Science Education, Tinkering and Writing a Book (about it) - Ryan Jenkins

Wide Walls

Ryan Jenkins defines himself as a constructionist educator, a term we will define further in our conversation. After working for more than 10 years at the Exploratorium, the fantastic science museum in San Francisco, he co-founded Wonderful Idea Co. with Nicole Catrett to support the exploration of art, science, and technology through making and tinkering.

For many years, Ryan has been advocating for educators to explore a tinkering-based education philosophy through professional development workshops, keynote talks, mentorship, and written guides and resources. In fact, this October, he will release his first book, The Tinkering Workshop. This book will help kids and adults get started with everyday materials, build personally meaningful projects, and explore ideas related to art, science, and technology. I personally can’t wait to get my hands on it!

In this episode, we dive into the world of making and tinkering to understand its values and benefits for learning, and we learn more about Ryan’s personal journey as an educator, entrepreneur, and writer.

Find more about Ryan's work:

- wonderfulidea.co/blog

- www.thetinkeringworkshop.com

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