Wednesday, May 10, 2017

How You Are Doing Making is Wrong

At least, that is what some people would have you believe.

My click bait title is not what I believe.

Making is a journey. Everyone takes their own path in exploring new ideas and the right way is the way that works for you and for your students. You are the expert in your classroom. Read different blogs and different books and collect the ideas that will help you be a success in your classroom.

Your Starter Guide to Makerspaces was written to share the things I did that worked for me in the hopes that others will pick up the things that would work for them and toss the things that didn't. It is not a "this is the right way and this is the wrong way" approach. I have opinions on what I think is best, but that does not make it law.

I have always had issues with the way some ideas are shown to be the solution and everything else is wrong. At least until the next thing comes along and replaces that one. It is the natural order of things for ideas to come and go, but social media has revved up the rhetoric. Watching a Twitter thread become a referendum on something you do in class can be very intimidating. It's important to remember that those people are not in your room. You are the expert of your room.

For those of you out there that are interested in starting to Make and bringing making to your school or classroom, don't stress about what others might think is right and wrong. Do your research, find the things that you think will work, implement them, and fix the things that didn't work how you hoped. This is the natural cycle of trying new things and failing. You will get it right over time. I trust you. Most importantly,

Don't forget that you are the expert for your class.

Hugs and High Fives,

NP

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