Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

WHY Do I Want to Include Maker Centered Learning in my Practice?

Practicing maker centered learning has given me a new direction in my teaching. It’s not so much that it’s changed my philosophy, it’s more that it has given me a clearer path. I’ve spent my career trying to find ways to empower children to know and utilize their strengths. I have worked to provide opportunities for children whose strengths weren’t being met in the regular classroom. This has meant planning and teaching enrichment classes that supplement classroom instruction as well as opportunities that replace classroom instruction. It has meant designing after school programs like drama club and Odyssey of the Mind so that all interested students can participate. Maker centered learning allows students to take more control of their learning. It fosters 21st Century skills that moves the primary focus away from a list of defined content competencies and towards four defined areas which are critical to thriving in a complex world: collaboration and teamwork, creativity and imagination, critical thinking, and problem solving . It allows students to use new tools and technologies to learn curriculum competences (like the Common Core) in relevant, transferable ways. Maker Centered Learning prepares students for their future, not our past.

I gained whole new insights on incorporating empathy in maker centered learning through this class. Empathy feels like the glue that holds "making meaning" together. I have followed the Engineering is Elementary curriculum for a few years, which defines engineers as those who design technologies to solve human problems. But it was all examined on a global level and to personalize the human problems makes so much more sense to me and, I'm sure, the kids. I'm excited to explore the possibilities for making to help others in our school!

I took a look at Cambridge Elementary School's Staff Pledge, part of which includes:

• Teach classes through interesting and challenging lessons that promote student achievement
• Endeavor to motivate our students to learn
• Have high expectations, and help every child to develop a love of learning

I've found that adding making to our school practice has motivated students who were perhaps "flying under the radar" - not interested in traditional classwork, underachieving, even having a high absentee rate. Some of these children are truly gifted when it comes to making and technology and allowing them access to a maker approach has been transformative for them.

Since Faith and I view our school maker space as a truly collaborative venture with our students, we asked our Tech Ambassadors, "Why does our school need a maker space?" Here's what they said.

I created a sample classroom poster, answering the question myself. It was fun to see that the students and I were thinking along the same lines. I created the Super Maker logo using the SMART Technologies for my classroom SMART Board. I chose this because I'm familiar with designing shapes with it. Then I uploaded my design in "canva" (https://www.canva.com/) and include the link below. (We are also running a school contest to create a logo for our school maker space. Most students are also using canva to do this. I've seen some really creative ideas already!)


https://www.canva.com/design/DACpddBHm8o/share?role=EDITOR&token=1Tte4dNn2XvqKf_job5avA&utm_content=DACpddBHm8o&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton

Super Makers Make.....

Prototypes

Plans

Improvements
Technology

Meaning

Community

Connections

Opportunities

Discoveries

WHAT will Maker Centered Learning in my Practice Look LIke?

Much of my maker centered learning will be centered around our maker space. The maker space at Cambridge Elementary School is in a classroom in the 5th and 6th grade wing of the school. It currently houses a 3D printer, cricut vinyl cutter, mini IPad cart, 4 desktop computers, and an interactive white board. We have various circuitry kits like Snap Circuits, Makey Makey, Lily Pad Arduinos, and regular Arduinos. We also have an assorted collection of batteries, wires, lights, and craft supplies. Our goal is to keep equipment and supplies visible, accessible, organized, and inspiring. While we are definitely a young Makerspace, here is what we envision:

This is a place where students and adults learn together. We use online resources and learn from physical interactions with materials, tools. Teachers model and support a growth mindset: accepting risks, failure, mistakes, and redos is how we work. We operate under the principle “learn something teach something” and teachers structure activities for this kind of environment. This place for students learn agency along with specific sets of skills and knowledge. Carts of materials and equipment will be available for teachers to bring to their own classrooms.

HOW will I Include Maker Centered Learning in my Practice?

All students and adults feel that they have access and ownership over this space. Fifth and sixth graders may apply to be to be Tech Ambassadors. We have regular training meetings on Tuesday mornings before school. Ambassadors sign up to help teachers with various making and technology tasks, either one on one with the teacher or with their whole class. Staff can fill out a request ticket and post it to the Ambassador bulletin board located by the staff room or staff can contact Faith or me directly with their requests. Ambassadors have their classroom teachers sign off on their absence and then complete the staff members request.

Other students in the school (kindergarten through grade 6) have multiple ways to access the Maker Space. All 6th graders meet in the space regularly for their Tech Class taught by Faith. All 1st through 4th graders meet for an engineering unit with Ellen sometime in the year and making opportunities supplement these classes. The drama and Odyssey of the Mind Program uses the space for various props and costumes. We encourage our after school program, Cambridge Connections to use the space. School wide events like Week of Code, Stop Drop and Code, early morning “open coding” sessions encourage. asking throughout the school. Our art teacher uses the space to integration of art classes with content area.Teachers can  sign up to bring their classes to use space or borrow materials that are organized on carts. We invite community members to assist us or teach mini-lessons to the kids.

Through class readings, I learned that a primary reason to add making to our practice is to develop agency in our student. I decided to look up "agency" to see if this could be a good summarizing statement.

agency(noun)

the state of being in action or exerting power

I like it! Let's put students in a position of action in their own learning. And, coincidently, that is what taking this class did for me!