INVENTIO

EDUCATIO

October 27, 2020 
DISCLAIMER 

Any content or opinions expressed in this webinnot that of the U.S. Department of Education nendorsement of any persons, products, prograpolicies mentioned herein. 
INVENTIO

EDUCATIO

October 27, 2020 
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Under SeCommerProperty of the Unand Trad
Dr. R

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Thoughts on Teaching

Innovation

Radia Perlman

Radia.Perlman@dell.com
Why Teaching Innovation is Impor

• I’m including in “innovation”

• Creative thinking• STEM• Critical thinking

• Why STEM?

• It is important to society...shortage of skilled workers and teachers

• STEM is a great career

• A healthy team needs people who think in different ways...so people 

thinking of themselves as natural “STEM people” are needed

• Why critical thinking?

• People need to understand that not everything they hear or read is tr

• That most problems do not have a simple “right/wrong” answer...the

tradeoffs
Making Decisions

• My career has been a sequence of totally random events

• My advice to people struggling with a decision

• You’ll never have enough information to make a totally informe

• There are two types of people

• Those that would be happy with either decision

• Those that would be unhappy with either decision
Bad Habits that can be taught

• “Your work must be your own”

• Learning from others, asking for help...“bad”

• There is a simple “right answer”... teaching facts, true/fals

choice – I will tell you the facts, you parrot them back

• You’re always being judged...the goal is to get graded...don

mistakes

• When I say “can be taught” I don’t mean “should be taugh
An Observation

• I have a terrible memory• Others could remember what the teacher wanted, and re

tests – I had to be able to derive things from basic princip

• I wasted so much of my childhood memorizing history fac

quickly forgot 10 minutes after the test)

• And was frustrated by subjective grading, (even though I l

literature and creative writing)

• So I wound up in STEM
Stereotype of an Engineer

• Always taking thing apart

• I never did that

• But I loved logic problems, and getting to the conceptual heart of p

solutions

• I actually hate computers

• The world would be better if more people in the industry hated computers

• An important type of “diversity”

• Complementary skills

• Different ways of looking at the world

• When people ask me “how can we create a culture that lets women and min

say...

• Wrong question! “How do we create a culture that lets everyone thrive?”

• Try to get students to understand that their “superpower” can be seeing thin

having different skills
An Observation, continued

• In science/math classes, I always knew I’d be the best stud

• I wasn’t even happy about it• My fantasy...• But then, my first computer class

• A teacher noticed a nearby college had a programming class• The timing worked out, where she could drive a few of us there 

• And then I walked in...
Observations

• Learning requires self‐confidence• Meeting my daughter’s 5th grade teacher

• My perception of phys ed class

• But physical fitness is important, and actually fun (I learned way 

• I wonder how many kids get turned off to STEM because o

convinced they “aren’t good at it” or that “it’s hard”
Awareness of “Imposter Syndrom

• My perception in grad school the first time

• I stumbled into the ideal job at the ideal time in history (d

how computer networks should move data, at the dawn o

• I returned to grad school 10 years later

• I had learned “secrets”

• When the professor is droning on, ask questions!

• Start on problem sets as soon as you get them

• If you’ve been doing the homework, you’ll do fine on the tests
Encouraging Questions

• A great example of the opposite

• How to answer “naïve questions”

• And sometimes these questions make you rethink assumptions 

clarity to your thinking

• If you can’t explain it, you probably don’t understand it

• Even more important ... be a role model
Teaching Creativity

• Open‐ended projects to get students used to not “having 

think within

• I’ve learned, in Q&A after talks, to answer what I wish they’d as

• Start with “the obvious right answer might be...but let’s se

be more creative”

• Great example: Using a barometer to determine the heigh

building

• Also, start with collecting life annoyances...that’s a great o

for innovative solutions
Not everything you read is true

• How can you teach this?

• Maybe have the class read things (e.g., on the Internet), a

ways of deciding what’s plausible, and how to fact check

• Rather terrifying these days...

• For college students...I recommend to professors

• Don’t just have your students read what you consider to be goo

• Have them read horrible papers in prestigious venues

• And ground‐breaking papers along with the reviews from the fir

paper was rejected
Communication, and Clear Think

• Advice for being a good speaker:

• Given a topic (you know about)• An amount of time• A level of the audience

• Come up with an appropriate talk• This also causes the speaker to understand the topic better

• Buzzwords

• Intimidate most people

• There are those that are confident they know what it means, but they disagree abou

• Summarizing a book

• When attacking a problem...get rid of all the irrelevant details, and get to the con

the problem being solved

• Challenge: explain the problem to someone outside your field?
Summary

• “Intelligence” isn’t a linear scale

• Steps in problem solving

• Finding the conceptual heart• Being able to explain it to others• Understanding similar things that have been done before, and p

these approaches

• Seek out people who disagree, and listen to them

• Teach how to summarize things clearly
Thank you!
STEM Webpage www.ed.gov/STEM 

STEM Newsletter www.ed.gov/subscriptions ED Grants https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grants-appBack to School Success Stories https://oeseNext STEM Webinar: STEM Strategic Plan Upd2020, 1:30-3:00 PM ET 
Invention Education Pathways 

Supporting Young Inventors: Different Ages and Stages of Development 

Dr. Stephanie Couch, Executive Director, Lemelson-MIT Program 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 

Dr. Kristin Moon, Program Administrator, Technology and Engineering, 

Portland Public Schools, Portland, Oregon 
Dr. K

MooProgram TechnoloPortland
Dr. S

CouExecutivLemelso

Definitions of Invention Education 

Researchers' Definition Facilitation of educational engagement in which people find and define problems and design and build new, novel, useful, and unique solutions that contribute to the betterment of society 

Practitioners' Definit

A pedagogical approach focused on problem identification through empand collaborative problem solving that results in novesolutions by integrating thprocess of invention into teaching and learning Framework available at: https://inventioneducation
Common Elements of Diverse IvE Programs 

• A problem-finding or defining stage • Open-ended inquiry to solve real-world proble• Teamwork and collaboration within and beyon

the team 

• Mentors and others from the larger community • Iterative and recursive learning and design cyc• Embracing learning from failure and uncertain• Educators as guides, mentors, or coaches who 

learn alongside students 
Pathways for Federal STEM Goals and IvE 

Source: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wpcontent/uploads/2019/10/Progress-Report-on-the-FederalImplementation-of-the-STEM-Education-Strategic-Plan.pdf 
Biogen-MIT Biotech in Action 

STEM+ Meets Invention (Summer Virtual 

Students from MA & NC • 400 High School Students 

Engaged as Transdisciplinary Researchers and Inventors 

• 75% research posters 

addressing13 neurological diseases (including Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s) 

• 25% posters with inventions 

(including ALS) 

Speakers and Topics • Dr. Peter Bergethon 

VP of Quantitative MedicinBiogen 

– Science, Technology, Mathem

Physics, Data Science, DiseasModeling, Social and BehavioSciences 

• Professor Michael Cima 

MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Resear(Prolific Inventor) 

– Materials Science, Chemistry

Engineering Devices for Data Capture and Drug Delivery 
Computer Science and Computational 

Thinking 

• Technological invention produces a wide range 

including machines, devices, materials, processealgorithms, and databases 

• Students’ InvenTeam projects increasingly involv

form of computing technologies 

• In 2019, 14 of 15 InvenTeams’ working prototype

projects that included CS/CT components 
Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams 

SOAR High School, Lancaster, CA 
Post-Secondary Programs Producing 

LMIT Student Prize Winners Johns Hopkins University BME Undergraduate Design Team Program Ithemba 2019 “Cure it!” Undergraduate Team Student Prize Winner A reusable, low-cost, contamination-free breast biopsy device 

MIT Global Engineering and Research (GEAR) Lab 

Natasha Wright 2017 “Eat it!” Graduate Student Prize Winner Solar-Powered Desalination System for Off-Grid Water Production in India and Gaza; and Usage Sensor for Household Water Treatment Devices 

Brigham Young UniveRollins Center for Entrepreneurship an

Neptune Plastics, In2020 “Use it!” Undergraduate TeaPrize Winner Single-use, biodegradabcompostable plastic fil
Empathy and Introduction to Inventing through L

Grades K-3 • Abby Invents • Literacy component of Full STEAM Ahead* (March 

2020) for youngest inventors 

• Graphic novel • Problem identification & solving • Invention cycle • Patent activity 

*https://fullsteam.mit.edu/week-2-package-stepping-into-invention/ 

Grades 4-8 • Stepping into Coding and Inve

Literature 

• Introducing inventing via Idea• Literacy component: El Deafo 

– Autobiographical – Graphic novel – Empathy building 
Students’ Developmental Trajectory 

• Useful – Beginner • Unique – Intermediate • Reduce to practice – Proficient • Not obvious to one skilled in the art - Advan

For more information, read the report by the Committee for the Study of Invention https://lemelson.mit.edu/node/2522
Teachers’ Reasons for Engaging in Invention Edu

• Connecting students to real world experiences • Opportunities to help students integrate and app

knowledge 

• Excitement • Connecting with community • Interest in problem solving of real-world challen• Equity and social justice • Process of learning 
Knowledge and Experiences Needed by Teacher

• Open-ended, problem-based inquiry • Scaffolding instruction • Utilizing knowledge, people, and resources 

across disciplines and industries 

• Integrating student backgrounds and home 

funds of knowledge 

• Developing and using various formative and 

summative assessments 

• Information and inquiry literacies • Collaborating with others beyond school 
Challenges in Facilitating Invention Educ

• Time in the school day • Assessments and accountability not geared 

towards the transdisciplinary nature of IvE 

• Teachers are often trained to know, teach, an

transmit knowledge in a singular discipline rather than making the connections and learning alongside students working in team

• Physical and environmental aspects of IvE, 

including space, physical and human resources, tools, and the technical and applknowledge 
All Grades: In- or Out-of-School 

Invention Conventions alongside Science & Engineering Fairs 
Invention Education & the Federal STEM P

Aligns with federal STEM goals: 

– Builds strong foundations for STEM literacy – Prepares the STEM workforce for the future – Increases diversity, equity and inclusion in S

Invention Education

Preparing Students for a Future Yet To Be Inv

Invention Education 

Preparing Students for a Future Yet To Be Inv

David Coronado Joyce Ward The Lemelson Foundation U.S. Patent and Trademark 
Davi

CoroProgram Lemelso
Joyc

Director, U.S. PatOffice 

• Agency Overview 

• Importance of Invention Education to 

work of USPTO - Partnerships 

• 5-Year Plan "Advance Innovation and 

Entrepreneurship" 
SUCCESS Act –National Council for Expanding America
Growing an InventEd Network 

• A diverse group of leaders from education, government, policy • Committed to increasing access to quality Invention Education 

students across the country 
What We Need to Solve For 

Complex Challenges – US and Global Health, Climate Change, Sustainable Business, Inequality, etc. (Source: UN) 

Rapidly Changing Technologies – New technologies are changing 

the workplace at an unprecedented rate (Source: Deloitte) 

Talent Shortages - In information technology, engineering, technicians, and others required for 21st Century jobs (Source: ManpowerGroup) 

Lack of Diversity - Patent holders and leading technology innovators a90% male and nearly 95% Asian or White (Source: Nager et al., 2016) 
What is Needed 

A Diverse Pipeline of Future Inventors and Problem-Solvers 

Agile Thinkers 

New Ideas and Solutions 

Techn

Inclusive Problem Solving Empathetic Leaders 
Invention Education 

• Opens Minds and Possibilities • Enhances Learning • Prepares Students for the 

Economy of the Future 

By teachin

youth ho

inventive th

can prepa

succee

everchang

We can cre

future f
So how do we prepare students 

today for an unpredictable future? 

Invention Education 

Resources 
inventioneducation.org 
Invention Education Framework 

o A guide for adoption and assessment of 

Invention Education program quality 

o Released in March 2020 and developed 

in collaboration with more than 100 organizations 
Invention Education Research 

• Consolidates current knowledge base 

for those advancing the field of Invention Education 

o Released at InventEd 2019, builds on 

work published in April 2019 issue of Technology & Innovation Journal 



Educator Resources & Professional Development Opportun

USPTO Kids Pages 

National Summer Teacher Inston Innovation, STEM and Intelwww.uspto.gov/teacherinstitu
Monthly Offerings for K-12 Educators 

• "Last Tuesday" Webinars 

Monthly virtual professional development workshops for K-12 educators interested in integrating intellectual property (IP), invention, and innovation content into STEM/STEAM classrooms. Explore different types of IP protection including patents, trademarks, copyright, and trade secrets. Sessions are held the last Tuesday of each month from 6:00pm-7:30pm ET. Visit the USPTO Events page to register or email us as education@uspto.gov. 

• Wednesday Office 

Monthly virtual “Office Hours” for K-12 and learners provide an informal oppointellectual property related questions exploration of ideas to integrate intelleinvention education concepts into varioOffice hours are held on the last Wednmonth from 3:00pm to 4:00pm ET. 
USPTO Inventor Collectible Card Serie

www.uspto.gov/kids Education@uspto.gov 
USPTO Resources & Regional Offices 

• Patent and Trademark 

Resource Centers (PTRC) 

Nationwide network of public, state, and academic libraries designated by the USPTO to disseminate patent and trademark information and support the intellectual property needs of the public 
February 3 - 4, 2021 

INVENTING AN 

EQUITABLE FUTURE 

Virtual Convening 

inventioneducation.org 
Join Us.

Together we can bring the promise of Invention Education to all students 

Actions to Take Now: • Learn more at inventioneducation.• Join our mailing list • Download the free Invention Educ• Download free Invention Educatio

Join Us. 

Together we can bring the promise of Invention Education to all students 
DISCUSSION 

QUESTIONS ANSWERS CONC