Creativity | Inventions & Inventors
 

Essex High School InvenTeam (2004)

Resources
2.007 MIT Design and Manufacturing I Course
An online outline fo the MIT Design and Manufacturing I class (2.007) led by Professor Alex Slocum, which provides a design handbook among its documents

Ask The Inventors
Provides tips for marketing your invention, which includes topics such as industry outlooks and how to avoid scammers

By Kids For Kids
Offers information about the invention process, examples of other young inventors, and step-by-step instructions on how to develop a useful invention to stimulate the creativity and ingenuity in children of all ages

Cogito
Online community that features webcast interviews with influential people in the field of science and technology, and a searchable collection of links to news articles, essays, book reviews, blogs, and educational resources.

Education World
Problem-solving lessons and tips for teaching invention in K-12, plus a list of recommended sites

Engineer Girl!
Inspires girls to explore engineering and provides resources for careers in fields such as medicine, space, environment, and communications, created by the National Academy of Engineering

Engineering Education Station
References and resources to aid engineering education for teachers and students

Exploring Leonardo
A review of Leonardo da Vinci's life and works compiled by the Museum of Science, Boston, which features his invention sketches, hands-on classroom activities, and an Inventor's Toolbox

Global MIT
A comprehensive database of MIT's global involvement ranging from individual faculty collaborations to institutional partnerships

How Stuff Works
Interactive site with detailed explanations of how all kinds of things work

iLab
Online laboratories that enrich science and engineering education by providing remote lab experiments to large groups of students at MIT and around the world

Invention Resource Database
A Web site to document your project using images, video, and text, plus search for potential resources, and also correspond with other inventors through weblogs

Inventors Digest
Online edition of the "Magazine for Idea People," which covers topics and resources for invention, especially the independent inventor

Lemelson Assistive Technology Development Center
Experiential education in design, invention and entrepreneurship through the use of assistive technology and universal design, administered at Hampshire College

Lemelson-MIT Program
Invention awards and advocacy initiative based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; includes an Inventor's Handbook for independent inventors

National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance
Supports teams of faculty and students working to advance the teaching of invention and innovation in American higher education

National Inventors Hall of Fame
Inspiring and informative invention site from the National Inventors Hall of Fame that profiles inductees and provides tips for patenting

OpenLabWare
Provides online materials that enhance understanding of the research process, and excite students about research at MIT

OpenCourseWare
A searchable repository of MIT course materials, such as exams and lecture notes for over 1,500 courses, published for students and educators around the world

Creativity Enhancers
Boosting Creativity
Ten steps to increase one's creativity by jpb.com

Creativity in Science and Engineering
Ronald Standler's theory on personality traits linked to creativity and how to increase productivity in creative minds

Enchanted Mind
Creativity techniques, tools and puzzles to inspire and enhance the mind

Ten-lesson Course on Creativity
Online lessons and tips on how to develop creativity, by Angela Booth

What a Great Idea
Inspiration and guidelines for nurturing creativity and ideas, sponsored by Creative Management Group

Inventors and Inventions

Forgotten Inventors
Biographies of "forgotten" American inventors, highlighted by PBS

Invention Dimension: Inventor of the Week Archives
An extensive database of inventors and inventions hosted by the Lemelson-MIT Program, which features a new inventor profile each week

Inventors and Inventions for K-12 Education
A library of inventors and inventions designed for teachers, parents and students by the Internet School Library Media Center