Makerspace
Makerspaces: What are they?
“Makerspaces come in all shapes and sizes, but they all serve as a gathering point for tools, projects, mentors and expertise. A collection of tools does not define a Makerspace. Rather, we define it by what it enables: making.”
~ Makerspace Playbook, School Edition (2013)
“Recognizing the power of this (maker) movement, in early 2012 the Obama administration launched a program to bring maker-spaces into one thousand American schools over the next four years, complete with digital fabrication tools such as 3-D printers and laser cutters. In a sense, this is the return of the school workshop class, but now upgraded for the Web age. And this time it’s not designed to train workers for low-end blue collar jobs, but rather its funded by the government’s advanced manufacturing initiative aimed at creating a new generation of systems designers and production innovators” (p. 18-19).
~ Chris Anderson (2012), Makers: The New Industrial Revolution
“To define a school makerspace by its purpose in the simplest of terms, it is a place where young people have an opportunity to explore their own interests; learn to use tools and materials, both physical and virtual; and develop creative projects.” “It should be envisaged and implemented as a concept that can adapt to a wide variety of uses, shaped not only by educational purposes defined by teachers or the school or the wider curriculum but also by students’ own creative goals and interests.
~Fleming, (2015) Worlds of Making: Best Practices for Establishing a Makerspace for Your School
The SJI Makerspace includes a large variety of high-tech devices. These include a 3D printer, Lego Mindstorms sets, and all kinds of coding kits. That's not all we have, though! There is even a lot of low-tech maker materials, too! We have Lego, crafting and decorating supplies, and a wide range of awesome puzzles. Students will have access to the Makerspace at various times of the day throughout the entire school year.