Introduction & Framing (5 minutes)
Content: Define the maker mindset as a set of dispositions (curiosity, resilience, creativity, problem-solving).
Engagement: Quick poll/hand-raise activity — “When have you felt most like a maker?”
Process: Establish relevance by connecting the idea to participants’ own teaching contexts.
Hands-On Maker Sprint (15 minutes)
Content: Participants engage in a low-tech maker challenge (e.g., design a bridge, prototype a wearable, or build a tower using everyday materials).
Engagement: Small groups collaborate, brainstorm, and iterate.
Process: Facilitator introduces “design constraints” mid-activity to model iteration and resilience; peer-to-peer interaction drives engagement.
Reflection & Debrief (10 minutes)
Content: Group discussion on what the sprint revealed about curiosity, iteration, and reframing failure.
Engagement: Participants use a quick-write or digital polling tool to capture insights.
Process: Share-outs highlight diverse perspectives; facilitator connects experiences to maker mindset theory.
Framework for the Maker Mindset (10 minutes)
Content: Present core dispositions and research underpinning maker-centered learning.
Engagement: Participants identify where they already see evidence of these mindsets in their classrooms.
Process: Partner discussions followed by collective share-back.
Classroom Design Lab (15 minutes)
Content: Participants select a current “doer task” or lesson and redesign it through a maker lens.
Engagement: Work in pairs/small groups to embed curiosity, iteration, and student agency.
Process: Attendees create a mini action plan and draft maker prompts for student use.
Gallery Walk & Sharing (5 minutes)
Content: Participants post their redesigned lessons/action plans around the room.
Engagement: Walkthrough to review each other’s ideas; sticky-note feedback for peers.
Process: Encourages peer learning and highlights diverse applications across grade levels and subjects.
Wrap-Up & Resources (5 minutes)
Content: Summarize key takeaways; share resource repository (templates, prompts, maker challenges).
Engagement: Exit reflection — one way they’ll embody the maker mindset tomorrow.
Attendees will leave with two concrete products: (1) a low-tech prototype created during a hands-on maker challenge, demonstrating how simple materials can spark creativity and resilience, and (2) a personalized action plan that includes a redesigned lesson or activity with embedded maker mindset prompts, ready for immediate classroom use.
Martinez, S. L., & Stager, G. (2019). Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom (2nd ed.): https://inventtolearn.com
Resnick, M. (2017). Lifelong Kindergarten: Cultivating Creativity through Projects, Passion, Peers, and Play: https://llk.media.mit.edu/
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