To bring maker education to your school, find a space, purchase equipment and supplies carefully, budget and partner creatively, and encourage ongoing student involvement.
Image 3 of 23 from gallery of Shangjia Maker Space II / HUA Architects. Photograph by Haiting Sun
In this blog post from Modern Teaching Aids, we introduce the concept of Makerspace, outline the benefits and suggest ideas to set up a Makerspace in your school.
These fun and flexible areas can help students develop creative and analytical thinking skills.
Kids can make these Colored Paper Collage Sculptures as a sculpture and colored paper collage project all rolled into one.
Having grown up in Sussex in a timber house surrounded by trees, furniture maker Ted Jefferis has a lifelong affinity with the material. His sleek, contemporary designs reflect his boat-building heritage and commitment to good craftsmanship.
Each week, we tap into Dwell's Instagram community to bring you the most viral design and architecture shots of the week.
Today we’re excited to share a glimpse into the studio of jewelry designer Hannah Ferrara, who will be bringing her line of handmade jewelry, Another...
Keurig, Schmeurig. Apparently what you really needed to buy that coffee lover on your holiday list was one of these Royal Coffee Makers. Once only available to European aristocracy (who, clearly, have ample countertop space to store them), these elaborate, whooshing specialty brewers are now available to commoners. Want to guess how much they cost?The classic copper model, shown above, is only (drumroll…) $595.
The artisan maker has styled her light-filled Petersham pad with restraint and care.
We thought we'd give you a look inside the studio of ceramic artist Keiichi Tanaka, who makes an impressive range of sculpture and tableware at his studio in Kawagoe, Japan.
江戸東京たてもの園 Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum Nikon D700 + Distagon T*2/35 ZF.2
In a former industrial complex in Eindhoven, Piet Hein Eek new space is a mix of laboratory, workshop, showroom, shop and restaurant. Redesigned to measure its desires, the 10,000 square meters (108,000 Sqft) space is a dream for any art and furniture lover.
By: Patricia Gomes. Every movement to innovate in education has a honeymoon phase, when everyone wants to do it. That is exactly where the Maker Movement is. Everyone wants to set up a fab lab, but this could also fade away two years from now if we don’t produce results. That’s why my focus as a researcher is to show the results of this.
I created this maker space in my classroom almost two years ago. I am soooooo glad I did. We use it for really cool STEAM projects. It makes it so easy to do one anytime I want. It is always there, stocked and ready to go. I originally envisioned this as an independent activity in my classroom. But, the reality of the mess isn't always possible during a busy kindergarten day. So, I use it more often as an adult supported activity. The kids are still working independently, but an adult is there to remind kiddos to keep it tidy. That, and having a low heat hot glue gun makes creating so much easier. The adult uses the glue gun, but the students are the design directors. It works perfectly that way. So, yes, you will need an aide or parent volunteer to do this with kinder kids. In an older grade level, this would be easier to manage as an independent center or station. Here is how I set it up. Maker Spaces are as individual as the makers who make them. So, when you set yours up, get some inspiration and then do what works for YOU using your available resources. I have three big drawers for the kids to pull materials from... above is cardboard. Below is plastic and paper. It is actually easy to fill the space when you get in the habit of saving cool recyclables and scraps from other projects in your classroom. You can also ask families in your class to donate materials. I use a fourth drawer for storage. I change up the materials in the little bins, so it's nice to have a place to save things like corks hardware, twigs, etc. I like to provide special materials that will aide in making each project. Here are just a few of my bins up close... OK, let's move on to some great projects... Making bridges is usually one of my first projects of the year. We do it as a part of my Fairy tales/ Folk tales unit. I use a comprehension assessment for The Three Billy Goats Gruff , so we spend some time to go in depth with that story. Creating a bridge makes a great extension activity. Here are few more kindergarten kid designs. And of course we had to get out the plastic goats to test them. Don't you love the "No Crossing" sign? Written in Kinder writing of course! At the end of that unit, we also make boats for the gingerbread man to create a safe way for him to cross the river. Here are a couple of those... The tests on the boats are fun, but you have to prepare your kids for disappointment. I read Rosie Revere, Engineer to my class this year when we tested our boats. It was the perfect prime for accepting failure as part of the designing, learning, re-designing process. We use the little Pepperidge Farm gingerbread cookies in each boat for the test. So, of course I give a cookie to each of my little makers too! That book cover is an Amazon affiliate link for your convenience. You can grab it by clicking on the image. It's a must have if you are doing STEM projects in your classroom. For the boat tests, I use a large plastic storage container that I fill with water. We sit in a circle around it and each child gets to put a cookie in their boat and float it (or not) across the water. It's also a great idea to give your kids time to look at each design and talk to each other about how it was made. It's a little makers' convention. It only takes about 30 minutes. I think it is time well spent. Here is a precious video of one or our boat tests: Here are some adorable kid made leprechaun traps. This is the original STEM project. I have been doing leprechaun traps in my classroom for years. I like to have the kids make them in the classroom better than doing it as an at home project. The one year I had kids do them at home, I could tell that parents helped too much! You can tell these were made by little learners... It was great to hear my sweet students explain how each trap was going to work. We usually leave them out around the classroom on March 16th. I put some Rolo candies inside each one. (They are chocolate caramels wrapped in gold foil). I also sprinkle a little gold glitter around. It's lots of fun when students come into the classroom on the 17th and find the GOLD! Things can get pretty messy when the kids are working at the Maker Space. Here is the table during leprechaun trap production. There is a place for everything and we put everything in it's place when its time to clean up. The kids love using the space, so they are usually very willing to help clean up. We have little recycle and trash bins in the space so it is easy to put scraps where they belong. We also made bird feeders last year as a spring project. We had been learning about the season of spring and animals that lay eggs, It was a great extension for our unit. Plus, we have windows in our classroom where we can see so many birds outside. Those little tubs have bird seed and Cheerios cereal. You can also see the big jar of peanut butter. We spread the PB on to the cardboard pieces and then dipped them in the seed. I love this little engineer's design. Those are just a few ideas for your little makers. You don't have to have a Maker Space in your classroom to do these projects, it just makes it easier for me. If you haven't already, I hope you will try some STEAM projects with your kindergarten class. Thanks so much for stopping by. Happy teaching!
"Piper & Kaia making Digital Dominoes" / photo by Sean Bonner Located at LA Mart in downtown Los Angeles, Los Angeles Makerspace is described as "a
I created this maker space in my classroom almost two years ago. I am soooooo glad I did. We use it for really cool STEAM projects. It...
MiEN's Brochures & Catalogs for our STAR, makerspace, soft seating, table, higher education, learning furniture, and our favorite products.
An inspiring inside peek into the Kaechele Library Maker Space, part of the TinkerSpace series that looks at art studios and maker spaces.
Makerspace Name Ideas You have the space, you have the gear, now for the name! There are a lot of great name ideas out there, so I have compiled a list of some you may like, as well as a makerspace name generator of sorts! Unique Makerspace Names These names may combine words, utilize a play on words, or just sound fun: Collaboratory Imaginarium Mindcave Da Vinci's Workshop Simple Makerspace Names Or why not try something simple? Eureka! The Brainstorm STEM Lab Makerplace Fablab I also created this simple chart for coming up with a makerspace name. Just pick one word from each column and you're done! It couldn't be easier. Makerspace Names That Suit YOUR Makerspace Still not sure? Here are some tips for coming up with a unique name: Think about what your makerspace's focus is. Is it on building? Arts? Robotics? Environmentally friendly design? Try using a word that supports your makerspace's mission and feel. Get input from your students. How do they feel in the makerspace? What are their favorite tools and projects? Describe your space. Is it on an upper floor? A basement? In a nook? In a library? What's the history of the space? Try incorporating an aspect of the physical space into your name and it's sure to fit. What do you call your makerspace or STEM lab? Comment below or head to the STEM educator support group on Facebook to share your name with us! Looking for more ideas while setting up your makerspace? You may find the following articles useful: Setting up Your Makerspace Setting up an Elementary STEM Lab by Sarah Lalonde So You Want to Start A Makerspace? by Teach Outside the Box Pin these ideas for later:
Image 8 of 15 from gallery of Blue School / Rockwell Group. Photograph by Albert Vecerka/Esto
Kids can make these Colored Paper Collage Sculptures as a sculpture and colored paper collage project all rolled into one.
Create a Maker Space for Kids: A personal maker space is just an area that facilitates creating. In my experience working with kids since 2011, this requires 5 things: Enough space The right tools The right materials Organization Inspiration Every kid and every home h…
Here are some tips on how to design and set up a mini maker space made just for your kids.
In my article for the ISTE Librarian's Network Scanner, I offer my advice for starting a makerspace on a budget, including practical examples.
I'm frequently asked what tools should be purchased for classroom makerspaces. I decided to create a list of my Top Five FAVORITE tools to use in elementary makerspaces.
