What is Tinkering?
Tinkering is a hands-on experience where a student learns from failures, in an unstructured time to explore and invent. And through the processes of exploration and invention Tinkering during play can teach children valuable lessons by helping them develop fine motor skills, problem solving abilities, and healthy peer relationships, here lies the potential for innovation.
Tinkerer: one who experiments with materials and ideas to fully understand their capacities, and who further iterates on their learning to find better solutions to current problems.
Problem solving skills benefit children at any age and can help older children develop confidence and stimulate creativity. By providing problem solving practice during play time, you are equipping your child with a lifelong skill that can be used in all areas of learning.
Tinkering activities also build peer relationships in children and can support teamwork and collaboration to improve the social relationships between children.
“The long-term benefits of tinkering time are remarkable. In many ways, tinkering resembles inquiry-based learning, cooperative learning, and project-based learning, all of which have been proven to have long-term positive effects on student achievement and success.”
STEM Learning introduces disruptive and emerging technologies (such as 3D printers, microcomputers, microelectronic circuits, sensors and laser cutters) in a classroom not only to develop technical skills, but also to focus on behavioural changes in teaching and learning, and development of new collaboration and partnership opportunities, which could potentially bring about innovation. Technologies will act as a catalyst for behaviour change in teachers, students and schools.
STEM Tinker Lab have been made to develop modern skill sets amongst underprivileged youngsters by providing them with access to multiple technologies and enabling them to build/make new solutions to solve the challenges present in the society.
Research has shown that the use of educational robotics increases students’ academic achievement in specific STEM concept areas and promotes cooperative learning and problem-solving skills. Some studies also underscore robotics’ potential to engage girls and underserved youth in learning STEM subjects.
Pros to Schools:
- -Schools can try out new methodologies in a cost-effective way through a private sector partnership
- -Students will have access to new technologies regardless of their socio economic status if it is incorporated in the school curriculum
Pros to Teachers:
- -Teachers can create a community with other teachers who they do not usually interact with.
- -Teachers can learn from each other and create a supportive community.
- -Teachers can improve their pedagogy approach by exchanging lessons online.
The objective is to build curiosity, creativity, and imagination in young minds and to develop skills like Design Mindset, Computational Thinking, Adaptive Learning, Physical Computing etc. This helps immensely because the global scenario of Future Work Skills is increasingly being considered as an important skill set for creating new avenues, providing solutions to global problems, and leading the global economy towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Let’s Partner for a change with STEM CSR Solutions to bring about a Digital Intervention.
About Author: Hetal carries rich experience of 8 years in the corporate world. At STEM Learning she is working as an Asst Manager – Business Development from last 2 years.
