The two words that are always unwelcome in my classroom are “I’m Done!” No phrase bothers me more as a teacher – from my very first class with my students in PreK, my classroom environment emphasizes trying lots of ideas and tinkering. I teach students that while we do ultimately reach a point where we’re “done for now” (due to time), there is always something we could modify about our creations and everything is a work in progress.
Why Focus On This?:
The benefits of STEM tasks for fostering critical thinking are maximized through iteration – that is, trying a challenge multiple times or continuing to tweak a prototype under development. When students engage in iteration, they make more meaningful discoveries, acquire new skills, and create better products.
But what can you do when you’ve got a chorus of “I’m Done!” in your classroom instead of eagerly iterating students? Here are five ideas for guiding students into continued tinkering.
1. Efficiency of Materials
Teacher Prompt: “Can you have your creation maintain its function while using fewer pieces?
What Does It Teach?
- Identifying aspects of a design that are essential and non-essential
Use It With…
- A student with a design that could be more elegant if it were streamlined
- A student who always uses the maximum number of every available material
2. Supply Switcheroo
Teacher Prompt: “Can you create a solution that achieves the same result without reusing any of the same materials?”
What Does It Teach?
- Thinking flexibly
- Analyzing potential uses for less-familiar materials
- Recognizing that there are always multiple solutions to a challenge
Use It With…
- A student who isn’t branching out to try new tools or materials
- A student who often believes their first idea is the best one
3. Version 2.0
Teacher Prompt: “What would version 2.0 look like? What is a feature not present in version 1.0 that 2.0 could offer?”
What Does It Teach?
- Identifying places for modification and upgrades
- Preserving the foundation of a design and building new features on top of it
Use It With…
- A student who is attached to their current design
- A student unwilling to (or who doesn’t need to) make significant modifications to a creation
4. Goal Expansion
Teacher Prompt: “You’ve met the first goal! What’s next? Do you think you can make it faster, taller, slower, longer, more beautiful, etc.?”
What Does It Teach?
- Going beyond an initial target after experiencing success
- Developing their own goal to pursue and defining their own criteria for success
Use It With…
- A competitive student*
*Note that this prompt sets their previous design in competition with a new design, rather than positioning them in competition with another student! - A student who needs to practice self-motivation to stretch beyond teacher-set goals
5. Documenting the Creation Process
“Can you make a how-to guide that would explain to someone else how to replicate your creation?”
What Does It Teach?
- Reflecting on the design process
- Identifying key techniques and strategies and communicating them to others
Use It With…
- A student who absolutely refuses to tweak or adjust their prototype
- A student who rushes through the planning/design phase and could benefit from intentional reflection on that aspect of the design process
Using a mix of these five prompts reduced the number of “I’m Dones!” I hear in my classroom space. I hope you’ll take them out for a spin and report back on how they work in your own setting!