Makerspaces Creating Movement in Education

Picture this: A blackboard, some white chalk, and desks with attached seats situated in rows.  This image is a stark contrast to today’s 21^st century classroom: A smartboard, smart pens, and circular tables intended for collaboration.  The disparity represents the ever changing technology, which means that education must also change.  School districts and educators are grappling with the changes and trying to keep up with the quick learning curve needed to adapt.  In order to embrace the change, many districts and administrators are seeking a framework to act as their guide.  Learn ways to incorporate a new emerging trend into the school day and a possible framework for today’s learners.  

One popular framework is the 4C’s.  The 4C’s is a growing model used by educators to provide an outline for what 21^st century learning looks like.  Educators are being encouraged, and in many cases, forced, to transform their teaching by infusing collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication into their daily routines with their students.  Many schools are experimenting with emerging trends to best meet this growing need for learning these 21^st century life skills. Project –based learning (PBL), gaming, and coding are just some of the new trends that teachers and students alike are learning to embrace.  If you are an educator and are dipping your toes into these new ventures, you perhaps have heard of Makerspaces. 

Makerspaces are an emerging trend that is truly changing the way students learn and the way teachers teach. Makerspaces are environments for students to learn through hands on discovery and creation.  These areas involve materials for students to use and can range from low tech and cost efficient to high tech and more expensive.  Many countries around the world are implementing this trend to elicit learning and growth in their students.  Hong Kong, the United States, Australia, and Singapore are among them.  Let’s look at some educational uses of this emerging trend.

 Educational Uses:

                        1. Makerspaces in the Classroom

Need a low cost, easy to create Makerspace? Makerspaces can be found on a smaller scale in an area of the classroom, while on the larger scale can be found in a community area of a school to be used by several classrooms.  These spaces do not have to be expensive, as many educators fear, as funds continue to run tight for many schools.  Some makerspaces consist of craft supplies for students to use, but the difference is it is organized in area where students have the discretion of what and when to use them.  A good classroom makerspace has materials at the students’ level and is often organized with labels so students can easily find what they need.

2. Makerspaces in a School Communal Area

While some makerspaces can be low tech and cost efficient, if your school has money allocated towards 21^st century learning, the Makerspace idea can be expanded beyond the classroom!  Some schools create a Makerspace in a community area of a school, such as a large room or even an empty classroom.  This allows for several classrooms in the school to benefit.  Some of these more communal areas can get very costly, by incorporating new technology, such as 3D printers.  Some schools allow classrooms to reserve the room for certain time slots throughout the day, while some secondary schools have students sign up for courses where teachers use the makerspace as their classroom.  If this option piques your interest, consider talking with your principal or other administration to see how this could work in your building!     

             If you’re looking to read more on how to create an effective Makerspace, 

please check out this article from the Center for Digital Education which contains 4 

Steps for Planning a Successful Makerspace.

            3. Makerspaces that Come to You!

If neither of the options above seem viable for you or your school, due to cost or space, consider a Makerspace that can visit your school! While this may not be ideal, considering long term implementation is a good goal, it is a good place for a school to start.  There are now many transportable makerspaces on buses that will come to the school and kids can explore hands on for the day.  This can be a great opportunity for staff and administration to learn more about Makerspaces too!             

After hearing about three practical ways to use Makerspaces with students, keep in mind the focus should be on the students.  The true purpose of these spaces is to allow students the opportunity to solve real world problems through their own exploration.  Students collaborate with their peers to brainstorm solutions, see if they can choose a solution to create, and test their design to see if it is successful.  After testing the design, students get the opportunity to reflect and revise as needed.  This emphasizes to students that the process of learning is more important than the product created. A professor from Stanford discusses this education mindset change of valuing process not the products.

 Thus, the role of teacher is to be a facilitator and provide feedback, but to allow students to lead their learning.  This may be a challenge for teachers at the beginning, considering this is change from the traditional teaching model.  Educators and students need to be patient with the process and allow multiple trials to determine if it is successful.      

So how do these cool spaces transform students into 21^st Century Learners?  The answer is simple: In many more ways than one.  Students must collaborate first and foremost.  After students brainstorm, they must decide what idea they want to create.  This requires a lot of communication between the team.  In addition to collaboration and communication, students must learn to think creatively.  By having students solve real life problems, makes it extremely authentic and relatable.  These problems call for students to think outside of the box and be creative.  Critical thinking is required because there is no formula to solving it and there is no one right answer.  The 4Cs become naturally interwoven to the school day through students working in Makerspaces.  Furthermore, STEM is also enhanced as many of the real world problems involve science, engineering and math in some way.   Makerspaces stretch students in new ways and helps them to grow and learn more than they would in a traditional classroom setting!  Students take ownership on these projects and learn other skills too, such as perseverance, patience and how to compromise.  Makerspaces truly teach life skills through learning to work through problems and discover solutions.

It is evident that the general idea of Makerspaces is an emerging trend that is not going away.  These spaces will enable students to learn 21^st century skills, while keeping students engaged.  Students of all ages will take complete ownership of their learning and will undoubtedly say that learning is fun!  

Are you willing to take a leap and begin experimenting with a Makerspace in your classroom? Are there any other ways that your school is integrating 21^st century learning skills? Consider how the Makerspace can transform your students’ learning and take them far beyond where you can lead!

Check out an Infographic that illustrates some of the information you’ve just read using Piktochart!

https://magic.piktochart.com/output/19631963-makerspaces-an-emerging-trend-in-education