Redesign the Maker Classroom in China
In traditional Chinese secondary and high school classrooms, students are passive recipients of information, while teachers function as the central authority in the learning process. Students are typically expected to complete assigned tasks for teachers, making learning more closely resemble a lecture than a dialogue. Prior to my teaching career, most maker education programs in Chinese high schools adhered to a similar model.
Over three years of teaching technology product design and project-based engineering at Shenzhen Middle School—where I have collectively taught over 2,000 students—I redesigned the curriculum to emphasize constructionism and metacognition, fostering a hands-on, inquiry-driven learning environment. This pedagogical shift encouraged students to question assumptions, engage in discussion, collaborate effectively, and manage projects independently. Throughout my classes, I placed particular emphasis on supporting marginalized and vulnerable students, implementing teaching strategies that promote equity and inclusion. Inspired by Carl Rogers' humanistic approach to counseling, I established a learning community grounded in trust, enabling students to explore their interests and cultivate a sense of agency in their own education. Furthermore, I introduced foundational concepts in the philosophy of technology, speculative design, 3D modeling, and digital fabrication, empowering students to creatively address real-world problems and transcend conventional design boundaries.
Student Speculative Tech Design Posters
This speculative tech poster project takes students on a journey from personal inquiry to creative visualization. In my Maker Class, they begin by uncovering a pressing question from their own world, then leverage the power of Design Thinking, Speculative Design, and Participatory Design to imagine a technological solution that holds deep personal meaning. Their entire creative process—from ideation to critical reflection—unfolds visually within the final poster artwork.
Student Projects in My Maker Class
Here are selected student projects from my maker classes, where students designed and created their dream toys—innovative concepts they had always envisioned but never had the opportunity to play with. These projects highlight the students' creativity and problem-solving abilities and demonstrate their capacity to integrate emerging technologies into the design and production processes. Through these projects, students engaged in hands-on learning, applying engineering principles and digital fabrication to bring their ideas to life. By combining technical skills with imaginative thinking, these creations reflect the student's ability to tackle real-world challenges and explore new possibilities, fostering an environment of inquiry, experimentation, and innovation.
