Abstract:

Innovation and creativity are key elements for young people to thrive in today's rapidly-changing global society and economy. However, educational systems worldwide continue to struggle with the shift from traditional passive methods based on the transmission of information to more active, hands-on learning opportunities for students. Over the past six years, the Lifelong Kindergarten group of the MIT Media Lab and the Brazilian Creative Learning Network have been developing Festivals of Invention and Creativity (FICs) as a model for schools, school systems, universities, and community-based organizations to address these issues.

The Festivals of Invention and Creativity are opportunities for children, youth, families and educators to explore materials and technologies, participate in activities, and to engage in hands-on learning experiences that are stimulating, and meaningful. FICs provide recognition to innovative teachers, bring school and community closer together, and inspire educators to try new ideas in their own classrooms. The Festival planning process includes important learning opportunities as the organizers help teachers to design their interactive creative learning activities.

The main attraction of the FIC are the Interactive Stations, an opportunity for teachers, students, artists, and makers to share interactive and engaging activities with the potential to transform the classroom dynamics. Unlike a poster presentation where students or teachers talk about the projects they have already completed, in the Interactive Stations they bring one aspect of their project that can be explored through a hands-on activity. The idea is for the visitor to learn about the project by creating something in the moment. At the Interactive Station, the child, teacher, or family member manipulates the materials as active participants - not just spectators.Through the process of creating an object of interest they advance their own knowledge of the particular phenomena or content area.

The Festivals of Invention and Creativity take on many different formats depending on the local context. They can take place within a school, mobilizing teachers, resource staff and administrators in the design of creative learning experiences. School systems often organize FICs as a way to complement teacher professional development opportunities, promote the exchange of ideas across schools, and to engage families and local leadership. FICs can also be held in partnership with organizations or independent institutions - such as maker spaces, museums, or science fairs. In these cases, the Festivals may be set up in a variety of spaces such as city squares, community centers, or university campuses, and can reach the broader community. Regardless of the setting, children and young people play an active role in the design and implementation of the FIC, and are the primary participants in these celebrations of learning.

This paper will present the theoretical foundations of the Festivals of Invention and Creativity and present evidence of how the FICs have contributed to the mobilization of educational innovation in Brazilian education. It will also describe the design decisions in the development of the FIC - Toolkit, which contains a complete set of resources for FIC organizers. In this way, the FIC-Toolkit allows the sharing of ideas and the approach of the Festivals of Invention and Creativity with other countries beyond Brazil.

Keywords:

Creative learning, Hands-on learning, Community-of-practice, Brazil.