The power of design-based education: A Q&A with TED ebook author Emily Pilloton

There is a movement in education that is, finally, taking shape in the form of the Maker Movement. Tinkering rooms are popping up in schools all across the country primarily in middle and high schools and (more recently) in elementary schools. I first discovered the maker movement in 2010 during a workshop session on the best 21st century learning practices. Intrigued by what I heard, I began to research this idea of design and its connection to education. I quickly discovered a few diligent educators and designers who understood the unique intersection between design and education. One of the early leaders in the design movement is Emily Pilloton. Pilloton’s TED book, Tell Them I Built This: Transforming Schools, Communities, and Lives with Design-Based Education, provides a starting point for schools interested in creating social spaces that foster student learning through the physical act of building/making.” You can also learn all about Emily Pilloton’s Studio H project on ted.com. tlb