Tinkering a scuola: quando il fare consente di costruire nuovi orizzonti scientifici

[Autom. eng. transl.] The current context in which teachers find themselves operating is characterized by the presence of digital native pupils who learn in a very different way than in the past. These are students who possess advanced digital skills but who, at the same time, often have not developed skills such as those deriving from actions such as: designing and building a game, manipulating, assembling and disassembling an object, collaborating together by helping to solve a problem practical, etc. This scenario leads us to reflect on the need to rethink the teaching methods related to the teaching of scientific disciplines in order to propose activities that detach themselves from the traditional frontal lesson, proposing laboratories with bottom-up approaches to try to fill the experiential deficiencies of students and encourage learning by discovery starting from primary school. The intent of this work is to propose an alternative to the traditional lesson that is valid and feasible within the Italian school context, with the aim of bringing pupils closer to and passionate about the world of STEM. In this contribution we therefore want to propose an educational path, linked to the theme of energy, which can promote significant learning through some Tinkering-type activities. Tinkering, promoted and elaborated by some researchers of the Exploratorium of San Francisco, allows in fact to investigate scientific concepts through autonomous conception, realization and remodeling activities, without the constant guidance and support from the teacher. It is therefore possible to transpose these activities, generally carried out within the educational laboratories present in museums, in the primary school, adapting them to the peculiarities and characteristics that this context presents. It has in fact been demonstrated how activities based on Tinkering can increase skills such as: creative thinking, entrepreneurship, resilience and problem solving skills in the subjects involved in such experiences. Furthermore, a didactic approach that draws inspiration from these ways of working conveys a different vision of the error that no longer represents a failure but, on the contrary, becomes a starting point for reformulating a new strategy of action and construction, with constant support from fellow workers. In addition to favoring significant developments in terms of scientific learning, Tinkering's activities show how it is possible to go beyond the traditional view of evaluation. Also in line with the new regulations on the subject, Tinkering allows you to think mainly of an assessment by objectives, however allowing teachers to also focus on the improvements made by individual pupils during the course. Starting from these premises, the intent is to be able to offer various points of reflection and analysis related to Tinkering, through the structuring of some educational proposals that can be significant and relevant for teachers.