Thinking and Learning in a Maker-Centered Classroom

1a. What theme, subject matter, or unit of inquiry will you be focusing on during the learning
experience you'll be documenting in this inquiry cycle (e.g., the Civil Rights Movement, To Kill
a Mocking Bird, velocity, collaboration, etc.)?

Continuing with the unit on inventions and discoveries

1b. List one or more learning objectives (something you hope your students will learn or get out
of the learning experience you're designing) AND one or more of the AbD capacities (looking
closely, exploring complexity, finding opportunity) that you'll explore through this learning
experience.

Learning objectives:

1. Students will be able to draw difference between an invention and a discovery.

2. They will be able to inquire about the significant inventions and discoveries that
impacted the world.

3. They will look into the design of the invented/discovered objects closely and come up
with the ideas about how to make these objects more efficient and effective.

4. They will explore about the need of any invention or discovery.

5. They will be able to record their observation about how an object has changed
overtime and its practical use.

2. What did you do? In 2-3 sentences, describe how you incorporated your learning objectives
and one or more of the three maker capacities (looking closely, exploring complexity, and
finding opportunity) into your work with your students -- and how you facilitated this activity.
Be sure to include the date of the experience you are documenting.

The lesson started with exposing students to system/heap image. They were asked to
differentiate between the two. They were able to answer that in image 1 nothing is
interconnected, it’s just a bunch of objects. In image two, they observed that since the
objects are interconnected, the bulb is glowing. They were asked to give a few similar
examples. They were able to use their maker capacity of looking closely and gave few
examples. They were then introduced to the word system. Since our focus during the unit
is on inventions and discoveries, they were asked to go back and think of the inventions
chosen for parts purposes and complexities activity. They had chosen various objects that
they think are an important invention. Then they were asked to think about the systems to
which this object is connected.

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 Thinking and Learning in a Maker-Centered Classroom

3. How did it go? In 2-3 sentences, describe the degree to which this experience met your
learning objectives and supported your students' engagement with one or more of the three
maker capacities. Did it go well, not so well, or have an outcome you would have never
anticipated?

The activity went well. It was enjoyed by the students. They were able to use their finding
complexities capacity to understand that invention and discoveries occur due to the need
for it in any system.

4a. What did your students learn? In 2-3 sentences, describe one or more things your students
learned in regard to your learning objectives, and one or more things your students learned in
regard to the maker capacities.

Students learned that inventions and discoveries occur as a result of its need in any
system. They learned that everything is a part of one or more system. They were able to
enhance their finding complexity capacity to understand that any discovery or invention
affects the life of all the people attached to its system.

4b. How do you know? Use 2-3 photographs, pieces of student work, or student quotes that
serve as evidence for the learning you provided in 4a. Be sure to add captions to each
photograph/piece of student work/student quote to place this documentation into context, and to
emphasize any connections to your learning objectives or one or more of the three maker
capacities.

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 Thinking and Learning in a Maker-Centered Classroom

5a. What did you learn? From your perspective as an educator, in 2-3 sentences describe one or
more things you learned from this experience.

I learned that students have the capacity to find complexity and make connections, we just
need to provide the right opportunity and situation. I also learned that various visible
thinking routines can be modified to get the desired result.

5b. What would you do differently? Think about what you learned, what your students learned,
and to what extent your goals around learning objectives and exploration of the Agency by
Design maker capacities were met. In 2-3 sentences, describe what you might do differently if
you were to lead this same activity again.

Nothing. I think the activity performed had the desired result. I would like to perform the
activity face to face after the lockdown to read the expressions on the faces of the students.

6. What will you do next? Now take a moment to think about what you'll do next. Based on the
learning experience you just documented, what is the next activity related to maker-centered
learning that you'll be experimenting with in your classroom?
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 Thinking and Learning in a Maker-Centered Classroom

I would like the students to explore in-depth about how any invention or discovery
changes the entire system, and the life of people connected to it. This will them focus on
finding opportunity maker capacity.

What does designing for participation mean?

Designing for participation means to take into consideration the needs and desires of all the
stake holders and actors in a system and the interaction of that system with other systems. It
does not focus on the behaviour, need and desires of the users. The design for participation has
unspecified goals and is based on evolution of a system.

How do the people who design aspects of the built world interact with the people who engage
with those designs?
The designers try to read the psychology of the users. Anything is designed to gain or retain
users. It is based on the user needs and desires. The design which has more users is considered
to be better and all the designs are made to overcome the shortcomings of previous design to
attract more users.

How might you apply the concept ‘design as participation’ to your own teaching context?
Our teaching pedagogy is based on inquiry which I think is already design as participation.
When students are given an opportunity to decide on what they want to learn and how they
want to learn, the design as participation comes into play. Assessing themselves and their peers
using their choice of assessment tools and having this freedom in itself is whole hearted
participation.

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 Thinking and Learning in a Maker-Centered Classroom

Ms Ambika thought about how designers must need to step into the shoes of the consumers
to realize the utilitarian aspect in the design. Ms Shweta delved into how  a designer might have
drawn inspiration from writing tools used in olden civilizations thereby shaping thinking
patterns. Ms Kamal thought aloud about emotional social and emotional connect of students
with their peers and teachers. She to impress upon others the fact that small parts in a pen make
it hazardous for young children and hence maybe a designer does cater to older children and
adults in his product development vision.

Ms Ambika  puzzled  over how every design choice could potentially convey the care that
designers have for the environment. We have not seen eco-friendly versions of the pen,she
said. Ms Rima wondered if designers who embed technological devices like cameras and
microphones  into the structure of a pen as used by secret agents even think about the
downside.  Ms Kamal was perplexed by how a low cost item like a pen bring profit for the
designer and manufacturers to make it viable in the market.Did the nonexistence of a
sustainable option not bother them if they were leading plastic flow into landfills? Ms Sweta
concluded with an intriguing question-is it not mindblowing that we are thinking about one
small aspect in a system; what would be the impact of an efficient thinking routine when parts,
connections, feelings and care come into mindful thought? Would a  design and
production team think beyond profit before making a simple pen?      
Regards
Team VForge@ DPSI looked closely at a system wherein students return to the school post
lockdown for the 'Imagine if' activity. Ms Rima shared her insight about reframing of the school
calendar in order to ensure the safety and security of students when they return. She wondered
about the effectiveness of the measures. Long term effects of the social distancing on the well-
being and emotional health of students, worried her. Ms. Kamal agreed with Ms. Rima and
shared her insight about celebrating events and birthdays virtually to take care of the social
connect of the students with their peers and teachers. What worries her is the stigma of racism
wherein the students of different nationalities will get bullied on account of carrying virus from
their homeland. What baffled Ms. Shweta was the importance of human touch and play time
which is necessary for a student in primary years. Ms. Ambika appreciated the idea of cutting
down the screen time after the return of the students, in order to create a balance between screen
and paper-pen.

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 Thinking and Learning in a Maker-Centered Classroom

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