My friend Dave Nelson put me on to this project which (despite being a little over-thought) seems to share some of the ideas we explore in Tinkering School.

I was, initially, dismayed to see that they had already glommed onto the “thinkering” term, but I’ve learned to let go of the “I thought of that first” impulse. Then I read that Michael Ondaatje gets credit for the term having coined it in 1992 in The English Patient:

Thinking while tinkering inevitably leads to “thinkering” a semantic conjunction noted in the work of Michael Ondaatje. In The English Patient, Ondaatje uses the term “thinkering” to “suggest collecting a thought as one tinkers with a half-completed bicycle.” Educational theorist Eleanor Duckworth (1996) observes that: “Making new connections depends on knowing enough about something in the first place to provide a basis for thinking of other things to do - of other questions to ask - that demand more complex connections in order to make sense.” As one tinkers and begins to make additional and more complex connections, building on one’s current knowledge base, the original query is likely to be replaced by more advanced initiatives that are more meaningful to the tinkerer.

They are a little bit Exploratorium in that they are trying to create a space where kids can follow their own creative impulses, with a heavy dose of “library” in the way that they provide/allow access to materials.

I like their (formal) description of the benefits of Tinkering:

Tinkering for the sake of one’s own discovery promotes more than just learning about the topic of inquiry. Tinkering further promotes the development of critical thinking skills that will prepare kids as they encounter future, more-complex scenarios. The trends resulting from the digital revolution indicate a demand for all kids to develop more progressive skills for future success. In particular, the following list of competencies, formerly seen as niche skills sets, is forecast to be of major importance for today’s kids in their adult futures:

1. - Creative Thinking (developing intellectual independence and multiple perspectives)
2. - Systems Understanding (seeing meaningful relationships in complexity)
3. - Innovative Problem Solving (framing problems in unconventional ways and connecting ideas through lateral thinking)
4. - Information Management (knowing how to find, organize and use resources)
5. - Interdisciplinary Teamwork (collaborating effectively across disciplines)

Thinkering Spaces