A, instead of measuring Piece A, just put a scrap next to Piece A and mark a line! That said, getting kids practice using unit measurement is great, too. Have Kids Do Layout Show kids how to mark locations for cuts, screws and other parts on pieces of wood. This demands planning and forethought, and can be very empowering, especially for older kids. Use Fences, Stops and Jigs Show kids how to use fences, stops and jigs to quickly and accurately make large quantities of the same part. 1 Check out the short article Measurement of Length by Constance Kamii. 4

MANAGING PROJECTS Sub Divide Projects into Sub Projects; with 2 3 Kids per Sub Project The best collaboration among kids tends to happens in groups of 2 3, where all the kids know one another s name. Break projects up into sub projects/tasks, and set teams of 2 3 onto these tasks. For example, a vending machine project might divide into sub projects including machine frame, vending machine door, spinning coil vending mechanism, bolt action vending mechanism, and user interface. Overbuilding is Okay Never let efficiency stand in the way of letting a kid savor the accomplishment of attaching one more support strut to your tower even if it s already got thirteen! Start with Ladders Sometimes projects begin with building what are, essentially, large wooden boxes. Building four ladders, then assembling them into a tower, can be a great confidence+momentum builder that draws exactly on the knee on floor drilling practiced in tool training. Note that ladders are not as strong in compression as a framed wall, but kids find overhand drilling much easier than sideways drilling. 5

Assign Clear Tasks Assume nothing when communicating with kids about building many are using real tools and materials for the first time. Take Breaks Lead your group in breaks, as well as work. When projects reach a natural punctuation, or the mood dictates, take a minute or two to breathe and remember that there is life outside of Tinkering School! Have Kids Help Avoid Bottlenecks One of our key tasks as collaborators is to prevent bottlenecks points in projects where there are fewer opportunities to work than there are workers. Recruit kids especially older kids to help with this effort. When you spot a bottleneck, call a kid aside and point it out, ask them to come up with a strategy that will keep the team flowing. You Can Educate (Rather Than Tinker) Through Problems to Preserve Flow Sometimes, a victory in tinkering through a tedious problem can come at too great a cost. Kids can disengage when projects stutter over problems that are too mundane, incidental, trivial or physically small. Don t hesitate to provide a solution every now and then keep the kids engaged, and tinker through the next one. Try the Kids Idea (Not Your More Efficient One) Our goal is to help kids become better at solving problems. Often, letting kids explore their own ideas can help them grow more than simply telling them the solution. 6

MANAGING TINKERERS Teach Kids How to Offer/Ask One Another for Help Most kids are eager to help one another but they don t know how to do it politely. Give kids lines like Can I help you push on your drill? Giving kids specific instruction on how to offer help increases collaboration and decreases conflict. Likewise, when you see a kid struggling but not asking for help, give them a line like, Can you help me drive this screw? Teaching a kid how to ask for help can be like the proverbial teaching a person to fish! In offering and asking for help, have kids use one another s first names. Ask Kids What They Think Especially when they ask what you think. Kids get plenty of opinions from adults when it comes to project work, challenge them to come up with their own opinions (and reasons for those opinions!) Ask Them What They Are Working On Before Offering Advice Offering unsolicited advice is fine but politely ask for the context, first! Ask Them What Should We Do Next, and Why? Making logical choices about the order of events is an essential problem solving skill. When projects reach a decision point, let kids take a stab at figuring out what s next. Busy Hands=Engaged Kids Kids come to Tinkering School excited to work, and no task is too small. Even simple, not strictly necessary tasks (sorting screws! sharpening pencils!) can be fun, physical, and meaningful. 7

The Team Is More Important Than the Project Gauge the success of your project by the kids attitude engagement. Are kids enjoying working together? How engaged is the least engaged kid? It s better to have slow physical progress with collaborative, stoked kids rather than rapid progress that leaves kids disengaged or isolated. Feed off Their Enthusiasm, Feed Them Your Enthusiasm Collaborators are artists working in a unique medium our main constraint isn t budget, time, or material, but rather the enthusiasm of our kids. Take joy in others and your work, and the kids will follow suit. Use the Phrase Partner Push This phrase refers to when two people push on a drill. Usually used for light kids/dense wood. Keep Focus on the Immediate Problems, not Future Details Kids can get fixated on minor details that are many, many steps away from realization. Steer conversations away from Friday s crowning touch and towards the present problem. Let Them Fail, Sometimes Often to save enthusiasm, feelings, time, flow you ll steer kids away from failure. Sometimes, though, a kid will get more from failing on their own than succeeding through your intervention. Some signs of a failure that could be great: clear alternate strategy to try after failure appropriate recovery time kid is emotionally robust enough to endure kid is engaged by/believes in the method that is about to fail 8

Let the Kids Do More Thoughtful Work While You Do Grunt Work Given the choice between doing layout and fetching wood, go fetch wood! Enjoy Your Time with the Kids and Be Present with Them In all the excitement of projects and tools, it s easy to overlook the best part of our job the opportunity to meet new people at an age when they re enthusiastic, sincere, and open to ideas like being nice is cool, and trying hard is fun. The projects we build this summer will be disassembled and forgotten. You get to keep the memories of sharing a go gurt with a seven year old inside a half built mud hut for as long as you like. 9