Legos, They’re What’s For Creativity, V. 2.0

Nearly two years ago I wrote a piece called: Legos — They’re What’s for Creativity — about how important playing with Legos was for my intellectual development. Through constructing, deconstructing, and reconstructing all varieties of Lego sets, I became curious and developed a sense of creativity. I no longer play with Legos (sadly), and I’m not an architect as my parents thought I would be due to my childhood fascination, but the impact of Legos on my developing mind was powerfully positive.

So when I, as a professional educator, read this article on Lego Boost, I simultaneously became excited for my students and jealous that I’m no longer a kid myself.

Lego has taken building to the next level by incorporating an element of robotics and coding that integrates with older lego sets. So in addition to the predesigned constructions, you can also give your old castle a working drawbridge!

Toys like these accelerate and promote learning. And so reading about the Lego Boost made me think about two important points.

1. Children who have access to such toys will be better equipped for complex learning processes, and will likely have a stronger foundation of knowledge and broader academic skill set than their peers. Schools should have access to such technology and resources, but many do not, and those that do are likely to be better financed and serving a wealthier demographic of student. According to the article the Lego Boost will debut at $160, not a prohibitive price, but not an easily affordable one either, particularly for low-income families. So while access to these toys will enhance learning and equip students with 21st century skills, unless we figure out how to make them accessible to more students, they will only widen the opportunity gap between wealthier students and their low-income peers.

2. Even parents who have the means may not buy toys like the Lego Boost for their children, which is, of course, fine. But our students do need access to 21st century knowledge and skills. In many schools the curricula and the pedagogies are outdated. Technology is an extracurricular if it is offered at all. Elementary age students are adroit and proficient with smart phones and tablets, but we don’t encourage or teach them to ask how those devices work. Some students ask those questions on their own, which only reinforces the point that we should be encouraging all students to ask them! Children who are taught to examine and engage with the construction and creation of technology will gain important skills that they may apply to something very different. That is still an important educational outcome!

Ultimately, children need exposure to all variety of subjects and activities to truly thrive. Some will love chemistry, others music, and still others literature. This is good; this is education working as it should. But children can only love to learn what they are exposed to, and to do right by children we must expose them to topics that will give them the knowledge and skills to be successful in the 21st century.

So if you can, consider buying your child a Lego Boost this year. And if you will, please advocate for more hands on, creative, and technology-focused learning in schools. It will benefit our children, our economy, and our society.

#Education