The idea of learning by doing is making a name for itself in the educational world. Student inquiry is becoming an important part of the school day,, as teachers are encouraged to facilitate inventing to learn opportunities (Bolkan, 2017). This new trend is being coined as Maker Space. You can view all different forms of maker space just by searching on Google, Facebook, or Instagram. Teachers highlight their dedicated corners, personalized STEM bins, and student creations through their accounts. As this trend is taking off and the importance of facilitating 21st-century skills in the classroom is coming to light, how can schools support this new trend?
What is it?
Maker Space is a place for students to create in a self-directed inclusive environment. Students work together to complete engineering, creating, or playing challenges that enhance their use of 21st-century skills. Teachers use these spaces to encourage resilience, and a tolerance for mistakes as students are encouraged to use their mistakes as learning and planning opportunities for the next step (Oliver, 2016).
How to Support this Learning Trend:
How to support this trend can be a hefty topic to discuss. Teachers need to be comfortable with students creating at their own pace and thinking for themselves in independent learning opportunities as well as providing collaborative opportunities. It doesn’t take much to get started, but some planning through integrating the curriculum is needed.
An article posted on Edutopia highlighted the attraction to this learning trend. Students are able to learn by doing in an environment that fosters resiliency. What schools need to focus on is being able to make this trend inclusive for all students. In an article published in T H E Journal, the first step in making maker space available for all children is to integrate subjects throughout the curriculum. Each opportunity to participate in maker space throughout each subject allows students to develop soft skills that are needed to be successful in today’s workforce. Students are shown the importance of interlocking ideas while working together as a team (Bolkan, 2018).
The maker space movement encourages tinkering in all students. By addressing the curriculum through maker spaces, students are given access to their learning in ways that they haven’t been before. Taking a look at the curriculum and implementing hands-on approaches will allow for all needs of students to be met. It doesn’t take much to get this space started in your classroom. Target joined the trend this year by providing accessories in their Dollar Spot for Teachers during Back to School sales.
The need for differentiated instruction is a big topic in education. By creating this maker space in your classroom, students who are in need of visual cues are given an opportunity to thrive. These challenges or spaces can be differentiated by creating detailed visual instructions for students to complete. This leads to better development of becoming independent thinkers. Other ways to differentiate learning come through the choice of materials and physical set up of your space. By calculating the needs of students before creating this space, you are able to differentiate the activities that students are participating in. The biggest way that this space is conducive to differentiation, is that students are encouraged to follow their own process and ideas when creating.
In order for this to be successful, teachers just need to get started. It doesn’t take a lot of supplies if you are worried about funds. Pull together pipe cleaners, tin foil, paper plates, etc. and see what students can create.
Sources:
Bolkan, J. (2018). Integrating makerspaces throughout the curriculum. T H E Journal, 45(2), 20.
Fleming, L. & Krakower, B. (2016, July 19). Makerspaces and equal access to learning. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/makerspaces-equal-access-to-learning-laura-fleming-billy-krakower
Oliver, K. (2016). Professional development considerations for makerspace leaders, Part one: addressing ‘what?’ and ‘why?’. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 60(2), 160-166.
Education in Today's 21st Century 