Thoughts on Makerspaces #MakingMatters

Since last year, I've been diving into the world of Making. It has been exciting and it has also been a large amount of extra work, but it matters. I just wanted to share a few stories as to why it matters so much.

Quick Background:

My librarian and I have worked together to create an open Makerspace for students to use in the library. It is available to students to use before school, during lunch, during study halls, and after school whenever the library is open. The idea is to give students access to tools on their own to see what they will create. It is meant to be student driven with some nudging from teachers to encourage students to explore different things. We have a 3D printer, Makey Makey kits, Chromebooks, and are stocking the space with more goodies based on student requests. To use the space, the students have to attend and orientation that covers the different tools available and the use of the space.

Story 1:

Solving Meaningful Problems

Here is a picture of a student using the dry erase wall to start her design process. She has an issue with her knee. Her kneecap does not stay in place. It moves around and can be very painful and tough. She is an athlete and has not found anything to help her with this issue. When she came to the Makerspace, she jumped into solving this issue for her. She was working on designs and is close to a prototype of this new brace. She says that there are many people that deal with this condition and she wants to help those people with her creation. She has spent her time working on this project and has said that the space has allowed her to think about this issue and explore possible solutions. She would not have been able to do this without a space that encouraged her to explore a solution to her problem.

Story 2:

Doing Good

This is a great picture of two students who have been spending their lunch time sitting in the Makerspace trying to do something good. They are trying to design a prosthetic hoof for horses. Off all of the things that I expected to see in the space, this never crossed my mind. That is what makes the space so amazing! Students are going to create and do things that we could never imagine and that is what learning is all about. They have spent time researching and diving into the world of assisted technology to see what they would need to do to create this device for horses. I can't wait to see their 3D designs and printed models. Their passion for this project exceeds anything else they are currently working on in school.

Story 3

Fitting in

I run the orientations for the Makerspace. I meet with the students in groups and go over the different things they need to know about using the space. On two different days, I worked 1:1 with two young ladies that were interested in the space. Both of them were very excited  about doing different things and even had ideas for projects. There were two comments that stood out to me when I was talking to them separately.

Girl 1: This is heaven for me. I finally have someplace to go and think about all of the things I want to do. Then, I can do them!

Girl 2: I finally feel like I fit in. I felt weird about liking this type of stuff (making stuff, technology, etch.), but not anymore.

It was tough holding back the tears and the want to give them a huge hug. Everything I had hoped for the Makerspace to do, was happening and these two young ladies put words to it. I wanted to create a space for students to come, tinker, create, and most of all, just be themselves. These students made me feel like I was winning education on those days.

Making Matters:

Making Matters because it gives students, all students, a space to explore the world that our rigid curriculum does not cover. It gives them a community of like-minded people to explore the world. It provides them access to tools they will not use in any other class. It shows them they are not alone in wanting to get their hands dirty and just make something.

We give our students a sandbox and toys to be creative and play when they are younger, but we take that all away as they age. For my high school students, the Makerspace is the new sandbox and I want them to come in, play, create, and most of all, get their hands dirty.

Please share your stories of why Making Matters in the comments section below.

Hugs and High Fives,

Nick

Making Is Not Just For STEM #MakerEd

I'm an English teacher and I'm building a Makerspace. Since October, I've been raising funds and working out deals to put in a Makerspace in our school library. I've been working with our Media Specialist to make this happen and I've had wonderful support from our admin staff. We are close to having a completed space and have chosen to call it the Blue Devil Maker's Lounge. I had a chance to take my Freshmen down to the space to show it off and share with the students what will be possible in the space. While a bit stressful, the Maker's Lounge has been a great project where I have learned many different things from friends across the country and right at home in Michigan. However, there has been some skepticism. 

A week or two ago, I heard that someone had said, "What does English have to do with a Makerspace?" I feel this question comes from a place of misunderstanding. While STEM and STEAM are important and a Makerspace can help support these ideals, there is much more to the space than just 3D Printing and Raspberry Pie. One of my jobs is going to be explaining that to all students and staff once we are open for business. A Makerspace needs to be viewed as something more than the gadgets that fill it. The items do not define the space. The student define it every time it's used and it has a different definition for each student using it. 

Our Maker's Lounge is designed to be a project space for all students. These students can be working on any project for any class and this space will be there for them to work on it. They might not need a Makerbot 3D printer, but they could use the IdeaPaint wall to organize their project. They might need a comfortable place to charge their phone and curl up on a Bretford chair with a Chromebook to do some research. They just might want to explore something completely new to them and use our Post-it® Notes to connect with other inquisitive students. A student club might want to meet here and plan a service project. Anything can happen here. That's the point of the space.

As a project-based teacher, I see the value of collaboration using different media to express understanding. A Makerspace is perfect for any teacher that encourages students to create original items to demonstrate learning. The class subject is irrelevant. If we want to have more thinkers and problem solvers, we need to create more opportunities for kids to create. We have to stop telling students that spaces are for only certain things. It is a major problem in education. For many students, they think learning does and should only happen in the school building. Our students are going to pay dearly for these thoughts down the line if we do not start changing the narrative. 

Another reason I've chosen to work on a Makerspace has to do with 20 Time. My idea in creating a Makerspace would allow students their own guided 20 Time projects. They could freely explore anything that interests them and have a safe and open space to do that in school. I asked my students if the space would have changed what their project might have been, about 25% said it might. That is reason enough for me. 

For those students and staff that wondered why an English teacher is building a Makerspace and sharing it with his students, the best answer comes from a student who emailed me her thoughts after seeing the Maker's Lounge, 

"Hi. I was really interested in the printing and coding stuff today. I would really like to make an app and also think it would be cool to print a camera lens. I'm still thinking of some more ideas but I'm really excited to start working on these kinds of projects!! See you tomorrow:)" 

Keep Making...

Hugs and High Fives!