What is Tinkering?
Tinkering is about playing with tools without any pre-decided outcome but a free space to build anything. It is an attempt to mend things in a casual way. Tinkering is defined in the Merriam Webster dictionary as to work in the manner of a tinker; especially: to repair, adjust, or work with something in an unskilled or experimental manner; a fiddle. To be successful and to fail. Why failing is important?
If you don’t fail sometimes, you are not being ambitious enough
Sundar Pichai
As a child, we all used to tinker. We used to play with tools like screws, nails, hammer or sometimes we used to break our electrical devices like cars, remotes, VCRs, etc. to see how it works. We used to check the poles of the battery and wonder why. Everybody is a learner or tinker.
If students have tinkering experience, you never know what they discover or come out with.
There were times when we took apart old appliances, remotes, toasters, VCRs, tapes, calculators and other electrical appliances just to see how they are put together how things are made and how they work. The current generation doesn’t fix anything. Instead, they just throw it out and get another. When I was growing up, I didn’t do this. I tried fixing waste things and also found curiosity in trying to fix something.
Tinkering is about “curiosity and innovation.” During childhood we all had that curiosity to search for the answer, to find the reason, to learn why it happens- We did all learning by doing.
Children love to build things and so they love to break. They see the outcomes as successes and failures. They build blocks, solve puzzles make things out of plastics, papers (origami), etc. These little tinkers find the value of science from the value in tinkering. There were times when we as kids used to make home from blocks till it fell apart. But we never stopped tinkering again.
Tinkering helps in the investigation that leads to discovery and innovation. It can lead to invention. If students have tinkering experience, you never know what they discover or what they may invent. The times spent in playing and hours of imagination and investigation leads to innovation.
Why tinkering is important?
Experimentation is important. It builds the risk-taking ability.STEAM/STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths. We find students mug up before exams. Mugging up daily lessons won’t result in innovation. Students get the knowledge of Science but where is its application, that is where Tinkering plays a role. But do you think that it has any role without innovation? As we all know that in the current generation we find children being involved in phones, tabs, etc. hindering their chances of innovation.
Tinkering is basically brainstorming with hands. So, how to integrate innovation in children? It is possible through experimentation. Building and breaking, making, remaking. To see if the blocks are strong enough to hold their toys. To see the reason behind the existence of stuff. Or to see whether the cardboard that was no use to home can experiment with screws, nails or the toolbox! Everybody likes to learn or to tinker. Human beings are the most innovative being on earth and their kids are having the powerful brain that leads to creativity. So why not enhance their creativity and why give the path to wanderers.
ATAL TINKERING LABS
Tinkering labs are now promoted in India too. Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI (National Institution Of Transforming India) Aayog said – “For India to grow at the rate of 9-10% then India must become a very innovative society. We need a culture of innovation at schools. We’re doing that through Tinkering Labs.” said Kant. “India needs to innovate in every sector to make a quantum jump in our growth,” he added.
With Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog will fund tinkering labs to boost scientific temper. It is a part of AIM (Atal Innovation Mission), named under former Prime Minister of India Late Shri Atal Bihari Bajpayee. To bring change in India there is a great need for radical change in the foundation, which is to nurture the students. Instead of just doing traditional education let us change to innovation. All it will need is a good set of equipment and mentoring.
Young children will get a chance to work with tools and equipment to understand the concepts of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math,” according to Niti Aayog’s statement.
The tinkering labs will be equipped with ‘DO IT YOURSELF’ kits and instruments related to science, electronics, robotics, open-source microcontroller boards, sensors, 3D printers, and computers, along with infrastructures such as meeting rooms and video conferencing facility.
Atal Tinkering Labs’ initiative is a part of the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), which is an umbrella platform to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in India. The discussion topics would range from what needs to be there in a lab; do-it-yourself activities; content; engagement with the community; a hands-on workshop to series of educational lectures design mindset, computational thinking, and adaptive learning. Will help students to take things apart, explore tools and materials, and build wondrous, wild art that’s part science and part technology.
It will also enhance passions, brimming with inspiring little stories. This is not a how-to book but displays a buffet of ideas and possibilities that could catapult you through your own adventure as a maker.
Why Tinkerly?
Tinkerly (formerly known as SRJNA) is a hybrid education model using real & virtual teaching aids to impart 5D classroom experiential learning and smart online assessment platform with deep analytics for K-10 students, teachers, and parents.
Children love to build things and so they love to break. They see the outcomes as successes and failures. They build blocks, solve puzzles make things out of plastics, papers (origami), etc. These little tinkers find the value of science from the value in tinkering. There were times when we as kids used to make a home from blocks till it fell apart. But we never stopped tinkering again. Tinkering helps in an investigation that leads to discovery and innovation.
We believe that ‘True learning comes when it’s being experienced’, to ensure this we continuously build teaching aids & methodologies and provide to associated schools. Tinkerly, a brand of Elation Edtech Pvt. Ltd., initiated by 4 alumni of IITs and XLRI is now a team of 15 enthusiasts who want to make a disruptive change in school education.
“Any sufficiently advanced form of Learning is indistinguishable from play”
Scott Snibbe
Classroom study and churning out daily lessons blocks the human mind from creativity. Tinkerly helps in active learning.
Students can show innovation building, dismantling, experimentation, trial and error, personal reflection and group collaboration. The mentor becomes the facilitator for all learning styles and needs through open end opportunity and discovery.
Tinkerly which is an educational startup provides models, tools, workshop and mentoring to enhance curiosity and innovation for students up to Class 10th.
We have been working in for more than 4 years to enhance creativeness by 5D pedagogy-see, touch, feel, understand and perform.
We believe in everyone’s ability of curiosity and to learn by doing. We have organized a tinkering workshop earlier which was published by Rajasthan Patrika.
Tinkerly provides an environment to play, design, create and discover with proper mentoring and workshop.
Students will create and move forward. They can do research and expand their existing knowledge. Creativity is the norm rather than the exception.
So take out those old electrical appliances. Investigate. Innovate. Create. Let your hands and mind explore new ideas. Create an active learning environment with Tinkerly.
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