Suggestions on what should be said to families up front | "Remember, this is a family program so we would like both caregiver and child to work on the designs together” |
Expect and support failures | "Things that do not work out can help us learn to solve real problems.” “Good solutions don’t happen in a minute.” “Frustrations can come up. That’s perfectly ok.” “We’re about to have it. We’re running into one problem, but that’s ok.” |
Encourage exploration and further experimentation | “How can you fix that? What if you add this?” "Can you try to test and see if they meet the design requirements?” “How about using these materials? What might they do?” |
If things doesn’t work during Session 2 | "How about trying to use a different LED light or make sure the tape is rubbed down on the legs of the LED light?” “Did you check if the battery is on the correct + and – sides?” “Have you tried making sure the tapes are all connected to each other?” |
Acknowledge the facilitation moves of family members | “It was very helpful that you reminded ....... to take notes on the dimensions of your house.” “I like the questions you asked your mom. That helped you to finalize the design.” “You need lots of hands to do this activity.” “Why don’t we let somebody who didn’t get a turn get a chance.” |
Recognize child and caregiver processes/actions as engineering | “I heard you said you made the sketch first and created the prototype but had to redesign it because it didn’t work. That’s exactly the iterative process that engineers do.” |
PLEASE ACTIVELY USE THESE QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS WHEN YOU FACILITATE
Facilitation tips
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