Isn’t it amazing what kids can do when we let them? When children have the freedom to explore, create, investigate, dream, they can create some amazing things. This is extremely evident in Gever Tulley’s TED Talk on his “Tinkering School”. Inspired by the lack of freedom given to children, Tulley created a school where students were equipped with all the tools and materials they could possibly need to create something they hadn’t even thought of yet. Similar to Caine in the video Caine’s Arcade, the children at his Tinkering School built some amazing things, including a real working roller coaster! It amazes me that there is so much research, so much evidence that children can tackle great feats, create such beautiful works of art, and yet the public school system is still often ran in a way where students are forced to conform to the needs and wants of the teacher. I understand that there needs to be some form of consistency and common assessment amongst students in order to ensure understanding of the content, but to me there still seems to be a lack of student choice and student freedom. This idea could virtually work in any classroom, too. History class? Provide them with a topic and tell them to take it wherever they want. Build and design a project that they want to do. Sure, some students might need more direction and assistance, as they prefer a more strict set of expectations, but allow students who want to soar, soar.
Quite honestly, I feel that if I assigned a similar assignment to that in my 11th grade US History course, I would be met with confusion and have students look at me like I was crazy. The fact that I can preemptively tell that my students will demand more direction than that is only further proof that they have been stifled for so long they do not know what to do with the freedom, and to me, that is sad. I hope to encourage more creative options for projects, and allow my students to do things that interest them. Afterall, isn’t that how they develop their passion for learning?
Tulley, G. (2009, July 1). Gever Tulley teaches life lessons through tinkering. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
Quite honestly, I feel that if I assigned a similar assignment to that in my 11th grade US History course, I would be met with confusion and have students look at me like I was crazy. The fact that I can preemptively tell that my students will demand more direction than that is only further proof that they have been stifled for so long they do not know what to do with the freedom, and to me, that is sad. I hope to encourage more creative options for projects, and allow my students to do things that interest them. Afterall, isn’t that how they develop their passion for learning?
Tulley, G. (2009, July 1). Gever Tulley teaches life lessons through tinkering. Retrieved October 5, 2015.