When designing things, we too often Critique often happens informally

stop after the first two steps of the within the Clubhouse: people admire
design process: coming up with ideas the innovations that they witness in
(“imagine”) and making them come to one another’s work, and sometimes
life (“realize”). These two steps alone make comments and suggestions. This
seem like such an accomplishment, practice of respectful critique can
who could ask for more? But without provide a context for reflection.
critiquing and reflecting on the things
we’ve created, we miss out on many Every once in a while, encourage
important opportunities to improve our yourself and others to take a moment
creations, learn new things, and share to reflect and make explicit what you
our ideas with others. have discovered in your work. Share
this with others. Ask questions to
Why Reflect? understand experiences that you may
We build up understanding through have overlooked in your day-to-day
our experience in the world. But until work. By reflecting we can grow and
we reflect – that is, until we engage in develop our understanding more
Further Reading… explaining not just what we do, but deeply, so that our work continues to
why we do what we do – this under- improve the next time we roll through
standing remains just “intuitive”: the design process.
Pedagogy of the Oppressed, by Paulo
Freire (1978). It’s a classic, but a tough something we feel in our gut and can
read! do almost on auto-pilot. We can see A Culture of Reflection
Making Learning Visible, by Carla Ri- examples of intuitive understanding in The Reggio Emilia preschools, in a
naldi and Howard Gardner (2001), on the ways Clubhouse members use small town in Italy, provide an exam-
Reggio Emilia. their tools and in the ways the best ple of how critique and reflection can
mentors work with one another and be woven into the fabric of learning
Educating the Reflective Practitioner,
by Donald Schön (1987)
with youth. and education. The Reggio schools
focus on discovering how kids and
How We Think: A Restatement of the The process of reflection helps us to teachers know what they know,
Relation of Reflective Thinking to the develop our understanding more emphasizing how things are made as
Educative Process, by John Dewey
deeply and to make our intuitive much as what is made. The examples
(1933)
knowledge shareable with others. It of children’s work on the walls of the
The Center for Reflective Community provides the opportunity to step back schools show not only the final
Practice (http://web.mit.edu/crcp/) and take a look at what our work products, but also documentation of
means to us and our communities. the process: the steps along the way,
How can we help people in the Club- the struggles they overcame, the
house community, both members and breakthroughs. By highlighting the
mentors, reflect on their work, so that process, learning becomes the central
they can recognize their own intuitive focus of the community.
understandings, develop them further,
and explore new directions? How might we similarly foster a
By: Michelle Hlubinka, MIT Media Lab
culture of reflection in Clubhouses?