design challenge

Being a Maker: Just Create Something Everyday

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Being a Maker: Just Create Everyday: If you want to expand your creativity, create something everyday. Even if it sucks. Just keep building the habit. Now go make opportunities for your students to do this.

(Post contains affiliate links.  If you make a purchase using them, I get a small commission that helps support running this blog) Just create something.  Everyday. I love to read books about creativity and the artist’s process.  It’s fascinating to learn the stories of authors, artists and other creatives and learn about their how they create … Read more

Make Your Own Creature Workshop #AASL17

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Make Your Own Creature Workshop #AASL17 | I led a Make Your Own Creature workshop at AASL and it was a blast. Here's how to host one.

(Note: Post contains affiliate links.  Actions taken may result in commissions for Renovated Learning) A Creature Workshop Towards the end of last school year, one of my students came up with one of my favorite design challenges:  Make a creature that does something.  That’s it.  This prompt wins for simplicity and the designs that people come up … Read more

Demco Post: 3 Design Challenges for the Low Tech Makerspace

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3 Design Challenges for the Low Tech Makerspace : Check out my Demco post to read up on three different design challenges you can do with your students in a low-tech/no-tech makerspace. All are budget friendly and easy to do.

Check out my post on Demco to learn more about design challenges in low tech makerspaces! Many educators have the misconception that makerspace activities always need to involve expensive technology like 3-D printers and circuit kits. But this isn’t true. Students can have amazing learning experiences in makerspaces with low-tech and no-tech tools. Design challenges … Read more

The Creature Challenge: Make a Creature that Does Something

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The Creature Challenge: Make a Creature That Does Something: Student created design challenges can be powerful motivators for students. In this student challenge, the Stewart Makers Club used different materials to build creatures that did something.

Design challenges are powerful ways to engage students in making (that’s why I co-wrote a book about them).  Sometimes, I craft the design challenges myself.  But other times, I go to my students and ask them to create their own design challenges.  This one was one of those, and I think it was brilliant: The … Read more

How to Run a Rubber Band Launcher Challenge

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How to run a RUBBER BAND LAUNCHER CHALLENGE: Includes suggested supplies, skills that help, ground rules to set and recommended resources for running a Rubber Band Launcher Challenge in your makerspace.

If you’ve been following Renovated Learning for awhile, you might remember the Catapult Challenge my Stewart Makers Club did last year with Colleen Graves’ students at Lamar Middle School.  My students had SO MUCH FUN with that challenge, although I always felt like Catapult Challenge was a bit of a misnomer, since our students’ creations … Read more

The 2015 Cardboard Challenge

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The 2015 Cardboard Challenge | Every year, we participate in the Global Cardboard Challenge in our makerspace as a part of our afterschool Makers Club. Here, I talk about some of our projects as well as some best practices I've come up with. | RenovatedLearning.com

Yes, I realize that the official Global Cardboard Challenge happened back in October, but cardboard is timeless 🙂  I did actually hold the Cardboard Challenge in our makerspace with my students in October, but between FAME and AASL, I hadn’t gotten around to blogging about it.  So here you go. About the Cardboard Challenge If … Read more