Attend
Exhibit
10 Themes to Use to Kickstart Your Makerspace |
Participate and share : Poster
Richard Taylor Jennifer Hall
Participants will explore the use of STEM themes to promote creativity and innovation in makerspaces. They will take away new ideas for hands-on learning opportunities to support these themes. Join us as we guide you in developing engaging open-ended tasks to kickstart your makerspace.
| Audience: | Technology coordinators/facilitators, Coaches, Teachers |
| Skill level: | Beginner |
| Attendee devices: | Devices useful |
| Attendee device specification: | Smartphone: Android, iOS, Windows Laptop: Chromebook, Mac, PC Tablet: iOS, Android, Windows |
| Topic: | Maker activities & programs |
| Grade level: | PK-5 |
| Subject area: | Computer science, STEM/STEAM |
| ISTE Standards: | For Students: Innovative Designer
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Participants will understand the use of thematic Makerspace Stations that encourage higher order thinking skills.
Participants will know how a Makerspace can be supported without a designated teacher and where students can be creative and innovative with their classroom teacher.
Participants will learn how to support their school's overlying STEM themes in a risk free environment such as Makerspace.
Participants will brainstorm activities to support new themes as the group develops new ideas.
Participants will take with them ready made Makerspace stations that support students in Grades K-4th.
Participants will understand the importance of providing students real world problems to apply new solutions to when creating.
Participants will learn how and where to begin when starting their own Makerspaces with tools they already have.
As our school was establishing ways that we could increase creativity and innovation, our Makerspace was established. It has now become embedded in the culture of our school and is a hub of new ideas and growth mindset. We were able to find ways to develop open-ended stations where students use STEM to create and test solutions. Participants can look forward to seeing a successful Makerspace that embeds themes to push the entire school's learning goals forward while meeting the needs of a range of grades. Participants will also learn how students can learn new technology tools in a nonthreatening way through tinkering and finding ways for the technology to meet their learning needs. Participants can look forward to obtaining five years worth of themed stations that are ready to use in their Makerspace and/or creative spaces.
Use of themes in Makerspace is research-based and supported by abundant studies connecting the activities to hands-on learning, real-world problem solving, collaboration, creativity, and innovation. We are providing citations to multiple research papers, books, and websites that support a theme-based approach to Makerspace.
Ciecierski, Lisa M., and Jodie Styers. "Interdisciplinary Makerspaces: A Stone's Throw Away." Teacher Librarian 47.5 (2020): 21-25.
Fleming, Laura. Worlds of making: Best practices for establishing a makerspace for your school. Corwin Press, 2015.
González-González, Carina S., and Luis Gonzalo Aller Arias. "Maker movement in education: maker mindset and makerspaces." Jornadas de HCI, IV (2018).
Makerspace Learning Throughout the Curriculum: https://www.eduporium.com/blog/eduporium-weekly-makerspaces-in-different-areas-of-the-curriculum/
Maslyk, Jacie. STEAM makers: Fostering creativity and innovation in the elementary classroom. Corwin Press, 2016.
Ortega, Veronica Inez. Increasing STEM exposure in K–5 schools through makerspace use: A multi-site early success case study. Diss. UCLA, 2017.
Themed Making: https://worlds-of-learning.com/2016/05/13/themed-making/
Woods, Chris. Daily STEM: How to Create a STEM Culture in Your Classrooms & Communities. Code Breaker, 2020.
Richard Taylor is the STEM Coordinator and a 4th grade educator at Humphreys Central Elementary School in the DoDEA Pacific West District in South Korea. He is passionate about STEM education and develops monthly school-wide STEM challenges and coordinates annual STEM events that promote community partnerships. He is the co-creator of a successful Makerspace and Outdoor Makerspace and is a member of the DoDEA Pacific West PBL Team. Richard is an ISTE, Google, and National Geographic Certified Educator who is constantly looking to put STEM learning opportunities into the hands of the students.
I am so thankful to be a part of a system where I am allowed to have a voice in the direction of creativity and innovation growth. I am passionate about all aspects of technology integration in schools but am especially focused on the role that technology has in our Makerspace, Outdoor Makerspace, Robotics Program, and DREAM Studio. As a presenter at many global conferences, I am always excited to work with others to learn and share so that I can help empower our students through authentic learning experiences.
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