How I Use It
When I am planning a hands-on project to complete with my class, Instructables in one of the first places I turn. The nearly endless number of projects cover everything from electronics to cooking to fiber crafts. Our class recently had a presentation on vermicomposting (a.k.a. using worms to compost food scraps). With some guidance and suggestion from me, the class decided we too should vermicompost at school. The next day, I was able to show the students some of the steps involved in creating a worm bin, thanks in part to numerous worm bin projects on the site. Later in the year, I intend to use Instructables to learn how to make and use a t-shirt scrap loom to make simple textiles with my students.
My Take
I have been a fan of Instructables for many years, and highly recommend it for any teacher interesting in performing both simple and complex do-it-yourself projects. It has uses both in and out of the classroom, but at my grade level (kindergarten), this app, and the website that gave rise to it, are appropriate for teacher research only. Without a content filter, one never knows what will be found in the step-by-step instructions and/or comments. However, with some work ahead of time, it is easy to find live Instructables (or at least screen shots) appropriate to share with students before jumping into a group project.
