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Maker Mindset Conference
at the Academy of Technology and Innovation at University of Mary Washington, Stafford, VA
Anyone can be a maker. A maker mindset requires creative and critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and perseverance. These are all skills that not only help students to succeed in the classroom, but also in the world around them.
Anyone can be a maker. A maker mindset requires creative and critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and perseverance. These are all skills that not only help students to succeed in the classroom, but also in the world around them.
The University of Mary Washington College of Education (COE) is excited to host the 4th Maker Mindset Conference.
Beyond the Build: Empowering Creative Problem Solvers
Beyond the Build: Empowering Creative Problem Solvers
This year’s theme, “Beyond the Build: Empowering Creative Problem Solvers,” celebrates the power of maker education to spark innovation, agency, and purpose. It’s not just about what we make—it’s about why we make it. Join us as we explore how making can unlock deeper learning, student voice, and authentic problem-solving in every classroom.
Keynote Speaker: John Spencer
Keynote Speaker: John Spencer
Bio: Dr. John Spencer is a former middle school teacher and current university professor who is passionate about seeing teachers unleash the creative potential in all of their students so that can thrive in an unpredictable world. He regularly explores research, interviews educators, deconstructs systems, and studies real-world examples of design thinking in action. He shares these insights in books, blog posts, journal articles, free resources, animated videos, and podcasts. In 2013, he spoke at the White House about what it means to be future ready in a world of rapid change. He is the author of Vintage Innovation and The AI Roadmap the co-author of the best-selling books Launch and Empower. As a full-time professor, Spencer focuses his research on deeper learning in an era of frequent change.
Keynote Session: The Depth Advantage
Keynote Session: The Depth Advantage
In an age of distractions, deeper learning is both more urgent and more difficult than ever. Students are bombarded with noise: notifications, multitasking, and the temptation of shortcuts in a world of instant answers. But what if we gave students something richer? In this keynote, we explore how to cultivate the habits of deeper thinking, sustained focus, and meaningful learning across content areas. You’ll learn practical strategies to foster mastery, curiosity, problem-solving, resilience, and communication in your classroom, even in a fast-paced digital world.
This conference will offer interactive sessions for local K-12 educators and future educators from the COE that will provide best-practices and examples of how to integrate the maker mindset into everyday lessons.
This conference will offer interactive sessions for local K-12 educators and future educators from the COE that will provide best-practices and examples of how to integrate the maker mindset into everyday lessons.
The Venue
The Venue
Academy of Technology and Innovation
Academy of Technology and Innovation
University of Mary Washington
University of Mary Washington
121 University Boulevard
Fredericksburg, VA 22406
The Academy of Technology and Innovation at the University of Mary Washington (ATI-UMW) provides an innovative experience merging the high tech skill needs of today’s economy with the robust, critical thinking of a liberal arts and science foundation.
The Academy of Technology and Innovation at the University of Mary Washington (ATI-UMW) provides an innovative experience merging the high tech skill needs of today’s economy with the robust, critical thinking of a liberal arts and science foundation.
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