OK, I’ll admit it. Staying up late to watch the beginning of Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show is one of my guilty pleasures. I know I should go to bed. I know I can see videos the next day. But Fallon’s inventive craziness is sometimes too much to resist. One of my favorite segments is Fallonventions. … Continue reading
It seems I haven’t been watching enough Saturday morning television. If I had, I would not just now be learning about The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation, with Mo Rocca. Innovation Nation is billed as “a weekly celebration of the inventor’s spirit,” and is full of fascinating stories. Fortunately for all of us, the stories are … Continue reading
Years ago at one of our many used-bookstore-quests I bought a book called Daughters of America or Women of the Century by Phebe A. Hanaford. Published in 1882, it celebrates the accomplishments of women in the first century of the United States, from preachers to scientists, and everything in between. It saddens me how few … Continue reading
If you had to suddenly name five creative people, who would come to mind? Artists? Musicians? Scientists? Almost certainly, at least one of the people you named would be an inventor. Helping students learn more about inventing, and the processes for developing their own inventions is a wonderful way for students to both learn about, … Continue reading
Every summer has some days when it is too rainy, or too hot, to spend all day outside. For days like that, exploring ways to be an inventor can be just the ticket for creative summer fun. 1. Introduce your family to Rube Goldberg inventions. Rube Goldberg’s cartoons of amazing fantasy machines have inspired budding … Continue reading
I am fortunate enough to live just a quick-trip-down-I94 from one of the country’s most interesting museums, The Henry Ford. While there as part of a one-day vacation recently, I discovered a treasure trove of resources for teaching students about innovation and creativity. Home base for the materials is a site called On Innovation. There … Continue reading
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