Sometimes we need to visit the past in order to understand the future. The constructivist, hands-on learning embodied in the maker movement (and allied with coding/programming initiatives) and underpinned by design thinking has very deep roots. Those who question its validity, or at least its place in institutional K-12 as currently structured, might do well to reflect on those roots.

Froebel put free play at the center of his revolutionary innovation, the Kindergarten. He designed and deployed wooden blocks -- literally, "Froebel's Gifts" -- for children to use as they would.

In doing so, he reaffirmed primal human abilities, our inherent and defining drive to shape with our hands. He disavowed the artificial (note the roots of that word) distinction between the manual and the liberal arts-- to everyone's lasting benefit.

If we honor Froebel for gifting us with the concept of Kindergarten, then we should include every element of his original vision in our homage. Simple wooden blocks can change the world! And call them the evergreen grandparents of Legos, of Play Doh, of GoldieBlox...of Blokify, of Adobe Illustrator, Autodesk 123D....

Daniel Rabuzzi is the Executive Director of Mouse.