WHAT IS A MAKERSPACE?
Focused on student-centered inquiry, a makerspace is a place where like-minded individuals come together to work on projects while sharing ideas, equipment/tools, and knowledge. It helps develop a framework that fosters, enables, and encourages students to move beyond technology consumption and into creation.
Makerspaces come in different forms and sizes. Some occupy an entire room the size of a cafeteria, while others make do with one corner of their library. In homes, it could be a living room, a hallway, or a garage.
Also, different makerspaces have different equipment and tools in them. Bigger makerspaces or tinkering labs in places like museums or public libraries may include 3D printers, saws (plug in or manual), hand drills, soldering irons, Arduino sets, robots like Dash or Dot, and many more.
No matter the size, location, or tools that they use, these makerspaces have one thing in common: they spark curiosity and enable making.
“…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.”
Laura Flemming, Worlds of Making
STEVENS CREEK ELEMENTARY MAKERSPACE: WHY, HOW, AND WHEN?
Why have a makerspace? Why not? Makerspace is where DIY meets education! It is where students can come together to get hands-on experience while discovering or developing their passion for STEM (using Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to create things). An increasing number of schools in the country and in our district already have a functioning and thriving makerspace that students have been enjoying and benefiting from.
With our students in mind, a dedicated parent worked closely with the PTO to accelerate the creation of a makerspace in our school. A grant proposal was submitted to the PTO, that if approved and funded, would give our students a chance to participate in a STEM program that will help them develop, prepare for, and master 21st century skill sets.
Towards the end of the 2018-2019 school year, the parent community was surveyed as to which school programs they’d like to see the PTO fund, or get involved in. The survey showed that having a makerspace — or a maker cart — at school is a priority for the parents. Therefore, before the school year ended, the PTO Board voted to fund the program.
And the Stevens Creek Elementary School makerspace — or maker cart — was born.
WHAT IS A ‘MAKER CART’?
It’s simply a mobile version of a makerspace. Instead of the students going to a specific room at school or area in the library, as in a traditional makerspace setting, we bring the makerspace to them using the cart.
With a maker cart, we can turn any area — whether it’d be outdoor benches, classrooms, or a section of the library — into a makerspace.
So without further ado, please allow us to introduce MOW — our school’s very own maker cart program!
WHY ‘MAKER CART’?
A mobile cart provides flexibility, meaning that we don’t depend on having a dedicated room, as in a traditional makerspace. Due to numerous factors such as changes in enrollment, it can be very difficult and costly to allocate a room during any given year. With the help of dedicated parents and enthusiastic student makers, along with really awesome sponsors, we were able to come up with a solution to provide the makerspace experience with minimal use of the school’s resources.
GOALS
The program has two goals:
(1) To assist Stevens Creek Elementary in joining the maker movement.
(2) To provide a shared space for Stevens Creek Elementary students where they can develop a growth mindset while learning 21st century skill sets.
OBJECTIVES
Gather: Encouraging a do-it-with-others approach, students will get together as a team to inquire and discuss various topics.
Collaborate: Reinforcing a growth mindset, students will work together to come up with an idea and a plan to execute that idea.
Make: Emphasizing a show-not-tell attitude, students are encouraged to make something together.
