What is a ‘Makerspace’ and How to Create One
This a somewhat new concept: the idea that the space students inhabit is as important as the information they are learning. In many schools, there is a new focus on makerspaces. Defining and designing a space in your classroom that fosters creativity can truly accelerate learning.
Rather than twenty desks set up in symmetrical rows, envision a room that can accommodate a variety of activities, from woodworking to electronics to digital fabrication. The positive effect that such a space can have on students is immeasurable. In our world of constant stimulation, why not make the spaces in which students learn more congruent with young people’s real world and experience?
While it sounds easy enough, creating a truly effective makerspace is challenging. Below, we will explore a few important points to remember when considering how to maximize your classroom space:
Make it a multi-use space: Single-space learning areas like labs and woodshops are great, but creating hybrid spaces can speak to all different types of learners and make the classroom much more exciting and engaging for students. When you look at this makerspace in Multnomah County, Oregon, you’ll notice a few incredible things. First, the space brings together a number of seemingly different learning disciplines: students work with wood using machines and tools besides others working with cameras and forms of digital technology beside yet other students working on science stuff. Secondly, the though the room contains many different activities, the space itself is open and inviting, echoing the idea that true learning does not occur in compartmentalized spaces. The idea here is that, by making the space multi-use, you are giving students the best opportunity to learn creatively and in a way that works best for them.
What are you teaching? It’s important to consider what you are teaching, as this can directly impact what your makerspace looks like. This will be affected by the grade level and the subject that is being taught. But, even when the subject is rigid, the space need not be. For example, the makerspace in a science classroom can absolutely be much more than just lab tables and microscopes. Stations where students can engage with technology, work with their hands, and build or learn kinetically can all contribute to an amazing overall learning experience in whatever subject the room might be devoted to. Yes, the what you teach is important, but the opportunities for creative understanding that you offer students may be even more important.
What tools can you use? There are so many options today for supplementing the classroom that stretch well beyond a chalkboard or an overhead projector. Things undreamt of twenty years ago are now becoming classroom staples: 3D printers, interactive whiteboards, and digital fabrication tools like CNC routers are all found in the modern makerspace and can contribute to a mind-blowing classroom experience. The tools you allow students to use enhance the learning experience by leaps and bounds.
The idea of the classroom being a space for creating is now more prevalent than ever and impassioned teachers are working to create spaces that truly inspire students. The space in which kids learn is often drab and boring, but makerspaces are bringing fun, enthusiasm, and creativity into the classroom and allowing students to learn in a multitude of incredible ways.
Written by Phil Lane
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