Dissecting the Un-Makerspace: Recycled Learning It starts with a twist, a squeak, and a cheer. Watch out, 1980s cassette player, broken computer mouse, old monitor -- my fifth graders and I are looking for you! Your future doesn't hold a dumpster in it, at least not yet. You, my memory of past innovation, get a second life. Making vs. Before we start taking apart the un-makerspace, we need to look at the maker movement. Evan's catapult with cardboard, popsicle sticks, and rubber bands. Photo credit: Scott Bedley So the making led me to "un-making." Why did that little wheel spin when I pushed the play button on that cassette player? My students will have a space to dissect all the discarded and unwanted items and to ask those questions. Making an Un-Makerspace in 7 Easy Steps How can you create an un-makerspace in your class? 1. It can be old stereos, discarded computers, or even VHS machines, but whether it is small or large, your students will learn. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Be sure to have the proper gear for cleaning up after yourselves.
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What’s in a MakerSpace? By Sylvia Libow Martinez and Gary S. Stager A well-equipped modern MakerSpace features flexible, computer-controlled manufacturing equipment for creating, cutting, and forming plastics, metal, plaster, and other common materials, including: 3D printers that are capable of producing three-dimensional objects. Cutting machines that cut a variety of materials with precision. Deciding what to focus on first may seem like a daunting task. There is no absolute shopping list of must haves. Get started, do something, and refine as you see what works in your classroom. Beyond the game-changing technologies, your makerspace should include a basic stock of supplies to keep your students challenged, inspired, and busy. Electronic parts and tools Computers, cameras, software Craft and art supplies Building materials and traditional tools Junk for recycling into new products Batteries A library
MAKE STEAM: Giving Maker Education Some Context As an experiential educator who has fully embraced technology as a means for allowing and facilitating learner voice, creativity, innovation, inventiveness, the Maker Education movement fits into my vision about what a good education entails. I have been blogging and presenting about Maker Education – see But recent discussions with other educators and administrators made me realize that the idea of maker education is often vague and seems unrealistic in terms of regular classroom instruction. As such, in the future, I am going to associate and discuss Maker Education in the context S.T.E.A.M. – science, technology, engineering, arts (including language arts), math, hopefully, encouraging regular classroom teachers to integrate maker education projects into their classrooms. What follows are some resources and articles I compiled to provide educators as part of this discussion. Like this: Like Loading...
Create a school makerspace in 3 simple steps As maker education gains steam, many educators are looking for ways to incorporate making and tinkering into their schools and classrooms — often on a shoestring budget. “Kids are saying they want to learn more about technology and science, but they also want to experience it creatively and use it personally,” said Dale Dougherty, founder of Make Media, which produces Maker Faire and Make Magazine. He’ll address how educators can deliver these types of experimental learning experiences during ISTE 2014’s EdTekTalks, a provocative series of mini-keynotes from thought leaders beyond the world of ed tech. “One of the ways we can do that is create more makerspaces for kids. Part of my talk will be leading the charge to say let’s build more makerspaces inside schools, libraries and even community centers.” But what makes a makerspace? Makerspaces can be elaborate learning spaces equipped with sophisticated tools and supplies, but they don’t have to be. Step 1: Secure some space.
Want to Start a Makerspace at School? Tips to Get Started As the Maker Movement starts to gain momentum, schools that are trying to find ways to foster the do-it-yourself environment can learn a few lessons from another nexus in the universe: public libraries. Dale Dougherty, founding editor and publisher of Make Magazine — and the de facto leader of the Maker Movement — has a vision to create a network of libraries, museums, and schools with what he calls “makerspaces” that draw on common resources and experts in each community. Libraries and museums, he said, are easier places to incorporate makerspaces than schools, because they have more space flexibility and they’re trying to attract teens with their programs. “Schools have already got the kids,” Dougherty noted wryly, at the recent American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. Schools can learn from libraries that participated in the inaugural Maker Camps last summer. “Why are you here?” But not every space is alike, or even appropriate.
SCOE: Resources: Instruction: 21st Century Learning: Maker Education We are pleased to announce that Sonoma County schools and districts interested in the Maker Education movement will now find new support and expertise for their efforts at SCOE. Local Maker Education expert Casey Shea has been hired as a SCOE teacher-on-loan. He will be available two days per week to provide hands-on workshops, on-site trainings, guidance for creating Maker spaces, and suggestions for simple Maker projects to get students started. Shea currently teaches mathematics and Project Make at Analy High School in Sebastopol. The goal of Maker Education is to create opportunities for young people to develop confidence, creativity, and interest in science, technology, engineering, math, art, and learning as a whole through “making.” Project Guides & Ideas Community Science Network Project PageThis page has over 100 well-documented projects that use inexpensive and easy-to-source materials. Howtoons Look here for simple projects delivered in a comic-book style. Resources Contact
Curious about classroom Makerspaces? Here’s how to get started. Makerspace is a rapidly growing trend in schools across the country, but to be honest, I’ve never implemented one myself, and I can’t quite picture the logistics of orchestrating a Makerspace. How do kids know what to do? How can you find out what they’re learning? How do you make time for that with all the other tasks crammed into the school day? I wanted to get answers to these questions from teachers who have extensive Makerspace experience, and not just at the secondary level. What exactly is a Maker and what happens in the “space”? If you search a thesaurus for the word “make” you will find a plethora of great synonyms: create, cause, assemble, manufacture, achieve, invent, generate, produce, craft, build, construct, or generate. As we have integrated engineering lessons into our classrooms, we have watched as kids come up to us and asked, “Mrs. What materials do you use in a classroom Makerspace? How do students know what to build in the Makerspace? Want to build an alarm? 1. 2. 3.
Designing a School Makerspace Makerspaces, STEAM labs and fab labs are popping up in schools across the country. Makerspaces provide hands-on, creative ways to encourage students to design, experiment, build and invent as they deeply engage in science, engineering and tinkering. A makerspace is not solely a science lab, woodshop, computer lab or art room, but it may contain elements found in all of these familiar spaces. Therefore, it must be designed to accommodate a wide range of activities, tools and materials. Cardboard construction Prototyping Woodworking Electronics Robotics Digital fabrication Building bicycles and kinetic machines Textiles and sewing Designing a space to accommodate such a wide range of activities is a challenging process. Some schools have chosen to incorporate makerspaces within multiple classroom spaces. Ask the Right Questions Because of the constantly evolving activities that a makerspace accommodates, a flexible design is critical from the outset. WHICH tools are most needed? Resources:
Creating an Authentic Maker Education Rubric While many teachers are excited about the maker movement and may even be creating projects for their classrooms, assessment can be puzzling even to veteran classroom teachers. How can teachers prove that deep, rich learning is occurring through making? How do we justify a grade to students and parents alike, especially to the student who "just isn’t good at art"? By crafting a three-part rubric that assesses process, understanding, and product, teachers can rest assured that they are covering all the bases. Part 1: Process The process of making in the classroom needs to be incorporated in the final grade. Photo credit: Lisa Yokana As part of a recent project in my school's senior-level public policy class, students crafted scale models of Lower Manhattan in preparation for a disaster simulation. Students created a scale model of Lower Manhattan in City 2.0 at Scarsdale High School. Part 2: Understanding Students must demonstrate an understanding of materials and tools. Habits of Mind