Build an Inclusive Maker Culture: Awaken the Inventive Problem-Solver in All

Purpose & objective

Participants will gain strategies for defining inclusive making Making as it relates to their organization's mission and vision.
Participants will be able to identify when learning is authentic and inclusive .
Participants will be able to assess how to integrate the innovative designer and computational thinker standards.
Participants will review examples of how teachers are identifying entry points for design thinking and making within their curriculum.
Participants will explore examples of skill builders activities that enable students to gain awareness about different tools and capacities in the makerspace that can be later utilized to develop their working prototype.
Participants will gain UDL aligned resources that can be used directly with students to bring learners through the phases of the design thinking process.
Participants will review a wide range of student products at different points throughout the design thinking process.
Participants will gain access to assessment tools we use to provide students with descriptive feedback and evaluate student work throughout the design thinking process.
Participants will discuss strategies for educator professional learning as it relates to making and design thinking in the learning environment.

Outline

Define inclusive maker learning and how to develop a definition of making that supports an organization's mission and vision .
Identify the core components of making and engage in an activity where participants have to decide if an example meets the criteria of inclusive maker work
Introduce and define the steps of the Design Thinking Process
Differentiate between Project Based Learning and Design Thinking/ Making
Share examples of how teachers have developed inclusive design thinking challenges and opportunities for making within their curriculum
Have participants reflect on and make connections about where the maker and design process can fit within their own learning environment (virtual or face to face)
Present examples of skill builder activities that can inform student understanding of the makerspace tools, capacities and technologies that they can transfer this new learning to the larger design process.
Provide examples of student work as they go through the design process and create/ make prototypes.
Share a variety of assessment tools we use to provide students with descriptive feedback and evaluate student work throughout the design thinking process.
Participants will discuss strategies for educator professional learning as it relates to making and design thinking in an inclusive learning environment.
Answer questions and review participant handouts

Supporting research

Design Thinking and Maker learning are methodologies that provide powerful outcomes for facilitating students as they engage in authentic problem-solving.
Increase access, interest, and skills in STEM, particularly for diverse communities;
http://www.cast.org/products-services/resources/2014/ncac-differentiated-instruction-udl
http://udlguidelines.cast.org/

Promote social and emotional learning by building empathy and perspective taking abilities through user-centered design thinking practice;
Personalize, engage, and facilitate student voice and choice; and
Catalyze interdisciplinary experiences and make curriculum more relevant.
https://digitalpromise.org/initiative/maker-learning/
http://www.cast.org/publications/2020/udl-tips-designing-learning-experiences

There are many different ways to engage students in authentic problem solving and creation within different disciplines. There are some resources that support how this can be done and why it is important: http://smumakeredproject.org/uploads/pdf/SMUMaker_Resources_8.5x11.pdf
How Design Thinking and Making Supports Learning and development for career success : https://hbr.org/2018/09/why-design-thinking-works