One of the resources that I’m using a lot in my new role as a design teacher, is the book called Invent to Learn by Sylvia Libow Martinez and Gary S. Stager. This book details an inquiry type cycle simply called TMI: Think, Make, Improve. This is very accessible language for students and most of the kids who have been in our school are very familiar with this terminology and how to put it into practice.
Here are each of the stages in a little more detail:
I particularly like the “improve” section. Once kids have made something they are challenged to ask themselves are they stuck or are they satisfied? Can I fix it or can I make it better?
Today I was working with Grade 3. Their challenge was to use what they had learned from previous lessons to create a balloon powered vehicle. We talked about TMI and as we talked about the first stage, I sat with the students and modeled how I might document my thinking. Using the Paper 53 app and my iPad Pro with Apple Pencil I was able to think aloud while drawing and projecting on our screen. This was my second time doing this lesson and I didn’t do the same kind of modeling of this documentation process with the first group. We really noticed a difference in quality when the kids were shown how it is possible to plan out their designs.
I get to do this lesson for a third time tomorrow. I want to make sure that we refer back to the image of all the things that “thinking” entails and identify the elements that we touch on so the kids see that there is not just one way of thinking.
How do you help your children to make their thinking visible?
sonya terborg 
Thanks for sharing this Sonya. I am about to start a once a week program at an after school program to help kids develop a growth mindset. I’ll be looking for activities that reinforce this and the “improve” step in this approach is definitely all about growth mindset. Thanks!
That sounds great Jack. The kids will be really lucky to work with you. I have noticed that when you give kids something to do with their hands, it often frees up their mind too. In terms of developing a growth mindset, I think the improve step is perfect. Good luck with your program.