Critical Making is the physical embodiment of critical thinking.
In this workshop, explore how to design and incorporate more projects into your curriculum that will challenge students to think with their hands and discover practical applications of their knowledge. Test EXPLO’s highly adaptable projects first-hand and remix, rethink, or retheme them to reinforce the learning in your classroom.
We will break down the three core constraints of project design: environment, materials, and rules. Discover supportive ways to critique a student’s made object (without derailing their enthusiasm) and test strategies that help students document their process and thinking.
Through a balance of hands-on teamwork, small group curriculum discussions, and solo design and reflection time, you will break down the design thinking process and map it to your teaching, regardless of the subject you teach or the age of your students. You will play with the most valuable tools for hand-building (drills, saws, scissors) and tools found in many modern innovation spaces (laser cutters, vinyl cutters, and 3-d printers).
Topics covered include:
- Observation and questioning skills
- Collaboration strategies
- Ideation approaches
- Rapid prototyping and iteration
- Critique and feedback
- Project design
- Facilitation for project-based group work
- Documentation for portfolio-based assessment
Location: Los Angeles
