Encouraging Exploration and Innovation in the Classroom

In many classrooms, the standard learning model tends to rely heavily on worksheets, quizzes, and tests that measure understanding at the end of a lesson. While these methods can provide useful data, they often fail to capture the full spectrum of student development—skills like creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking. What if we could rethink assessment to emphasize these deeper, more transformative skills?

Seymour Papert, a pioneering figure in education, argued that learning should be more dynamic and engaging. In his 1993 book The Children’s Machine, Papert envisioned a future where technology was not just a tool for delivering content, but a means to engage students in meaningful, creative exploration. He proposed that instead of simply replacing outdated methods, we should rethink how students interact with knowledge itself, encouraging them to think more critically and imaginatively.

I apply this idea in my own classroom through an instructional approach I call the 5th Experience. I define the 5th Experience in this way:

• A learning model that prioritizes depth over completion, emphasizing exploration, creativity, and critical thinking in the process of acquiring knowledge

• A shift from surface-level engagement to sustained, meaningful interaction with content, where complexity is gradually introduced and mastery is built through hands-on discovery, problem-solving, and reflection

The 5th Experience

The 5th Experience offers a fresh perspective on knowledge and learning, presenting a learning model that emphasizes deeper engagement. It challenges students to move beyond surface-level tasks and encourages them to actively explore, create, and reflect on the material in a more meaningful way.

In contrast with traditional “challenge questions,” which often serve as a final evaluation of what students have learned, the 5th Experience keeps students actively engaged throughout the entire learning process.

By integrating traditional teaching methods with opportunities for deeper exploration, the 5th Experience approach transforms the learning journey into one that’s focused on growth, discovery, and problem-solving. It’s a learning model designed to cultivate curiosity and a passion for learning—helping students build skills that extend far beyond the classroom.

Start Simple, Then Build Complexity

A key principle of the 5th Experience approach is to start with simpler tasks and gradually increase their complexity. Begin with low-stakes projects that allow students to experiment and build confidence.

Once they’ve mastered the fundamentals, offer more complicated projects that challenge students to apply their knowledge in creative ways and develop deeper skills.

For example, students might start by creating a simple animation using a tool like Scratch, which helps them get comfortable with basic coding and storytelling. After mastering that, they could be tasked with transforming the animation into an interactive game using video sensing, adding features like user input, score tracking, and game logic. As the projects progress, students gain a deeper understanding of the subject, pushing themselves to tackle more complex problems and refine their skills through hands-on practice.

This incremental approach encourages students to take ownership of their learning, allowing them to see their growth over time while continually challenging them to think critically and creatively.

Encouraging Students to Push Beyond at Basic Tasks

Many students finish a basic task—such as a worksheet or simple project—and consider it done. However, the learning itself isn’t complete at that point. The 5th Experience approach challenges students to build upon their initial work, gradually increasing the complexity and exploring new aspects. When they are encouraged to revisit and enhance their projects, students move beyond surface-level completion and dive deeper into critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.

The 5th Experience in Action

While working with coding in Turtle Art, one of my second-grade students discovered how to create a circle using the Arc Block as referenced on page 6 of this reference guide. By setting the angle to 360 degrees and the radius to 100, the turtle draws a full circle. The Arc Block controls how much of a circle is drawn by adjusting the angle. With an angle of 360 degrees, the turtle completes the entire circle. This linked coding with basic math concepts like geometry, allowing the student to create something both functional and visually engaging.

With this new knowledge, she decided to turn her geometric designs into a 3D-printed bubble wand. This wasn’t just a fun project—it was a chance for her to combine coding, design, and 3D printing into something real and creative.

Rather than following a set of instructions, she used what she had learned to create something entirely her own. This project perfectly captures the essence of the 5th Experience approach: It’s not just about learning skills, but about mastering them and applying them in new and innovative ways. From drawing geometric shapes to designing and 3D-printing a functional object, her journey shows how learning can become an empowering, personal experience when students are given the space to explore and create.

Encourage Exploration and Ownership

A key aspect of the 5th Experience approach is giving students the freedom to take ownership of their learning. This can be achieved by offering opportunities for students to design their own projects or choose topics that interest them. When students are invested in their work, they’re more likely to stay engaged and take risks, fostering a growth mindset where challenges are seen as opportunities for learning.

For example, in the Robot Petting Zoo project Hannah the Hamster, students used the Hummingbird Robotics Kit and Scratch coding to design their own robotic pets and create an interactive animation. The project tied directly to their interests, giving them the freedom to bring their unique ideas to life. Through this hands-on experience, students were able to pick up coding concepts that might have taken multiple lessons from a teacher. This is a great example of allowing students the time and space to have that 5th Experience—where they can really dive in, explore, and learn complex concepts at their own pace.

Embrace the Journey, Not Just the Destination

The 5th Experience approach is about viewing learning as a continuous journey. By integrating small shifts—like low-stakes projects and giving students more ownership—teachers can create an environment where students learn how to learn. As students engage in meaningful tasks, take creative risks, and reflect on their progress, they develop critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills that will serve them well beyond the classroom.