JamieLang

KansasStateUniversity
EDCI786

Abstract
InventtoLearn:Making,Tinkering,andEngineeringintheClassroom
isacomprehensiveguideforteachers
lookingtoincorporateprinciplesofengineering,iterativelearning,andcreativityintotheclassroom.Martinez
andStagerprovidesoundeducationaltheoryasevidencefortheirstrategiesandanexhaustivelistof
resourcesandsuggestionsforcreatingamakercultureintheclassroom.InventtoLearnisauniqueand
indispensablevolumeduetoitscombinationofpracticaladvice,evidencebasedsupportforitsideas,and
extensiveresources.

ACriticalReviewofMartinezandStagers
InventtoLearn

MartinezandStagers
InventtoLearn:Making,Tinkering,andEngineeringintheClassroom
isan
indispensableguidetoempoweringstudentsandrevolutionizingtheclassroombyleveragingthemaker
movement.MartinezandStagersucceedwheresomanyotherhowtobooksfallshortbyeffectivelycombining
soundeducationaltheorywithpracticalteachingadviceandawealthofeasilyaccessibleresources.Readers
concernedabouttheimpactofhighstakestestingonstudentlearningwillfind
InventtoLearn
amuchneeded
breathoffreshair.Byfocusingontheprocessoflearning,MartinezandStagersstudentcenteredapproach
inspiresandempowersthereadertochangethecultureofhisorherclassroom.

MartinezandStagerbeginbyintroducingthereadertothemakermovementandprovidingresearchtosupport
theassertionthatmakingandtinkeringarepowerfulwaystolearn.Theyarguethatitisaneffectivemethodof
differentiationformultipleintelligences
(ascitedinGardner,1983Shearer,2009)andthatitallowsstudentsto
beactiveparticipantswhoareresponsiblefortheirownlearning(KindleLocations789790)Additionally,the
authorsdescribeTheIKEAEffect,thephenomenonthatpeoplevaluetheirowncreations,evenwhenflawed,
morethanexpertlycreatedversions,asevidenceforwhymakingworksintheclassroom(ascitedbyNorton,
Mochon,&Ariely,2011).

Amakerclassroomisaspacewherestudentsarefreetoexperiment,takerisks,andplaywiththeirown
ideas,anenvironmentthatMartinezandStagerargueallowsthemtotrustthemselves(KindleLocations
937938).Theauthorsenablethereadertoenvisionaclassroomwithajustintimemodelforlearningwhere
studentslearnwhattheyneedastheyneedtoknowit.Thisisinsharpcontrasttothetraditionaljustincase
model,wherestudentscoverasetcurriculuminthehopesthatitwillincludesomethingthatwilllaterbe
useful(KindleLocations683684).MartinezandStagersharshcriticismsoftraditionalapproachestoschool
andlearningcontinuetoserveasthebasisfortheirargumentthatanalternativeapproachisneeded.They
insistthatthecurrentmodelforschoolsbenefitstheteacherasmanagerandtheadministratorsinthesystem.
Thestructuremakesiteasierforoneteachertoteachaonesizefitsallcurriculumtolargenumbersofsame
agestudentsandcontinuetosaythatnoneoftheconstraintsofschoolareforthebenefitoflearningthey
createamoremanageable,homogeneous,efficientplatformforteachingapredeterminedbitofcontent
(KindleLocations932935).

MartinezandStagerfurthertheircondemnationoftraditionalschoolingwhentheyarguethatequalaccessto
mathematicsandscience(includingcomputerscience)forwomenisnotjustamatterofhistoricalgender
inequity,butabasicimbalanceinvaluingonlyabstract,formal,andlogicalwaystothinkaboutscience
(KindleLocations942943).Theyadvocatethatamakerclassroomvaluesalternativeapproachestolearning
andcanengagealltypesoflearners,includingwomenandminorities.

Atthispointitisobviousthattheauthorsattacksonthecurrentstateofmosteducationalinstitutionshave
effectivelyconvincedthereaderthatachangeintheinherentstructureoftheclassroomisneeded.Martinez

andStagertoutmaking,tinkering,andengineeringassolutionstothisproblemandbeginprovidingpractical
adviceforhowtotransformaclassroomintoamakerspace.

Theauthorsequatemakingwithaformofassessmentbydescribingitasawayofdocumentingthethinking
ofalearnerinashareableartifact(KindleLocations10711072).However,unlikemanysummative
assessmentsthatmarktheendofaunitoflearning,MartinezandStagerholdthatmakingisaniterative
processandprovideusefuladviceonhowtokeepthelearnersengaged.Oneexampleofsuchadviceis
askingstudentstoquestionhowcanImakemy/our_______faster,slower,better,moreaccurate,prettier,
greener,cooler,stronger,smarter,moreflexible,taller,shorter,moreefficient,lessexpensive,morereliable,
lighter,moreelegant,easiertouse?(KindleLocations12791283)Theauthorsarecriticalofwhatthey
describeasthecurrentfailurefetish,referringtoitassloganeeringinsteadofprogress(KindleLocation
1631)andclearlyseeitasthewrongkindofapproachtolearning.Theyboldlydeclarethatthecurrent
commonlyheldviewthatfailureisintegraltothelearningprocessconfusesiterationwithfailure,wheninfact
anyiterativedesigncycleisaboutcontinuousimprovement,keepingwhatworks,anddealingwithwhat
doesnt.Thisislearning,notfailure(KindleLocations16321633).

Theyseemakingmistakesasintrinsictothelearningprocessandencourageteacherstoleavebehindsome
populartoolsforhelpingstudentscompleteprojects,suchaslistsandaplanningframework,arguingthat
thesemayencouragecomplianceinsteadofinnovation(KindleLocation1234)and[deprive]thechildofthe
experienceofsolvingtheirownproblems(KindleLocations17971798).MartinezandStagercontinueto
disregardtraditionalpedagogybyrecommendingagainstusingexemplarsintheclassroom,statingthatitcan
intimidatesomestudentsorcauseotherstostrivetoimitateinsteadofcreate(KindleLocations37183723).
Thesepracticaltipshelpreadersavoidpotentialpitfallsandareessentialforanyonewhomaywanttoadopt
themakerculture.

MartinezandStageralsogoontoprovideadviceaboutthekindsofworkthatshouldbedoneinamaker
classroom.Toreaderswhomayfearthattheydonotpossessadequatesubjectmatterknowledgetobegin
incorporatingengineeringintotheclassroom,theauthorsvehementlydeclarethatitisunacceptableand
unnecessarytodenychildrentheopportunitytoworkonsomethingtheyarepassionateaboutbecausethe
teacherisnotanexpertinthatparticularfield(KindleLocations15341535).Theycriticizetraditional
curriculumstendencytowardmonumentalwork,suchasaworksheetwith200problemstobesolved,stating
thatthegoalissubstantialwork,whereastudentwakesupinthemiddleofthenightthinkingaboutgetting
backtoschooltocontinueworkingonaproject(KindleLocations14121415).

MartinezandStagerbravelydeclaretraditionalpedagogicaltheoryasunusefulatbestandharmfulatworst.
Theirboldassertionsaresubstantiatedbyeducationaltheory,research,andinsomecasescommonsense.
Theygiveanexample(KindleLocations30503052)fromIditHarelCapertonsresearch,whichdemonstrated
thatifyouaskfourthgraderstoprogramacomputergametoteachyoungerchildrenfractions,the
programmersgainamuchdeeperunderstandingoffractions,plusahostofotherskills,thanchildrenwho
weretaughtfractionsinamoretraditionalfashion(ascitedinHarel,1991).Theygoontoadvocateformaking
simplethingseasytodo,suchaslettingstudentsusecalculatorstodoroutearithmetic,tomakecomplexity
anddepthofunderstandingpossible(KindleLocations37713774).

Atthispointinthetext,MartinezandStagerhavefurnishedasolidcaseforincorporatingmaking,tinkering,
andengineeringintheclassroom,whichtheyfollowwithawealthofresources,projectideas,supplies,videos,
websites,andinformationabouthowtogetstarted.Theresourcessectionofthetextandtheaccompanying
websitemakethisbookstandoutfromotherslikeitbecausetheyremovebarriersandreservationsthatthe
readermayhavehadaboutdevelopingamakercurriculum.NotonlydoMartinezandStagereffectivelyrelate
theirloftyandambitiousvisionofatrulystudentcenterededucationalinstitution,theysupportitwithmorethan
enoughpracticaltipsandresourcesforthereadertogetstarted.Thisbookshouldbereadonceforinspiration
andusedasanindispensablereferenceforyearstocome.

References


Gardner,Howard.(1983).FramesofMind:TheTheoryofMultipleIntelligences.NewYork:BasicBooks.

Harel,Idit.(1991).ChildrenDesigners:InterdisciplinaryConstructionsforLearningandKnowingMathematics
inaComputerRichSchool.Norwood,N.J.:AblexPub.Corp.

Martinez,SylviaLibowStager,GaryS.(20130510).InventToLearn:Making,Tinkering,andEngineeringin
theClassroom.ConstructingModernKnowledgePress.KindleEdition.

Norton,Michael,Mochon,Daniel,&Ariely,Dan.(2011).TheIKEAEffect:WhenLaborLeadstoLove.
HarvardBusinessSchoolMarketingUnitWorkingPaper(11091).

Shearer,Branton.(2009).MIat25:AssessingtheImpactandFutureofMultipleIntelligencesforTeachingand
Learning.NewYork:TeachersCollegePress.