Henry Ford’s InHub learning platform helps teachers prepare students for changing the world and changing innovators, inventors and entrepreneurs. By using the Model I framework, students learned five action and six Habit Stories from the innovators from the Wright Brothers to Rosa Parks are common. These actions and habits are designed to help internal innovators release among all students.
To understand how it performs in an elementary classroom setting, we asked Amanda Dover, a fourth-grade teacher in North Carolina, to try the InHub course library with her students. Here is her teacher’s choice comment and why she recommends this platform for other educators who want to develop student innovation.
Check out any free resources Amanda mentioned by signing up for your Henry Ford account here. >>>
Which grade and subject areas do you think are best for Henry Ford’s INHUB?
The beauty of this resource is that features are accessible for almost all ages. They offer lesson plans for innovation in TOTS resources, ideal for preschoolers. Additionally, you’ll find resources tailored to K-12 courses that are easily filtered by grade level to make planning a breeze. Video and interactive activities can fit all levels, especially with structured support.
As a teacher for students with dyslexia, I have many conversations with students about the unique advantages of the dyslexia brain, especially the ability to “get it out of the box”. Research shows that dyslexia brains have advantages in innovative thinking due to their different ways in which they process information. This platform is indeed a gift because it enables them to gain innovative superpowers in a fun and interactive way. From watching videos and seeing how others use their creativity to courses like I Model I Primer: The process of learning from failures, students learn to embrace innovation and valuable life lessons.
Does this product meet any specific criteria or course guide you know?
This is consistent with most technical standards in all states to promote digital age skills to help students become careers and college-ready. In addition, several aspects of the platform involve many social research and scientific standards across the country. Especially in North Carolina, this involves criteria such as “H.1 Understanding how people and events change society over time” covering multiple grades. When we studied the colonial era through Revolutionary War in our fourth grade classroom, the site brought us into social development over the years.
Although most of the activities and courses on this website focus on social research and scientific standards, many of these activities also have ELA components. Many activities meet the standard “ccss.s.ela literacy.w.4.2 – Write informative/interpretive texts to examine a topic and clearly convey ideas and information.” Almost all courses’ products are worksheets or written components, requiring students to explain what they have learned, which is an excellent extension of writing skills.
Content on the website also provides opportunities for cross-curricular projects where students can engage in their own inventions and present them in classroom presentations, thereby building skills in creativity, communication and critical thinking.
For example, the Paper Aircraft Fun course combines science, mathematics and language arts. In this activity, students’ mission is to create paper airplanes based on the different designs they are studying. Once they decide to design the design, they test the aircraft and collect quantifiable data (distance of the aircraft flight and wingspan). These data can also be transformed into graphs as another mathematical extension activity. Upon completion of the project, students then extend this activity to written conclusions to summarize the results of their project in written form (CCSS.Ela-Literacy.W.4.7).
How will you use this product in your classroom?
InHub provides a unique opportunity to bring innovation, creativity, and real-world problem-solving skills into the classroom. The various resources on this site perfectly complement the units of STEM, history and design thinking.
As an activity for design thinking, I will let students explore innovative learning frameworks on INHUB to guide them to identify problems, brainstorm solutions and create prototypes. Starting with Model I Primer, students will learn to think like innovators and then gradually complete the innovation process. There are many ways to expand on this situation, including using the website’s videos and historical material to inspire student projects to incorporate them into courses about famous inventors.
In social studies, I will use artifacts from the website, such as the guide to all resources in Freedom and Justice. InHub introduces a guide to the actual artifacts that can be found in the Henry Ford Museum of Innovation in the United States. In social studies, we spend most of our time discussing the events of the American Revolution and the events that led to the war. These artifacts and stories can help deepen students’ understanding of revolutionary war events. Thomas Paine’s 1776 Common Sense Pamphlet is discussed as one of the inflammatory events of the war, and the spotlight of the artifact provides students with more details and background on this document. The field trip also highlighted artifacts such as the Declaration of Independence, the Letter of Benedict Arnold and George Washington’s Camp Bed.
How do your students react to the website?
As an ELA activity and extension of our conversation about innovation, we explore the lessons of staying. One of the defining characteristics of my class this year is their shared love for puns. Through this activity, students use their innovative thinking and creativity to create their own puns through same words and sequels. My favorite thing is the pun shared with friends: “Why can’t you give Elsa a balloon? Because she’ll let it go!” Their love for puns doesn’t stop the lesson as they continue to use creative thinking skills to invent new puns! As one of them said, “We are the Five Masters now!”
We also tried a few Kahoots! game. Our favorite thing is to stay curious…like the Wright brothers. We learned how the famous brothers started with a bicycle shop, which helped inspire their innovative spirit and led to their invention of the world’s first successful aircraft. After playing, one student shared, “I love this Kahoot! Because it’s fun, I have to test what I know. Understanding how the Wright brothers continue to try new things makes me want to continue learning, too.”
Why would Henry Ford’s teacher choose?
Teaching innovation can be difficult because schools and systems are not always built for change. In many cases, things have been done the same way, and trying new things can feel risky, especially when teachers are under pressure from standards and test scores. There is also a challenge, that is, there is not enough time, training or resources to try new ideas correctly. Even if teachers want to innovate, they may face a fight back from parents, administrators, and even students who are used to the old ways. Additionally, it is difficult to measure whether a new approach is really effective, especially in the short term. All of this makes it tricky to get out of the usual routine and try something different in class.
Using this INHUB platform helps break down barriers as these courses are easy to use and implement. The website provides information in an organized, user-friendly format. I found lesson plans, activities and resources that directly match my needs. I particularly value clear instructions and ready-made materials, which allow me to combine these concepts with minimal preparation time or additional training into my teaching. Additionally, I found many ways to talk to students’ parents and administration about innovative approaches, which are perfect for reasons behind everything I do in the classroom.
What are your two favorite features on Henry Ford’s InHub?
My students love Kahoot! , so I like that InHub offers many fascinating options on this platform. I plan to use Kahoots regularly in my classroom on this site.
Also, I like the course library. I found it organized and easy to use. I love that each grade has a wide variety of courses that are easy to follow and are available for classroom use as needed.
What makes InHub different from the other programs you use?
InHub is a strong focus on innovation, creativity, and problem solving in the real world, which makes it stand out among other educational programs I use. I love how all of these things are based on real historical content, making it all across courses that integrate all aspects of STEM, historical and social studies. It inspires creativity by directly connecting students with real artifacts, inventors’ stories and innovative processes.
InHub is unique to innovative learning frameworks and invention conventions. The framework is unique because it provides a student-centered approach that goes far beyond traditional classroom instruction. Its activities stem from historical innovation. This helps connect students to the innovative legacy of modern society as a whole. The framework is query-based, enabling students to ask their own questions and then conduct research to answer these questions. It emphasizes the process rather than perfection, reminds students that failure is part of the process and contributes to our efforts to instill in the classroom as educators.
I love how this methodology empowers my students and sees them as thinkers and creators who shape the 21st century world we live in. The skills they gain from it are essential to becoming the next generation of productive citizens. I also like that it can make many cross-curricular connections, blending things like social research, mathematics or science and writing to make learning more meaningful and appealing.
How will InHub save you time or make teaching easier?
InHub saves time by providing available high-quality resources that can be easily integrated into the course plan. This means I don’t have to create everything from scratch. It also provides access to a large amount of engaging content that matches my courses and standards.
When working on projects that require some innovation and creativity, INHUB also provides actionable ideas and steps to guide students through the entire process seamlessly. This ultimately reduced the time I had spent planning project-based assignments.
How do you plan to use INHUB again in the future?
As I explored the site, I discovered a lot of opportunities to use the platform in class next year. The artifacts of the Colonial Revolution and the American Revolution era made me interested in my social studies courses. I plan to incorporate them into my studies next year. I also want to introduce innovative frameworks to my students as we explore project-based activities that can be useful. I also plan to check these resources to help me discover more ways to innovate in the classroom:
Teacher Choice is a sponsorship program provided by our teachers. All opinions shared in the comments are honest and based on the teacher’s direct experience. To learn more about our guidelines and review process, click here.
