Collective

Critical Dialogues

Core practice

    • Opportunity dialogue
    • Aspirational dialogues
    • Planning and action dialogues

Guiding Principle

Developing an understanding of how inequality operates in society, including its structural tools, and the agency to engage in action toward social transformation, which through the inclusion of critical dialogues about what teachers and students learn through their engagement with the community.

How does it look like in practice?—

A light up-limbo stick

Critical dialogues can be supported in whole-class discussions and in small-group work. They also can build sequentially, from opportunity to aspirational, to planning and action, as students develop a new and deeper understanding of the role of community in STEM learning and design.

A light up-limbo stick

In Ms.K’s class, there were three students who engineered the light-up limbo stick, which was made up of twenty-three LEDs affixed to a meter stick and powered by a hand-crank generator. They developed a plan to use it during learning breaks. Their teacher even created a music mix just for the limbo breaks.
Defining the Problem
Defining the Solution

Sketch-Ups Overtime

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“We created the limbo by using 23 LED lights, a hand crank,  a yardstick, and copper tape. We did a parallel circuit so the electricity can flow through it.” Teacher Tips: Using the invention supported the kids’ efforts! Their teacher played limbo music on her phone and the class limboed for breaks. Additionally, during the showcase, other students and even teachers limbo under it!