MackinMaker
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Introduction
The maker movement is propelling school communities into a true 21st Century culture where learners of all ages are encouraged to come together to create, tinker, discover, invent, learn, fail forward, engineer, deconstruct, build, remix, and more. Students as early as pre-K to those ready to cross the stage for their diplomas are learning to code, use micro-controllers, build circuits, create prototypes, and so much more. Ultimately, learners are taking their ideas all the way to tangible products.
No two makerspaces are alike, as these environments are as unique as the learners they serve. A makerspace is never done. It is an ongoing, living pursuit that reflects the ever-changing culture and life of the school.
The process of empowering a maker mindset in your community begins with asking WHY and creating a mission statement for your makerspace. The more an educator knows about his or her school, students, and community, the more clearly these goals will take shape. MackinMaker is here to partner with you to design, create, implement, and revise your environment to fashion a space where students, teachers, and community can come together for innovation.
Help us assist you by answering the following Needs Assessment questions. Do the best you can. We understand that this is a process and your answers are likely to change and evolve throughout the journey.
This Needs Assessment was developed by a team of maker educators from a variety of backgrounds.
A makerspace should meet the needs of your school community and curriculum, no two spaces should be alike and that is OK. – Elissa Malespina – Teacher-Librarian, Somerville Middle School
Your school is not getting a makerspace. It is creating an environment that nurtures the culture of making. – Kristina Holzweiss, Librarian at Bay Shore Middle School
A makerspace is both a space and a mindset that empowers students to be in control of their own learning experiences. Tapping into students inherent strengths, interests, and curiosities, making allows students to succeed in ways far more authentic than any high-stakes standardized assessment. – Heather Lister, Independent Educational Consultant of Maker Education
The maker movement is a learn-by-doing renaissance, a rediscovery of the power of hands-on, participatory learning experiences. – Zoe P. Mider, Digital Literacy Specialist, Boulder Valley School District.
Our goal is to help students grow to become independent young adults. Developing a maker program allows students to explore their interests and expand their problem solving skills. -Ellen Stolarski, Librarian, St. Mary’s Area Middle School
Makerspaces open up the education community to prototyping, making mistakes, reflecting, refining, designing, collaborating, struggling productively, a bias to action without fear of repercussion, and so much more. These are the experiences we (students and teachers alike) need to invite innovation. -Jen McCarty Plucker, Ed.D., Literacy and Leadership Consultant
At their best, makerspaces foster creativity and a sense of wonder. They are a place where learners experiment, explore, fail forward and teach one another. -Todd Burleson Resource Center Director Winnetka Public Schools