**Article originally published in French.**
Participants from four different schools – representing New Brunswick, British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario – were treated to a fascinating talk by Catherine Emond. Catherine is a professional educator and museum employee with over 10 years’ experience engaging and sharing knowledge with the public. She immersed us in the playful world of Tinkering and guided us through the steps of creative activity design.
Through an interactive activity, we quickly realized that every learner can interpret a DIY activity in a different way, and that the end result should not be the priority. On the contrary, the iterative process of allowing young people to take the reins of their own learning is the key to success.
Here’s the activity in question!
Catherine then gave us some tips on how to prepare DIY science activities. What does it take? Intentionality!
She stresses the importance of these three elements:
- The agentivity of participants in their education.
- The use of related knowledge or skills;
- Transforming their failures into iterations.
Finally, Catherine left us with numerous examples of workshops for incorporating scientific concepts, as well as useful resources to help us continue our development in this area, including the STEM teaching kit and the Micro:bit kit.
In short, this intervention was an enriching and stimulating experience for all participants, who came away with clear ideas and practical tools to pursue their professional development. The ideas shared will help to place young people at the heart of their learning process, without seeking to constantly correct them, but rather accompanying them towards their own discoveries beyond the content to be explored. We can’t wait to put everything we’ve learned into practice and continue developing our creative DIY skills!
About Catherine Emond
Catherine Emond is a professional educator and museum employee with over 10 years’ experience engaging and sharing knowledge with the public.