Mobile Creative Thinking
A Mobile Classroom where Wrong Answers Don’t Exist!
In 2009 after creating a very successful Creative Thinking lab within a school, I was commissioned to make the same idea, only mobile that could roam from classroom to classroom in a multi-lingual primary school.
The mobile creative thinking lab was designed to facilitate active and interactive learning experiences for primary school students. The wooden cart on wheels had an integrated light box on the top. The design comprised of eight boxes that could be interchanged and stacked four total on a cart. The boxes were filled with materials to discover eight topics; Light, 3d, 2d, Sketch, Sort, Pattern, Build, and Stories.
Objectives:
The primary objective of the mobile creative thinking lab was to provide primary school students with a hands-on learning experience connected to the current topic and concepts they were learning in their classrooms. It aimed to promote creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and student collaboration. My goal was to make learning more fun, interactive, and engaging and, above all, remove the idea of failure or wrong answers so that students could be more creative and innovative. The lab also provided teachers with a tool to foster a growth mindset in their students.
Features: The mobile thinking lab comprised the following features:
Wooden cart on wheels: The cart was made of sturdy wood and quickly moved from one classroom to another. Its compact design and furniture quality made it easy to fit into even the most undersized cramped classrooms.
Integrated lightbox: The top of the cart had an integrated lightbox that provided a unique and engaging visual experience for students that allowed for observing and considering materials differently.
Eight interchangeable boxes: The design comprised eight boxes that could be interchanged and stacked four on a cart. The boxes were colour-coded and labelled with the topic they contained.
Topics: The eight topics are Light, 3d, 2d, Sketch, Sort, Pattern, Build, and Stories.
Materials: Each box was filled with materials allowing students to explore and discover the topic hands-on. The materials were carefully chosen to promote creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration.
Curriculum: The lab includes a curriculum called Think About, which prompts teachers to ask a question about their current learning concept. For example, "Think About Habitats!" The key to the Think About concept was that there was no wrong answer. Children could come to the cart and manipulate the materials to create their unique solution, theory, story, or construction.
Benefits: The mobile thinking lab offered the following benefits:
Promoted hands-on learning: The lab provided students with hands-on learning experiences that fostered creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration.
Enhanced student engagement: The lab made learning fun, interactive, and engaging. It provided students with a unique and engaging visual experience that excited learning.
Fostered a growth mindset: The lab provided teachers with a tool to foster a growth mindset in their students. It encouraged students to take risks, try new things, and learn from mistakes.
Facilitated sharing: The lab was designed for primary school teachers to share from class to class, encouraging collaboration and sharing of ideas among teachers.