What’s the “No Glue” Rule?

If you love Maker Spaces, STEAM/STEM, crafting, or any kind of tinkering type of learning, you may be surprised to learn the ONE RULE @remida_reggioemilia enforces: NO GLUE.

Why the NO GLUE rule? In a word: sustainability. Think about it…

🤩 NO GLUE forces makers into innovative thinking

Glue is an easy way to bind and hold materials. Without glue, we have to find alternatives. We ask, “What if?” and “What happens when…” We experiment. We innovate.

Innovative thinking includes sustained curiosity and cycles of problem-posing and problem-solving. Experimentation leads to learning as we prototype, test, and refine our ideas and creations. Refinement leads to more nuanced and sophisticated understanding and technologies.

🌿 Sustained use of materials = less waste of time, money, and supplies.

When we glue recyclables, they become landfill. Alternatively, when materials can be deconstructed and returned to the studio, they can be reused over and over. This means teachers only need to curate materials once, saving time, money, and other precious resources.

Storing materials in easy to easy-to-reach and see-through containers, like clear plastic bins or jars, can inspire spontaneous creation-making. This can lead to more playful learning and hands-on, agentic inquiry.

💡Let’s cheer on a more sustainable learning movement!

Consider printing this image and posting it in your Studio or Maker’s Space. What happens when you enforce the NO GLUE rule?