What has DIY done for you?

[Megan Leppla]

What has DIY done for you? Recently, we posed this question to DIYers, and the responses have been extremely insightful. I'd like to turn to you - the Club Leaders, educators, parents, awesome adults - to ask the same question. What has DIY done for you? 

[Michele W.]

That's a loaded question - LOL. DIY has given me hats that I didn't know I could wear! Seriously, I wrote about our first year with diy.org here. http://kidswhomake.blogspot.com/2013/08/diyorg-parents-perspective.html I remember chatting with my kids about our first year, with us all wondering - where our journey would go from there. Would we outgrow diy.org? What would change with our second year? Would we still have that zest and energy that DIY inspired? It's now three months later and it seems so surreal. My three maker sons Rocky MMA, Ogel, and Make It Snappy continue to amaze me with their growth, projects, and conversations. The cool thing is, although they are so different from each other as far as personalities and interests, they each have a place within the diy.org community. As my children continue to be inspired, collaborate with others, try new materials, and take existing interests deeper - I am also learning new things, trying new things, and reaching outside of my own comfort zone as I help them do what they want to do. 

[Shawn Kasulka]

First - You have great kids, Michele (kidswhomake mom), my son ChickenHunter often refers to them as his DIY friends.  

I too agree it been a fabulous year+ since my son joined DIY.org.  From paper-craft to programming, he done and learned so many new things.  Most of the time he works on his own but many time with me or his mother.  At time project have included input from grandparent and uncles too.  At the start of the school year, he had a project to put 5 to 6 thing in a bag the would describe who he was.  Before Legos and Minecraft stuff, he 1st put in a DIY.org patch and stated, "I am a Maker".  It been wonderful to see that transformation and we too as a family are embracing that Maker mentality.

To talk to Michele point, we have seen Henry interest have ebbs and flows with DIY.org the web site (and posting project) but not DIY.org the idea.   Even when he not posting project he is making, experimenting and being creative.   

Thanks DIY!

  

[Megan Leppla]

These are so great to hear! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.

[Michele W.]

Shawn, Thank you for your kind words. It’s so nice to be able to share with other parents of makers. My boys really enjoy ChickenHunter. 

Making becomes a lifestyle. My husband was not much of a diy’er when the kid’s first joined diy. The first year he kind of observed and listened, but now he’s experimenting himself and with the kids. I have noticed the same thing at Maker Club. At first the parents weren’t sure what their roll was, but many now will try projects along side the kids. The club kids are bringing more and more to the club that they made at home. Parents are also sharing with us that the material or theme from each event often continues to be explored at home. 

I love how you are including extended family in ChickenHunter’s making experience. I wish we lived close to either side of our family. I think it would be really fun to do regular larger family DIY challenges.

[Jennifer Johnson]

My kids are homeschooled, and they tell me they estimate that 40% of DIYers are homeschooled. Ok, so they are kids, and that may be an exaggeration, but I would believe that they are correct in thinking that the percentage of homeschooled students on DIY is much higher than in the general population.

It's relevant to your question is that a lot of us homeschooling parents (and other parents too!) approach education with the view that after we teach them how to read, write, and do basic math - it's not about us teaching them, but them teaching themselves. Once they have those basic skills, we try to slip more in the role of mentor, resource-provider, and constructive critic. The kids very naturally adapt to this kind of learning (as I believe this kind of learning is very natural to human beings, if permitted), but very quickly into the game they realize that their peers are not taking the same approach. School and society has beaten away that approach, and has taught them that in order to do or learn anything new, they must be taught by an adult.

DIY is like a whole community of kids (whether homeschooled or not) that DO think they can do and learn new things on their own. And that's an amazing thing for them to experience. What it has done for me is lifted some of the burden of trying to convince them that doing stuff on their own ISN'T weird. That they ARE capable of doing a lot more than they think. I hear a lot less of "Well, nobody ELSE I know is expected to do this all by themselves", and I am convinced DIY has played a role in that. Because now, there are all these DIYers inspiring them. Well shoot, now they DO know kids who are doing X on their own. And MORE than X on their own. I saw pictures! 

I'm getting less of "Can you teach me how to..." and more of "Look what I figured out how to do!"

So yay for that!

 

[Michele W.]

Jennifer, You bring up a very important point. Kids want to fit in and belong, this comes to a peak ~ 12+ years. The majority of the world sees things from traditional viewpoints, so kids who approach things differently think they stand out as "weird". 

Diy.org has made it cool for kids to create their own path in life. 

[Angelique Minett]

Ha, because of DIY, I just discovered my just turned five year old can read and write. I made him a profile so he could participate in DIY with his big brother. He's been on it constantly, messing around, posting garble, or so I thought. When I took a closer look, however, I realized he's captioning all his videos and photos with phonetic spelling..and he seems to be completing some of the challenges all on his own. Thanks for the motivation, DIY!

[Zach Klein]

This is an incredible story! Can you share your kid's nickname? We'd love to follow his progress over here at DIY HQ.

– Zach