The purpose of the revised New York State Learning Standards is to reimagine the educational framework for English language arts and mathematics, with the goal of better supporting educators in their instructional practice and to provide additional guidance on achieving a vision of 21st century literacy across content areas (NYSED, engageNY, 2017). Nearly every facet of modern life encompasses science, engineering and technology skills, and in fact, many of humanity’s most pressing current and future challenges require creative approaches utilizing this dynamic skill-set. Even though many people know how to use technological devices and understand the significance of science and engineering practices, unfortunately, too few U.S. citizens have strong backgrounds in these fields, and many people lack even fundamental knowledge of them.

This national trend has created a widespread call for a new approach to K-12 educational practices in the United States (Next Generation Science & Engineering Practices). MakerSpaces in the classroom are the perfect environment to integrate rigorous content and activate design thinking among students.