This short but sweet video was a great example of how students can learn through experiences outside of the classroom. Tulley runs a week long camp for students that allows them to play, build, design and create whatever they can imagine. Tulley explains in his video how he thinks allowing kids to use real tools and give them the time and freedom to make whatever they can teaches them real life lessons like responsibility and how to deal with problems that you may encounter. For me this video was really refreshing because it focused on a hands on activity that did not have to do with technology but was still an out of the box learning activity. I was watching the students building with power tools and and wood and nails and all I was thinking was, “wow I want to be a part of that class”. It is unfortunate but much of our schooling these days does not leave room for those fun hands on activities that engage learners. Students are kids and they need to be excited about what they are learning and cannot be cooped up sitting straight up in a desk all day. There are programs like music education, wood shop, auto shop and physical education that provide students with a small respite for their long hours in the traditional classroom but these programs are getting cut year after year. Like we have been talking about, students no longer need to learn all of the facts but they now more than ever need to learn to be creative and solve problems for themselves. If students are not given a chance to take a chance and not be penalized for their mistakes then they will be trained to never take a risk. It is important to remember that basic problem solving involves making many mistakes and it does not matter how many errors you make if you end up with a useable product at the end. I would love to encorporate some hands on learning projects like this tinkering camp in my classroom and I hope one day to have the opportunity to.
Tulley, G. (2009, July 1). Gever Tulley teaches life lessons through tinkering. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
To watch this TED talk for yourself click HERE.
Tulley, G. (2009, July 1). Gever Tulley teaches life lessons through tinkering. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
To watch this TED talk for yourself click HERE.