We're so glad you're here for the ride, and that you'll leave inspired to start your own maker movement and makerspace in your classroom or building.

Makerspaces come in all shapes and sizes. There is no right or wrong way to set one up, except maybe not to have one at all. "A collection of tools does not define a Makerspace. It is defined by what it allows: making and creating. There are SO many possibilities embedded in the Maker Movement, and so much potential creative energy waiting to be unlocked by students and teachers alike. The Maker movement was born from Maker Media and identifies with very simple, very core ideas: Makers are creative and technical people, Makers seek opportunities to try and make new things, They believe if you can imagine it, you can make it (Disney), They don't do it for money, but aren't against those that do, and they collaborate and support one another.

The importance of play is extremely satisfying. Those who experiment and play with technology and the arts learn about it in the process. Makers also exercise their ability to think divergently. They are exploring what they can do and learning as they explore.

We MUST try and bring the youthful magic of play back into schools. Formal education through assessment and structured curriculum has made some skeptical of the Maker Movement. Through making, innovation and creativity can be found. These are high-level thinking skills. Makerspaces are also content blind, meaning, the use of the Makerspace by students can be applied to any discipline to solve problems related to that subject or content area.

Makers take risks and learn from failures. The growth mindset leads them to expand the energy to learn. They collaborate and give advice to one another. There is no sense of competition in making, but rather sharing.

We as teachers want our children to learn and succeed. After all, it is our job. But more than anything, we want our students to look at learning and creating as an opportunity than not only excites them, but is one they cannot pass up. They may not remember everything they were taught, but they will remember how it made them feel. The maker movement hopes to bring to education the mindset that students can learn to do anything and should not be afraid to do so.

For every school that supports STEAM, there should be a Makerspace. We know that not everyone will grow up to be an engineer or an artist, but we can teach them to think like one. Using materials from the Makerspace, students can be self-directed to solve problems by building prototypes.

The Impact Areas of the Makerspace fall into three main categories:

Inspiration: Inviting students to participate in making and direct their own future.

Innovation: Serving to help students think divergently

Education: Building a connection between the community and learners or the learners and new ideas/content

These are phrases heard over and over in Makerspaces. They are even sometimes posted in Makerspaces as a reminder that the area is a positive environment devoted to creating, innovative thinking and solve problems in a collaborative way.

First and foremost, Makerspaces are physical locations for people to work together and reflect on their projects. One challenge for developing a Makerspace is finding a location. In a school, where often retail estate is at a premium, Makerspaces can be difficult to get established. The good news is, they can occur anywhere. A popular space for a Makerspace is the school library, where media centers are meshed with maker materials. Another popular option is to make a traveling maker cart.

Finding materials can also be a challenge. We will talk about places that materials can be found. We will also talk about website resources to use during your makerspace time.

Leftovers Etc.

St. Louis Teacher Recycle Center

Kidsmart

DonorsChoose

GoFundMe

Habitat for Humanity ReStore

FreeCycle

diy.org

Camp Google

Scratch.mit

code.org

howtosmile.org

Stimulating a culture of safety can dramatically cut down on shop mishaps as members are encouraged members to watch out for the safety of each other and respect the equipment. You can accomplish this by modeling safe behavior in your own actions and in how you set up the space, setting up a strict training regimen, and posting signs and checklists.

The project manager
The Principal Investigator
The Coach
The Research Librarian

What should you expect from teachers and students in the Makerspace? Here are a few that we think apply to the teacher in the Makerspace:

Project Manager- A project manager knows how to create
objectives that are clear and reachable. They also give feedback on quality of work done by their team.

The Principal Investigator- The head of the research lab. Similarly, in Makerspaces the students are learning from and consulting with the teacher and with one another while pursuing projects that are generally of their own design.

The Coach- Yeah Team! Good coaching can be as hard to come by as good teaching. The best coaches learn what works well with their players and improve their “curriculum” and technique from season to season. They know how to give feedback without tearing their team down.

The Research Librarian- A librarian listens to a patron’s needs, desires, and interests, and then helps connect the reader to what will satisfy them, Aim the students, don't lead them.

Activity Time!

Please choose one of these activities to explore for the remainder of the time.