Tinkering to Inquire

One of the more popular ‘areas’ in our Makerspace is the Pull Apart Corner.

This area allows for tinkering and wondering. The Pull Apart Corner is a place where learners can deconstruct items such as old laptops, appliances and cameras etc. (Safety tip: be sure to cut off any cables or children will want to plug it in to try it out).

Before I introduce an item to the corner, I make sure I have the right tools for the job. If I dont I’ll make sure to remove the ‘offending’ piece first. I do a lot of showing kids how to take stuff apart safely. It’s not always easy in a Makerspace that gets busy with 20-30 grade 1 kids at lunch. I sometimes ONLY put those tools that can be used for the item to pull apart out for use. I stress it is a PULL APART Corner not a SMASH APART Corner

I need to get more out of this station, more following up with what learners still wonder, what they are thinking. We have a wonder box where learners can put a piece of something they found to follow up with later. We get many wonderings like ‘What does this do’? The most powerful moments are when some tinkering leads to an iTime exploration, a deep dive into a wondering or passion.

I have so much still to learn. I wrote about growing up in a Maker and Tinkering culture.

I do really lobe this video by Gever Tully on life lessons through tinkering.

The Pull Apart Corner continues to allow for learners to use real tools in a safe and authentic way.