The excitement and buzz around Maker Spaces is being compared to that of the early days of personal computers. \u00a0A Maker Space is defined as \u201ccollaborative workshops where young people gain practical hands-on experience with new technologies and innovative processes to design and build projects\u2026a flexible environment where learning is made physical by applying science, technology, math, and creativity to solve problems and build things\u201d (makerspace.org).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first step to being able to do something is to understand your own accomplishments,\u201d MAKE Magazine founder Dale Dougherty recently said at this months\u2019 American Library Association Mid-Winter conference in Seattle Washington.\u00a0 He added, \u201cWe are not going to create a generation of kids who are interested in science and technology by having them read textbooks.\u201d\u00a0 Dougherty has been a driving force in encouraging libraries to redefine \u201ctools\u201d and expand their ideas of programming.\u00a0\u00a0 Making can include anything from creating homemade holiday cards to designing solutions for providing clean drinking water to rural areas.\u00a0 The ability to prototype and physically design abstract ideas is not only something that is plausible, but also possible- due to technological innovations, crowdsourcing and access to inexpensive materials.<\/p>\n
Innovation and creativity is in our blood, and there is something very human about the process of making.\u00a0 Steve Jobs is quoted as saying, \u201ceverything around you that you call life was made up by people who were no smarter than you.\u201d\u00a0 This program would encourage this innovation and creativity among all students, faculty and staff.\u00a0 It is an opportunity to allow students to create even if they are not enrolled in an art or computer science course.\u00a0 It will allow for leadership opportunities and apprenticeships with existing programs and provide doorways to other disciplines.\u00a0 The program will encourage networking, peer collaboration and community involvement.\u00a0 By allowing students to use their creativity and imagination, we predict personal growth, invention, connected learning and entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n
The Educational Enrichment Fund would allow for partnerships in the community with organizations like Metrix CreateSpace<\/a>, Microsoft Garage, and the University of Washington Engineering<\/a> and Information Schools.<\/a>\u00a0 Many resources exist to help Maker Spaces get off the ground, including Make Magazine<\/a>, the American Library Association, and Makerspace.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n The program would include DIY, crafts, instruction, hands on experience, art projects, wearables, bookmaking, and working with Arduino<\/a> electronic prototyping technology.\u00a0 \u00a0It will also include: guest teachers, opportunities for student apprenticeships; procedures and demonstrations, collaboration with community members and hobbyists, networking, literacy, entrepreneurship, research and invention.<\/p>\n We are still in the \u201cBeta\u201d stage of developing our plan for \u201cTaking on Making\u201d.\u00a0 However, we would like to start this March with a partnership at the Middle School where we will have several DIY workshops and gain an interest and following among students.\u00a0 The next phase will be an on-going series called \u201cMaker Mondays\u201d (to replace Movie Mondays) and would be a weekly afterschool led program in the Upper School Think Tank. \u00a0Our ultimate goal is to work cross-departmently and create a permanent Maker Space for our students to work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The excitement and buzz around Maker Spaces is being compared to that of the early days of personal computers. \u00a0A Maker Space is defined as \u201ccollaborative workshops where young people gain practical hands-on experience with new technologies and innovative processes … Continue reading