Guiding Principles
To support creative learning and making experiences, we suggest four guiding principles. These principles grew out of research by the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab, and they form the core of the learning model.
Principle 1: Support learning through design experiences.
As young people work on projects, they can be seen as engaging in a design process, which we call a “creative learning spiral” (see the following image). In this process, they imagine what they want to do, create a project based on their ideas, play with alternatives, share their ideas and creations with others, and reflect on their experiences— all of which lead them to imagine new ideas and new projects.
Principle 2: Help youth build their interests.
When young people care about what they are working on, they are willing to work longer and harder, and they learn more in the process.
Principle 3: Develop a sense of community.
Develop a learning community in which youth share ideas and work together on projects. Facilitators play an important role not just in supporting youth, but also by modeling the process of making and learning themselves
Principle 4: Foster an environment of respect and trust.
Young people are treated with trust and respect—and are expected to treat others the same way. Facilitators strive to create an environment in which participants feel safe to experiment, explore, and innovate.
Learn More
To learn more about these principles, we suggest you read Start Making! (PDF | Print | Free if you join the newsletter) or the paper, “Origins and guiding principles of the Computer Clubhouse” by Natalie Rusk, Mitchel Resnick, Stina Cooke.
