What can pony bead animal keychains teach us about research instruction? In this hands-on workshop, attendees will use a playful craft activity to explore the connections between critical thinking, patience, and productive struggle. Participants will actively create bead animals with limited guidance, then reflect on how the process mirrors students' research experiences: navigating frustration, persisting through challenges, and developing resilience. Together, we will link these insights to instructional design, discussing strategies for scaffolding and encouraging self-directed learning. Attendees will leave with both a tangible reminder of the exercise and new approaches for cultivating critical thinking in the classroom.
Participants will: 1. Experience the role of productive struggle and persistence in developing critical thinking 2. Reflect on parallels between hands-on activities and students' research processes in library instruction 3. Identify instructional strategies that encourage patience, resilience, and self-directed learning in their own classrooms
