Building Tomorrow: The Impact of MakerSpaces on Innovation
The Hype About MakerSpaces
MakerSpaces are environments where students can be innovative, share new ideas, and learn while engaging in hands-on activities. In a MakerSpace, students can work on projects where they put things together or they can take things apart to see how they work. In a MakerSpace, students are provided with all the resources and materials for independent hands-on learning. The space is a place where students can develop new skills, different ways of thinking, and problem solve. You can create a MakerSpace with a variety of craft materials, or you can provide machinery or old electronics that students can disassemble to understand how things are put together. Some materials can be used as manipulatives to visually understand content material, especially with math. Patterned blocks, tiles, cubes, and geoboards offer concrete spatial representations of numerical order, that can be part of hands-on learning.
Understanding the ‘Why’
The philosophy behind the success of a MakerSpace in the classroom, is that it allows for learning through inquiry, curiosity, and innovation in hands-on exploration. This is the ‘constructionism movement’ in education where students learn by making things. This type of learning reconfigures the learner as a producer rather than a consumer. In a maker-education, learning is a personal endeavor where the student initiates the learning process and not the teacher. Activities can be aligned with the curriculum. A STEAM framework can be used for guided learning activities with a high degree of mental rigor. Educational MakerSpaces encourage student collaboration in the learning process. In fact, student leaders emerge during the process and motivate other students. MakerSpaces also maximize alternative learning environments for students who have trouble learning in a more traditional classroom setting. They offer alternatives for teachers who use differentiated instruction to tailor student’s learning experiences.
Ideas for the Classroom
I believe creating a MakerSpace with hands-on learning is ideal for most students. I plan to introduce the concept to students, parents, and teachers and would encourage and motivate everyone to partner together to build our school’s MakerSpace. Almost anything is a useful item in this creative space. It is a good way to repurpose unwanted items from paper towel rolls to old computer equipment. Materials can also be shared amongst various classrooms. In a MakerSpace, students can be taught the value of materials and the difference between learning and play. Teachers can also send materials home to engage parents in hands-on learning with their students.
MakerSpaces extend beyond school environments. There are spaces across the united states and canada that allow families to drop in and create. These spaces have offerings such as welding, sewing, robotics, 3D printing, lasers, and electronics, and participants can work on DIY projects in a fun learning environment, much like the classroom.
**During my time at the University of Galway, I was able to view and experience their MakerSpace. It was such a beneficial learning endeavor and has enhanced my teaching capabilities and beliefs. Thank you Eileen Kennedy for inviting us into your space and allowing us to grow as educators!
