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Inclusive Maker Education: Creating Online & Virtual Play

,
Pennsylvania Convention Center, 117

Explore and create: Exploratory Creation lab
Preregistration Required
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Presenters

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Mickole Mulano
Specialist, Coding and Digital Skills
Actua
Mickole Mulano (he/him) is the Digital Skills Educator at Actua and is responsible for the design, development, and delivery of STEM, coding, and digital skills content. Mickole holds a BASc in Engineering Science and an MEng in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto. Leveraging his previous involvement in STEM classroom with the University of Toronto Engineering Outreach and Ontario Tech University Engineering Outreach, he aims create meaningful and engaging learning experiences that can enable youth to be confident in the pursuit of a passion in STEM.
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Abbey Ramdeo
Education Specialist, EDI
Actua
@AbbeyRamdeo
Abbey Ramdeo is an educator, science communicator and advocate who is excited about merging two passions: STEM and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. As Actua’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Education Specialist, she leverages her experience in STEM classrooms (TDSB, UofT Outreach) and insight from her Anti-Racism in STEM research (OISE MT) to work towards increasing diverse representation, empowering diverse learners and creating positive and impactful experiences for all students in STEM education.

Session description

Incorporating maker education can seem daunting when facing challenges like tight budgets, limited materials or remote learning. Explore specific examples of how to overcome constraints to build inclusive makerspaces for all contexts. You can expect to leave with hands-on activities and ideas that leverage virtual makerspaces.

Purpose & objective

When we think of “makerspaces”, we might envision a tinker studio or fabrication facility in a university filled with tools and equipment. We might also envision students tackling engineering problems, and not necessarily computer science. While K-12 educators are masters at adapting, our setting, funding and resources mean that we cannot always recreate these cutting-edge spaces. However, makerspaces are really just creative environments designed to engage students in hands-on activities that teach 21st century skills - whether that be in-person or online. The goal of any makerspace is to foster innovation and creativity through hands-on experimentation. The maker mindset encourages process over product, allowing students to explore, create new things, or even improve things that already exist - and educators can apply this mindset when students make online.

The purpose of this session is to demonstrate flexibility of Maker Ed activities and approaches in a wide range of environments - what does making online look like? We will work through hands-on examples using Tinkercad/Microsoft MakeCode/Minecraft.

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Outline

SETTING THE STAGE -

[10 minutes] Interactive group brainstorm (jambaord/padlet) on "what is making", "where are you at in your making journey", "what does making look like in your classroom?"; Defining making, making mindset, design thinking, and how creating online can help to break down barriers.

INTRODUCING VITUAL MAKER ACTIVITIES -

[5-10 minutes] Demo of how to use Tinkercad (encouraging participants to following along), and introduction to activity ("create something to make your classroom space more accessible"),

[25 minutes] Activity time (device-based activity) - brainstorming period, time to create, share final products/vision

[5-10 minutes] Interactive group sharing - unique ideas on how to leverage other virtual platforms (e.g., MakeCode/Mincraft) from our team, and also hearing from what participants have done

CONSOLIDATION -

10 minutes: Final thoughts, Q&A

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Supporting research

- https://thelearningexchange.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/meaningful_making_en.pdf
- https://www.nngroup.com/articles/design-thinking/
- https://ideas.demco.com/blog/8-ways-build-more-inclusive-makerspace/

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Session specifications

Topic:
Maker activities and programs
Grade level:
PK-12
Skill level:
Beginner
Audience:
Curriculum/district specialists, Professional developers, Teachers
Attendee devices:
Devices required
Attendee device specification:
Laptop: Chromebook, Mac, PC
Participant accounts, software and other materials:
Tinkercad Account - https://www.tinkercad.com/
Subject area:
STEM/STEAM
ISTE Standards:
For Educators:
Designer
  • Explore and apply instructional design principles to create innovative digital learning environments that engage and support learning.
Facilitator
  • Manage the use of technology and student learning strategies in digital platforms, virtual environments, hands-on makerspaces or in the field.
For Students:
Innovative Designer
  • Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems.

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