The Maker Movement is everywhere. What is it? How do you “do” it? What is the difference between “maker space” “creation station” “genius hour” and all of these other terms? How can you decide what to do in your own classroom? Here are a few essential resources for you:
Reading About the Movement
My research is summarized in these two articles I wrote for Edutopia:
How the Maker Movement is Moving Into Classrooms – This piece gives you an overview of the maker movement including some of the research behind it. It also defines the jargon that has many confused about WHAT it is. Then, it gives you some of my favorite books and ends with the impact on libraries. I also include a video I shot at the FabLab at Kentucky Country Day School this summer that is a must watch! (Inserted below.)
[callout] Read How the Maker Movement is Moving Into Classrooms on Edutopia [/callout]
The DIY World of Maker Tools and Their Uses – TheIn this article, we dive into the many tools that are being used: 3D printers, Vinyl cutters, laser cutters, woodshop influences. Then we dive into many of the technological faves including the Hummingbird Robotics Kit, Arduino Boards, Raspberry Pi, Legos, Minecraft, and more. This is full of videos that I shot at ISTE as I explored.
[callout] Read The DIY World of Maker Tools and Their Uses [/callout]
Listening to Stories About the Maker Movement
There are several outstanding shows on the Maker movement for your listening.
[callout]
- Learning by Doing: Inside the Maker Movement (Sylvia Martinez, coauthor of Invent to Learn)
- Why Playful Learning is Vital to Developing 21st Century Skills by Stephan Turnipseed, Chairman – Partnership for 21st Century Skills
- How Classrooms Change When Genius Drives Learning #geniushour – the four founders of genius hour talk about the movement – Joy Kirr @joykirr,, Hugh McDonald @hughtheteacher,, Gallit Zvi gallit_z,, Denise Krebs @mrsdkrebs
- Teaching Girls STEAM in Middle School with Vinnie Vrotney
- How 3D Printers Open New Possibilities for Project Based-Learning with Kelly Hines
[/callout]
Share Your Story
I'm making a makerspace in my own classroom. I hope you'll share your links, pics, and videos in the comments. I'd love to learn from you!
[callout] Picture Attribution – By Dave Jenson (We're working on it!) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons [/callout]
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4 comments
I want to add that Maker-type spaces are not just beneficial for students, but they are also great for teachers! I was at a fab lab last weekend and I created a custom calculator organizer for my classroom. The pride I felt from the experience was immense and I look forward to providing the same feeling to my students at some point in the future. To all the teachers out there, I suggest trying it out for yourself!
My Experience Using a Laser Cutter to Make a Calculator Organizer – http://www.mrsharristeaches.com/2014/09/creating-a-calculator-organizer-for-my-classroom/
Cheers,
Mrs. Harris
Those are some GREAT resources! Thanks for sharing them!
Delighted to see this here!
I am totally convinced – not only by my personal experience but by a growing body of research evidence – that application of the ‘maker philosophy’ in the classroom has immeasurable benefits in terms of educational, skills, concentration and co-operation outcomes for students.
I was first alerted to this when attending a ‘maker faire’ out of curiosity. I was struck – really like by lightning – by how many kids were there and the extraordinary degree of engagement and concentration. the learning was tangible. I remember thinking: this is what it should be like.
The ‘makerspace’ in the classroom serves to ground and embed theoretical learning as well as inspire new and adventurous approaches.
This is something that i must write about myself, so thanks as well for the inspiration. For anyone wanting to take these ideas further, there’s a neat little magazine called Makezine which is packed full of ideas and articles. I should point out that I have no affiliation or financial interest in it, I have just found it useful and think it’s worth sharing. Online and free, there is this article which is a great compliment to your post and also addresses one of the more daunting issues confronting educators who want to introduce makerspaces in the classroom; namely, the budget: http://makezine.com/2014/01/10/makerspace-in-the-classroom/
Thanks again for sharing this, Vicki, and I hope there are more contributions.
Hi Mindi! I need to get ahold of Makezine! Please bring your expertise to the conversation! Sounds like you know a lot about it!!
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