Episode Description

Christine Lawlor-King, an invention education consultant, shares her journey into education and the importance of invention education. Invention education is a flexible approach that encourages students to solve real-world problems through creative problem-solving and innovation. It can be integrated into various subjects and does not require expensive resources. Christine emphasizes the need for schools to embrace invention education and create a curriculum that incorporates problem-solving and innovation. She also discusses the challenges teachers face in adopting new teaching methods and dispels myths about invention education. The InvenEd Network, an initiative of the Lemelson Foundation, is driving the invention education movement in the US. Invention education has proven to be beneficial for students in standardized testing. It teaches skills such as project management, critical thinking, time management, and analysis, which are transferable to test-taking. Invention education helps students develop reading stamina, research skills, and problem-solving abilities, which are essential for success in standardized tests. Students who engage in invention education have shown improvement in their science standardized test scores. Invention education is suitable for all age groups, from kindergarten to college, and it fosters self-discovery and exposes students to various career paths. It provides a holistic approach to education, combining multiple subjects and real-world skills.

Key Takeaways

Invention education is a flexible approach that encourages students to solve real-world problems through creative problem-solving and innovation.
Invention education can be integrated into various subjects and does not require expensive resources.
Schools should embrace invention education and create a curriculum that incorporates problem-solving and innovation.
Teachers may initially resist new teaching methods due to past experiences with ineffective professional development, but they can be supported and guided to implement invention education successfully.
The InvenEd Network, an initiative of the Lemelson Foundation, is driving the invention education movement in the US. Invention education teaches skills that are transferable to standardized testing
Students who engage in invention education show improvement in their science standardized test scores
Invention education is suitable for all age groups and fosters self-discovery
It provides a holistic approach to education, combining multiple subjects and real-world skills

Meet Our Guest

Christine Lawlor-King exemplifies an educator who is both pioneering innovation and entrepreneurship learning in the classroom, and a visionary in her own right. She created her urban district’s award-winning K-12 STEM program and has been the catalyst for implementing invention education curriculum in many schools, on a national and international level. As a Yale University’s Master STEM Teacher, she introduced teachers to project-based learning centered around vector-borne diseases. She was the Education Lead on the team who created the National Invention Convention program, which serves thousands of teachers and students internationally. She was the Executive Director of the largest Invention Convention program in the world. Her current consulting roles with Lemelson-MIT, STEMisED, and The Lemelson Foundation has her inspiring more in-school and out of school educators to teach invention. Christine has mentored program leaders, young inventors, educators, administrators, and inspired corporate professionals to get involved with invention education. Her efforts earned her STEMconnector’s Community Trailblazer Award.