Building Thinking Skills to Help Students Access Their Best Work
How Libraries Can Turn Stories Into Maker Projects
Five Ways Design and Making Can Help Science Education Come Alive
Building A Tinkering Mindset In Young Students Through Making
Don't Leave Learning Up to Chance: Framing and Reflection
Five Ways to Ensure Real Learning Happens in Maker-Enhanced Projects
How A Makerspace in Juvenile Hall Helps Young People See Their Value
Launching a Makerspace: Lessons Learned From a Transformed School Library
Tinkering Spaces: How Equity Means More Than Access
How Engineering Class in 9th Grade Can Excite Diverse Learners
What Colleges Can Gain by Adding Makerspaces to Their Libraries
Can Kids As Young As Three Learn to Design and Create In Fab Labs?
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Urban Maker Assembly Academy serves students from all over New York City, many of whom come in behind grade level. The school uses a\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.uamaker.nyc/mastery-grading-1/\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">mastery-based approach\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, focusing on helping each student become proficient in the necessary skills no matter how long it takes. They’re also committed to doing interesting, hands-on projects and letting students have autonomy over their learning. Despite the greater freedom that comes from this kind of learning, a couple of years ago, principal \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.uamaker.nyc/principal\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Luke Bauer\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> realized his students needed more direction. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“A lot of schools that start with project-based learning think that you can throw this ambiguous project out and kids will naturally know how to solve it,” said\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bauer. “The thing we’ve found is that kids need some more structure than that.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bauer brought in reDesign, an education consulting firm, to help him and his teachers intentionally build skills they hadn't previously realized were required for the projects they had planned.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The premise of reDesign’s approach is that there are many\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://www.redesignu.org/design-lab/skills\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“portable skills”\u003c/span>\u003c/a> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">required in any academic project, no matter the subject. These are things like determining importance, asking questions, thinking about purpose and audience, and even clarifying confusion. Students need these skills in everything they learn, but often aren’t aware of them as interstitial thinking steps necessary for a deeper analysis or more meaningful product. And often teachers don’t realize students are missing those thinking skills either.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_50669\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-50669\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-1020x511.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"321\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-1020x511.png 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-160x80.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-800x401.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-768x385.png 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-1180x591.png 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-960x481.png 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-240x120.png 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-375x188.png 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-520x261.png 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An informal study of college syllabi found remarkably similar requirements of college freshman. \u003ccite>(Courtesy reDesign)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">reDesign works with many schools that serve over-aged and under-credited students, so their goal is to find the fastest way to raise student skill level without succumbing to rote learning. Co-founder Antonia Rudenstine said their approach is rooted in a fundamental belief: “You get to deeper learning by taking students through a deep thinking process.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So whether the project will ultimately result in a website, a speech, a three-dimensional model or an academic paper, there are certain thinking skills like identifying evidence or choosing a focus that can be embedded across subjects. When teachers explicitly name these skills, and identify them as something that can be learned, students become more aware of them. With practice they build up a comfort level with a thinking process that will be required again and again in any learning situation. And crucially, because these skills are found in almost everything, they can be\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://www.redesignu.org/design-lab/learning-activities\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">baked into\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> more traditional lessons, as well as project-based curriculum.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Projects are breaking down at the level of the thinking,” Rudenstine said. “There’s just way too many intellectual jumps that are expected of students who have had no exposure.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">She says teachers have to be very clear about the skills they are teaching through the content and communicate those learning goals to students. So, for example, rather than asking students to name the five causes of the Civil War -- essentially a memorization task -- a teacher could explain that the goal is to understand cause and effect. She could then ask students to read an article and pull out causes and their effects.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“That’s really different from breaking content down into bite-sized pieces,” Rudenstine said. “You’re breaking thinking into bite-sized nuggets.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[contextly_sidebar id=\"Ovl7ZbVwTCz1beVAPSP8Cg8UEK9HNW68\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The advantage of this modular approach to skill building is that it can be mapped across a school to ensure students are getting enough practice. Especially when students are coming to high school without key skills, they’ll need more practice analyzing and synthesizing than they can possibly get if those skills are only taught in Humanities classes. Instead, analysis and synthesis have to become part of every performance task in every class. Rudenstine calls this\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fK5PoxPgLdjAeY3kgWJQC37uKb_XaeJwU0QsLID8rf0/edit#gid=1956944941\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“opportunity mapping”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and says it’s a crucial step to make sure students are prepared for the kind of learning expected in most colleges.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>IN PRACTICE AT A PROJECT-BASED SCHOOL\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Earth science and AP Human Geography teacher\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.uamaker.nyc/earthscience\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ben Hoser\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> has also found the reDesign modules to be a helpful tool to evaluate and rethink his projects. He’s in his second year of teaching at Urban Assembly Maker Academy and has struggled to find the right balance between content and skills-based work.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“One of my main takeaways from last year was kids’ engagement rates were really high, submission rates were really high, but then their scores on their Regents exams were really low,” Hoser said. That made him wonder if he wasn’t teaching the content explicitly enough.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_50670\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-50670\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-1020x606.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"380\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-1020x606.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-160x95.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-800x475.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-768x456.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-1180x701.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-960x570.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-240x142.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-375x223.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-520x309.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A student at Phoenix Charter Academy in Massachusetts explores the concept of density by measuring mass. \u003ccite>(Courtesy reDesign)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In his first year, he’d started out with a natural disaster project that didn’t have much core earth science content in it, but did bring up some key skills like asking the right questions, researching, and entering into an\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/09/21/10-tips-for-launching-an-inquiry-based-classroom/\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">inquiry\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. At the time he thought the project was a success because it showed him that if he could help students establish a base ability to cite sources, read accurately, and find patterns he was setting up a framework for them to digest any content. Over the year, he was increasingly able to give students work without scaffolds, until they were leading socratic seminars.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now, Hoser is taking the good elements of that first year to the next level, making sure the content is the explicit vehicle for skill building. To do that, he’s been clear that all his assessments will focus on skills, but the tasks themselves are rooted in content.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’m actually finding that I’m more able now to step away from the reDesign resources because I’ve used the reDesign stuff to identify what skills they need and that’s helped me reinvent the standards for our department and then my projects are more content driven,” Hoser said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For example, Hoser has to teach a unit on landscapes, which is split between map reading and more traditional landscape topics like erosion and rivers. Previously he had struggled to bring those two ideas together in one project. Now, he has students creating maps of their neighborhoods to identify how they would fare in another storm like Hurricane Sandy.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #767676;font-size: 19px;font-style: italic\">Diving into designing competency-based professional development series. Thank you \u003c/span>\u003ca style=\"font-size: 19px;font-style: italic\" href=\"https://twitter.com/reDesignLLC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@reDesignLLC\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"color: #767676;font-size: 19px;font-style: italic\"> for inspiring the work. \u003c/span>\u003ca style=\"font-size: 19px;font-style: italic\" href=\"https://t.co/DHdAa3K538\">pic.twitter.com/DHdAa3K538\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\u003cp>— Gillian Riley (@GillianRiley00) \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/GillianRiley00/status/933185883217346565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 22, 2017\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hoser asks students to survey their neighborhoods on foot, logging waypoints in a data table. Then they map the data and draw contour lines. “That’s testing are they understanding what a contour line is and can they construct a continental map from these spot heights,” Hoser said. He thinks it’s more rigorous to have students create their own maps than to read existing ones, which is what the Regents exam requires.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hoser\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://www.instructables.com/id/Augmented-Reality-Sandbox/\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">built an augmented sandbox\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in his classroom last year with students. Step three of this project asks students to input their data into the sandbox and project what they’ve recorded in three-dimensional contour lines. That essentially creates a 3D topographical map of the student’s neighborhood, which they can then flood to see what happens. Lastly they have to write to their congressperson addressing the issues they found.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The final tasks is a writing task, not a scientific one, so they have to really understand it and use evidence to make their argument,” Hoser said. It’s also a good example of how those “portable skills” show up in science class and reinforce what’s happening elsewhere in the school. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hoser thinks the augmented sandbox element added a lot to the project because students didn’t expect some of the ways the water moved across the landscape. They didn’t all know, for example, that downhill isn’t always south, but they figured it out as the water flooded areas they know well in real life.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_50690\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-50690\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2018/03/augmented-sandbox-1020x765.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The augmented sandbox helps students visualize the data they collect. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Ben Hoser/Urban Assembly Maker Academy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It’s so heavily grounded in and driven by the content, but each stage of it requires them to use skills that I think they need,” Hoser said. He thinks he’s found a model for what a really good project looks like. And now he’s not shy to run smaller skill-based lessons for things that might come up in a project. For example, he taught students how to read a map for their landscape project, but it was a quick mini-lesson within a project that students otherwise largely drove themselves.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“What I’m trying to do is set kids up with those skills so they can feel that feeling of discovery,” Hoser said. He likes the reDesign tools because he can check his projects against them to make sure he isn’t missing key skills; they've become a back stop as he iterates on his projects. The tools have helped guide his thinking, but haven’t limited\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/04/22/sir-ken-robinson-creativity-is-in-everything-especially-teaching/\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">his creativity\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or autonomy as a teacher. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.uamaker.nyc/english\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Margarita Lopez\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> teaches sophomores and seniors English. She’s only been teaching for a few years and has found the reDesign modules helpful as she evaluates what worked and what didn’t in various projects. For example, she wanted to understand why students weren’t turning in the level of work she expected in a multimedia storytelling project she does with sophomores every year.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“What I realized using the reDesign materials when I reassessed that entire project was that it needed more of the little pieces that make the connection to the overall bigger project,” Lopez said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[contextly_sidebar id=\"akfxeY6JF0Sv3QGmQ1IupviYKwbv9Iy2\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The project requires students to interview an immigrant in their community and represent their life story in a video. While Lopez thought the aim was clear, she hadn’t realized that her students weren’t independently doing things like researching the history of their interviewee or scripting out their questions. They were diving in without planning, which resulted in shallow products.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now, Lopez scaffolds these steps more explicitly. She discusses different types of\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/10/26/for-students-why-the-question-is-more-important-than-the-answer/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> questioning strategies\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> with students so they have tools to use when doing their interviews. Lopez hadn’t realized that students didn’t know how to get started on such a big project, but once she made the switch students turned their work in at higher rates and were ultimately able to approach the next project more independently.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">These successes are exactly what Rudenstine is hoping to support. She has experience teaching in both traditional settings and more progressive ones, but worried that neither truly served students. She’s firm that there are fundamental skills students need if they want to be successful in college and that educators can’t expects students to pick those up through osmosis while doing a project. But with expert guidance from a skilled teacher, students can do the exciting hands-on project work that many constructivist educators love without sacrificing skill development.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>HOW IT LOOKS IN A TRADITIONAL SCHOOL\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even in more traditional schools where drilling academic skills is the focus, many teachers still skill over fundamental skills required for deep thinking, working with other people, and figuring things out on one’s own. That’s where Rudenstine says the reDesign materials might help.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Karen McCallion, a biology teacher at Epping High School in New Hampshire, teaches at a fairly traditional high school -- they still have rows of desks and bells. McCallion, like so many teachers, feels pressure to get through the content, but as she’s looked at the skills laid out by reDesign she’s given herself permission to slow down and make sure students have what they need to succeed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[contextly_sidebar id=\"yXxgnx6uDRya71qZ8hZMQqreU2m98u03\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It does feel like I’m going away from the content -- or it did at the beginning -- but then I realized I’m teaching them how to learn,” she said. She’s begun to realize that to succeed in science her students need to be good readers, and they need to be able to determine what’s important. She’s started helping them do that work with non-science texts first, then later asking them to apply those skills to science texts that can feel daunting to students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“If you can give them some ownership and some skills then whatever content you put in front of them, even if it frustrates them, then they’re going to be able to engage with it,” McCallion said. She’s never going to give up lab reports, but she does see ways she can open up assignments she’s done in the past to build student skills beyond memorization.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For example, McCallion used to do a “design a cell project,” where each student was assigned an organelle and had to research and present on its function in the cell. “That’s not really what I want. It’s very surface. So I changed it,” she said. Now, she’s trying to emphasize collaboration and connections.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">She modified the project so that students work in groups to come up with an analogy for what the organelle does, along with a representation of the analogy. At first, McCallion thought she had made a big mistake. Students didn’t know how to work together, they struggled to come up with a plan to collaborate and when they ran into problems they wanted her to solve them.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Instead of telling them how to solve it we conference,” she said. “We sit and discuss and I have them speak up. I enjoy so much watching those light bulbs go off, and I don’t see them go off as much when I make them regurgitate facts,” she said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As we talk, McCallion looks at her white board and tells me almost every assignment written in the top corner comes out of reDesign. She’s got the learning goal, the competency being covered, and the product she expects students to produce. Perhaps more importantly, she’s thought through some bigger questions about her lessons: Why is she doing it? What will the product look like? How will she support them? What strategies will she explicitly teach along the way?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">McCallion says she’s even starting to think this way about her tests. She always writes in a few questions that require synthesis -- that’s where kids either fall down or wow her. And it’s a good indicator of where she might need to offer a little more support.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Urban Maker Assembly Academy serves students from all over New York City, many of whom come in behind grade level. The school uses a\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.uamaker.nyc/mastery-grading-1/\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">mastery-based approach\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, focusing on helping each student become proficient in the necessary skills no matter how long it takes. They’re also committed to doing interesting, hands-on projects and letting students have autonomy over their learning. Despite the greater freedom that comes from this kind of learning, a couple of years ago, principal \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.uamaker.nyc/principal\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Luke Bauer\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> realized his students needed more direction. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“A lot of schools that start with project-based learning think that you can throw this ambiguous project out and kids will naturally know how to solve it,” said\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bauer. “The thing we’ve found is that kids need some more structure than that.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bauer brought in reDesign, an education consulting firm, to help him and his teachers intentionally build skills they hadn't previously realized were required for the projects they had planned.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The premise of reDesign’s approach is that there are many\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://www.redesignu.org/design-lab/skills\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“portable skills”\u003c/span>\u003c/a> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">required in any academic project, no matter the subject. These are things like determining importance, asking questions, thinking about purpose and audience, and even clarifying confusion. Students need these skills in everything they learn, but often aren’t aware of them as interstitial thinking steps necessary for a deeper analysis or more meaningful product. And often teachers don’t realize students are missing those thinking skills either.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_50669\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-50669\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-1020x511.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"321\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-1020x511.png 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-160x80.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-800x401.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-768x385.png 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-1180x591.png 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-960x481.png 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-240x120.png 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-375x188.png 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign3.jpg-520x261.png 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An informal study of college syllabi found remarkably similar requirements of college freshman. \u003ccite>(Courtesy reDesign)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">reDesign works with many schools that serve over-aged and under-credited students, so their goal is to find the fastest way to raise student skill level without succumbing to rote learning. Co-founder Antonia Rudenstine said their approach is rooted in a fundamental belief: “You get to deeper learning by taking students through a deep thinking process.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So whether the project will ultimately result in a website, a speech, a three-dimensional model or an academic paper, there are certain thinking skills like identifying evidence or choosing a focus that can be embedded across subjects. When teachers explicitly name these skills, and identify them as something that can be learned, students become more aware of them. With practice they build up a comfort level with a thinking process that will be required again and again in any learning situation. And crucially, because these skills are found in almost everything, they can be\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://www.redesignu.org/design-lab/learning-activities\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">baked into\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> more traditional lessons, as well as project-based curriculum.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Projects are breaking down at the level of the thinking,” Rudenstine said. “There’s just way too many intellectual jumps that are expected of students who have had no exposure.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">She says teachers have to be very clear about the skills they are teaching through the content and communicate those learning goals to students. So, for example, rather than asking students to name the five causes of the Civil War -- essentially a memorization task -- a teacher could explain that the goal is to understand cause and effect. She could then ask students to read an article and pull out causes and their effects.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“That’s really different from breaking content down into bite-sized pieces,” Rudenstine said. “You’re breaking thinking into bite-sized nuggets.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The advantage of this modular approach to skill building is that it can be mapped across a school to ensure students are getting enough practice. Especially when students are coming to high school without key skills, they’ll need more practice analyzing and synthesizing than they can possibly get if those skills are only taught in Humanities classes. Instead, analysis and synthesis have to become part of every performance task in every class. Rudenstine calls this\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fK5PoxPgLdjAeY3kgWJQC37uKb_XaeJwU0QsLID8rf0/edit#gid=1956944941\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“opportunity mapping”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and says it’s a crucial step to make sure students are prepared for the kind of learning expected in most colleges.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>IN PRACTICE AT A PROJECT-BASED SCHOOL\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Earth science and AP Human Geography teacher\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.uamaker.nyc/earthscience\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ben Hoser\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> has also found the reDesign modules to be a helpful tool to evaluate and rethink his projects. He’s in his second year of teaching at Urban Assembly Maker Academy and has struggled to find the right balance between content and skills-based work.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“One of my main takeaways from last year was kids’ engagement rates were really high, submission rates were really high, but then their scores on their Regents exams were really low,” Hoser said. That made him wonder if he wasn’t teaching the content explicitly enough.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_50670\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-50670\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-1020x606.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"380\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-1020x606.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-160x95.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-800x475.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-768x456.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-1180x701.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-960x570.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-240x142.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-375x223.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/02/reDesign2-520x309.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A student at Phoenix Charter Academy in Massachusetts explores the concept of density by measuring mass. \u003ccite>(Courtesy reDesign)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In his first year, he’d started out with a natural disaster project that didn’t have much core earth science content in it, but did bring up some key skills like asking the right questions, researching, and entering into an\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/09/21/10-tips-for-launching-an-inquiry-based-classroom/\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">inquiry\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. At the time he thought the project was a success because it showed him that if he could help students establish a base ability to cite sources, read accurately, and find patterns he was setting up a framework for them to digest any content. Over the year, he was increasingly able to give students work without scaffolds, until they were leading socratic seminars.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now, Hoser is taking the good elements of that first year to the next level, making sure the content is the explicit vehicle for skill building. To do that, he’s been clear that all his assessments will focus on skills, but the tasks themselves are rooted in content.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’m actually finding that I’m more able now to step away from the reDesign resources because I’ve used the reDesign stuff to identify what skills they need and that’s helped me reinvent the standards for our department and then my projects are more content driven,” Hoser said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For example, Hoser has to teach a unit on landscapes, which is split between map reading and more traditional landscape topics like erosion and rivers. Previously he had struggled to bring those two ideas together in one project. Now, he has students creating maps of their neighborhoods to identify how they would fare in another storm like Hurricane Sandy.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #767676;font-size: 19px;font-style: italic\">Diving into designing competency-based professional development series. Thank you \u003c/span>\u003ca style=\"font-size: 19px;font-style: italic\" href=\"https://twitter.com/reDesignLLC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@reDesignLLC\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"color: #767676;font-size: 19px;font-style: italic\"> for inspiring the work. \u003c/span>\u003ca style=\"font-size: 19px;font-style: italic\" href=\"https://t.co/DHdAa3K538\">pic.twitter.com/DHdAa3K538\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\u003cp>— Gillian Riley (@GillianRiley00) \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/GillianRiley00/status/933185883217346565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 22, 2017\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hoser asks students to survey their neighborhoods on foot, logging waypoints in a data table. Then they map the data and draw contour lines. “That’s testing are they understanding what a contour line is and can they construct a continental map from these spot heights,” Hoser said. He thinks it’s more rigorous to have students create their own maps than to read existing ones, which is what the Regents exam requires.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hoser\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://www.instructables.com/id/Augmented-Reality-Sandbox/\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">built an augmented sandbox\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in his classroom last year with students. Step three of this project asks students to input their data into the sandbox and project what they’ve recorded in three-dimensional contour lines. That essentially creates a 3D topographical map of the student’s neighborhood, which they can then flood to see what happens. Lastly they have to write to their congressperson addressing the issues they found.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The final tasks is a writing task, not a scientific one, so they have to really understand it and use evidence to make their argument,” Hoser said. It’s also a good example of how those “portable skills” show up in science class and reinforce what’s happening elsewhere in the school. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hoser thinks the augmented sandbox element added a lot to the project because students didn’t expect some of the ways the water moved across the landscape. They didn’t all know, for example, that downhill isn’t always south, but they figured it out as the water flooded areas they know well in real life.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_50690\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-50690\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2018/03/augmented-sandbox-1020x765.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The augmented sandbox helps students visualize the data they collect. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Ben Hoser/Urban Assembly Maker Academy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It’s so heavily grounded in and driven by the content, but each stage of it requires them to use skills that I think they need,” Hoser said. He thinks he’s found a model for what a really good project looks like. And now he’s not shy to run smaller skill-based lessons for things that might come up in a project. For example, he taught students how to read a map for their landscape project, but it was a quick mini-lesson within a project that students otherwise largely drove themselves.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“What I’m trying to do is set kids up with those skills so they can feel that feeling of discovery,” Hoser said. He likes the reDesign tools because he can check his projects against them to make sure he isn’t missing key skills; they've become a back stop as he iterates on his projects. The tools have helped guide his thinking, but haven’t limited\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/04/22/sir-ken-robinson-creativity-is-in-everything-especially-teaching/\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">his creativity\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or autonomy as a teacher. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.uamaker.nyc/english\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Margarita Lopez\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> teaches sophomores and seniors English. She’s only been teaching for a few years and has found the reDesign modules helpful as she evaluates what worked and what didn’t in various projects. For example, she wanted to understand why students weren’t turning in the level of work she expected in a multimedia storytelling project she does with sophomores every year.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“What I realized using the reDesign materials when I reassessed that entire project was that it needed more of the little pieces that make the connection to the overall bigger project,” Lopez said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The project requires students to interview an immigrant in their community and represent their life story in a video. While Lopez thought the aim was clear, she hadn’t realized that her students weren’t independently doing things like researching the history of their interviewee or scripting out their questions. They were diving in without planning, which resulted in shallow products.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now, Lopez scaffolds these steps more explicitly. She discusses different types of\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/10/26/for-students-why-the-question-is-more-important-than-the-answer/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> questioning strategies\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> with students so they have tools to use when doing their interviews. Lopez hadn’t realized that students didn’t know how to get started on such a big project, but once she made the switch students turned their work in at higher rates and were ultimately able to approach the next project more independently.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">These successes are exactly what Rudenstine is hoping to support. She has experience teaching in both traditional settings and more progressive ones, but worried that neither truly served students. She’s firm that there are fundamental skills students need if they want to be successful in college and that educators can’t expects students to pick those up through osmosis while doing a project. But with expert guidance from a skilled teacher, students can do the exciting hands-on project work that many constructivist educators love without sacrificing skill development.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>HOW IT LOOKS IN A TRADITIONAL SCHOOL\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even in more traditional schools where drilling academic skills is the focus, many teachers still skill over fundamental skills required for deep thinking, working with other people, and figuring things out on one’s own. That’s where Rudenstine says the reDesign materials might help.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Karen McCallion, a biology teacher at Epping High School in New Hampshire, teaches at a fairly traditional high school -- they still have rows of desks and bells. McCallion, like so many teachers, feels pressure to get through the content, but as she’s looked at the skills laid out by reDesign she’s given herself permission to slow down and make sure students have what they need to succeed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It does feel like I’m going away from the content -- or it did at the beginning -- but then I realized I’m teaching them how to learn,” she said. She’s begun to realize that to succeed in science her students need to be good readers, and they need to be able to determine what’s important. She’s started helping them do that work with non-science texts first, then later asking them to apply those skills to science texts that can feel daunting to students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“If you can give them some ownership and some skills then whatever content you put in front of them, even if it frustrates them, then they’re going to be able to engage with it,” McCallion said. She’s never going to give up lab reports, but she does see ways she can open up assignments she’s done in the past to build student skills beyond memorization.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For example, McCallion used to do a “design a cell project,” where each student was assigned an organelle and had to research and present on its function in the cell. “That’s not really what I want. It’s very surface. So I changed it,” she said. Now, she’s trying to emphasize collaboration and connections.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">She modified the project so that students work in groups to come up with an analogy for what the organelle does, along with a representation of the analogy. At first, McCallion thought she had made a big mistake. Students didn’t know how to work together, they struggled to come up with a plan to collaborate and when they ran into problems they wanted her to solve them.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Instead of telling them how to solve it we conference,” she said. “We sit and discuss and I have them speak up. I enjoy so much watching those light bulbs go off, and I don’t see them go off as much when I make them regurgitate facts,” she said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As we talk, McCallion looks at her white board and tells me almost every assignment written in the top corner comes out of reDesign. She’s got the learning goal, the competency being covered, and the product she expects students to produce. Perhaps more importantly, she’s thought through some bigger questions about her lessons: Why is she doing it? What will the product look like? How will she support them? What strategies will she explicitly teach along the way?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">McCallion says she’s even starting to think this way about her tests. She always writes in a few questions that require synthesis -- that’s where kids either fall down or wow her. And it’s a good indicator of where she might need to offer a little more support.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "How Libraries Can Turn Stories Into Maker Projects",
"title": "How Libraries Can Turn Stories Into Maker Projects",
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"content": "\u003cp>In recent years, libraries have broadened their scope of offerings to the local community to involve more making activities like\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/11/20/how-libraries-are-advancing-and-inspiring-communities/\"> 3-D printing and sewing\u003c/a>. Some libraries even have a facilitator for maker projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Millvale Community Library in Pennsylvania, maker program coordinator Nora Peters saw an opportunity to better connect the activities of the maker space with the library's mission to promote literacy. So, she set out to build a bridge between making and reading by creating maker activities for children's books.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Peters creates project instructions that tie into the theme of a children’s book. She prints the instructions on a 5 x 7 sticker that affixes to the front of the book. Because Millvale serves a lower-income community, she also keeps materials low-tech.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_48868\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1248px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-48868\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1248\" height=\"2144\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1.jpg 1248w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-160x275.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-800x1374.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-768x1319.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-1020x1752.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-1180x2027.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-960x1649.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-240x412.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-375x644.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-520x893.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1248px) 100vw, 1248px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nora Peters developed low-cost maker project instructions based on books (in this example, \"Snow White and the 77 Dwarfs\"). The instructions come with the book and materials are relevant to the needs of the community. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Nora Peters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For example, in the book “Wemberly Worried” by Kevin Henkes, Peters developed and attached instructions on how to make a Guatemalan worry doll. The story is about dealing with childhood anxiety, and it is believed that the very act of constructing a worry doll can alleviate anxiety, said Peters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the book “I’m New Here” by A. S. O'Brien about the immigrant experience, Peters put instructions to create a “comfort object” to make someone feel welcome in a space. But the instructions were flexible enough that kids could use a variety of materials, from fabric to just cardboard and tape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Peters said she always tries to elevate the idea of “book-based craft” by finding a way to make each project less cookie-cutter. Projects are meant to be in the hands of the reader, not a facilitator, so they differ from the typical prompts children might find at the end of books. Her goal is “to make a visible connection between the value of hands-on learning and the value of introducing literacy at a young age and how those two can support each other.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s mostly using children’s books, but Peters wants the instructions to work for people of any age. To make sure pre-teens are not put off by using children’s books, Peters was careful with her language. For instance, instead of printing “go ask your parents,” instructions state, “find these materials.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the past couple of months, Peters has completed 15 of these book-based maker projects and has received positive feedback from parents and patrons. As she has taken the idea around to teacher conferences, including the annual \u003ca href=\"http://makered.org/maker-educator-convening-2017/\">Maker Ed Convening\u003c/a>, she was surprised to find that many teachers had never heard of such a project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_48872\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 834px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-48872 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Peters-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"834\" height=\"1050\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Peters-4.jpg 834w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Peters-4-160x201.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Peters-4-800x1007.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Peters-4-768x967.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Peters-4-240x302.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Peters-4-375x472.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Peters-4-520x655.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 834px) 100vw, 834px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A maker project pasted inside the book \"Little Roja Riding Hood\" by Susan Middleton Elya. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Nora Peters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MAKING IT AFFORDABLE\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Libraries with a limited budget can feel left behind because the maker movement usually centers on newer technologies, but librarians have been doing this work all along, said Cindy Wall, a librarian at Southington Library in Connecticut, where maker projects start with reading.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For instance, for preschool-age students, a program called “You’ve Got Mail” ties into the book “Please Write Back,” about an alligator who writes to his grandmother. Kids receive postcards to decorate, and mail out. Wall’s husband, a postal worker, visits to answer questions and collect the postcards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In another program, elementary school students make abstract art that they then compare to machine-made art. The students start by reading a book about abstract artist Wassily Kandinsky. The library uses a machine called the “water color bot” to make abstract art, and then the children compare their art to what the machine produces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_48874\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 820px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-48874\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Southington.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"820\" height=\"695\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Southington.jpg 820w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Southington-160x136.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Southington-800x678.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Southington-768x651.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Southington-240x203.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Southington-375x318.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Southington-520x441.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A watercolor bot creates abstract art at Southington Library. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Cindy Wall and Lynn Pawloski)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The common denominator in any of these programs is a book or reading assignment -- the base from which the project builds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wall and her colleague, Lynn Pawloski, compiled their series of programs into a book called\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Maker-Literacy-Approach-Programming-Libraries/dp/1440843805\"> “Maker Literacy: A New Approach to Literacy Programming for Libraries.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if libraries can’t afford high-tech toys, “You can still create maker programming with whatever you have,” said Wall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Echoing what Wall has found, Peters said teachers and librarians do these projects in some form all the time, but they can also use a maker activity as an opportunity to enhance comprehension and build literacy skills. It’s empowering to pull something deeper from a seemingly simple book, she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the end of summer, Peters is hoping to expand their collection of maker books to some young adults and to even put some simple instructions in adult nonfiction to show how to use an adult how-to manual with kids.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In recent years, libraries have broadened their scope of offerings to the local community to involve more making activities like\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/11/20/how-libraries-are-advancing-and-inspiring-communities/\"> 3-D printing and sewing\u003c/a>. Some libraries even have a facilitator for maker projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Millvale Community Library in Pennsylvania, maker program coordinator Nora Peters saw an opportunity to better connect the activities of the maker space with the library's mission to promote literacy. So, she set out to build a bridge between making and reading by creating maker activities for children's books.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Peters creates project instructions that tie into the theme of a children’s book. She prints the instructions on a 5 x 7 sticker that affixes to the front of the book. Because Millvale serves a lower-income community, she also keeps materials low-tech.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_48868\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1248px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-48868\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1248\" height=\"2144\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1.jpg 1248w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-160x275.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-800x1374.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-768x1319.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-1020x1752.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-1180x2027.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-960x1649.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-240x412.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-375x644.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/07/Peters-1-520x893.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1248px) 100vw, 1248px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nora Peters developed low-cost maker project instructions based on books (in this example, \"Snow White and the 77 Dwarfs\"). The instructions come with the book and materials are relevant to the needs of the community. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Nora Peters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For example, in the book “Wemberly Worried” by Kevin Henkes, Peters developed and attached instructions on how to make a Guatemalan worry doll. The story is about dealing with childhood anxiety, and it is believed that the very act of constructing a worry doll can alleviate anxiety, said Peters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the book “I’m New Here” by A. S. O'Brien about the immigrant experience, Peters put instructions to create a “comfort object” to make someone feel welcome in a space. But the instructions were flexible enough that kids could use a variety of materials, from fabric to just cardboard and tape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Peters said she always tries to elevate the idea of “book-based craft” by finding a way to make each project less cookie-cutter. Projects are meant to be in the hands of the reader, not a facilitator, so they differ from the typical prompts children might find at the end of books. Her goal is “to make a visible connection between the value of hands-on learning and the value of introducing literacy at a young age and how those two can support each other.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s mostly using children’s books, but Peters wants the instructions to work for people of any age. To make sure pre-teens are not put off by using children’s books, Peters was careful with her language. For instance, instead of printing “go ask your parents,” instructions state, “find these materials.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the past couple of months, Peters has completed 15 of these book-based maker projects and has received positive feedback from parents and patrons. As she has taken the idea around to teacher conferences, including the annual \u003ca href=\"http://makered.org/maker-educator-convening-2017/\">Maker Ed Convening\u003c/a>, she was surprised to find that many teachers had never heard of such a project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_48872\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 834px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-48872 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Peters-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"834\" height=\"1050\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Peters-4.jpg 834w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Peters-4-160x201.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Peters-4-800x1007.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Peters-4-768x967.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Peters-4-240x302.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Peters-4-375x472.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Peters-4-520x655.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 834px) 100vw, 834px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A maker project pasted inside the book \"Little Roja Riding Hood\" by Susan Middleton Elya. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Nora Peters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MAKING IT AFFORDABLE\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Libraries with a limited budget can feel left behind because the maker movement usually centers on newer technologies, but librarians have been doing this work all along, said Cindy Wall, a librarian at Southington Library in Connecticut, where maker projects start with reading.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For instance, for preschool-age students, a program called “You’ve Got Mail” ties into the book “Please Write Back,” about an alligator who writes to his grandmother. Kids receive postcards to decorate, and mail out. Wall’s husband, a postal worker, visits to answer questions and collect the postcards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In another program, elementary school students make abstract art that they then compare to machine-made art. The students start by reading a book about abstract artist Wassily Kandinsky. The library uses a machine called the “water color bot” to make abstract art, and then the children compare their art to what the machine produces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_48874\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 820px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-48874\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Southington.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"820\" height=\"695\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Southington.jpg 820w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Southington-160x136.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Southington-800x678.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Southington-768x651.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Southington-240x203.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Southington-375x318.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2017/08/Southington-520x441.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A watercolor bot creates abstract art at Southington Library. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Cindy Wall and Lynn Pawloski)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The common denominator in any of these programs is a book or reading assignment -- the base from which the project builds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wall and her colleague, Lynn Pawloski, compiled their series of programs into a book called\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Maker-Literacy-Approach-Programming-Libraries/dp/1440843805\"> “Maker Literacy: A New Approach to Literacy Programming for Libraries.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if libraries can’t afford high-tech toys, “You can still create maker programming with whatever you have,” said Wall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Echoing what Wall has found, Peters said teachers and librarians do these projects in some form all the time, but they can also use a maker activity as an opportunity to enhance comprehension and build literacy skills. It’s empowering to pull something deeper from a seemingly simple book, she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the end of summer, Peters is hoping to expand their collection of maker books to some young adults and to even put some simple instructions in adult nonfiction to show how to use an adult how-to manual with kids.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Five Ways Design and Making Can Help Science Education Come Alive",
"title": "Five Ways Design and Making Can Help Science Education Come Alive",
"headTitle": "MindShift | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Excerpted from \u003ca href=\"http://www.makingsciencebook.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Making Science: Reimagining STEM Education in Middle School and Beyond\u003c/a> by Christa Flores, published in 2016 by \u003ca href=\"http://cmkpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Constructing Modern Knowledge Press\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Christa Flores\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cem>\"How do research and design relate to each other? (…) Both activities produce knowledge, but of different kinds. (…) So, on the one hand, design is not a science in its own right, but draws on technical and scientific insights as well as artistic skill and ability. On the other hand design, although not a science, can be the object of systematic research.\" — Christian Gänshirt, Tools for Ideas\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Design is an artistic endeavor that values the creative and human centered application of math, science and technology. Using design to help others learn science is not intuitive, however, once practiced you will see how humanistic and authentic it is to incorporate design in any subject. Below is a list of the most promising benefits that I have noticed in the past six years for using design as a framework and making as the engine to empower students as they gain and apply their scientific literacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Benefit No. 1: Students learn more, love science more, and are more engaged in science content and the scientific process when designing solutions to real problems. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The creation of the artificial, whether a sling shot, calorimeter or electrical circuit, becomes a solution-finding crusade armed with scientific knowledge. When students invent, they take ownership over an idea, then face real-world problems en route to making their idea come to life. They act, think and work as real scientists and inventors. Studies show that the best predictor of STEM career choice in adulthood is linked to whether kids self-report seeing themselves as scientists when they grow up by 8th grade (Maltese & Tai, 2011). We have to trust that allowing our students to tinker, question and invent, as early as elementary and middle school, will help them to develop positive identities that encourage a lifelong love of science, math and the creative process. Making learning “hard fun” (Papert, 2002) is a real-world balancing act that happens everyday when children are designing and inventing in the classroom.\u003ca href=\"http://cmkpress.com/making-science/\">\u003cimg class=\"alignright wp-image-47141\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/12/making-science-cover-e1481832063244.png\" alt=\"making-science-cover\" width=\"250\" height=\"334\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Benefit No. 2: If creative confidence, collaboration, self-reliance, resilience and communication are key to being a scientist, then teaching design and engineering in science class is more effective than content-centered or teacher-directed methods.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Solving real problems provides students with opportunities to identify with problems that matter, diagnose, defend an argument with evidence, give and receive feedback, utilize and critique internet resources, compose professional emails to mentors and more. Well-designed open-ended challenges versus rigidly planned lessons allow children to do real work in a controlled environment with the help of a learning community. Ownership is given to the learner, while the teacher serves as facilitator. The design aspect turns agency over to students and they become active creators, rather than passive consumers who simply follow directions. Assessment is real time and authentic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Benefit No. 3: In an age where school is becoming less relevant to students, invention and design are an engaging way to learn.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, science literacy has become available to more kinds of learners. Educational YouTubers, science storytelling shows like WNYC’s Radiolab, and television shows such as the Mythbusters illustrate the beauty and coolness of science where some traditional science classes fail. These informal educational outlets do a good job spreading science literacy to the general public in a joyful and engaging manner. Some even go so far as to reinforce what we teach in science class — that science is both fun and methodical. Adam Savage of Mythbusters is famous for saying that it’s just screwing around if you don’t write it down. Just like interacting with a well-designed museum exhibit, or setting stuff on fire in your backyard, school should be exploratory and joyful (but safe). Joy and laughter should be welcome in any classroom. Joy relieves stress and allows for healthy goal-setting in a classroom infused with potential dead ends and frustration (Bennett, et.al., 2003; Cornett 1986). Inventing is hands on, minds on, hearts on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Benefit No. 4: Science is shareable, so is making an artifact.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg class=\"alignright wp-image-47142\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/12/Christa-flores-e1481832092824.jpg\" alt=\"christa-flores\" width=\"250\" height=\"288\">Allowing design and making in science classes results in students having conversations about their shared work and reinforces the importance of documenting the testing process because you don’t want to make the same mistake twice. Communication with peers and mentors is critical to getting over obstacles and improving designs. This mirrors real-world science, where communication is critical to getting support for your ideas. At the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University this idea is part of their mission, “The ability to communicate directly and vividly can enhance scientists’ career prospects, helping them secure funding, collaborate across disciplines, compete for positions, and serve as effective teachers” (Stony Brook University, 2015). Once artifacts are created, most students are happy to share their work with others in public showcases where their process story becomes a point of pride. Unlike taking tests or writing a lab report, sharing work as a form of assessment allows students to gain a sense of identity around STEM topics, as students see their hard work mirrored back at them through the eyes and questions of an eager and engaged audience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Benefit No. 5: Using design to address or engage real problems empowers students to think of themselves as having the capacity to make the world better. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thanks to research on the impact and implication of making in education, such as that done by the aptly named Agency by Design (AbD), a project housed within Harvard’s Project Zero umbrella, research on the value of making in educational settings is now being published. Early findings from the AbD group show that a valuable sense of self is developed when children are allowed to make, invent and tinker. This sense of self, or “maker empowerment,” is a person’s ability to see the opportunity in their environment both for making things and for making change in the world. AbD defines maker empowerment as “a sensitivity to the designed dimension of objects and systems, along with the inclination and capacity to shape one’s world through building, tinkering, re/designing, or hacking” (Agency by Design, 2015a). Others would just call this creativity, mindfulness or resourcefulness. No matter what you call it, we want students to experience learning that requires them to look closely at the objects they interact with, explore the complexity of those objects, make deep connections, and to dream big while they develop agency to make change in the world around them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In summary, the use of the design process in school is a creative exploration of hard, yet fun problems (rigor, risk and reward), positive identity formation (“I am creative,” “I am a scientist,” “I can solve problems”) and collaborative learning (“we are greater than me”). Add responsible resource management and exposure to social justice issues, and design becomes a tool for innovation, empowerment and stewardship. Using design and engineering in science trains brains to think flexibly, to see layers of complexity in the environment all around, to discover loopholes in assumed truths and to look for opportunity to make the world a better place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/sciteach212\">Christa Flores\u003c/a> is an anthropologist turned science and making teacher. She develops classroom-tested lessons and resources for learning by making and design in the middle grades and beyond. \u003ca href=\"http://www.makingsciencebook.com/\">Making Science\u003c/a> offers project ideas, connections to the new Next Generation Science Standards, assessment strategies, examples of student work and practical tips for educators.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Excerpted from \u003ca href=\"http://www.makingsciencebook.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Making Science: Reimagining STEM Education in Middle School and Beyond\u003c/a> by Christa Flores, published in 2016 by \u003ca href=\"http://cmkpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Constructing Modern Knowledge Press\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Christa Flores\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cem>\"How do research and design relate to each other? (…) Both activities produce knowledge, but of different kinds. (…) So, on the one hand, design is not a science in its own right, but draws on technical and scientific insights as well as artistic skill and ability. On the other hand design, although not a science, can be the object of systematic research.\" — Christian Gänshirt, Tools for Ideas\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Design is an artistic endeavor that values the creative and human centered application of math, science and technology. Using design to help others learn science is not intuitive, however, once practiced you will see how humanistic and authentic it is to incorporate design in any subject. Below is a list of the most promising benefits that I have noticed in the past six years for using design as a framework and making as the engine to empower students as they gain and apply their scientific literacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Benefit No. 1: Students learn more, love science more, and are more engaged in science content and the scientific process when designing solutions to real problems. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The creation of the artificial, whether a sling shot, calorimeter or electrical circuit, becomes a solution-finding crusade armed with scientific knowledge. When students invent, they take ownership over an idea, then face real-world problems en route to making their idea come to life. They act, think and work as real scientists and inventors. Studies show that the best predictor of STEM career choice in adulthood is linked to whether kids self-report seeing themselves as scientists when they grow up by 8th grade (Maltese & Tai, 2011). We have to trust that allowing our students to tinker, question and invent, as early as elementary and middle school, will help them to develop positive identities that encourage a lifelong love of science, math and the creative process. Making learning “hard fun” (Papert, 2002) is a real-world balancing act that happens everyday when children are designing and inventing in the classroom.\u003ca href=\"http://cmkpress.com/making-science/\">\u003cimg class=\"alignright wp-image-47141\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/12/making-science-cover-e1481832063244.png\" alt=\"making-science-cover\" width=\"250\" height=\"334\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Benefit No. 2: If creative confidence, collaboration, self-reliance, resilience and communication are key to being a scientist, then teaching design and engineering in science class is more effective than content-centered or teacher-directed methods.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Solving real problems provides students with opportunities to identify with problems that matter, diagnose, defend an argument with evidence, give and receive feedback, utilize and critique internet resources, compose professional emails to mentors and more. Well-designed open-ended challenges versus rigidly planned lessons allow children to do real work in a controlled environment with the help of a learning community. Ownership is given to the learner, while the teacher serves as facilitator. The design aspect turns agency over to students and they become active creators, rather than passive consumers who simply follow directions. Assessment is real time and authentic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Benefit No. 3: In an age where school is becoming less relevant to students, invention and design are an engaging way to learn.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, science literacy has become available to more kinds of learners. Educational YouTubers, science storytelling shows like WNYC’s Radiolab, and television shows such as the Mythbusters illustrate the beauty and coolness of science where some traditional science classes fail. These informal educational outlets do a good job spreading science literacy to the general public in a joyful and engaging manner. Some even go so far as to reinforce what we teach in science class — that science is both fun and methodical. Adam Savage of Mythbusters is famous for saying that it’s just screwing around if you don’t write it down. Just like interacting with a well-designed museum exhibit, or setting stuff on fire in your backyard, school should be exploratory and joyful (but safe). Joy and laughter should be welcome in any classroom. Joy relieves stress and allows for healthy goal-setting in a classroom infused with potential dead ends and frustration (Bennett, et.al., 2003; Cornett 1986). Inventing is hands on, minds on, hearts on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Benefit No. 4: Science is shareable, so is making an artifact.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg class=\"alignright wp-image-47142\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/12/Christa-flores-e1481832092824.jpg\" alt=\"christa-flores\" width=\"250\" height=\"288\">Allowing design and making in science classes results in students having conversations about their shared work and reinforces the importance of documenting the testing process because you don’t want to make the same mistake twice. Communication with peers and mentors is critical to getting over obstacles and improving designs. This mirrors real-world science, where communication is critical to getting support for your ideas. At the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University this idea is part of their mission, “The ability to communicate directly and vividly can enhance scientists’ career prospects, helping them secure funding, collaborate across disciplines, compete for positions, and serve as effective teachers” (Stony Brook University, 2015). Once artifacts are created, most students are happy to share their work with others in public showcases where their process story becomes a point of pride. Unlike taking tests or writing a lab report, sharing work as a form of assessment allows students to gain a sense of identity around STEM topics, as students see their hard work mirrored back at them through the eyes and questions of an eager and engaged audience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Benefit No. 5: Using design to address or engage real problems empowers students to think of themselves as having the capacity to make the world better. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thanks to research on the impact and implication of making in education, such as that done by the aptly named Agency by Design (AbD), a project housed within Harvard’s Project Zero umbrella, research on the value of making in educational settings is now being published. Early findings from the AbD group show that a valuable sense of self is developed when children are allowed to make, invent and tinker. This sense of self, or “maker empowerment,” is a person’s ability to see the opportunity in their environment both for making things and for making change in the world. AbD defines maker empowerment as “a sensitivity to the designed dimension of objects and systems, along with the inclination and capacity to shape one’s world through building, tinkering, re/designing, or hacking” (Agency by Design, 2015a). Others would just call this creativity, mindfulness or resourcefulness. No matter what you call it, we want students to experience learning that requires them to look closely at the objects they interact with, explore the complexity of those objects, make deep connections, and to dream big while they develop agency to make change in the world around them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In summary, the use of the design process in school is a creative exploration of hard, yet fun problems (rigor, risk and reward), positive identity formation (“I am creative,” “I am a scientist,” “I can solve problems”) and collaborative learning (“we are greater than me”). Add responsible resource management and exposure to social justice issues, and design becomes a tool for innovation, empowerment and stewardship. Using design and engineering in science trains brains to think flexibly, to see layers of complexity in the environment all around, to discover loopholes in assumed truths and to look for opportunity to make the world a better place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/sciteach212\">Christa Flores\u003c/a> is an anthropologist turned science and making teacher. She develops classroom-tested lessons and resources for learning by making and design in the middle grades and beyond. \u003ca href=\"http://www.makingsciencebook.com/\">Making Science\u003c/a> offers project ideas, connections to the new Next Generation Science Standards, assessment strategies, examples of student work and practical tips for educators.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Building A Tinkering Mindset In Young Students Through Making",
"title": "Building A Tinkering Mindset In Young Students Through Making",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Excerpted from \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Invent-Learn-Guide-Making-Classroom/dp/0989151174/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1466623666&sr=8-6&keywords=invent+to+learn&linkCode=sl1&tag=resourcesforprog&linkId=6221ca0abbbf6d2d6ea0584008c20199\" target=\"_blank\">The Invent to Learn Guide to Making in the K–3 Classroom: Why, How, and Wow!\u003c/a> by veteran teacher Alice Baggett, published in 2016 by \u003ca href=\"http://cmkpress.com\" target=\"_blank\">Constructing Modern Knowledge Press\u003c/a>. This book is the third of a line of “Invent to Learn Guides,” published as companions to \u003ca href=\"http://inventtolearn.com\" target=\"_blank\">Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Alice Baggett\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most important thing you can do to set up your tinkering space for primary students has nothing to do with the space. Of course you’ll need space for your students to work in, but the physical space for tinkering matters much less than the mental space that you create for young makers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To be effective tinkerers, students need to achieve a state of mind in which they are primed to play and make joyful discoveries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young kids who are playing don’t worry about making mistakes. They’re just playing, and the idea that they could make a mistake—that there’s a wrong way to play—doesn’t enter into their consciousness. It’s this freedom that enables the creation of elaborate pretend games and castles built from playground bits. Replicating a sense of play in the classroom is vital to creating a tinkering mindset for children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the most powerful things you can do to set the philosophical tone in your makerspace is to hammer home the idea that taking risks, trying new things, and making mistakes are not only acceptable actions—they’re desirable actions. That’s what you’re hoping for! But telling a group of little kids that it’s okay to make mistakes is not an effective way to deliver your message. The droning voice of the teachers in the Peanuts cartoons springs to mind! To get kids to internalize your message and truly take it to heart, you have to show them in a wide variety of ways what you really mean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Invent-Learn-Guide-Making-Classroom/dp/0989151174/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1466623666&sr=8-6&keywords=invent+to+learn&linkCode=sl1&tag=resourcesforprog&linkId=6221ca0abbbf6d2d6ea0584008c20199\">\u003cimg class=\"alignright wp-image-46964\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/Making-in-k3-1020x1275.jpg\" alt=\"9780989151177_cov2.indd\" width=\"250\" height=\"313\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are some ideas for getting across the idea that taking risks, trying new things, and making mistakes are desirable outcomes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>READ STORIES ABOUT MISTAKES\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are lots of good children’s books about mistake making. My absolute favorite is Barney Saltzberg’s Beautiful Oops. This short book features mistakes repackaged as something awesome! For example, a torn piece of paper becomes the smile on an alligator. Young children respond to the simplicity of the “mistakes” and the delightful revelation of the reworked mistake into something beautiful and surprising. This book is a wonderful jumping-off point for a bigger discussion about how to handle mistakes and how mistakes can lead us in new, inspiring directions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I read this story to each of my classes at the beginning of every year, and kids ask to hear it again and again. A few weeks after I read it to a kindergarten class one year, we were working on a challenge in which students were using graphic design tools to draw on a photograph of their faces. One student carefully tried to trace his eye so he could use the paint bucket to fill the shape. He hadn’t quite managed to draw a closed shape around his eye, though, so the paint spilled all over the photograph completely covering his face. Watching from across the room, I braced myself. Sometimes students are distraught when things like this happen. Would there be tears?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This student straightened up in his chair and blurted out, “I made a beautiful oops! I know how to turn my whole page white!” The other kindergartners jumped out of their seats to come have a look at this marvelous discovery. They all wanted to know exactly how he did it so they could go try it out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, students do not always react to their mistakes this way. However, I have found that deliberately creating a climate where risk taking and mistake making are valued makes a notable difference in the way students handle mistakes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Frequently reading stories about risk taking, failure, recovery from failure, and mistake making goes a long way toward assuring students that you actually believe in the learning that comes when students make and recover from errors. Check the list of excellent story ideas in chapter 8 for more suggestions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\nACTUALLY MAKE MISTAKES IN FRONT OF KIDS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Modeling that it really is okay to make mistakes is vital. Fortunately for most of us working in a budding makerspace with young tinkerers, there are many opportunities to publicly fail in front of students. There is so much to know and things change so quickly. Technology's unpredictability benefits us in this instance! When I’m teaching a lesson and my projector malfunctions, the demonstration program I wrote does not even begin to do what I had hoped it would, or my robot goes backward instead of forward, I take it as an opportunity to model resilience and grit. I let students see me flustered and then (hopefully) recovering. I invite them to help me diagnose what went wrong, which they LOVE.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taking public risks and making public mistakes not only helps normalize mistake making, it inspires enthusiasm for collectively problem-solving and collaborating. All of this is a desirable part of the philosophical underpinnings of a tinkering mindset.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you are the kind of educator who rarely makes a mistake, you can\u003cbr>\nstrategically plan to make errors for students to catch. These preplanned mistakes can still help students see you as a real person who actually makes mistakes and recovers from them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_46965\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-46965 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-1020x900.jpg\" alt=\"A graphic showing how play and purpose lead to outcomes when tinkering in class.\" width=\"640\" height=\"565\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-1020x900.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-160x141.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-800x706.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-768x678.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-1180x1041.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-960x847.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-240x212.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-375x331.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-520x459.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A graphic showing how play and purpose lead to outcomes when tinkering in class. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Constructing Modern Knowledge Press)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>USE VISUAL REMINDERS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Posting quotations about or pictures of mistakes can go a long way toward reminding kids that you’re serious about the value of mistakes. I have James Joyce’s quote “Mistakes are the portals to discovery” displayed in huge letters on my classroom walls, and at the beginning of each year we have a discussion about exactly what the students think that quote means. At each workstation in my room I have a little sign stating, “Don’t be afraid of making a mistake. Mistakes are normal and we learn from them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At an art fair, I purchased a colorful print emblazoned with the phrase “Mistakes Make.” It seems like the artist accidentally got the words in the wrong order. Kids think it’s hilarious! I have a picture of my face posted in a prominent place in my classroom encircled by the words, “Ms. Baggett: Proud Mistake Maker Since 1966.” I have a series of posters I made of silhouettes of heads with famous people’s quotes about mistakes. The visual materials in my room affirm that I mean what I say about the value of making mistakes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I start my year by having the kids do a scavenger hunt to become familiar with the room. One of the items they are supposed to search for is something that lets you know it’s okay to make a mistake. One year, as the kids were searching for all the items, I heard one girl say, “There are so many things in this room that let you know it's okay to make a mistake, but I can't find the specific one for the stupid scavenger hunt!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>HIGHLIGHT BOTH EPIC FAILS AND SPECTACULAR DISCOVERIES\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To further develop the idea that risk taking and mistake making can lead to something positive, I created an Epic Fails and Spectacular Discoveries bulletin board in my room. I wanted to create a place for students to share their highest highs and their lowest lows, the idea being that the more kids talk openly and honestly about their successes and failures, the more normalized the idea that we all have highs and lows when we’re problem-solving becomes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_46966\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 250px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-46966\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/alice-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"Alice Baggett\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alice Baggett\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Students who want to participate can fill out a slip of paper (or ask me to fill it out if they’re still learning to write) that asks\u003cbr>\nthem what their epic fail or spectacular discovery was, how they happened upon it, and what about it made it an epic fail or spectacular discovery. Then they post their slips on a bulletin board so that other students can read them. Kids love reading what other kids have to say, and I often have to encourage them to go back to working on their projects instead of spending all their time reading the board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One year after I finished introducing this idea to my students for the first time, a little hand shot up with a question. “But Ms. Baggett,” the boy said, puzzled, “how do you tell the difference between an epic fail and a spectacular discovery?\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I adore this question! It gets at the fundamental nature of process -based, inquiry learning. Failure and discovery are so closely linked, so connected and interrelated, that it is very hard to distinguish between them, especially when failure leads directly to discovery and vice versa.\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\nEMPHASIZE THAT A MISTAKE IS NOT THE END\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I have all sorts of old projects lying around my room. Students love to look at them, but they also find them intimidating because most of the projects are physical objects in a final state. They look perfect and finished. Students have a hard time envisioning the steps that led up to the final object's creation: all they see is the incredibly cool final iteration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To help students understand the messy process of creation, I ask students to track their progress during any project (much more about this in chapter 6). Tracking a project’s progress helps illuminate the many mistakes along the way. Students looking at old projects can look up the reflection and documentation fellow students did on a given challenge to get a fuller picture of what happened along the way. It’s fun to see how many challenges a student has to overcome to complete a project. Students have the chance to internalize the idea that continuing to work even when a seemingly insurmountable obstacle presents itself is vital to learning and growing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kids enjoy sharing what is happening with their work on a project, and it’s great for other students to hear their peers talking about all the different challenges and successes they’ve experienced. Peer-to-peer sharing also opens the door for collaboration and collective problem-solving when a student is unsure of how to move past an obstacle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I regularly invite students to teach their classmates. Students address their peers, explaining and demonstrating their mistakes\u003cbr>\nand discoveries. It is not unusual for them to have so much to say that I must gently help them wrap things up. Talking about the messy process of making is thrilling to students, who although they cannot always recognize why this appeals to them, appreciate the focus on their learning process instead of their final product.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://alicebaggett.wixsite.com/mysite\" target=\"_blank\">Alice Baggett\u003c/a> has been a teacher for over two decades. She holds a BA in archaeology from Oberlin College and an MA in education from Florida International University. This book is aimed at educators of primary school students who want to teach STEM and other subjects in a hands-on, minds-on way that engages and delights.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Making with early elementary students is not only possible, but incredibly rewarding. Alice Baggett describes how the maker mindset has helped her students to own a growth mindset while having fun learning.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Excerpted from \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Invent-Learn-Guide-Making-Classroom/dp/0989151174/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1466623666&sr=8-6&keywords=invent+to+learn&linkCode=sl1&tag=resourcesforprog&linkId=6221ca0abbbf6d2d6ea0584008c20199\" target=\"_blank\">The Invent to Learn Guide to Making in the K–3 Classroom: Why, How, and Wow!\u003c/a> by veteran teacher Alice Baggett, published in 2016 by \u003ca href=\"http://cmkpress.com\" target=\"_blank\">Constructing Modern Knowledge Press\u003c/a>. This book is the third of a line of “Invent to Learn Guides,” published as companions to \u003ca href=\"http://inventtolearn.com\" target=\"_blank\">Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Alice Baggett\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most important thing you can do to set up your tinkering space for primary students has nothing to do with the space. Of course you’ll need space for your students to work in, but the physical space for tinkering matters much less than the mental space that you create for young makers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To be effective tinkerers, students need to achieve a state of mind in which they are primed to play and make joyful discoveries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young kids who are playing don’t worry about making mistakes. They’re just playing, and the idea that they could make a mistake—that there’s a wrong way to play—doesn’t enter into their consciousness. It’s this freedom that enables the creation of elaborate pretend games and castles built from playground bits. Replicating a sense of play in the classroom is vital to creating a tinkering mindset for children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the most powerful things you can do to set the philosophical tone in your makerspace is to hammer home the idea that taking risks, trying new things, and making mistakes are not only acceptable actions—they’re desirable actions. That’s what you’re hoping for! But telling a group of little kids that it’s okay to make mistakes is not an effective way to deliver your message. The droning voice of the teachers in the Peanuts cartoons springs to mind! To get kids to internalize your message and truly take it to heart, you have to show them in a wide variety of ways what you really mean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Invent-Learn-Guide-Making-Classroom/dp/0989151174/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1466623666&sr=8-6&keywords=invent+to+learn&linkCode=sl1&tag=resourcesforprog&linkId=6221ca0abbbf6d2d6ea0584008c20199\">\u003cimg class=\"alignright wp-image-46964\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/Making-in-k3-1020x1275.jpg\" alt=\"9780989151177_cov2.indd\" width=\"250\" height=\"313\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are some ideas for getting across the idea that taking risks, trying new things, and making mistakes are desirable outcomes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>READ STORIES ABOUT MISTAKES\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are lots of good children’s books about mistake making. My absolute favorite is Barney Saltzberg’s Beautiful Oops. This short book features mistakes repackaged as something awesome! For example, a torn piece of paper becomes the smile on an alligator. Young children respond to the simplicity of the “mistakes” and the delightful revelation of the reworked mistake into something beautiful and surprising. This book is a wonderful jumping-off point for a bigger discussion about how to handle mistakes and how mistakes can lead us in new, inspiring directions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I read this story to each of my classes at the beginning of every year, and kids ask to hear it again and again. A few weeks after I read it to a kindergarten class one year, we were working on a challenge in which students were using graphic design tools to draw on a photograph of their faces. One student carefully tried to trace his eye so he could use the paint bucket to fill the shape. He hadn’t quite managed to draw a closed shape around his eye, though, so the paint spilled all over the photograph completely covering his face. Watching from across the room, I braced myself. Sometimes students are distraught when things like this happen. Would there be tears?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This student straightened up in his chair and blurted out, “I made a beautiful oops! I know how to turn my whole page white!” The other kindergartners jumped out of their seats to come have a look at this marvelous discovery. They all wanted to know exactly how he did it so they could go try it out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, students do not always react to their mistakes this way. However, I have found that deliberately creating a climate where risk taking and mistake making are valued makes a notable difference in the way students handle mistakes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Frequently reading stories about risk taking, failure, recovery from failure, and mistake making goes a long way toward assuring students that you actually believe in the learning that comes when students make and recover from errors. Check the list of excellent story ideas in chapter 8 for more suggestions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\nACTUALLY MAKE MISTAKES IN FRONT OF KIDS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Modeling that it really is okay to make mistakes is vital. Fortunately for most of us working in a budding makerspace with young tinkerers, there are many opportunities to publicly fail in front of students. There is so much to know and things change so quickly. Technology's unpredictability benefits us in this instance! When I’m teaching a lesson and my projector malfunctions, the demonstration program I wrote does not even begin to do what I had hoped it would, or my robot goes backward instead of forward, I take it as an opportunity to model resilience and grit. I let students see me flustered and then (hopefully) recovering. I invite them to help me diagnose what went wrong, which they LOVE.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taking public risks and making public mistakes not only helps normalize mistake making, it inspires enthusiasm for collectively problem-solving and collaborating. All of this is a desirable part of the philosophical underpinnings of a tinkering mindset.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you are the kind of educator who rarely makes a mistake, you can\u003cbr>\nstrategically plan to make errors for students to catch. These preplanned mistakes can still help students see you as a real person who actually makes mistakes and recovers from them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_46965\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-46965 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-1020x900.jpg\" alt=\"A graphic showing how play and purpose lead to outcomes when tinkering in class.\" width=\"640\" height=\"565\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-1020x900.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-160x141.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-800x706.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-768x678.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-1180x1041.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-960x847.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-240x212.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-375x331.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/tinkering-process-graphic-520x459.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A graphic showing how play and purpose lead to outcomes when tinkering in class. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Constructing Modern Knowledge Press)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>USE VISUAL REMINDERS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Posting quotations about or pictures of mistakes can go a long way toward reminding kids that you’re serious about the value of mistakes. I have James Joyce’s quote “Mistakes are the portals to discovery” displayed in huge letters on my classroom walls, and at the beginning of each year we have a discussion about exactly what the students think that quote means. At each workstation in my room I have a little sign stating, “Don’t be afraid of making a mistake. Mistakes are normal and we learn from them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At an art fair, I purchased a colorful print emblazoned with the phrase “Mistakes Make.” It seems like the artist accidentally got the words in the wrong order. Kids think it’s hilarious! I have a picture of my face posted in a prominent place in my classroom encircled by the words, “Ms. Baggett: Proud Mistake Maker Since 1966.” I have a series of posters I made of silhouettes of heads with famous people’s quotes about mistakes. The visual materials in my room affirm that I mean what I say about the value of making mistakes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I start my year by having the kids do a scavenger hunt to become familiar with the room. One of the items they are supposed to search for is something that lets you know it’s okay to make a mistake. One year, as the kids were searching for all the items, I heard one girl say, “There are so many things in this room that let you know it's okay to make a mistake, but I can't find the specific one for the stupid scavenger hunt!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>HIGHLIGHT BOTH EPIC FAILS AND SPECTACULAR DISCOVERIES\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To further develop the idea that risk taking and mistake making can lead to something positive, I created an Epic Fails and Spectacular Discoveries bulletin board in my room. I wanted to create a place for students to share their highest highs and their lowest lows, the idea being that the more kids talk openly and honestly about their successes and failures, the more normalized the idea that we all have highs and lows when we’re problem-solving becomes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_46966\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 250px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-46966\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/alice-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"Alice Baggett\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alice Baggett\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Students who want to participate can fill out a slip of paper (or ask me to fill it out if they’re still learning to write) that asks\u003cbr>\nthem what their epic fail or spectacular discovery was, how they happened upon it, and what about it made it an epic fail or spectacular discovery. Then they post their slips on a bulletin board so that other students can read them. Kids love reading what other kids have to say, and I often have to encourage them to go back to working on their projects instead of spending all their time reading the board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One year after I finished introducing this idea to my students for the first time, a little hand shot up with a question. “But Ms. Baggett,” the boy said, puzzled, “how do you tell the difference between an epic fail and a spectacular discovery?\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I adore this question! It gets at the fundamental nature of process -based, inquiry learning. Failure and discovery are so closely linked, so connected and interrelated, that it is very hard to distinguish between them, especially when failure leads directly to discovery and vice versa.\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\nEMPHASIZE THAT A MISTAKE IS NOT THE END\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I have all sorts of old projects lying around my room. Students love to look at them, but they also find them intimidating because most of the projects are physical objects in a final state. They look perfect and finished. Students have a hard time envisioning the steps that led up to the final object's creation: all they see is the incredibly cool final iteration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To help students understand the messy process of creation, I ask students to track their progress during any project (much more about this in chapter 6). Tracking a project’s progress helps illuminate the many mistakes along the way. Students looking at old projects can look up the reflection and documentation fellow students did on a given challenge to get a fuller picture of what happened along the way. It’s fun to see how many challenges a student has to overcome to complete a project. Students have the chance to internalize the idea that continuing to work even when a seemingly insurmountable obstacle presents itself is vital to learning and growing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kids enjoy sharing what is happening with their work on a project, and it’s great for other students to hear their peers talking about all the different challenges and successes they’ve experienced. Peer-to-peer sharing also opens the door for collaboration and collective problem-solving when a student is unsure of how to move past an obstacle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I regularly invite students to teach their classmates. Students address their peers, explaining and demonstrating their mistakes\u003cbr>\nand discoveries. It is not unusual for them to have so much to say that I must gently help them wrap things up. Talking about the messy process of making is thrilling to students, who although they cannot always recognize why this appeals to them, appreciate the focus on their learning process instead of their final product.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://alicebaggett.wixsite.com/mysite\" target=\"_blank\">Alice Baggett\u003c/a> has been a teacher for over two decades. She holds a BA in archaeology from Oberlin College and an MA in education from Florida International University. This book is aimed at educators of primary school students who want to teach STEM and other subjects in a hands-on, minds-on way that engages and delights.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Don't Leave Learning Up to Chance: Framing and Reflection",
"title": "Don't Leave Learning Up to Chance: Framing and Reflection",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/author/jackiegerstein/\" target=\"_blank\">Jackie Gerstein\u003c/a> is an experienced educator who has been working as a classroom teacher and pre-service teacher trainer for years. With a background in experiential learning, Gerstein is excited about current trends in education that have more people excited to try project-based learning, maker education and other approaches that let students get hands-on with their learning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She hopes all the excitement turns into robust, meaningful change in how mainstream teachers educate. To do that, she says it’s crucial that teachers not only focus on the materials and tools of a maker activity, but also carefully \u003ca href=\"https://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2016/03/16/framing-and-frontloading-maker-activities/\" target=\"_blank\">frame it\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2015/10/05/reflecting-on-the-making-process/\" target=\"_blank\">reflect upon it\u003c/a> to make sure learning happens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we don’t create a process of reflecting and framing them, then we are leaving learning up to chance,” Gerstein said on a panel about makerspaces hosted at the \u003ca href=\"https://conference.iste.org/2016/\" target=\"_blank\">International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE)\u003c/a> conference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To frame lessons, Gerstein thinks carefully about her goals for the lesson and then makes sure the kids are thinking about those goals, too, by asking essential questions. If the goal is to meet certain standards, the class might have a brief discussion of the standards in question, framed in kid language. Or the teacher might ask, “How would an inventor or scientist approach this problem?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_46320\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 700px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-46320 size-full\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1.jpg\" alt=\"Frontloading and framing are important parts of a maker activity.\" width=\"700\" height=\"700\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1.jpg 700w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1-400x400.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1-50x50.jpg 50w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1-32x32.jpg 32w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1-64x64.jpg 64w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1-96x96.jpg 96w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1-128x128.jpg 128w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Frontloading and framing are important parts of a maker activity. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Jackie Gerstein/\u003ca href=\"https://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/author/jackiegerstein/\">User Generated Education\u003c/a>)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I think maker-ed has huge potential to build social emotional skills and I don’t think that’s being tapped enough,” Gerstein said. Problem-solving, managing emotions, organizing one's time and designing with empathy are often all part of the making experience, but if teachers want to make sure students recognize they are building those skills, they need to frame them explicitly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, Gerstein will raise the question of frustration, noting that some students were frustrated during the last experience and asking what they might do if they experience frustration again. Then, while the making is happening, if she notices a child getting frustrated, she can remind him of the ideas the class generated together before the activity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I like framing my activities with self-awareness,” Gerstein said. “You’re planting these things into our learners' heads prior to doing our making.” This seeding of ideas before students dive in is crucial, Gerstein said, because it is easy to assume that students understand the learning goals, when really they are just following directions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just because students are complying doesn’t mean they are learning,” Gerstein said. “We teach too much compliance in schools. I think if 10 percent [of your students] like your lesson and 90 percent are sitting there tolerating because they’ve learned to tolerate, that’s a failure in my mind.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to coaching pre-service teachers, Gerstein often works with gifted elementary school children in Santa Fe. Since many of her students think a little differently, she emphasizes the social and emotional learning skills in each activity, often explicitly working to build empathy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reticent educators often worry that hands-on, integrated activities take too much time and create an unruly classroom, but Gerstein says often when teachers experience a maker-education lesson for themselves they see the potential for their students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I did the maker-ed workshops, the teachers were so excited because they got to experience it and see how engaged their colleagues were,” Gerstein said. If teachers can get students that engaged in an activity, most behavior problems fade away, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reflection after the activity is just as important as how it is framed and often gets overlooked or cut out when time runs short. Educator and consultant Silvia Tolisano \u003ca href=\"http://langwitches.org/blog/2016/08/30/amplify-reflection/\" target=\"_blank\">writes powerfully about reflection\u003c/a>, reminding educators that it’s a learned skill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Asking a teacher to simply “reflect” on a lesson taught or asking students to “reflect” on their learning, will often be met with blank stares. Being able to reflect is a skill to be learned, a habit to develop. Reflection requires metacognition (thinking about your thinking), articulation of that thinking and the ability to make connections (past, present, future, outliers, relevant information, etc.).\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Many educators use reflection in their classrooms, sometimes in the form of exit tickets or quick-writes at the end of the class. But those methods can get stale for students. Gerstein likes to try to make the reflection portion of the lesson as fun as the making portion. One of her favorite ways is to embed questions about the day’s learning in a board game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_46317\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-46317 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/maker-game-best-1440x1018.jpg\" alt=\"A reflection board game designed to solidify learning after a maker activity.\" width=\"640\" height=\"452\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/maker-game-best-1440x1018.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/maker-game-best-400x283.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/maker-game-best-800x566.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/maker-game-best-768x543.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/maker-game-best-1180x834.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/maker-game-best-960x679.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A reflection board game designed to solidify learning after a maker activity. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Jackie Gerstein/\u003ca href=\"https://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2015/10/05/reflecting-on-the-making-process/\">User Generated Education\u003c/a>)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Instead of just asking questions like, ‘What was your major learning?’ or ‘How did you use the resources of your peers?’ I embedded them in the game,” Gerstein said. Student might hop two spaces forward if they can name a way they worked through a problem on their own, but slide back a few spaces if upon reflection they realize they didn’t ask friends for help before going to the teacher. Gerstein also likes to let kids get creative with reflections through video, podcasts or a blog post about their learning experiences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Coax them into uncomfortable ways to reflect and it might be ways they use in the future,” Gerstein said. She had a pre-service teacher who hated mind mapping before writing, but by the end of the semester she had learned to love the tool and used it before she wrote anything.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The main thing for teachers to remember is that just because they can see that students are learning doesn’t mean the students are making the same connection. And while sometimes that dynamic is good because students don’t feel like they are “in school” in the typical, boring way they are used to, it is important for students to make meaning on their own, \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/08/10/the-role-of-metacognition-in-learning-and-achievement/\" target=\"_blank\">practice metacognition\u003c/a> and learn to self-evaluate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re missing something when we gloss over what we just did in this powerful making and not being intentional about what you learned,” Gerstein said.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/author/jackiegerstein/\" target=\"_blank\">Jackie Gerstein\u003c/a> is an experienced educator who has been working as a classroom teacher and pre-service teacher trainer for years. With a background in experiential learning, Gerstein is excited about current trends in education that have more people excited to try project-based learning, maker education and other approaches that let students get hands-on with their learning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She hopes all the excitement turns into robust, meaningful change in how mainstream teachers educate. To do that, she says it’s crucial that teachers not only focus on the materials and tools of a maker activity, but also carefully \u003ca href=\"https://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2016/03/16/framing-and-frontloading-maker-activities/\" target=\"_blank\">frame it\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2015/10/05/reflecting-on-the-making-process/\" target=\"_blank\">reflect upon it\u003c/a> to make sure learning happens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we don’t create a process of reflecting and framing them, then we are leaving learning up to chance,” Gerstein said on a panel about makerspaces hosted at the \u003ca href=\"https://conference.iste.org/2016/\" target=\"_blank\">International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE)\u003c/a> conference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To frame lessons, Gerstein thinks carefully about her goals for the lesson and then makes sure the kids are thinking about those goals, too, by asking essential questions. If the goal is to meet certain standards, the class might have a brief discussion of the standards in question, framed in kid language. Or the teacher might ask, “How would an inventor or scientist approach this problem?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_46320\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 700px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-46320 size-full\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1.jpg\" alt=\"Frontloading and framing are important parts of a maker activity.\" width=\"700\" height=\"700\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1.jpg 700w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1-400x400.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1-50x50.jpg 50w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1-32x32.jpg 32w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1-64x64.jpg 64w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1-96x96.jpg 96w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1-128x128.jpg 128w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/frontloading-maker-activities1-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Frontloading and framing are important parts of a maker activity. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Jackie Gerstein/\u003ca href=\"https://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/author/jackiegerstein/\">User Generated Education\u003c/a>)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I think maker-ed has huge potential to build social emotional skills and I don’t think that’s being tapped enough,” Gerstein said. Problem-solving, managing emotions, organizing one's time and designing with empathy are often all part of the making experience, but if teachers want to make sure students recognize they are building those skills, they need to frame them explicitly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, Gerstein will raise the question of frustration, noting that some students were frustrated during the last experience and asking what they might do if they experience frustration again. Then, while the making is happening, if she notices a child getting frustrated, she can remind him of the ideas the class generated together before the activity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I like framing my activities with self-awareness,” Gerstein said. “You’re planting these things into our learners' heads prior to doing our making.” This seeding of ideas before students dive in is crucial, Gerstein said, because it is easy to assume that students understand the learning goals, when really they are just following directions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just because students are complying doesn’t mean they are learning,” Gerstein said. “We teach too much compliance in schools. I think if 10 percent [of your students] like your lesson and 90 percent are sitting there tolerating because they’ve learned to tolerate, that’s a failure in my mind.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to coaching pre-service teachers, Gerstein often works with gifted elementary school children in Santa Fe. Since many of her students think a little differently, she emphasizes the social and emotional learning skills in each activity, often explicitly working to build empathy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reticent educators often worry that hands-on, integrated activities take too much time and create an unruly classroom, but Gerstein says often when teachers experience a maker-education lesson for themselves they see the potential for their students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I did the maker-ed workshops, the teachers were so excited because they got to experience it and see how engaged their colleagues were,” Gerstein said. If teachers can get students that engaged in an activity, most behavior problems fade away, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reflection after the activity is just as important as how it is framed and often gets overlooked or cut out when time runs short. Educator and consultant Silvia Tolisano \u003ca href=\"http://langwitches.org/blog/2016/08/30/amplify-reflection/\" target=\"_blank\">writes powerfully about reflection\u003c/a>, reminding educators that it’s a learned skill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Asking a teacher to simply “reflect” on a lesson taught or asking students to “reflect” on their learning, will often be met with blank stares. Being able to reflect is a skill to be learned, a habit to develop. Reflection requires metacognition (thinking about your thinking), articulation of that thinking and the ability to make connections (past, present, future, outliers, relevant information, etc.).\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Many educators use reflection in their classrooms, sometimes in the form of exit tickets or quick-writes at the end of the class. But those methods can get stale for students. Gerstein likes to try to make the reflection portion of the lesson as fun as the making portion. One of her favorite ways is to embed questions about the day’s learning in a board game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_46317\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-46317 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/maker-game-best-1440x1018.jpg\" alt=\"A reflection board game designed to solidify learning after a maker activity.\" width=\"640\" height=\"452\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/maker-game-best-1440x1018.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/maker-game-best-400x283.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/maker-game-best-800x566.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/maker-game-best-768x543.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/maker-game-best-1180x834.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/09/maker-game-best-960x679.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A reflection board game designed to solidify learning after a maker activity. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Jackie Gerstein/\u003ca href=\"https://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2015/10/05/reflecting-on-the-making-process/\">User Generated Education\u003c/a>)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Instead of just asking questions like, ‘What was your major learning?’ or ‘How did you use the resources of your peers?’ I embedded them in the game,” Gerstein said. Student might hop two spaces forward if they can name a way they worked through a problem on their own, but slide back a few spaces if upon reflection they realize they didn’t ask friends for help before going to the teacher. Gerstein also likes to let kids get creative with reflections through video, podcasts or a blog post about their learning experiences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Coax them into uncomfortable ways to reflect and it might be ways they use in the future,” Gerstein said. She had a pre-service teacher who hated mind mapping before writing, but by the end of the semester she had learned to love the tool and used it before she wrote anything.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The main thing for teachers to remember is that just because they can see that students are learning doesn’t mean the students are making the same connection. And while sometimes that dynamic is good because students don’t feel like they are “in school” in the typical, boring way they are used to, it is important for students to make meaning on their own, \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/08/10/the-role-of-metacognition-in-learning-and-achievement/\" target=\"_blank\">practice metacognition\u003c/a> and learn to self-evaluate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re missing something when we gloss over what we just did in this powerful making and not being intentional about what you learned,” Gerstein said.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Five Ways to Ensure Real Learning Happens in Maker-Enhanced Projects",
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"content": "\u003cp>While not new, \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/tag/project-based-learning/\">project-based learning \u003c/a>has become a popular method to try and move beyond surface-level learning. Many teachers are trying to figure out the right ingredients for strong projects that interest and engage students, while helping them meet required learning targets. But implementing project-based learning well isn’t easy, especially when many teachers are more accustomed to direct instruction, when they can be sure they’ve at least touched on all the topics in the curriculum. On top of the push toward projects, some educators are also embracing \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/tag/maker-education/\">maker-education\u003c/a>, a distinct but often overlapping idea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of research out there about integrating making into project-based learning to ramp up what students are learning in the core content areas that they’re going to be tested in,” said Michael Stone, an \u003ca href=\"https://orise.orau.gov/media-center/news-releases/2015/fy16-02-einstein-educator-fellowship-accepting-applications-for-2016-2017.aspx\">Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow\u003c/a>, who taught high school in Tennessee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Stone taught calculus, he was a fairly traditional teacher, but just before taking the Einstein Fellowship, he became director of the Fab Lab and project-based learning coordinator at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.stemschoolchattanooga.net/\">STEM School Chattanooga\u003c/a>, a high school recognized for giving kids from all over the city access to powerful learning opportunities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the STEM school, Stone was skeptical of project-based learning. He said it had always been pitched to him as a process where the teacher got out of the way and the students learned on their own, something his experience with kids and calculus made him doubt. At the STEM school, he quickly learned that project-based learning actually requires a lot from teachers, and when done well can produce amazing results. Now he helps teachers in Chattanooga experience project-based learning professional development to help them build their skills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>FIVE GUIDING PRINCIPLES\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>1. Make Projects Explicitly Connected to Standards\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you are going to do maker-enhanced project-based learning, it has to have explicit connections to standards,” Stone told a room full of teachers at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.remakeeducation.org/\">reMAKE Education conference\u003c/a> hosted by the \u003ca href=\"http://www.scoe.org/\">Sonoma County Office of Education\u003c/a>. “Otherwise you’re going to have a hard time justifying the time investment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While this may seem obvious, it’s especially relevant around maker-education. While many educators are excited about the potential for making to spark deeper engagement with learning in the classroom, often school makerspaces are separate from classroom activities. Some would argue that distance is good, allowing making to remain a self-directed tinkering exercise, but others argue that without clear connections to the curriculum, making in schools may be seen as tangential.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A hands-on making component to a classroom project could be a great enhancement, but Stone said it must be part of a clear plan driving toward learning outcomes. To engineer this type of learning experience, backwards planning is key.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>2. Balance Clear Expectations with Open-Ended Problems\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One reason experienced project-based learning teachers like the approach is that it encourages students to discover new concepts and to make meaning out of them on their own, with support from the teacher. And there’s a lot of research showing when students learn this way, they remember more and better than when someone merely tells them the information. So the strength of a project depends heavily on the initial driving question developed by the teacher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s by far the most challenging part,” Stone said. “We want the question to perfectly balance open-ended components, but with enough constraints that it’s pushing them towards learning targets.” Stone knows the project is well designed if two weeks into it the students are asking for the content he wanted to teach them. Through their exploration they came to a point where they need those pieces of content to answer their questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stone also said it’s crucial to design the project rubric around that driving question. “We want to make sure that we’re assessing what it is we really want,” Stone said, so the teacher should constantly be referring back to the driving question as the main filter. The rubric should be clear about the expectations and how students can demonstrate they completed them and in an advanced way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>3. Assess Process Alongside Content\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is a big tenet at the STEM School Chattanooga and a core part of what the school’s founder, \u003ca href=\"https://tdtalkseducation.wordpress.com/2015/01/09/digital-citizenship-how-does-that-happen/\">Tony Donen\u003c/a>, says makes it a STEM school in the first place. Students are always being assessed on process skills like collaboration, critical thinking, communication and innovation alongside the specific content goals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stone says the rubric itself should have the process-oriented goals alongside the content goals so students understand they are of equal importance. Those two things side by side are the “why” behind the project, which means the actual final product is irrelevant and could be different for each group. If students are interested in the driving question, discovering the content as they need it, and demonstrating growth in process skills, what they ultimately make is far less important, Stone said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Making it clear that process is as important as “getting it” is also important for the kids in any class who tend to understand quickly, but don’t always do a good job of documenting why they know. Stone said he’s given groups that made incredible final products low scores for not demonstrating process skills along the way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>4. Anticipate the Skills and Design Scaffolds\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everyone is capable of solving the problem,” Stone said. Teachers have to start with that perspective and then think about how they can help make up ground for the kids who started behind. With experience, teachers can begin to anticipate the moments when students might stumble.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Stone grew in his practice as a project-based learning teacher, he began to see how crucial this step is for successful execution of a project. In addition to thinking through the driving question and the learning standards students would need to answer that question, the teacher also thinks ahead about the likely gaps in skills students are going to have both in content and process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, if the project is going to require factoring binomials, the teacher might anticipate that some kids won’t know how to follow a two-step equation. And collaboration is one of the most difficult process skills, especially for less mature learners, so the teacher might also anticipate that parts of collaboration won’t be intuitive to student groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We make sure that while we’re identifying those things, in the planning phase, we’re identifying exactly what activity we’re going to use when that happens,” Stone said. For collaboration, a teacher might use open-ended questioning to help coach students through their stumbles. For content issues, Stone thinks about scaffolds, or wedges as he calls them, in a few different ways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Whole class activities: This is brand-new content for everyone.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Station activities: This is content everyone needs to acquire, but not at the exact same time. “It allows the teacher to identify which piece of content is going to be the most difficult, and that’s where she can spend the most time coaching up,” Stone said. The other stations might be novel and require time, but may not be as cognitively challenging.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Workshops: This is an option for small groups of students who either feel they could need a review or the teacher sees they need a little more help.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Focus groups: Mandated time with the teacher because there are some prerequisite skills that a student needs, without which the project won’t be accessible.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>As teachers plan their projects -- weeks before students even see it -- they are thinking about these categories of scaffolds and where in the project they foresee needing to use them. “When teachers can think in that way ahead of time and plan for those necessary scaffolds within those confines, we find it really helpful,” Stone said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>5. Transfer Accountability to Students\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This becomes easier to do after a few projects and as students get older, but works especially well around skills like collaboration. At the STEM School Chattanooga, students make contracts with one another about how each member of a group is expected to participate, and students set the consequences for failure to do so. In the first project they might make very light consequences, but then one kid gets stuck doing all the work and decides to put more teeth into the consequences next time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We let them give each other detention; they could reduce their final grades,” Stone said. He found it liberating as a teacher because when a student didn’t meet the terms of the contract and received a consequence, she couldn’t complain because she had helped to design it and agreed to it at the beginning. Often, Stone said, the student-designed consequences were far more brilliant than anything he would have ever come up with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Stone coaches educators in project-based learning, he stresses that the point of the methodology is to put students in a position where they are solving authentic problems, not to check a box. Putting students in these kinds of situations creates opportunities for accidental learning, as does making, which is partly why making-enhanced project-based learning can be so powerful. The key thing for educators to remember is that both of these pedagogical strategies, which can go hand in hand, should be in the service of providing deep learning opportunities.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"description": "Maker education is a great way to get kids engaged with solving problems and creating elegant solutions, but if teachers don't clearly tie class projects to expected learning outcomes, the movement may be a passing fad.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>While not new, \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/tag/project-based-learning/\">project-based learning \u003c/a>has become a popular method to try and move beyond surface-level learning. Many teachers are trying to figure out the right ingredients for strong projects that interest and engage students, while helping them meet required learning targets. But implementing project-based learning well isn’t easy, especially when many teachers are more accustomed to direct instruction, when they can be sure they’ve at least touched on all the topics in the curriculum. On top of the push toward projects, some educators are also embracing \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/tag/maker-education/\">maker-education\u003c/a>, a distinct but often overlapping idea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of research out there about integrating making into project-based learning to ramp up what students are learning in the core content areas that they’re going to be tested in,” said Michael Stone, an \u003ca href=\"https://orise.orau.gov/media-center/news-releases/2015/fy16-02-einstein-educator-fellowship-accepting-applications-for-2016-2017.aspx\">Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow\u003c/a>, who taught high school in Tennessee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Stone taught calculus, he was a fairly traditional teacher, but just before taking the Einstein Fellowship, he became director of the Fab Lab and project-based learning coordinator at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.stemschoolchattanooga.net/\">STEM School Chattanooga\u003c/a>, a high school recognized for giving kids from all over the city access to powerful learning opportunities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the STEM school, Stone was skeptical of project-based learning. He said it had always been pitched to him as a process where the teacher got out of the way and the students learned on their own, something his experience with kids and calculus made him doubt. At the STEM school, he quickly learned that project-based learning actually requires a lot from teachers, and when done well can produce amazing results. Now he helps teachers in Chattanooga experience project-based learning professional development to help them build their skills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>FIVE GUIDING PRINCIPLES\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>1. Make Projects Explicitly Connected to Standards\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you are going to do maker-enhanced project-based learning, it has to have explicit connections to standards,” Stone told a room full of teachers at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.remakeeducation.org/\">reMAKE Education conference\u003c/a> hosted by the \u003ca href=\"http://www.scoe.org/\">Sonoma County Office of Education\u003c/a>. “Otherwise you’re going to have a hard time justifying the time investment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While this may seem obvious, it’s especially relevant around maker-education. While many educators are excited about the potential for making to spark deeper engagement with learning in the classroom, often school makerspaces are separate from classroom activities. Some would argue that distance is good, allowing making to remain a self-directed tinkering exercise, but others argue that without clear connections to the curriculum, making in schools may be seen as tangential.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A hands-on making component to a classroom project could be a great enhancement, but Stone said it must be part of a clear plan driving toward learning outcomes. To engineer this type of learning experience, backwards planning is key.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>2. Balance Clear Expectations with Open-Ended Problems\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One reason experienced project-based learning teachers like the approach is that it encourages students to discover new concepts and to make meaning out of them on their own, with support from the teacher. And there’s a lot of research showing when students learn this way, they remember more and better than when someone merely tells them the information. So the strength of a project depends heavily on the initial driving question developed by the teacher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s by far the most challenging part,” Stone said. “We want the question to perfectly balance open-ended components, but with enough constraints that it’s pushing them towards learning targets.” Stone knows the project is well designed if two weeks into it the students are asking for the content he wanted to teach them. Through their exploration they came to a point where they need those pieces of content to answer their questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stone also said it’s crucial to design the project rubric around that driving question. “We want to make sure that we’re assessing what it is we really want,” Stone said, so the teacher should constantly be referring back to the driving question as the main filter. The rubric should be clear about the expectations and how students can demonstrate they completed them and in an advanced way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>3. Assess Process Alongside Content\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is a big tenet at the STEM School Chattanooga and a core part of what the school’s founder, \u003ca href=\"https://tdtalkseducation.wordpress.com/2015/01/09/digital-citizenship-how-does-that-happen/\">Tony Donen\u003c/a>, says makes it a STEM school in the first place. Students are always being assessed on process skills like collaboration, critical thinking, communication and innovation alongside the specific content goals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stone says the rubric itself should have the process-oriented goals alongside the content goals so students understand they are of equal importance. Those two things side by side are the “why” behind the project, which means the actual final product is irrelevant and could be different for each group. If students are interested in the driving question, discovering the content as they need it, and demonstrating growth in process skills, what they ultimately make is far less important, Stone said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Making it clear that process is as important as “getting it” is also important for the kids in any class who tend to understand quickly, but don’t always do a good job of documenting why they know. Stone said he’s given groups that made incredible final products low scores for not demonstrating process skills along the way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>4. Anticipate the Skills and Design Scaffolds\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everyone is capable of solving the problem,” Stone said. Teachers have to start with that perspective and then think about how they can help make up ground for the kids who started behind. With experience, teachers can begin to anticipate the moments when students might stumble.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Stone grew in his practice as a project-based learning teacher, he began to see how crucial this step is for successful execution of a project. In addition to thinking through the driving question and the learning standards students would need to answer that question, the teacher also thinks ahead about the likely gaps in skills students are going to have both in content and process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, if the project is going to require factoring binomials, the teacher might anticipate that some kids won’t know how to follow a two-step equation. And collaboration is one of the most difficult process skills, especially for less mature learners, so the teacher might also anticipate that parts of collaboration won’t be intuitive to student groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We make sure that while we’re identifying those things, in the planning phase, we’re identifying exactly what activity we’re going to use when that happens,” Stone said. For collaboration, a teacher might use open-ended questioning to help coach students through their stumbles. For content issues, Stone thinks about scaffolds, or wedges as he calls them, in a few different ways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Whole class activities: This is brand-new content for everyone.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Station activities: This is content everyone needs to acquire, but not at the exact same time. “It allows the teacher to identify which piece of content is going to be the most difficult, and that’s where she can spend the most time coaching up,” Stone said. The other stations might be novel and require time, but may not be as cognitively challenging.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Workshops: This is an option for small groups of students who either feel they could need a review or the teacher sees they need a little more help.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Focus groups: Mandated time with the teacher because there are some prerequisite skills that a student needs, without which the project won’t be accessible.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>As teachers plan their projects -- weeks before students even see it -- they are thinking about these categories of scaffolds and where in the project they foresee needing to use them. “When teachers can think in that way ahead of time and plan for those necessary scaffolds within those confines, we find it really helpful,” Stone said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>5. Transfer Accountability to Students\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This becomes easier to do after a few projects and as students get older, but works especially well around skills like collaboration. At the STEM School Chattanooga, students make contracts with one another about how each member of a group is expected to participate, and students set the consequences for failure to do so. In the first project they might make very light consequences, but then one kid gets stuck doing all the work and decides to put more teeth into the consequences next time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We let them give each other detention; they could reduce their final grades,” Stone said. He found it liberating as a teacher because when a student didn’t meet the terms of the contract and received a consequence, she couldn’t complain because she had helped to design it and agreed to it at the beginning. Often, Stone said, the student-designed consequences were far more brilliant than anything he would have ever come up with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Stone coaches educators in project-based learning, he stresses that the point of the methodology is to put students in a position where they are solving authentic problems, not to check a box. Putting students in these kinds of situations creates opportunities for accidental learning, as does making, which is partly why making-enhanced project-based learning can be so powerful. The key thing for educators to remember is that both of these pedagogical strategies, which can go hand in hand, should be in the service of providing deep learning opportunities.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "How A Makerspace in Juvenile Hall Helps Young People See Their Value",
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"content": "\u003cp>Unlike many teachers who choose to work in schools because they were good students themselves, Michelle Carlson understands what it’s like to hate school. As a kid she couldn’t see the point of any of the material she was supposed to learn, and working for good grades without a clear reason wasn’t enough to motivate her. She did eventually graduate high school and went to college because her parents told her it was an important way to gain financial independence. She and her sister had to pay their own way, working at coffee shops and carpooling 40 miles each way to school at Chico State.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When she graduated, Carlson started a business, but eventually decided she wanted to help make school different for kids in the next generation. She started working at the Tehama County Office of Education and in her spare time \u003ca href=\"http://tehamaschools.org/department/makerspace\" target=\"_blank\">created a makerspace in the office\u003c/a>. Teachers can bring their classes into the makerspace and its success has sparked some schools to \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/180-Days-Making-incorporate-experiential/dp/1535582898/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471700707&sr=8-1&keywords=180+days+of+making\" target=\"_blank\">create their own\u003c/a>. Older students can also sign up to become Makerspace Ambassadors, where they spend half their time working on passion projects and half their time creating useful things like promotional posters for local businesses and nonprofit organizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">'They get to be human in there. They get to be who they are, and recognized and valued for their humanity.'\u003ccite>Michelle Carlson\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.futuredevelopmentgroup.com/podcast-episode-4-the-makerspace-is-what-gave-us-hope/\" target=\"_blank\">All kinds of students \u003c/a>signed up for the Ambassador program -- some were good students looking to add something to their college applications, while others struggled in traditional school and were looking for somewhere to be themselves. Most didn’t expect much out of the makerspace when they started, but soon found that having the freedom to pursue whatever they wanted with support to learn new skills was incredibly exciting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Good students who felt like they were charging down a prescribed path because that’s what was expected of them found a sense of purpose and passion for new skills. And students who felt like failures began to see qualities in themselves they’d never recognized before. One such student, Ericka, never felt good enough, but her involvement in the makerspace gave her confidence to apply to college. Now she’s majoring in computer science and getting a credential to teach English language learners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One day some incarcerated youth from the \u003ca href=\"http://www.co.tehama.ca.us/juvenile-detention-facility\" target=\"_blank\">Tehama Juvenile Detention Facility\u003c/a> were released to spend time in the makerspace. That group of students created a suicide prevention video on their own that afternoon with only minimal explanation of how the recording and editing tools work. They ended up winning an award for the video and county Probation Chief Richard Muench approached Carlson, who has since started \u003ca href=\"http://www.futuredevelopmentgroup.com/\" target=\"_blank\">her own company\u003c/a> helping schools and organizations start makerspaces, about building a makerspace inside the walls of juvenile hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>TEHAMA JUVENILE HALL MAKERSPACE\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Innovative leadership at the juvenile hall and Carlson’s excitement for the project helped to make the makerspace a reality. It was funded through a partnership between the hall and the county Office of Education, and is open every afternoon if there are adult volunteers willing to be in the space with the youth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When they walk in the experience is something they’ve never had in their lives,” Carlson said. The makerspace isn’t school and it doesn’t feel like jail either. “Because it’s something different, it opens their minds and lowers their filters a little bit,” Carlson said. She’s worked hard to make the space feel cozy and comfortable, and they’ve built a culture of respect inside the room that is hard to find elsewhere in the detention facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_46180\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-46180 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1281-e1471990586585-1440x1080.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">One whole wall of the makerspace is painted with a \"Defy The Odds\" mural. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Michelle Carlson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“When I walk in here, I feel more free in here,” said one detained youth whose name we aren’t using due to official rules. He said there are a lot of rules in the detention facility. The youth have to walk between locations with hands behind their backs, but in the makerspace some of those rules are loosened and he has space to be creative. “Inside the classroom it’s the same thing as in the hall, you have to follow rules. I feel free when I come here.” In the makerspace this youth rediscovered his passion for drawing, something he now wants to study in college when he is released. He has also learned new skills like 3-D design and printing, and how to build a website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The poverty of experience that exists in their lives is so profound,” Carlson said. Many of the youth she has worked with didn’t know what web development was or that it could be a job. The makerspace is unique because the students have access to the internet, where they can learn from YouTube videos and read about the world. They also have access to real tools like Exacto knives, scissors and pliers. Adult staff members do check to make sure none of these potentially lethal tools are leaving the makerspace, but Carlson said the security stuff is almost invisible and they’ve never had a problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They know how special it is and they honor and respect it,” Carlson said. In fact, regulars in the space often explain the expectations to newcomers, setting their own expectations and rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The makerspace has been a success because of the willingness of the hall’s staff to participate and the chief’s willingness to be flexible with scheduling and overtime to make sure adults are in the space. Deputy Probation Chief Mike Coley has been a dedicated makerspace volunteer and sees the effect on the young people he mentors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As soon as they cross the threshold into the makerspace, it’s a completely different kid,” Coley said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s asked the kids he works with why they like the space so much and they tell him that they’ve been able to find new value in themselves by being given the freedom to be creative and the exposure to tools and skills they didn’t know about before. They’ve also seen talent in other incarcerated youth, hidden qualities that daily life doesn’t allow them to show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_46181\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-46181 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1282-e1471990696221-1440x1080.jpg\" alt=\"Carlson said it's important that makerspaces have a variety of materials so students can choose what inspires them.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1282-e1471990696221-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1282-e1471990696221-400x300.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1282-e1471990696221-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1282-e1471990696221-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1282-e1471990696221-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1282-e1471990696221-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1282-e1471990696221.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carlson said it's important that makerspaces have a variety of materials so students can choose what inspires them. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Michelle Carlson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Being able to share this makerspace with them has really kind of rejuvenated our staff, too,” Coley said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many youth have a wary relationship with representatives of law enforcement, but when the adults and youth are creating together in the makerspace, they get to know one another as humans. They learn to trust one another and have formed bonds that extend outside the hall, an especially important element for preventing recidivism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coley said one of the biggest challenges he has recruiting staff as volunteers is that they don’t know much about the maker movement. Adults often feel like they have to have a specific skill they can teach if they’re going to be in the space. But Coley has found his most important role in the makerspace is to be supportive and to care about the kids. And Carlson says making sure the makerspace doesn’t feel directive, like the rest of these kids' lives, is very important to its success.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Flexibility has to be built in,” Carlson said. “They need to have choice and power to explore things and then they will blow you out of the water with what they can do with that choice and power.” Mentors can help ignite curiosity and excitement by bringing their personal passions into the room, but the time shouldn’t be too programmed. “It’s motivation that comes from within,” Carlson said. “So we want people who are passionate about doing amazing things with kids to be in there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tehama County is fairly rural and often has fewer than 20 juveniles detained at any one time. But this small county is trying something unique; using the autonomy that is built into making to help young people who have lost their way regain a sense of self and see themselves as positive actors in the world. As with so many powerful examples of strong mentorship and powerful learning spaces, it took a \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/180-Days-Making-incorporate-experiential/dp/1535582898/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471700707&sr=8-1&keywords=180+days+of+making\" target=\"_blank\">passionate person like Michelle Carlson\u003c/a> to see it through, and some visionary leadership from the probation office and a continued commitment from people like Mike Coley to make the space a reality.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Unlike many teachers who choose to work in schools because they were good students themselves, Michelle Carlson understands what it’s like to hate school. As a kid she couldn’t see the point of any of the material she was supposed to learn, and working for good grades without a clear reason wasn’t enough to motivate her. She did eventually graduate high school and went to college because her parents told her it was an important way to gain financial independence. She and her sister had to pay their own way, working at coffee shops and carpooling 40 miles each way to school at Chico State.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When she graduated, Carlson started a business, but eventually decided she wanted to help make school different for kids in the next generation. She started working at the Tehama County Office of Education and in her spare time \u003ca href=\"http://tehamaschools.org/department/makerspace\" target=\"_blank\">created a makerspace in the office\u003c/a>. Teachers can bring their classes into the makerspace and its success has sparked some schools to \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/180-Days-Making-incorporate-experiential/dp/1535582898/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471700707&sr=8-1&keywords=180+days+of+making\" target=\"_blank\">create their own\u003c/a>. Older students can also sign up to become Makerspace Ambassadors, where they spend half their time working on passion projects and half their time creating useful things like promotional posters for local businesses and nonprofit organizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">'They get to be human in there. They get to be who they are, and recognized and valued for their humanity.'\u003ccite>Michelle Carlson\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.futuredevelopmentgroup.com/podcast-episode-4-the-makerspace-is-what-gave-us-hope/\" target=\"_blank\">All kinds of students \u003c/a>signed up for the Ambassador program -- some were good students looking to add something to their college applications, while others struggled in traditional school and were looking for somewhere to be themselves. Most didn’t expect much out of the makerspace when they started, but soon found that having the freedom to pursue whatever they wanted with support to learn new skills was incredibly exciting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Good students who felt like they were charging down a prescribed path because that’s what was expected of them found a sense of purpose and passion for new skills. And students who felt like failures began to see qualities in themselves they’d never recognized before. One such student, Ericka, never felt good enough, but her involvement in the makerspace gave her confidence to apply to college. Now she’s majoring in computer science and getting a credential to teach English language learners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One day some incarcerated youth from the \u003ca href=\"http://www.co.tehama.ca.us/juvenile-detention-facility\" target=\"_blank\">Tehama Juvenile Detention Facility\u003c/a> were released to spend time in the makerspace. That group of students created a suicide prevention video on their own that afternoon with only minimal explanation of how the recording and editing tools work. They ended up winning an award for the video and county Probation Chief Richard Muench approached Carlson, who has since started \u003ca href=\"http://www.futuredevelopmentgroup.com/\" target=\"_blank\">her own company\u003c/a> helping schools and organizations start makerspaces, about building a makerspace inside the walls of juvenile hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>TEHAMA JUVENILE HALL MAKERSPACE\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Innovative leadership at the juvenile hall and Carlson’s excitement for the project helped to make the makerspace a reality. It was funded through a partnership between the hall and the county Office of Education, and is open every afternoon if there are adult volunteers willing to be in the space with the youth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When they walk in the experience is something they’ve never had in their lives,” Carlson said. The makerspace isn’t school and it doesn’t feel like jail either. “Because it’s something different, it opens their minds and lowers their filters a little bit,” Carlson said. She’s worked hard to make the space feel cozy and comfortable, and they’ve built a culture of respect inside the room that is hard to find elsewhere in the detention facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_46180\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-46180 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1281-e1471990586585-1440x1080.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">One whole wall of the makerspace is painted with a \"Defy The Odds\" mural. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Michelle Carlson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“When I walk in here, I feel more free in here,” said one detained youth whose name we aren’t using due to official rules. He said there are a lot of rules in the detention facility. The youth have to walk between locations with hands behind their backs, but in the makerspace some of those rules are loosened and he has space to be creative. “Inside the classroom it’s the same thing as in the hall, you have to follow rules. I feel free when I come here.” In the makerspace this youth rediscovered his passion for drawing, something he now wants to study in college when he is released. He has also learned new skills like 3-D design and printing, and how to build a website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The poverty of experience that exists in their lives is so profound,” Carlson said. Many of the youth she has worked with didn’t know what web development was or that it could be a job. The makerspace is unique because the students have access to the internet, where they can learn from YouTube videos and read about the world. They also have access to real tools like Exacto knives, scissors and pliers. Adult staff members do check to make sure none of these potentially lethal tools are leaving the makerspace, but Carlson said the security stuff is almost invisible and they’ve never had a problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They know how special it is and they honor and respect it,” Carlson said. In fact, regulars in the space often explain the expectations to newcomers, setting their own expectations and rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The makerspace has been a success because of the willingness of the hall’s staff to participate and the chief’s willingness to be flexible with scheduling and overtime to make sure adults are in the space. Deputy Probation Chief Mike Coley has been a dedicated makerspace volunteer and sees the effect on the young people he mentors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As soon as they cross the threshold into the makerspace, it’s a completely different kid,” Coley said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s asked the kids he works with why they like the space so much and they tell him that they’ve been able to find new value in themselves by being given the freedom to be creative and the exposure to tools and skills they didn’t know about before. They’ve also seen talent in other incarcerated youth, hidden qualities that daily life doesn’t allow them to show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_46181\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-46181 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1282-e1471990696221-1440x1080.jpg\" alt=\"Carlson said it's important that makerspaces have a variety of materials so students can choose what inspires them.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1282-e1471990696221-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1282-e1471990696221-400x300.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1282-e1471990696221-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1282-e1471990696221-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1282-e1471990696221-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1282-e1471990696221-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/IMG_1282-e1471990696221.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carlson said it's important that makerspaces have a variety of materials so students can choose what inspires them. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Michelle Carlson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Being able to share this makerspace with them has really kind of rejuvenated our staff, too,” Coley said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many youth have a wary relationship with representatives of law enforcement, but when the adults and youth are creating together in the makerspace, they get to know one another as humans. They learn to trust one another and have formed bonds that extend outside the hall, an especially important element for preventing recidivism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coley said one of the biggest challenges he has recruiting staff as volunteers is that they don’t know much about the maker movement. Adults often feel like they have to have a specific skill they can teach if they’re going to be in the space. But Coley has found his most important role in the makerspace is to be supportive and to care about the kids. And Carlson says making sure the makerspace doesn’t feel directive, like the rest of these kids' lives, is very important to its success.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Flexibility has to be built in,” Carlson said. “They need to have choice and power to explore things and then they will blow you out of the water with what they can do with that choice and power.” Mentors can help ignite curiosity and excitement by bringing their personal passions into the room, but the time shouldn’t be too programmed. “It’s motivation that comes from within,” Carlson said. “So we want people who are passionate about doing amazing things with kids to be in there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tehama County is fairly rural and often has fewer than 20 juveniles detained at any one time. But this small county is trying something unique; using the autonomy that is built into making to help young people who have lost their way regain a sense of self and see themselves as positive actors in the world. As with so many powerful examples of strong mentorship and powerful learning spaces, it took a \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/180-Days-Making-incorporate-experiential/dp/1535582898/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471700707&sr=8-1&keywords=180+days+of+making\" target=\"_blank\">passionate person like Michelle Carlson\u003c/a> to see it through, and some visionary leadership from the probation office and a continued commitment from people like Mike Coley to make the space a reality.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Launching a Makerspace: Lessons Learned From a Transformed School Library",
"title": "Launching a Makerspace: Lessons Learned From a Transformed School Library",
"headTitle": "MindShift | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>Excitement about \u003ca href=\"http://renovatedlearning.com/2015/04/02/defining-makerspaces-part-1/\" target=\"_blank\">school makerspaces \u003c/a>has been in the air, but many educators eager to create hands-on learning spaces in their schools still aren’t sure how to get started or why it’s worth the effort. New Canaan High School librarian Michelle Luhtala recently jumped headfirst into creating a makerspace in her library and documented what she learned, how her space changed and how it affected students along the way. Her experience was very different from elementary school librarian \u003ca href=\"https://expectmiraculous.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Andy Plemmons\u003c/a>, whose makerspace started with a 3-D printer obtained through a grant and blossomed into a core teaching resource at his school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>GETTING RID OF BOOKS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luhtala is blessed with a big library, but for most of her career it has been dominated by large bookshelves. Over time, Luhtala has pared down her collection as she increased the digital reading material the library offers, but in order to make room for a makerspace she cleared out 7,000 books. She might not have had the courage to make such a drastic change if she hadn’t had the firm support, and indeed push, from her principal to create a makerspace. Luhtala kept most of her fiction and donated a lot of the nonfiction, which kids are now mostly accessing digitally anyway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[gallery type=\"columns\" columns=\"2\" ids=\"45926,45937\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Luhtala wanted open space for big making projects, she also made sure her library has comfortable sofas, quiet study carrels and a few collaborative workrooms where students can meet. She also sent a letter to students at the start of the school year explaining the changes in the library and asking them for their help throughout the year to make it the space they wanted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_45929\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-45929 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_3141-1440x403.jpg\" alt=\"The New Canaan library tries to create different spaces throughout the library where students can work quietly, in collaboration, or on innovative projects.\" width=\"640\" height=\"179\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_3141-1440x403.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_3141-400x112.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_3141-800x224.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_3141-768x215.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_3141-1180x330.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_3141-960x269.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The New Canaan Library tries to create different spaces throughout the library where students can work quietly, in collaboration, or on innovative projects. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Michelle Luhtala)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>IMPROVISE\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had no budget for furniture, zero, none,” Luhtala said in an edWeb webinar. “I had this big empty space, but no furniture.” But, she found some old science tables in the district’s storage area and some unused stools to go with them. That was enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Find the storage space for your district and see what’s available because chances are there’s stuff no one wants,” Luhtala said. “Those are conversations worth having. I encourage you to be bold.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luhtala also didn't want to over-plan what would happen in the makerspace. She wanted it to develop naturally from student interests. So, she didn’t spend much money buying materials at the outset. She picked up a few things like basic craft supplies and Legos that other teachers had recommended, but she took her cues from the students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-45931\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/20523920853_4e4ead0ae5_k-1440x1080.jpg\" alt=\"20523920853_4e4ead0ae5_k\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/20523920853_4e4ead0ae5_k-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/20523920853_4e4ead0ae5_k-400x300.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/20523920853_4e4ead0ae5_k-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/20523920853_4e4ead0ae5_k-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/20523920853_4e4ead0ae5_k-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/20523920853_4e4ead0ae5_k-960x720.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really didn’t want to go beyond that because I wanted to see what the kids wanted,” Luhtala said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Early in the school year students immediately took over the sofa spaces, but they didn’t really know what to do with the rest of it. One day a student asked Luhtala what she was planning to do with the space. She asked what he wanted. He suggested Legos. She had those, so she brought them out. Another student suggested craft supplies. Luhtala brought those out, too. Pretty soon students were asking for all kinds of things, mostly recyclables, and Luhtala now keeps track of requests on a spreadsheet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\nEVOLUTION OF THE SPACE\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luhtala soon started covering the tables with butcher paper to hide the old, scratched surfaces. Teachers would often meet in the makerspace and sometimes doodle on the butcher paper. Students recognized their teachers’ artwork and soon students started doodling, too, sometimes adding to each other’s designs, but mostly respecting whatever artwork was already there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-45932\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_2831-e1469474562681-1440x908.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_2831\" width=\"640\" height=\"404\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That students and the teachers started to make those connections in the space was really important,” Luhtala said. The makerspace became a neutral place where students and teachers could create together and interact more casually. New Canaan High School has an open campus, so students come to the makerspace in their free time. Sometimes they use the space to work quietly on a project alone; other times they come in groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sometimes de-stressing alone is really important,” Luhtala said. She’s also found that there’s an ebb and flow to the popularity of the makerspace throughout the week. It’s usually slow on Mondays, but busy on Fridays, which Luhtala believes indicates students are prioritizing their time well. “By Friday they are ready to unwind and they are ready to get more creative,” Luhtala said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-45933\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_0923-800x233.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_0923\" width=\"800\" height=\"233\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_0923-800x233.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_0923-400x116.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_0923-768x223.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_0923-1440x419.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_0923-1180x343.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_0923-960x279.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some students work on projects for class in the makerspace, and some teachers assign projects with the knowledge that the makerspace can be a resource for students. For example, students in a ninth-grade class were each assigned a planet and had to create an extraterrestrial who could survive on the conditions of that planet. Another time an English teacher asked students to create something that represented a theme or character from the most recent book they’d read.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_45934\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-45934\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24746560421_9adce84e22_k-1440x1080.jpg\" alt=\"A student creation.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24746560421_9adce84e22_k-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24746560421_9adce84e22_k-400x300.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24746560421_9adce84e22_k-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24746560421_9adce84e22_k-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24746560421_9adce84e22_k-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24746560421_9adce84e22_k-960x720.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A student creation. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Michelle Luhtala)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They invent their own learning,” Luhtala said of the students. A few students asked for pullback motors to use with the Lego cars they had built. Luhtala immediately saw the motors were well worth the investment because they turn a Lego project into a physics experiment. Students got interested in questions of friction and started researching on their own how speed and weight affected the movement of their cars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the end of the year, the makerspace was a casual meetup area. Luhtala might be teaching a group of students about citations in the same area as another student working to build a monster truck. And teachers would sometimes hold book discussions in the makerspace, finding that students were more engaged in the conversation when they could doodle on the butcher paper or make a Lego structure at the same time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>TECHXPERTS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“\u003ca href=\"http://www.ncps-k12.org/Page/1076\" target=\"_blank\">TechXperts\u003c/a>” are student-experts that help out in the library. With the advent of the makerspace, Luhtala asked this group of students to work on a bigger project to solve a problem around the school. They decided garbage was an issue and programmed a zumba to roam around the school hallways and yell out, “hurray,” whenever someone threw a piece of garbage in the can.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The TechXperts have also been a huge help managing the makerspace. Each student naturally gravitated toward certain materials and tools and became the go-to person when anyone had a question about how to use them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_45935\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-45935\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24472389839_d7e119577a_k-1440x1080.jpg\" alt=\"Luhtala turned her old office into a media production room with a green screen. Students love it.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24472389839_d7e119577a_k-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24472389839_d7e119577a_k-400x300.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24472389839_d7e119577a_k-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24472389839_d7e119577a_k-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24472389839_d7e119577a_k-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24472389839_d7e119577a_k-960x720.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Luhtala turned her old office into a media production room with a green screen. Students love it. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Michelle Luhtala)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Luhtala’s careful way of making sure students direct what happens in the makerspace has paid off in a number of ways. Students feel like the space is their own and work to keep it clean. Luhtala allows food in this part of the library, a move she was worried would lead to the makerspace looking like the pigsty that is the school’s cafeteria. But instead, students are careful with their food and trash. Luhtala found that when she gave students the trust and responsibility to take care of the space, they rose to the challenge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_45938\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-45938\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/maker-major-400x560.png\" alt='Materials Miles put together to promote the \"Maker Major\" he helped design.' width=\"400\" height=\"560\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/maker-major-400x560.png 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/maker-major.png 632w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Materials Miles put together to promote the \"Maker Major\" he helped design. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Michelle Luhtala)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One student, Miles, was so excited about the makerspace that he spent an entire semester laying the groundwork for a program that would allow students to get credit for doing a large, long-term project in the makerspace. He wrote a curriculum that would require students to write a paper about their project as well as lead a workshop. He made a wiki, set up a blog, created a Twitter handle and even gathered articles and other ideas for coursework.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He set up the groundwork for us to really make this meaningful so we can carry this forward,” Luhtala said. Miles will be a freshman at Duke next year. When the university accepted him they made specific note of how impressed they were at his involvement in the makerspace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>LOGISTICS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luhtala has found that the space works best when she puts out one project at a time and rotates them frequently. That doesn’t mean students can’t use other tools, but she does try to intentionally offer up a project to spark interest. The materials are stored in labeled bins and Luhtala has put together a photo album with a picture of the item and where it is located.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luhtala didn’t buy a 3-D printer until January. “I would love to say it was transformational, but it wasn’t,” Luhtala said. Students seemed more excited to make things out of recycled materials than they were about the fancier technology. That may not be true in other makerspaces, but Luhtala found that engagement and buy-in throughout the building was very high at relatively small expense in her first year of running a makerspace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MAKERSPACE\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Makerspaces can be a positive experience for kids at all ages, but there are different considerations for different grade levels. In elementary school students all have the same schedule, so a library makerspace may need to be part of the formal library program. And, unlike high school where students can manage the space, little kids need more supervision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_45902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-45902 size-full\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/plemmons.png\" alt=\"plemmons\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/plemmons.png 640w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/plemmons-400x300.png 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Courtesy Andy Plemmons \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Andy Plemmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“My first big challenge was how to balance matching curriculum and giving students some free opportunity to explore,” said Andy Plemmons, the librarian at David C Barrow Elementary in Athens, Georgia. He has facilitated a makerspace for the past several years. Demand is so high he often must choose between using the space to support teachers in curriculum-based projects and honoring the learning that happens when kids have freedom to tinker and pursue their own projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It seems to me that when kids come into the makerspace, they sort of all get put on the same level,” Plemmons said. “Most of the stuff is new to all of them.” He says the makerspace has helped him connect with students who didn’t seem to have any interests or who are seen as behavior problems in class. Anyone can excel at making, and many kids show a different side of themselves when given the chance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You see kids jump in and start trying things and taking risks that they might not take in other subject areas,” Plemmons said. Students often have perceptions of themselves as certain kinds of learners that the makerspace can disrupt. Plemmons likes to remind students of how they struggled through a making problem when they encountered difficulty in an academic subject.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When you move into an area where a student puts up a wall, you can go back to the makerspace and help them make that connection that it’s really the same type of skill for approaching a problem in another area of life,” Plemmons said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like most teachers and librarians, Plemmons wears many hats and running the makerspace is just part of his job. He encourages teachers to come to him if they have even the seed of an idea to see how the makerspace might be able to add a quality hands-on element to a unit. And, he has partnered with the University of Georgia school of education to bring in student teachers who help run the makerspace during open tinkering times. Kids come in at recess to tinker, and some teachers will even let students go to open-tinker times while the class is doing something else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While not every school will have a teaching college right next door, Plemmons encourages anyone planning a makerspace to think broadly about possible community partners. “A lot of times there are people who want to volunteer but don’t know what to do,” Plemmons said. He also hopes people won’t get too hung up on having a separate space. To him, a makerspace is more of an attitude and approach to learning than a physical space.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Educators share stories of year one with a school makerspace, emphasizing that the spaces thrive when they are flexible enough to meet the needs of students and teachers.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Excitement about \u003ca href=\"http://renovatedlearning.com/2015/04/02/defining-makerspaces-part-1/\" target=\"_blank\">school makerspaces \u003c/a>has been in the air, but many educators eager to create hands-on learning spaces in their schools still aren’t sure how to get started or why it’s worth the effort. New Canaan High School librarian Michelle Luhtala recently jumped headfirst into creating a makerspace in her library and documented what she learned, how her space changed and how it affected students along the way. Her experience was very different from elementary school librarian \u003ca href=\"https://expectmiraculous.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Andy Plemmons\u003c/a>, whose makerspace started with a 3-D printer obtained through a grant and blossomed into a core teaching resource at his school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>GETTING RID OF BOOKS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luhtala is blessed with a big library, but for most of her career it has been dominated by large bookshelves. Over time, Luhtala has pared down her collection as she increased the digital reading material the library offers, but in order to make room for a makerspace she cleared out 7,000 books. She might not have had the courage to make such a drastic change if she hadn’t had the firm support, and indeed push, from her principal to create a makerspace. Luhtala kept most of her fiction and donated a lot of the nonfiction, which kids are now mostly accessing digitally anyway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Luhtala wanted open space for big making projects, she also made sure her library has comfortable sofas, quiet study carrels and a few collaborative workrooms where students can meet. She also sent a letter to students at the start of the school year explaining the changes in the library and asking them for their help throughout the year to make it the space they wanted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_45929\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-45929 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_3141-1440x403.jpg\" alt=\"The New Canaan library tries to create different spaces throughout the library where students can work quietly, in collaboration, or on innovative projects.\" width=\"640\" height=\"179\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_3141-1440x403.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_3141-400x112.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_3141-800x224.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_3141-768x215.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_3141-1180x330.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_3141-960x269.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The New Canaan Library tries to create different spaces throughout the library where students can work quietly, in collaboration, or on innovative projects. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Michelle Luhtala)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>IMPROVISE\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had no budget for furniture, zero, none,” Luhtala said in an edWeb webinar. “I had this big empty space, but no furniture.” But, she found some old science tables in the district’s storage area and some unused stools to go with them. That was enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Find the storage space for your district and see what’s available because chances are there’s stuff no one wants,” Luhtala said. “Those are conversations worth having. I encourage you to be bold.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luhtala also didn't want to over-plan what would happen in the makerspace. She wanted it to develop naturally from student interests. So, she didn’t spend much money buying materials at the outset. She picked up a few things like basic craft supplies and Legos that other teachers had recommended, but she took her cues from the students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-45931\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/20523920853_4e4ead0ae5_k-1440x1080.jpg\" alt=\"20523920853_4e4ead0ae5_k\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/20523920853_4e4ead0ae5_k-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/20523920853_4e4ead0ae5_k-400x300.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/20523920853_4e4ead0ae5_k-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/20523920853_4e4ead0ae5_k-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/20523920853_4e4ead0ae5_k-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/20523920853_4e4ead0ae5_k-960x720.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really didn’t want to go beyond that because I wanted to see what the kids wanted,” Luhtala said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Early in the school year students immediately took over the sofa spaces, but they didn’t really know what to do with the rest of it. One day a student asked Luhtala what she was planning to do with the space. She asked what he wanted. He suggested Legos. She had those, so she brought them out. Another student suggested craft supplies. Luhtala brought those out, too. Pretty soon students were asking for all kinds of things, mostly recyclables, and Luhtala now keeps track of requests on a spreadsheet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\nEVOLUTION OF THE SPACE\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luhtala soon started covering the tables with butcher paper to hide the old, scratched surfaces. Teachers would often meet in the makerspace and sometimes doodle on the butcher paper. Students recognized their teachers’ artwork and soon students started doodling, too, sometimes adding to each other’s designs, but mostly respecting whatever artwork was already there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-45932\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_2831-e1469474562681-1440x908.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_2831\" width=\"640\" height=\"404\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That students and the teachers started to make those connections in the space was really important,” Luhtala said. The makerspace became a neutral place where students and teachers could create together and interact more casually. New Canaan High School has an open campus, so students come to the makerspace in their free time. Sometimes they use the space to work quietly on a project alone; other times they come in groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sometimes de-stressing alone is really important,” Luhtala said. She’s also found that there’s an ebb and flow to the popularity of the makerspace throughout the week. It’s usually slow on Mondays, but busy on Fridays, which Luhtala believes indicates students are prioritizing their time well. “By Friday they are ready to unwind and they are ready to get more creative,” Luhtala said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-45933\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_0923-800x233.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_0923\" width=\"800\" height=\"233\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_0923-800x233.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_0923-400x116.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_0923-768x223.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_0923-1440x419.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_0923-1180x343.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/IMG_0923-960x279.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some students work on projects for class in the makerspace, and some teachers assign projects with the knowledge that the makerspace can be a resource for students. For example, students in a ninth-grade class were each assigned a planet and had to create an extraterrestrial who could survive on the conditions of that planet. Another time an English teacher asked students to create something that represented a theme or character from the most recent book they’d read.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_45934\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-45934\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24746560421_9adce84e22_k-1440x1080.jpg\" alt=\"A student creation.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24746560421_9adce84e22_k-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24746560421_9adce84e22_k-400x300.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24746560421_9adce84e22_k-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24746560421_9adce84e22_k-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24746560421_9adce84e22_k-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24746560421_9adce84e22_k-960x720.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A student creation. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Michelle Luhtala)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They invent their own learning,” Luhtala said of the students. A few students asked for pullback motors to use with the Lego cars they had built. Luhtala immediately saw the motors were well worth the investment because they turn a Lego project into a physics experiment. Students got interested in questions of friction and started researching on their own how speed and weight affected the movement of their cars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the end of the year, the makerspace was a casual meetup area. Luhtala might be teaching a group of students about citations in the same area as another student working to build a monster truck. And teachers would sometimes hold book discussions in the makerspace, finding that students were more engaged in the conversation when they could doodle on the butcher paper or make a Lego structure at the same time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>TECHXPERTS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“\u003ca href=\"http://www.ncps-k12.org/Page/1076\" target=\"_blank\">TechXperts\u003c/a>” are student-experts that help out in the library. With the advent of the makerspace, Luhtala asked this group of students to work on a bigger project to solve a problem around the school. They decided garbage was an issue and programmed a zumba to roam around the school hallways and yell out, “hurray,” whenever someone threw a piece of garbage in the can.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The TechXperts have also been a huge help managing the makerspace. Each student naturally gravitated toward certain materials and tools and became the go-to person when anyone had a question about how to use them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_45935\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-45935\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24472389839_d7e119577a_k-1440x1080.jpg\" alt=\"Luhtala turned her old office into a media production room with a green screen. Students love it.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24472389839_d7e119577a_k-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24472389839_d7e119577a_k-400x300.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24472389839_d7e119577a_k-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24472389839_d7e119577a_k-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24472389839_d7e119577a_k-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/24472389839_d7e119577a_k-960x720.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Luhtala turned her old office into a media production room with a green screen. Students love it. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Michelle Luhtala)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Luhtala’s careful way of making sure students direct what happens in the makerspace has paid off in a number of ways. Students feel like the space is their own and work to keep it clean. Luhtala allows food in this part of the library, a move she was worried would lead to the makerspace looking like the pigsty that is the school’s cafeteria. But instead, students are careful with their food and trash. Luhtala found that when she gave students the trust and responsibility to take care of the space, they rose to the challenge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_45938\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-45938\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/maker-major-400x560.png\" alt='Materials Miles put together to promote the \"Maker Major\" he helped design.' width=\"400\" height=\"560\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/maker-major-400x560.png 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/maker-major.png 632w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Materials Miles put together to promote the \"Maker Major\" he helped design. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Michelle Luhtala)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One student, Miles, was so excited about the makerspace that he spent an entire semester laying the groundwork for a program that would allow students to get credit for doing a large, long-term project in the makerspace. He wrote a curriculum that would require students to write a paper about their project as well as lead a workshop. He made a wiki, set up a blog, created a Twitter handle and even gathered articles and other ideas for coursework.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He set up the groundwork for us to really make this meaningful so we can carry this forward,” Luhtala said. Miles will be a freshman at Duke next year. When the university accepted him they made specific note of how impressed they were at his involvement in the makerspace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>LOGISTICS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luhtala has found that the space works best when she puts out one project at a time and rotates them frequently. That doesn’t mean students can’t use other tools, but she does try to intentionally offer up a project to spark interest. The materials are stored in labeled bins and Luhtala has put together a photo album with a picture of the item and where it is located.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luhtala didn’t buy a 3-D printer until January. “I would love to say it was transformational, but it wasn’t,” Luhtala said. Students seemed more excited to make things out of recycled materials than they were about the fancier technology. That may not be true in other makerspaces, but Luhtala found that engagement and buy-in throughout the building was very high at relatively small expense in her first year of running a makerspace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MAKERSPACE\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Makerspaces can be a positive experience for kids at all ages, but there are different considerations for different grade levels. In elementary school students all have the same schedule, so a library makerspace may need to be part of the formal library program. And, unlike high school where students can manage the space, little kids need more supervision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_45902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-45902 size-full\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/plemmons.png\" alt=\"plemmons\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/plemmons.png 640w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/plemmons-400x300.png 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Courtesy Andy Plemmons \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Andy Plemmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“My first big challenge was how to balance matching curriculum and giving students some free opportunity to explore,” said Andy Plemmons, the librarian at David C Barrow Elementary in Athens, Georgia. He has facilitated a makerspace for the past several years. Demand is so high he often must choose between using the space to support teachers in curriculum-based projects and honoring the learning that happens when kids have freedom to tinker and pursue their own projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It seems to me that when kids come into the makerspace, they sort of all get put on the same level,” Plemmons said. “Most of the stuff is new to all of them.” He says the makerspace has helped him connect with students who didn’t seem to have any interests or who are seen as behavior problems in class. Anyone can excel at making, and many kids show a different side of themselves when given the chance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You see kids jump in and start trying things and taking risks that they might not take in other subject areas,” Plemmons said. Students often have perceptions of themselves as certain kinds of learners that the makerspace can disrupt. Plemmons likes to remind students of how they struggled through a making problem when they encountered difficulty in an academic subject.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When you move into an area where a student puts up a wall, you can go back to the makerspace and help them make that connection that it’s really the same type of skill for approaching a problem in another area of life,” Plemmons said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like most teachers and librarians, Plemmons wears many hats and running the makerspace is just part of his job. He encourages teachers to come to him if they have even the seed of an idea to see how the makerspace might be able to add a quality hands-on element to a unit. And, he has partnered with the University of Georgia school of education to bring in student teachers who help run the makerspace during open tinkering times. Kids come in at recess to tinker, and some teachers will even let students go to open-tinker times while the class is doing something else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While not every school will have a teaching college right next door, Plemmons encourages anyone planning a makerspace to think broadly about possible community partners. “A lot of times there are people who want to volunteer but don’t know what to do,” Plemmons said. He also hopes people won’t get too hung up on having a separate space. To him, a makerspace is more of an attitude and approach to learning than a physical space.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The Maker Movement has helped spur renewed interest in hands-on learning and the value of spaces where children can explore their own ideas, be creative, and tinker. Some \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/09/17/how-to-incubate-creativity-in-school-through-making-and-discovery/\">schools have made makerspaces\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/06/16/how-to-turn-digital-games-into-a-fun-physical-learning-experience-at-school/\">FabLabs a priority\u003c/a>, building making activities into the curriculum and encouraging kids through afterschool activities. In large part, this new excitement has come from a \u003ca href=\"http://tascha.uw.edu/2015/03/power-access-status-the-discourse-of-race-gender-and-class-in-the-maker-movement/\">predominantly white, male sensibility\u003c/a> and conversations about equity and tinkering tend to focus on questions of access to makerspaces and to tools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Makerspaces are much less common in low-income schools where the academic focus remains on raising test scores, often through drill and practice. However, many communities of color have long traditions of using their hands for work and play that get left out of the discussion around making. Existing inequities play out when adults engage with kids around tinkering or making. And, while makerspaces are a unique kind of learning space, many of the \u003ca href=\"http://fablearn.stanford.edu/2013/wp-content/uploads/Tinkering-Learning-Equity-in-the-After-school-Setting.pdf\">techniques thoughtful educators are using to improve their interactions\u003c/a> with students could be used in other venues.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">'Kids are brilliant and it's our responsibility to notice their brilliance and deepen it.'\u003ccite>Shirin Vossoughi\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>One basic way to bring more cultural awareness to making is to carefully design activities that make space for the expertise, stories and experiences that students bring from their homes and families. But also, “make that assumption that social injustices and educational injustices are ubiquitous and they’re happening everywhere. Be ready to look for them,” said Meg Escudé, director of community youth programs at the Exploratorium, including the \u003ca href=\"http://www.exploratorium.edu/education/california-tinkering-afterschool-network-learning-equity\">Tinkering Afterschool Program.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Escudé has spent a lot of time thinking about how social inequities are played out in moment-to-moment interactions. She believes that in order to change those structures, each educator must be on the lookout for her own biases at work and be willing to shift when they inevitably come up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_44922\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-44922 size-full\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering2.png\" alt=\"EquityTinkering2\" width=\"720\" height=\"575\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering2.png 720w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering2-400x319.png 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zoe and Kevin make milk carton characters. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Franco Nguon/Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sewing has been one of the most successful projects in the program Escudé helps run at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kidsclub.org/find-a-club/visitacion-valley-clubhouse/\">Boys and Girls Club in San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley \u003c/a>neighborhood. Kids shared their family histories of sewing and even invited grandparents to participate and share. The activity was framed as intellectual thought and valued as equal to any other tinkering task. The success of this activity came from giving students the space to share themselves and build relationships with one another and the facilitators, not because they were using the most recent technology or because they were building robots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One activity students have when they dive into technology is to take apart electronics and toys. Students find it to be a rich experience, but not all kids dive right in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was really hard and there were a lot of reactions,” Escudé said. Some kids wanted to take the toy home, others didn’t want to take it apart because it was cute. Escudé realized it’s a cultural assumption that kids would think taking apart toys would be fun. “On the one hand, I hate using that example because it’s hard to see what I might have predicted happen, but it’s also very confirming,” Escudé said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/4qsGTXLnmKs\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The facilitators of this tinkering club have done a lot of work to think through the many ways inequalities and power dynamics are reenacted. And they’ve found ways to help the tinkering facilitators leading workshops examine their actions, reflect and improve. Before every tinkering session, the facilitators talk through how they will approach various interactions, anticipating points of tension or potential questions. Immediately after the sessions they also debrief how they interacted with students, how well they got to know them, and what they might have learned about a student that day. They also record every tinkering session and \u003ca href=\"https://www.scholars.northwestern.edu/en/publications/what-does-the-camera-communicate-an-inquiry-into-the-politics-and\">review video \u003c/a>to improve their teaching.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_44923\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-44923 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-400x400.jpg\" alt=\"Printmaking.\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-400x400.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-800x800.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-768x768.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-1440x1440.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-1180x1180.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-960x960.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-32x32.jpg 32w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-64x64.jpg 64w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-96x96.jpg 96w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-128x128.jpg 128w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-50x50.jpg 50w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Meg, Elena, and Ciara make prints. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Franco Nguon/Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We feel there’s not enough of a focus on pedagogy,” said \u003ca href=\"http://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/profile/?p=22753&/ShirinVossoughi/\">Shirin Vossoughi\u003c/a>, assistant professor at Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy. She says the rise of maker education activities have coincided with calls for more student-directed learning. But just because kids don’t learn from overly didactic experiences doesn’t mean adults should be completely hands off. She has observed that often, maker educators assume that because they’ve offered students freedom and choice, the space is automatically equitable. She says being intentional about how adults interact with kids in these spaces is more important than self-direction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s an emphasis on self-directed learning, but in that process there’s not enough of a conversation about all the ways we might subtlely in our talk and action reproduce deficit views of kids, or really transform some of those,” Vossoughi said. And, when self-direction takes primacy it’s easy to blame a student’s lack of success on him, rather than thinking about the power dynamics at play in the space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_44926\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-44926 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering3-1440x810.png\" alt=\"EquityTinkering3\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering3-1440x810.png 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering3-400x225.png 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering3-800x450.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering3-768x432.png 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering3-1180x664.png 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering3-960x540.png 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students make wooden automatas. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Franco Nguon/Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Visitacion Valley tinkering club runs with the help of teen facilitators, who carry with them experiences of being taught that are reflected in their work with kids. Early in the program Escudé and Vossoughi realized that time to plan and time to reflect after a tinkering session were both invaluable for calling out inequities when they happen and figuring out new strategies for the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, Escudé described a debrief with the teen facilitators after they had been working with a group of middle schoolers for the first time. One boy came in late and had missed some of the tool training, but was nevertheless using tools quickly. One facilitator kept describing his actions as “dangerous.” Escudé recognized that in this description of the students’ actions, the facilitator was already creating an image of him as a behavioral problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To move past this, Escudé asked the facilitator to stop focusing on the student's’ actions and instead to look closely at her own interactions with him. This method of carefully reviewing interactions helps facilitators slowly recognize how and where things might have gone wrong and what could be done differently next time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two days later, the same facilitator described an interaction with a girl who hadn’t started her work after several minutes of the workshop. It would be easy to assume that the student was off task or didn’t want to do the activity, but instead of assuming the worst about the student, the facilitator went over and started asking her questions that centered around agency and how she’d like to be involved. This gentle support helped the girl figure out how to start the activity. Analyzing video footage of interactions and constructively calling out interactions that assume deficits in a child or demonstrate a power dynamic is a big way Escudé and Vossoughi work to get everyone noticing the moment-to-moment inequalities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also focus on race and gender patterns around who is using which tools and the kinds of projects different kids are drawn towards. “There were some patterns around which students get intervened on more often and which students have projects taken out of their hands and fixed more often,” Vossoughi said. The video reviews help them notice these patterns and correct them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kids make sense; what they’re doing makes sense and it’s our responsibility to figure out how it makes sense,” Vossoughi said. For example, a facilitator was trying to help a student, but in doing so became so focused on finishing the product, that he lost sight of the process. The student quickly realized her lack of agency and announced she was going to start a new project, he could keep that one. Those are the moments Vossoughi and Escudé say adults can pick up on, recognize their own values and biases at play, and try to shift.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_44927\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-44927 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering4-1440x810.png\" alt=\"Stop motion activity.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering4-1440x810.png 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering4-400x225.png 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering4-800x450.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering4-768x432.png 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering4-1180x664.png 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering4-960x540.png 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Two students work on a stop motion video. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Franco Nguon/Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A huge part of trying to bring equity to every moment of tinkering is to see students as full of strengths from their home community, their families, and their experiences. “Kids are brilliant and it's our responsibility to notice their brilliance and deepen it,” Vossoughi said. This perspective has allowed kids who don’t fit into traditional ideas about what it means to be smart, or academic, thrive in the tinkering space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s this one kid who does not sit still and he’s never quiet,” said Erin Gutierrez, the Visitacion Valley Clubhouse director. This boy clashes with his teachers a lot. “As far as emotional intelligence goes, he notices everything and I’m always impressed by how much he’s aware. I feel like I can’t get anything past him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tinkering club is much more his style. “In tinkering he thrived because there you share your opinions, and question things that don’t make sense for you,” Gutierrez said. “You walk around the room and learn with your friends and get to disagree in a safe space. It’s a space where all of that is a good thing.” She notices this tension between school and tinkering a lot, but is glad there are spaces where kids who don’t often feel smart in school can shine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s also noticed that kids who regularly participate in tinkering display confidence in other Boys and Girls Club activities. “The one trend I’m always surprised by is that the kids who go to tinkering have been the kids who come to the club and want to start their own programs,” Gutierrez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A group of girls came to her and wanted to start a “book club,” where they would write and illustrate stories together. They asked for a room, made flyers, presented their idea in front of other kids and ran the program on their own for about a year. One of the main instigators of that effort was a very quiet, smart, introverted girl.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was a whole new side to her that she attributes to the work she did in tinkering and particularly to Shirin,” Gutierrez said. Watching her present in front of peers and organize activities was so different from her usual shy demeanor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve worked with kids my whole career and there is something unique about the agency these kids show and feel,” Gutierrez said.The kids are also vocal about things going on at school. “I was kind of surprised at how articulate they can be at times at calling us out and calling teachers out when something doesn’t feel right,” Gutierrez said. “They’re highly sensitive to good pedagogy and bad pedagogy. They’re aware of what feels right.” They complain when their teachers post their grades publicly or if one student’s work is publicly highlighted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Making is one potential space that has affordances for how to reimagine education,” Vossoughi said. But this careful attention to how adults talk to kids, the messages body language communicates, and being very attentive to how socio-political biases play out could be a larger part of every education space.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The Maker Movement has helped spur renewed interest in hands-on learning and the value of spaces where children can explore their own ideas, be creative, and tinker. Some \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/09/17/how-to-incubate-creativity-in-school-through-making-and-discovery/\">schools have made makerspaces\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/06/16/how-to-turn-digital-games-into-a-fun-physical-learning-experience-at-school/\">FabLabs a priority\u003c/a>, building making activities into the curriculum and encouraging kids through afterschool activities. In large part, this new excitement has come from a \u003ca href=\"http://tascha.uw.edu/2015/03/power-access-status-the-discourse-of-race-gender-and-class-in-the-maker-movement/\">predominantly white, male sensibility\u003c/a> and conversations about equity and tinkering tend to focus on questions of access to makerspaces and to tools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Makerspaces are much less common in low-income schools where the academic focus remains on raising test scores, often through drill and practice. However, many communities of color have long traditions of using their hands for work and play that get left out of the discussion around making. Existing inequities play out when adults engage with kids around tinkering or making. And, while makerspaces are a unique kind of learning space, many of the \u003ca href=\"http://fablearn.stanford.edu/2013/wp-content/uploads/Tinkering-Learning-Equity-in-the-After-school-Setting.pdf\">techniques thoughtful educators are using to improve their interactions\u003c/a> with students could be used in other venues.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">'Kids are brilliant and it's our responsibility to notice their brilliance and deepen it.'\u003ccite>Shirin Vossoughi\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>One basic way to bring more cultural awareness to making is to carefully design activities that make space for the expertise, stories and experiences that students bring from their homes and families. But also, “make that assumption that social injustices and educational injustices are ubiquitous and they’re happening everywhere. Be ready to look for them,” said Meg Escudé, director of community youth programs at the Exploratorium, including the \u003ca href=\"http://www.exploratorium.edu/education/california-tinkering-afterschool-network-learning-equity\">Tinkering Afterschool Program.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Escudé has spent a lot of time thinking about how social inequities are played out in moment-to-moment interactions. She believes that in order to change those structures, each educator must be on the lookout for her own biases at work and be willing to shift when they inevitably come up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_44922\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-44922 size-full\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering2.png\" alt=\"EquityTinkering2\" width=\"720\" height=\"575\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering2.png 720w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering2-400x319.png 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zoe and Kevin make milk carton characters. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Franco Nguon/Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sewing has been one of the most successful projects in the program Escudé helps run at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kidsclub.org/find-a-club/visitacion-valley-clubhouse/\">Boys and Girls Club in San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley \u003c/a>neighborhood. Kids shared their family histories of sewing and even invited grandparents to participate and share. The activity was framed as intellectual thought and valued as equal to any other tinkering task. The success of this activity came from giving students the space to share themselves and build relationships with one another and the facilitators, not because they were using the most recent technology or because they were building robots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One activity students have when they dive into technology is to take apart electronics and toys. Students find it to be a rich experience, but not all kids dive right in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was really hard and there were a lot of reactions,” Escudé said. Some kids wanted to take the toy home, others didn’t want to take it apart because it was cute. Escudé realized it’s a cultural assumption that kids would think taking apart toys would be fun. “On the one hand, I hate using that example because it’s hard to see what I might have predicted happen, but it’s also very confirming,” Escudé said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/4qsGTXLnmKs\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The facilitators of this tinkering club have done a lot of work to think through the many ways inequalities and power dynamics are reenacted. And they’ve found ways to help the tinkering facilitators leading workshops examine their actions, reflect and improve. Before every tinkering session, the facilitators talk through how they will approach various interactions, anticipating points of tension or potential questions. Immediately after the sessions they also debrief how they interacted with students, how well they got to know them, and what they might have learned about a student that day. They also record every tinkering session and \u003ca href=\"https://www.scholars.northwestern.edu/en/publications/what-does-the-camera-communicate-an-inquiry-into-the-politics-and\">review video \u003c/a>to improve their teaching.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_44923\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-44923 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-400x400.jpg\" alt=\"Printmaking.\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-400x400.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-800x800.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-768x768.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-1440x1440.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-1180x1180.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-960x960.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-32x32.jpg 32w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-64x64.jpg 64w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-96x96.jpg 96w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-128x128.jpg 128w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-50x50.jpg 50w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/Tinkering-Printmaking-with-Meg-Elena-Ciara-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Meg, Elena, and Ciara make prints. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Franco Nguon/Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We feel there’s not enough of a focus on pedagogy,” said \u003ca href=\"http://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/profile/?p=22753&/ShirinVossoughi/\">Shirin Vossoughi\u003c/a>, assistant professor at Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy. She says the rise of maker education activities have coincided with calls for more student-directed learning. But just because kids don’t learn from overly didactic experiences doesn’t mean adults should be completely hands off. She has observed that often, maker educators assume that because they’ve offered students freedom and choice, the space is automatically equitable. She says being intentional about how adults interact with kids in these spaces is more important than self-direction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s an emphasis on self-directed learning, but in that process there’s not enough of a conversation about all the ways we might subtlely in our talk and action reproduce deficit views of kids, or really transform some of those,” Vossoughi said. And, when self-direction takes primacy it’s easy to blame a student’s lack of success on him, rather than thinking about the power dynamics at play in the space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_44926\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-44926 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering3-1440x810.png\" alt=\"EquityTinkering3\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering3-1440x810.png 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering3-400x225.png 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering3-800x450.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering3-768x432.png 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering3-1180x664.png 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering3-960x540.png 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students make wooden automatas. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Franco Nguon/Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Visitacion Valley tinkering club runs with the help of teen facilitators, who carry with them experiences of being taught that are reflected in their work with kids. Early in the program Escudé and Vossoughi realized that time to plan and time to reflect after a tinkering session were both invaluable for calling out inequities when they happen and figuring out new strategies for the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, Escudé described a debrief with the teen facilitators after they had been working with a group of middle schoolers for the first time. One boy came in late and had missed some of the tool training, but was nevertheless using tools quickly. One facilitator kept describing his actions as “dangerous.” Escudé recognized that in this description of the students’ actions, the facilitator was already creating an image of him as a behavioral problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To move past this, Escudé asked the facilitator to stop focusing on the student's’ actions and instead to look closely at her own interactions with him. This method of carefully reviewing interactions helps facilitators slowly recognize how and where things might have gone wrong and what could be done differently next time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two days later, the same facilitator described an interaction with a girl who hadn’t started her work after several minutes of the workshop. It would be easy to assume that the student was off task or didn’t want to do the activity, but instead of assuming the worst about the student, the facilitator went over and started asking her questions that centered around agency and how she’d like to be involved. This gentle support helped the girl figure out how to start the activity. Analyzing video footage of interactions and constructively calling out interactions that assume deficits in a child or demonstrate a power dynamic is a big way Escudé and Vossoughi work to get everyone noticing the moment-to-moment inequalities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also focus on race and gender patterns around who is using which tools and the kinds of projects different kids are drawn towards. “There were some patterns around which students get intervened on more often and which students have projects taken out of their hands and fixed more often,” Vossoughi said. The video reviews help them notice these patterns and correct them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kids make sense; what they’re doing makes sense and it’s our responsibility to figure out how it makes sense,” Vossoughi said. For example, a facilitator was trying to help a student, but in doing so became so focused on finishing the product, that he lost sight of the process. The student quickly realized her lack of agency and announced she was going to start a new project, he could keep that one. Those are the moments Vossoughi and Escudé say adults can pick up on, recognize their own values and biases at play, and try to shift.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_44927\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-44927 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering4-1440x810.png\" alt=\"Stop motion activity.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering4-1440x810.png 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering4-400x225.png 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering4-800x450.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering4-768x432.png 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering4-1180x664.png 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/04/EquityTinkering4-960x540.png 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Two students work on a stop motion video. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Franco Nguon/Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A huge part of trying to bring equity to every moment of tinkering is to see students as full of strengths from their home community, their families, and their experiences. “Kids are brilliant and it's our responsibility to notice their brilliance and deepen it,” Vossoughi said. This perspective has allowed kids who don’t fit into traditional ideas about what it means to be smart, or academic, thrive in the tinkering space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s this one kid who does not sit still and he’s never quiet,” said Erin Gutierrez, the Visitacion Valley Clubhouse director. This boy clashes with his teachers a lot. “As far as emotional intelligence goes, he notices everything and I’m always impressed by how much he’s aware. I feel like I can’t get anything past him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tinkering club is much more his style. “In tinkering he thrived because there you share your opinions, and question things that don’t make sense for you,” Gutierrez said. “You walk around the room and learn with your friends and get to disagree in a safe space. It’s a space where all of that is a good thing.” She notices this tension between school and tinkering a lot, but is glad there are spaces where kids who don’t often feel smart in school can shine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s also noticed that kids who regularly participate in tinkering display confidence in other Boys and Girls Club activities. “The one trend I’m always surprised by is that the kids who go to tinkering have been the kids who come to the club and want to start their own programs,” Gutierrez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A group of girls came to her and wanted to start a “book club,” where they would write and illustrate stories together. They asked for a room, made flyers, presented their idea in front of other kids and ran the program on their own for about a year. One of the main instigators of that effort was a very quiet, smart, introverted girl.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was a whole new side to her that she attributes to the work she did in tinkering and particularly to Shirin,” Gutierrez said. Watching her present in front of peers and organize activities was so different from her usual shy demeanor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve worked with kids my whole career and there is something unique about the agency these kids show and feel,” Gutierrez said.The kids are also vocal about things going on at school. “I was kind of surprised at how articulate they can be at times at calling us out and calling teachers out when something doesn’t feel right,” Gutierrez said. “They’re highly sensitive to good pedagogy and bad pedagogy. They’re aware of what feels right.” They complain when their teachers post their grades publicly or if one student’s work is publicly highlighted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Making is one potential space that has affordances for how to reimagine education,” Vossoughi said. But this careful attention to how adults talk to kids, the messages body language communicates, and being very attentive to how socio-political biases play out could be a larger part of every education space.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "How Engineering Class in 9th Grade Can Excite Diverse Learners",
"title": "How Engineering Class in 9th Grade Can Excite Diverse Learners",
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"content": "\u003cp>Engineering has been getting a lot of attention because of its real-world applications and clear job prospects, but learning to think like an engineer could be useful no matter what students decide to pursue for work. At \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceleadership.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Science Leadership Academy\u003c/a>, a public magnet school in Philadelphia, all ninth-graders take a one-semester introduction-to-engineering course to help them learn how to tackle big projects. That’s a skill they will need in every high school class going forward at this project-based, inquiry-centered school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SLA teachers see engineering as the perfect vehicle to get students practicing the transferable skills of breaking work down into manageable pieces, working together and learning from failed attempts. By introducing students to the built world and giving some simple ways to think about problems, they’ve also empowered students to design and build improvements for the physical school environment. And that freedom to make an impact has in turn attracted a more diverse set of students to the school’s elective advanced engineering classes.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">'I don't like engineering because of engineering. I like engineering because of what it does for the rest of my life.'\u003ccite>Javier, Science Leadership Academy senior\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>The engineering programs at SLA’s two campuses are run by two teachers who used to work in the industry and remember exactly which skills they were lacking coming out of college and starting their first engineering jobs. “I felt like I didn’t know how to make enough stuff,” said Chris Pilla, the engineering teacher at \u003ca href=\"http://slabeeber.org/\" target=\"_blank\">SLA Beeber\u003c/a> (a second campus that opened two years ago).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pilla worked as a mechanical engineer at Lockheed Martin before switching to teaching. “I didn’t have enough experience working on and planning out a really big project,” he told educators gathered at the school’s annual \u003ca href=\"http://2016.educon.org/\" target=\"_blank\">EduCon conference\u003c/a>. That’s what he tries to give his students in high school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SLA Beeber is co-located with a middle school in a big old building that doesn’t have any of the open collaborative spaces teachers and students would like to have. But rather than seeing that as an insurmountable barrier, Pilla has incorporated the challenge of changing the physical spaces around the school into the engineering program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They started by building a makerspace to house all their tools and provide workshop space for various ambitious projects going on around the building. “There was a huge advantage of doing that over paying an architect to design and build everything,” Pilla said. Every Wednesday afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m., Pilla and a handful of committed students worked on building the makerspace into exactly what they wanted. It took six to eight months and over 1,000 hours of manpower. But because students were so involved in its design and construction, they care a lot about keeping it neat and functioning, and want to help other students learn about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43699\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-43699\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber3-1440x810.jpg\" alt=\"The SLA Beeber makerspace is in a converted classroom.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber3-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber3-400x225.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber3-800x450.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber3-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber3-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The SLA Beeber makerspace is in a converted classroom. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Chris Pilla/Science Leadership Academy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s slow, but it’s tremendous for them because they know they’re building something that will be used by the school,” Pilla said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The team intentionally built big glass doors into the makerspace so students walking by get curious about what’s going on inside and drop in to find out. The students who were most involved in constructing the makerspace are now so competent with the tools and protocols of the space that they are teaching assistants for Pilla. When students newer to making come in excited to take on a project, the old hands help them get up to speed on the skills. And a lot of those projects are about improving the school itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to make sure that they can take control of the physical environment where they go to school,” Pilla said. That’s a radical idea, but it has been a tremendous way to engage students who might not otherwise be interested in engineering.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s bringing in new people who might not have been into building the makerspace itself, but now they found a need in the building and are starting to get more involved,” Pilla said. Two girls who showed no interest in making or engineering before came to him with an idea to build a reading loft. They had identified a lack of quiet reading space as a school need and are now building it. They’re also taking engineering as an elective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When kids are excited about what they can design and build, it makes it easier to excite them about more traditional engineering topics, too, Pilla said. Early on in his teaching, he tried to teach students about circuits. They gave up quickly and lost interest because it wasn't connected to anything. But after they'd had a chance to prototype their own projects, build them, fail and try again, they had much more appetite for harder engineering challenges put forward by their teacher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The SLA Beeber students and teachers have a lot of space to repurpose, which is both a lot of work and a luxury. At the Center City SLA campus space is tighter, but engineering teacher John Kamal still encourages his students to solve problems of design they see around the building.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re just taking over any little places we can find,” Kamal said. Students noticed a hallway outside one classroom wasn’t being used for much, so they put up double doors and turned it into a storage room for some making equipment. Kamal and his students also converted a chemistry lab into a machine shop, putting the big equipment in the center of the room where the tables used to be and having students sit at the countertops in the back for times when direct instruction is necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Using an engineering lens as a way of thinking about problem-solving and then letting students actually design and build solutions to those problems has made engineering a much more approachable subject to many students. Kamal said his goal has always been to draw more minority and female students into the discipline. Two years ago 70 percent of the engineering students were boys, partly because the courses were all electives. Now 41 percent of students in the program are women, up from 30 percent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43700\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-43700\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber2-1440x810.jpg\" alt=\"SLA Beeber students working on projects in the makerspace.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber2-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber2-400x225.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber2-800x450.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber2-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber2-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">SLA Beeber students working on projects in the makerspace. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Chris Pilla/Science Leadership Academy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I come from a family where everyone builds and what-not, but I was never really involved in it,” said Tiarra Bell, a senior at SLA Center City. Design drew her into engineering. She experimented with architecture and industrial design, but has really become passionate about furniture design. She now makes and sells her own furniture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really cool because I’m a female and I’m teaching all the guys to do stuff,” Bell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>FOCUSING ON CORE SKILLS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kamal and Pilla meet with an advisory group of engineering industry professionals periodically to make sure their program is truly equipping students with the skills they’ll need to go into these fields later. When they ask industry experts the core skills required for good employees, no one mentions the ability to do differential equations. Instead, the qualities experts list look a lot more like what every teacher in every subject wants to see from students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The experts say students need to be able to write, to find problems, to communicate, to Google, to understand constraints. They need to be creative, take thoughtful risks and have a “fearlessness to leap.” One project the SLA teachers have devised to help students work on all these skills is a massive Rube Goldberg machine with 70 moving parts designed by 30 people working together. There are lots of opportunities to fail on this project, but Pilla said he’s going to let the project continue until students have some success.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I realized I wasn’t giving kids enough time to succeed after they failed,” Pilla said. He likes this project because it requires a lot of communication and careful design, as well as the ability to break a big project down into its many pieces and work on them step-by-step.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43701\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-43701\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber4-1440x810.jpg\" alt=\"The makerspace has been an important way for students who are still learning English to make friends and participate in the school community. These boys are recent immigrants from Ethiopia.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber4-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber4-400x225.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber4-800x450.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber4-768x432.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber4-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber4-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The makerspace has been an important way for students who are still learning English to make friends and participate in the school community. These boys are recent immigrants from Ethiopia. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Chris Pilla/Science Leadership Academy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As students move into higher-level engineering electives at SLA (robotics, senior engineering, astronomy and space sciences, MakerSpace, electronics and programming), they get more and more control over the problems they’ll tackle, which is a challenge in and of itself. “We are so used to coming in and having our engineering teacher giving us a problem and a set of restraints,” said Javier, a senior at SLA Center City. In the advanced engineering class, the seniors run the whole class themselves, with Kamal playing more of a coaching role.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We realized this is our class, it’s not his class, and he didn’t chime in until the very end to reflect,” Javier said. He’s found it to be good practice to sit down with peers and push one another to do the best work possible. Currently they’re working on designing a solar cooker that can be built out of materials in Madagascar, since it’s too expensive to ship parts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t like engineering because of engineering,” Javier said. “I like engineering because of what it does for the rest of my life.” This multitalented young man is a self-described painter, writer and endurance runner. He says when he finishes a tough calculus problem that unlocks some part of an engineering challenge, it gives him confidence that he can finish a long run.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To me it’s not about becoming an engineer in college or after. It’s about the critical thinking and the challenges and the creativity that comes with it,” Javier said. There was a collective sigh of longing and admiration from the educators in the room when he said that. What teacher doesn’t want his or her students to feel that way?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We as educators are trying to develop whole people and that love of learning and that connectedness across the whole of life,” Kamal said. At both SLA campuses, engineering has been woven into the fabric of the school and has become a way for this community of people to come together and devise solutions that affect everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And they’re taking it beyond the school walls. Pilla says his students’ next challenge is to transform a swath of concrete outside their school into a playground and community garden for neighbors to enjoy.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Giving kids the freedom to design, build and iterate in a high school makerspace has helped excite students about engineering and bring a more diverse set of students into STEM subjects.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Engineering has been getting a lot of attention because of its real-world applications and clear job prospects, but learning to think like an engineer could be useful no matter what students decide to pursue for work. At \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceleadership.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Science Leadership Academy\u003c/a>, a public magnet school in Philadelphia, all ninth-graders take a one-semester introduction-to-engineering course to help them learn how to tackle big projects. That’s a skill they will need in every high school class going forward at this project-based, inquiry-centered school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SLA teachers see engineering as the perfect vehicle to get students practicing the transferable skills of breaking work down into manageable pieces, working together and learning from failed attempts. By introducing students to the built world and giving some simple ways to think about problems, they’ve also empowered students to design and build improvements for the physical school environment. And that freedom to make an impact has in turn attracted a more diverse set of students to the school’s elective advanced engineering classes.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">'I don't like engineering because of engineering. I like engineering because of what it does for the rest of my life.'\u003ccite>Javier, Science Leadership Academy senior\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>The engineering programs at SLA’s two campuses are run by two teachers who used to work in the industry and remember exactly which skills they were lacking coming out of college and starting their first engineering jobs. “I felt like I didn’t know how to make enough stuff,” said Chris Pilla, the engineering teacher at \u003ca href=\"http://slabeeber.org/\" target=\"_blank\">SLA Beeber\u003c/a> (a second campus that opened two years ago).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pilla worked as a mechanical engineer at Lockheed Martin before switching to teaching. “I didn’t have enough experience working on and planning out a really big project,” he told educators gathered at the school’s annual \u003ca href=\"http://2016.educon.org/\" target=\"_blank\">EduCon conference\u003c/a>. That’s what he tries to give his students in high school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SLA Beeber is co-located with a middle school in a big old building that doesn’t have any of the open collaborative spaces teachers and students would like to have. But rather than seeing that as an insurmountable barrier, Pilla has incorporated the challenge of changing the physical spaces around the school into the engineering program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They started by building a makerspace to house all their tools and provide workshop space for various ambitious projects going on around the building. “There was a huge advantage of doing that over paying an architect to design and build everything,” Pilla said. Every Wednesday afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m., Pilla and a handful of committed students worked on building the makerspace into exactly what they wanted. It took six to eight months and over 1,000 hours of manpower. But because students were so involved in its design and construction, they care a lot about keeping it neat and functioning, and want to help other students learn about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43699\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-43699\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber3-1440x810.jpg\" alt=\"The SLA Beeber makerspace is in a converted classroom.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber3-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber3-400x225.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber3-800x450.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber3-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber3-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The SLA Beeber makerspace is in a converted classroom. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Chris Pilla/Science Leadership Academy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s slow, but it’s tremendous for them because they know they’re building something that will be used by the school,” Pilla said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The team intentionally built big glass doors into the makerspace so students walking by get curious about what’s going on inside and drop in to find out. The students who were most involved in constructing the makerspace are now so competent with the tools and protocols of the space that they are teaching assistants for Pilla. When students newer to making come in excited to take on a project, the old hands help them get up to speed on the skills. And a lot of those projects are about improving the school itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to make sure that they can take control of the physical environment where they go to school,” Pilla said. That’s a radical idea, but it has been a tremendous way to engage students who might not otherwise be interested in engineering.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s bringing in new people who might not have been into building the makerspace itself, but now they found a need in the building and are starting to get more involved,” Pilla said. Two girls who showed no interest in making or engineering before came to him with an idea to build a reading loft. They had identified a lack of quiet reading space as a school need and are now building it. They’re also taking engineering as an elective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When kids are excited about what they can design and build, it makes it easier to excite them about more traditional engineering topics, too, Pilla said. Early on in his teaching, he tried to teach students about circuits. They gave up quickly and lost interest because it wasn't connected to anything. But after they'd had a chance to prototype their own projects, build them, fail and try again, they had much more appetite for harder engineering challenges put forward by their teacher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The SLA Beeber students and teachers have a lot of space to repurpose, which is both a lot of work and a luxury. At the Center City SLA campus space is tighter, but engineering teacher John Kamal still encourages his students to solve problems of design they see around the building.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re just taking over any little places we can find,” Kamal said. Students noticed a hallway outside one classroom wasn’t being used for much, so they put up double doors and turned it into a storage room for some making equipment. Kamal and his students also converted a chemistry lab into a machine shop, putting the big equipment in the center of the room where the tables used to be and having students sit at the countertops in the back for times when direct instruction is necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Using an engineering lens as a way of thinking about problem-solving and then letting students actually design and build solutions to those problems has made engineering a much more approachable subject to many students. Kamal said his goal has always been to draw more minority and female students into the discipline. Two years ago 70 percent of the engineering students were boys, partly because the courses were all electives. Now 41 percent of students in the program are women, up from 30 percent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43700\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-43700\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber2-1440x810.jpg\" alt=\"SLA Beeber students working on projects in the makerspace.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber2-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber2-400x225.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber2-800x450.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber2-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber2-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">SLA Beeber students working on projects in the makerspace. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Chris Pilla/Science Leadership Academy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I come from a family where everyone builds and what-not, but I was never really involved in it,” said Tiarra Bell, a senior at SLA Center City. Design drew her into engineering. She experimented with architecture and industrial design, but has really become passionate about furniture design. She now makes and sells her own furniture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really cool because I’m a female and I’m teaching all the guys to do stuff,” Bell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>FOCUSING ON CORE SKILLS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kamal and Pilla meet with an advisory group of engineering industry professionals periodically to make sure their program is truly equipping students with the skills they’ll need to go into these fields later. When they ask industry experts the core skills required for good employees, no one mentions the ability to do differential equations. Instead, the qualities experts list look a lot more like what every teacher in every subject wants to see from students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The experts say students need to be able to write, to find problems, to communicate, to Google, to understand constraints. They need to be creative, take thoughtful risks and have a “fearlessness to leap.” One project the SLA teachers have devised to help students work on all these skills is a massive Rube Goldberg machine with 70 moving parts designed by 30 people working together. There are lots of opportunities to fail on this project, but Pilla said he’s going to let the project continue until students have some success.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I realized I wasn’t giving kids enough time to succeed after they failed,” Pilla said. He likes this project because it requires a lot of communication and careful design, as well as the ability to break a big project down into its many pieces and work on them step-by-step.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43701\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-43701\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber4-1440x810.jpg\" alt=\"The makerspace has been an important way for students who are still learning English to make friends and participate in the school community. These boys are recent immigrants from Ethiopia.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber4-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber4-400x225.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber4-800x450.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber4-768x432.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber4-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/Beeber4-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The makerspace has been an important way for students who are still learning English to make friends and participate in the school community. These boys are recent immigrants from Ethiopia. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Chris Pilla/Science Leadership Academy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As students move into higher-level engineering electives at SLA (robotics, senior engineering, astronomy and space sciences, MakerSpace, electronics and programming), they get more and more control over the problems they’ll tackle, which is a challenge in and of itself. “We are so used to coming in and having our engineering teacher giving us a problem and a set of restraints,” said Javier, a senior at SLA Center City. In the advanced engineering class, the seniors run the whole class themselves, with Kamal playing more of a coaching role.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We realized this is our class, it’s not his class, and he didn’t chime in until the very end to reflect,” Javier said. He’s found it to be good practice to sit down with peers and push one another to do the best work possible. Currently they’re working on designing a solar cooker that can be built out of materials in Madagascar, since it’s too expensive to ship parts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t like engineering because of engineering,” Javier said. “I like engineering because of what it does for the rest of my life.” This multitalented young man is a self-described painter, writer and endurance runner. He says when he finishes a tough calculus problem that unlocks some part of an engineering challenge, it gives him confidence that he can finish a long run.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To me it’s not about becoming an engineer in college or after. It’s about the critical thinking and the challenges and the creativity that comes with it,” Javier said. There was a collective sigh of longing and admiration from the educators in the room when he said that. What teacher doesn’t want his or her students to feel that way?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We as educators are trying to develop whole people and that love of learning and that connectedness across the whole of life,” Kamal said. At both SLA campuses, engineering has been woven into the fabric of the school and has become a way for this community of people to come together and devise solutions that affect everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And they’re taking it beyond the school walls. Pilla says his students’ next challenge is to transform a swath of concrete outside their school into a playground and community garden for neighbors to enjoy.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "What Colleges Can Gain by Adding Makerspaces to Their Libraries",
"title": "What Colleges Can Gain by Adding Makerspaces to Their Libraries",
"headTitle": "MindShift | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>Libraries are one of the fastest-evolving learning spaces. As many resources move online, and teachers require students to collaborate more and demonstrate their learning, librarians are trying to keep up. Some are even spearheading the changes. \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/11/20/how-libraries-are-advancing-and-inspiring-communities/\" target=\"_blank\">Public libraries have led\u003c/a> the effort to provide access to 21st century technologies and learning resources, but now university and \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/06/18/what-does-the-next-generation-school-library-look-like/\" target=\"_blank\">K-12 libraries\u003c/a> are beginning to catch up. Makerspaces are one way a few groundbreaking libraries are trying to provide equal access to exciting technologies and skills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>ESTABLISHED MAKERSPACE\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>North Carolina State University’s librarians have the reputation for being innovators and leaders of change. So when the university built its new \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncsu.edu/huntlibrary/\" target=\"_blank\">James B. Hunt Jr. Library\u003c/a> in 2013, it had a very small “makerspace” in what was originally designed to be a storage closet.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">'We've tied something that might look like a weird fringe thing to the library's mission and the strategic goals.'\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“Our library mission is to be a competitive advantage for our campus and for our students,” said Adam Rogers, the emerging technologies librarian at NCSU who pushed for the makerspace and now runs it. The \u003ca href=\"http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/services/makerspace\" target=\"_blank\">makerspace\u003c/a> is one of the few places on campus where anyone can access a 3-D printer or laser cutter. Often individual departments like engineering will have those tools, but they aren’t accessible to everyone. Rogers feels access to a makerspace fits firmly within the library’s mission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our culture really favors us doing things like this,” Rogers said. “That said, I think it’s been very important that we’ve tied something that might look like a weird fringe thing to the library’s mission and the strategic goals.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his first foray into making, Rogers was able to provide only 3-D printing and a laser cutter. While Rogers is the first to acknowledge that doesn’t make it a real makerspace, he was eager to align the library with the movement and continue to grow what they can offer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We think of a 3-D printer, a laser printer, as actually being an information tool or resource because it’s all about the data that goes into the tool,” Rogers said. “You can’t do anything without understanding the data that goes into the machine.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He sometimes compares the process of designing and 3-D printing a project to research. Students have to think about what they are making, understand its scale, design it on software and only then can it be printed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new library also opened up more space at NCSU’s older library, \u003ca href=\"https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/hours/hill/general\" target=\"_blank\">D.H. Hill\u003c/a>. When the smaller, 3-D printing-focused making experiment went well, Rogers pushed to open a second, more hands-on focused makerspace in an area that used to be staff offices before those employees were moved over to Hunt Library.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43632\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://red.lib.ncsu.edu/ncsumakes/images/117\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-43632\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-43632\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"Hacking and learning wearable tech in the NCSU makerspace.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-800x800.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-400x400.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-768x768.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-960x960.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-32x32.jpg 32w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-64x64.jpg 64w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-96x96.jpg 96w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-128x128.jpg 128w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-50x50.jpg 50w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-75x75.jpg 75w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hacking and learning wearable tech in the NCSU makerspace. \u003ccite>(Adam Rogers/NCSU)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It allows for hands-on learning in a different, maybe richer way,” Rogers said. He offers workshops in the new makerspace and has been able to fill it with a wider variety of tools and materials, including hand tools, sewing machines, fabrics, circuitry, a sautering station and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everything in the space is pretty flexible,” Rogers said. “We can move all the tables and chairs around. We’ve got power coming down from the ceilings, so we can have power anywhere we want without tripping.” And they have ventilation, a key aspect of makerspaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rogers has also done a lot of outreach to faculty so they know the space is available to support their in-class teaching. Rogers said last semester he worked with eight to 10 professors on class projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One professor from the English department teaching a digital humanities class brought his students to the makerspace three times: once to learn about the tools, once to do a hands-on project and finally as part of their final project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was really exciting because as librarians we aren’t so much the drivers of pedagogical innovations, but we’re really supportive of it,” Rogers said. He believes some of the most successful uses of the space have been through these faculty collaborations because students come in and work on a project from start to finish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is really a space where we’re offering additional learning experiences alongside the formal learning experiences in the classroom,” Rogers said. “And I think we’re seeing that the experiences we’re offering are becoming a really valuable part of the full university experience.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43630\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-43630\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/16626010403_c15ea44a6b_k-e1454662083483.jpg\" alt=\"cardboard crafts\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1283\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">cardboard crafts \u003ccite>(CSM Library/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rogers offers several core workshops on 3-D design and printing and Arduinos in the makerspace that are meant to be accessible to everyone. They introduce students to the technology, help them understand the range of capabilities and give them some kind of project that will produce an output.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The workshop is saying this is a tool for creativity and for problem-solving,” Rogers said. “It’s one any student or researcher on campus would benefit from knowing and find some application for.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Arduino workshop, Rogers tries to familiarize participants with the components of the SparkFun Inventor's Kits that the library lends out. They examine how the light sensor and temperature controls work, and experiment with actions like running a motor or transmitting an output onto a screen. Rogers shows students how to write a few lines of code that controls a LED light so they can see how the code is controlling the physical activity. Then he lets them play around for the rest of the workshop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are very few learning spaces at most universities where students can tinker with materials and get exposed to technologies that are quickly becoming part of every discipline. Rogers said students also bring their own passions into the space, designing and sewing Cosplay costumes or animae swords, for example.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rogers recommends that university librarians start small when thinking about developing a makerspace. Find out who else on campus is already doing some of this work and partner with them, maybe start lending out some tools or kits, offer a workshop or two to gauge interest. He also says: Don’t jump right into 3-D printing without thinking through what it means to offer a service like that to the whole university community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there are logistical challenges to having a makerspace in the library, Rogers said it has been a positive experience at North Carolina State University. Librarians are showcasing skills like bookbinding to students, and there’s a lot of excitement and learning going on beyond the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43626\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-43626\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/college-makerspace1-e1454662124162.jpg\" alt=\"3D printing extravaganza\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">3D printing extravaganza \u003ccite>(CSM Library/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MAKING UNDER CONSTRAINTS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Diego State University has had a makerspace focused on 3-D printing and laser cutting for a little over a year now. Like NCSU, it, too, started in a closet and has moved three times since then, until finally finding a home in the lobby of the library. \u003ca href=\"http://library.sdsu.edu/featured/stemming-your-creativity-tech\">Jenny Wong-Welch\u003c/a>, the STEM librarian, started the space with the intention of offering students access to new technologies and tools.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">'My engineering students have been shocked to see how the arts students use the 3-D printer.'\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“The whole point is to be a welcoming environment,” Wong-Welch said. \u003ca href=\"http://buildit.sdsu.edu/\" target=\"_blank\">Her space\u003c/a> started as a fringe project, one that many of the other librarians didn’t really understand, but it has grown into a space staffed by a variety of students who volunteer their time. Wong-Welch says at first she mostly had engineering students, but now art and business students, among others, have joined. They’re all interested in learning something new in a low-stakes environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My engineering students have been shocked to see how the arts students use the 3-D printer,” Wong-Welch said. Students from different disciplines have learned a lot from one another, approaching projects, materials, tools and software in ways that other students had never thought of before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wong-Welch says it has been especially fun to learn alongside students. They have discussions about intellectual property rights, figure out scale together and teach anyone else who comes into the space how to use the technology. Each of Wong-Welch’s regular volunteers is also working on an individual project. One student mapped out the marketplace for open-source versus proprietary printing. Another is trying to program an Arduino to sense when visitors come into the space and count them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43629\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-43629\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/22202200598_a22701478a_k-e1454662157710.jpg\" alt=\"Jewelry making\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jewelry making \u003ccite>(CSM Library/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While the school administration has been fairly supportive of the effort, Wong-Welch says her biggest struggle has been getting buy-in from faculty. “There is a weariness from the faculty to learn new technology and incorporate it into their curriculum,” she said. And, without faculty partnerships, it’s hard to get the funding to continue expanding what the space offers. There are many competing demands on the library’s budget, and Wong-Welch had hoped that professors might write some makerspace equipment and materials into their grant proposals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other struggle is a fundamental one around the idea of making as an academic endeavor. How does one measure what goes on in a makerspace? Anecdotally, Wong-Welch can point to the interdisciplinary dialogue, the hands-on experiences that often result in failure and necessitate trying again. She can say the students she works with are learning software, hardware and programming skills, but it’s harder to quantify things like the effect of a tight-knit community on a commuter campus, a creative, safe space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t have the data to show they learned something while they’re here,” Wong-Welch said. She believes university makerspaces will continue to struggle because their definition and purpose is murkier than the traditional and clearly defined library mission of storing and retrieving books.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43628\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-43628\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/21769438583_9ef9c9b19e_k-e1454662189372.jpg\" alt=\"Robotics\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Robotics \u003ccite>(CSM Library/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A COMMUNITY SPACE\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four-year universities aren’t the only ones branching out into makerspaces. Several community colleges are also cultivating spaces for creativity, problem-solving and access to new technologies. The College of San Mateo sits in the heart of Silicon Valley and its library director, Lorrita Ford, demonstrates the \u003ca href=\"http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=15979\" target=\"_blank\">entrepreneurial spirit\u003c/a> for which the area is known.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ford believes the library should be at the center of the college community and the broader community as well. “We serve a population that in many cases isn’t sure about what they’re going to do,” Ford said. Many College of San Mateo students are the children of service workers in the area. Their families don’t have a lot of experience with higher education, and students are still trying to discover their strengths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We really want them to have a place where they can come and discover their inner engineer that they may have not known existed,” Ford said. She and her staff embarked on their \u003ca href=\"http://collegeofsanmateo.edu/library/events.php\" target=\"_blank\">makerspace adventure\u003c/a> in 2013 and have steadily grown what they offer since then, all without a dedicated space. Many of their tools can be checked out, and when specific workshops are offered Ford repurposes library tables or holds them outside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It seems to us that it’s a good intersection between learning and creativity,” Ford said of making. “It’s also a social place. We welcome everyone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The unique thing about a makerspace, Ford said, is that it shows you a different side of people. A biology professor might lead a workshop on jewelry-making and a student could lead a workshop on knitting. “They come here and they share that with other people, and then they talk and get to know each other at a different level,” Ford said. “I think it fills a niche.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Ford started the makerspace she gathered faculty from science, technology, engineering, art and math disciplines to gauge interest. It was then she realized how much expertise and excitement already existed in the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fact that we had buy-in from faculty really helped,” Ford said. “It wasn’t just the library pushing for it, it was faculty from engineering, physics, the arts that were supportive, too.” Ford ended up getting an innovation grant that helped jump-start the program. Since then, the library has partnered with faculty to design solar cars, build telescopes and learn about African-American textiles, among other things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We really see it as supporting what’s going on in the classroom,” Ford said. She described one science professor who used the makerspace with his class to print out each section of the cervical spine. Each segment is slightly different, and he wanted his students to be able to see and touch them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ford has also done a lot of work with student groups on campus. “We really work to make it a multicultural space, and when we’re designing programs we try to reflect and help expand cultural awareness,” Ford said. The Pacific Islander student group came in and led a workshop on how to make graduation leis. The Puente program did a Dia de los Muertos skull-making activity where Ford was surprised to learn that the holiday is celebrated only in some parts of Mexico.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43627\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-43627\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/22621735470_4e05ede54e_k-e1454662236754.jpg\" alt=\"Dia de los Muertos skulls\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1283\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dia de los Muertos skulls \u003ccite>(CSM Library/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Faculty members have also used the space to teach skills not covered in their courses. One engineering professor was so excited about the space he taught coding classes to students for fun. The library supported him by buying the software, circuits, Arduinos and other supplies he needed. Another faculty member taught students about online privacy and two-step encryption.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have this great physical space here, and I think as we involve in terms of what the library of the 21st century will be like, I think it makes sense for us to embrace and reinvent ourselves and make this part of our ‘new normal,’ ” Ford said. And she emphasized that while many people talk about libraries becoming irrelevant in the digital age, that hasn’t been her experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The College of San Mateo library is busier than ever, mostly with students looking for a quiet space where they can spread out. Ford and her staff try to respect various student needs simultaneously in the library. They try to make the library a welcoming space by letting students bring in food and offering relaxing activities like Legos and adult coloring in addition to everything else. Ford says if a noisy making activity is planned, they try to communicate that early, and even pass out earplugs to students who are trying to study.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ford’s advice for anyone starting a makerspace on campus is to first develop relationships with faculty. “I’ve been really intentional in cultivating relationships with faculty and staff and have been really intentional about becoming part of the fabric of the college,” Ford said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When she started at College of San Mateo 15 years ago, the library was very isolated. But over time she has worked to put library staff on key committees and to help support faculty whenever possible. She also made it clear to faculty how a makerspace could support the work they’re doing in classrooms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ford also suggests finding faculty champions, the people who already go to Burning Man or to Maker Faire, the ones who already have the hands-on gene. And, be patient. She’s also done a lot of partnering with the county, trying to make the college’s workshops and materials available to the wider community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Build it and keep nurturing it and eventually they will come,” Ford said. “In a lot of ways we are ahead of the curve a little bit, but they know we’re here and people show up at the library looking for stuff.” She described a student who came in looking for an adapter so he could hook his computer up to the projector in class. The library didn’t have those to check out, but Ford had one in her desk, so she quickly made it available for checkout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says when the library is an integral part of the whole college community, and its staff is there to help anyone who needs access to something, it changes the whole tone of the endeavor. And in that kind of environment, a makerspace just makes sense.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Libraries are one of the fastest-evolving learning spaces. As many resources move online, and teachers require students to collaborate more and demonstrate their learning, librarians are trying to keep up. Some are even spearheading the changes. \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/11/20/how-libraries-are-advancing-and-inspiring-communities/\" target=\"_blank\">Public libraries have led\u003c/a> the effort to provide access to 21st century technologies and learning resources, but now university and \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/06/18/what-does-the-next-generation-school-library-look-like/\" target=\"_blank\">K-12 libraries\u003c/a> are beginning to catch up. Makerspaces are one way a few groundbreaking libraries are trying to provide equal access to exciting technologies and skills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>ESTABLISHED MAKERSPACE\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>North Carolina State University’s librarians have the reputation for being innovators and leaders of change. So when the university built its new \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncsu.edu/huntlibrary/\" target=\"_blank\">James B. Hunt Jr. Library\u003c/a> in 2013, it had a very small “makerspace” in what was originally designed to be a storage closet.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">'We've tied something that might look like a weird fringe thing to the library's mission and the strategic goals.'\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“Our library mission is to be a competitive advantage for our campus and for our students,” said Adam Rogers, the emerging technologies librarian at NCSU who pushed for the makerspace and now runs it. The \u003ca href=\"http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/services/makerspace\" target=\"_blank\">makerspace\u003c/a> is one of the few places on campus where anyone can access a 3-D printer or laser cutter. Often individual departments like engineering will have those tools, but they aren’t accessible to everyone. Rogers feels access to a makerspace fits firmly within the library’s mission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our culture really favors us doing things like this,” Rogers said. “That said, I think it’s been very important that we’ve tied something that might look like a weird fringe thing to the library’s mission and the strategic goals.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his first foray into making, Rogers was able to provide only 3-D printing and a laser cutter. While Rogers is the first to acknowledge that doesn’t make it a real makerspace, he was eager to align the library with the movement and continue to grow what they can offer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We think of a 3-D printer, a laser printer, as actually being an information tool or resource because it’s all about the data that goes into the tool,” Rogers said. “You can’t do anything without understanding the data that goes into the machine.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He sometimes compares the process of designing and 3-D printing a project to research. Students have to think about what they are making, understand its scale, design it on software and only then can it be printed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new library also opened up more space at NCSU’s older library, \u003ca href=\"https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/hours/hill/general\" target=\"_blank\">D.H. Hill\u003c/a>. When the smaller, 3-D printing-focused making experiment went well, Rogers pushed to open a second, more hands-on focused makerspace in an area that used to be staff offices before those employees were moved over to Hunt Library.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43632\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://red.lib.ncsu.edu/ncsumakes/images/117\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-43632\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-43632\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"Hacking and learning wearable tech in the NCSU makerspace.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-800x800.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-400x400.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-768x768.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-960x960.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-32x32.jpg 32w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-64x64.jpg 64w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-96x96.jpg 96w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-128x128.jpg 128w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-50x50.jpg 50w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace-75x75.jpg 75w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/NCSU-makerspace.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hacking and learning wearable tech in the NCSU makerspace. \u003ccite>(Adam Rogers/NCSU)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It allows for hands-on learning in a different, maybe richer way,” Rogers said. He offers workshops in the new makerspace and has been able to fill it with a wider variety of tools and materials, including hand tools, sewing machines, fabrics, circuitry, a sautering station and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everything in the space is pretty flexible,” Rogers said. “We can move all the tables and chairs around. We’ve got power coming down from the ceilings, so we can have power anywhere we want without tripping.” And they have ventilation, a key aspect of makerspaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rogers has also done a lot of outreach to faculty so they know the space is available to support their in-class teaching. Rogers said last semester he worked with eight to 10 professors on class projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One professor from the English department teaching a digital humanities class brought his students to the makerspace three times: once to learn about the tools, once to do a hands-on project and finally as part of their final project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was really exciting because as librarians we aren’t so much the drivers of pedagogical innovations, but we’re really supportive of it,” Rogers said. He believes some of the most successful uses of the space have been through these faculty collaborations because students come in and work on a project from start to finish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is really a space where we’re offering additional learning experiences alongside the formal learning experiences in the classroom,” Rogers said. “And I think we’re seeing that the experiences we’re offering are becoming a really valuable part of the full university experience.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43630\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-43630\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/16626010403_c15ea44a6b_k-e1454662083483.jpg\" alt=\"cardboard crafts\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1283\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">cardboard crafts \u003ccite>(CSM Library/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rogers offers several core workshops on 3-D design and printing and Arduinos in the makerspace that are meant to be accessible to everyone. They introduce students to the technology, help them understand the range of capabilities and give them some kind of project that will produce an output.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The workshop is saying this is a tool for creativity and for problem-solving,” Rogers said. “It’s one any student or researcher on campus would benefit from knowing and find some application for.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Arduino workshop, Rogers tries to familiarize participants with the components of the SparkFun Inventor's Kits that the library lends out. They examine how the light sensor and temperature controls work, and experiment with actions like running a motor or transmitting an output onto a screen. Rogers shows students how to write a few lines of code that controls a LED light so they can see how the code is controlling the physical activity. Then he lets them play around for the rest of the workshop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are very few learning spaces at most universities where students can tinker with materials and get exposed to technologies that are quickly becoming part of every discipline. Rogers said students also bring their own passions into the space, designing and sewing Cosplay costumes or animae swords, for example.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rogers recommends that university librarians start small when thinking about developing a makerspace. Find out who else on campus is already doing some of this work and partner with them, maybe start lending out some tools or kits, offer a workshop or two to gauge interest. He also says: Don’t jump right into 3-D printing without thinking through what it means to offer a service like that to the whole university community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there are logistical challenges to having a makerspace in the library, Rogers said it has been a positive experience at North Carolina State University. Librarians are showcasing skills like bookbinding to students, and there’s a lot of excitement and learning going on beyond the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43626\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-43626\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/college-makerspace1-e1454662124162.jpg\" alt=\"3D printing extravaganza\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">3D printing extravaganza \u003ccite>(CSM Library/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MAKING UNDER CONSTRAINTS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Diego State University has had a makerspace focused on 3-D printing and laser cutting for a little over a year now. Like NCSU, it, too, started in a closet and has moved three times since then, until finally finding a home in the lobby of the library. \u003ca href=\"http://library.sdsu.edu/featured/stemming-your-creativity-tech\">Jenny Wong-Welch\u003c/a>, the STEM librarian, started the space with the intention of offering students access to new technologies and tools.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">'My engineering students have been shocked to see how the arts students use the 3-D printer.'\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“The whole point is to be a welcoming environment,” Wong-Welch said. \u003ca href=\"http://buildit.sdsu.edu/\" target=\"_blank\">Her space\u003c/a> started as a fringe project, one that many of the other librarians didn’t really understand, but it has grown into a space staffed by a variety of students who volunteer their time. Wong-Welch says at first she mostly had engineering students, but now art and business students, among others, have joined. They’re all interested in learning something new in a low-stakes environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My engineering students have been shocked to see how the arts students use the 3-D printer,” Wong-Welch said. Students from different disciplines have learned a lot from one another, approaching projects, materials, tools and software in ways that other students had never thought of before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wong-Welch says it has been especially fun to learn alongside students. They have discussions about intellectual property rights, figure out scale together and teach anyone else who comes into the space how to use the technology. Each of Wong-Welch’s regular volunteers is also working on an individual project. One student mapped out the marketplace for open-source versus proprietary printing. Another is trying to program an Arduino to sense when visitors come into the space and count them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43629\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-43629\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/22202200598_a22701478a_k-e1454662157710.jpg\" alt=\"Jewelry making\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jewelry making \u003ccite>(CSM Library/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While the school administration has been fairly supportive of the effort, Wong-Welch says her biggest struggle has been getting buy-in from faculty. “There is a weariness from the faculty to learn new technology and incorporate it into their curriculum,” she said. And, without faculty partnerships, it’s hard to get the funding to continue expanding what the space offers. There are many competing demands on the library’s budget, and Wong-Welch had hoped that professors might write some makerspace equipment and materials into their grant proposals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other struggle is a fundamental one around the idea of making as an academic endeavor. How does one measure what goes on in a makerspace? Anecdotally, Wong-Welch can point to the interdisciplinary dialogue, the hands-on experiences that often result in failure and necessitate trying again. She can say the students she works with are learning software, hardware and programming skills, but it’s harder to quantify things like the effect of a tight-knit community on a commuter campus, a creative, safe space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t have the data to show they learned something while they’re here,” Wong-Welch said. She believes university makerspaces will continue to struggle because their definition and purpose is murkier than the traditional and clearly defined library mission of storing and retrieving books.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43628\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-43628\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/21769438583_9ef9c9b19e_k-e1454662189372.jpg\" alt=\"Robotics\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Robotics \u003ccite>(CSM Library/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A COMMUNITY SPACE\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four-year universities aren’t the only ones branching out into makerspaces. Several community colleges are also cultivating spaces for creativity, problem-solving and access to new technologies. The College of San Mateo sits in the heart of Silicon Valley and its library director, Lorrita Ford, demonstrates the \u003ca href=\"http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=15979\" target=\"_blank\">entrepreneurial spirit\u003c/a> for which the area is known.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ford believes the library should be at the center of the college community and the broader community as well. “We serve a population that in many cases isn’t sure about what they’re going to do,” Ford said. Many College of San Mateo students are the children of service workers in the area. Their families don’t have a lot of experience with higher education, and students are still trying to discover their strengths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We really want them to have a place where they can come and discover their inner engineer that they may have not known existed,” Ford said. She and her staff embarked on their \u003ca href=\"http://collegeofsanmateo.edu/library/events.php\" target=\"_blank\">makerspace adventure\u003c/a> in 2013 and have steadily grown what they offer since then, all without a dedicated space. Many of their tools can be checked out, and when specific workshops are offered Ford repurposes library tables or holds them outside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It seems to us that it’s a good intersection between learning and creativity,” Ford said of making. “It’s also a social place. We welcome everyone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The unique thing about a makerspace, Ford said, is that it shows you a different side of people. A biology professor might lead a workshop on jewelry-making and a student could lead a workshop on knitting. “They come here and they share that with other people, and then they talk and get to know each other at a different level,” Ford said. “I think it fills a niche.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Ford started the makerspace she gathered faculty from science, technology, engineering, art and math disciplines to gauge interest. It was then she realized how much expertise and excitement already existed in the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fact that we had buy-in from faculty really helped,” Ford said. “It wasn’t just the library pushing for it, it was faculty from engineering, physics, the arts that were supportive, too.” Ford ended up getting an innovation grant that helped jump-start the program. Since then, the library has partnered with faculty to design solar cars, build telescopes and learn about African-American textiles, among other things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We really see it as supporting what’s going on in the classroom,” Ford said. She described one science professor who used the makerspace with his class to print out each section of the cervical spine. Each segment is slightly different, and he wanted his students to be able to see and touch them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ford has also done a lot of work with student groups on campus. “We really work to make it a multicultural space, and when we’re designing programs we try to reflect and help expand cultural awareness,” Ford said. The Pacific Islander student group came in and led a workshop on how to make graduation leis. The Puente program did a Dia de los Muertos skull-making activity where Ford was surprised to learn that the holiday is celebrated only in some parts of Mexico.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_43627\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-43627\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/02/22621735470_4e05ede54e_k-e1454662236754.jpg\" alt=\"Dia de los Muertos skulls\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1283\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dia de los Muertos skulls \u003ccite>(CSM Library/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Faculty members have also used the space to teach skills not covered in their courses. One engineering professor was so excited about the space he taught coding classes to students for fun. The library supported him by buying the software, circuits, Arduinos and other supplies he needed. Another faculty member taught students about online privacy and two-step encryption.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have this great physical space here, and I think as we involve in terms of what the library of the 21st century will be like, I think it makes sense for us to embrace and reinvent ourselves and make this part of our ‘new normal,’ ” Ford said. And she emphasized that while many people talk about libraries becoming irrelevant in the digital age, that hasn’t been her experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The College of San Mateo library is busier than ever, mostly with students looking for a quiet space where they can spread out. Ford and her staff try to respect various student needs simultaneously in the library. They try to make the library a welcoming space by letting students bring in food and offering relaxing activities like Legos and adult coloring in addition to everything else. Ford says if a noisy making activity is planned, they try to communicate that early, and even pass out earplugs to students who are trying to study.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ford’s advice for anyone starting a makerspace on campus is to first develop relationships with faculty. “I’ve been really intentional in cultivating relationships with faculty and staff and have been really intentional about becoming part of the fabric of the college,” Ford said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When she started at College of San Mateo 15 years ago, the library was very isolated. But over time she has worked to put library staff on key committees and to help support faculty whenever possible. She also made it clear to faculty how a makerspace could support the work they’re doing in classrooms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ford also suggests finding faculty champions, the people who already go to Burning Man or to Maker Faire, the ones who already have the hands-on gene. And, be patient. She’s also done a lot of partnering with the county, trying to make the college’s workshops and materials available to the wider community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Build it and keep nurturing it and eventually they will come,” Ford said. “In a lot of ways we are ahead of the curve a little bit, but they know we’re here and people show up at the library looking for stuff.” She described a student who came in looking for an adapter so he could hook his computer up to the projector in class. The library didn’t have those to check out, but Ford had one in her desk, so she quickly made it available for checkout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says when the library is an integral part of the whole college community, and its staff is there to help anyone who needs access to something, it changes the whole tone of the endeavor. And in that kind of environment, a makerspace just makes sense.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Can Kids As Young As Three Learn to Design and Create In Fab Labs?",
"title": "Can Kids As Young As Three Learn to Design and Create In Fab Labs?",
"headTitle": "MindShift | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>Screen time for young children has been a \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2011/03/11/screen-time-for-kids-is-it-learning-or-a-brain-drain/\" target=\"_blank\">hotly contested debate\u003c/a> among parents for years. Many worry that passive consumption of media through screens harms young children’s brain development, or at the very least means they are getting less interaction with caregivers, other children and hands-on play. On the other hand, most children under the age of 8 have access to a mobile device in the home and it can be hard to enforce an absolutely-no-screen-time rule. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.baykidsmuseum.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Bay Area Discovery Museum\u003c/a>, which focuses on hands-on, play-based learning, is trying to introduce a more active kind of technology use with the first Fab Lab for kids ages 3 and up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Discovery Museum is open to families and \u003ca href=\"https://www.baykidsmuseum.org/programs-and-events/programs-for-schools-teachers/program-offerings/\" target=\"_blank\">partners with schools\u003c/a> to bring schoolchildren to the museum in coordination with a multi-part visiting structure to help bring hands-on, creative learning back into the classroom. In contrast to a makerspace, which is a more free-form experience of making, the Fab Lab that museum educators are designing is explicitly connected to the ideas of design and engineering and connects to the \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/04/10/new-science-standards-aim-to-relate-concepts-to-students-lives/\" target=\"_blank\">Next Generation Science Standards\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">'What’s exciting about this is it offers a different way of using technology that’s much more active.'\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“In many ways it’s very connected to the maker movement, but there is more of an intentional focus on some of the skills connected to engineering, electrical engineering and more of an intentional draw back to math concepts,” said Elizabeth Rood, vice president of education strategy for the museum. Rood says young kids have always been fascinated by building things, and educators at the museum hope to help even the youngest kids begin to understand that the built world is designed by people. It doesn’t appear by magic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really trying to take away the black box and helping kids understand the made-world around them,” Rood said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The museum will be one of the first institutions in the country to pilot a Fab Lab for kids this young, and they are doing a lot of learning along the way. They’ve already started bringing in test groups and will start inviting classes to participate in the spring. All along, they are taking video, watching how interactions take place in the space and modifying activities, materials and curriculum based on what they see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>WHAT DOES A FAB LAB FOR 3-YEAR OLDS LOOK LIKE?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rood said the space is designed with multiple age groups in mind. If a family brings their 8-year-old and their 3-year-old, both kids should have developmentally appropriate activities available to them. The space has a laser cutter, 3-D printer, vinyl cutter (fun for little guys, making stickers), software, and soon hopefully an industrial sewing machine, which automatically sews based on a digital design. The Discovery Museum Fab Lab is three rooms, one room with the more complicated machines requiring more adult facilitation, and two rooms requiring less adult supervision and lots of materials at kid height.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a recent test of the space, museum staff set up activities related to building a city. They had precut cardboard pieces that kids could use to construct buildings, and the laser cutter ran in a corner so kids could see where those pieces came from (although in this activity they didn’t get to cut pieces themselves). They also had a circuitry table so older kids could wire up lighting for the buildings and streets, along with programmable cars. Little kids had access to lots of stickers, tape and paint to beautify the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_42857\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-42857\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/city-beautification-1440x810.jpg\" alt=\"A dad and son beautify the building they built with pre-cut cardboard pieces.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/city-beautification-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/city-beautification-400x225.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/city-beautification-800x450.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/city-beautification-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/city-beautification-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A dad and son beautify the building they built with precut cardboard pieces. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Bay Area Discovery Museum)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s all very hands-on, even with the kids who are at the point where they can interact with the software, it’s very hands-on,” Rood said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She imagines the space as a place where kids can experiment with moving from three dimensions to two dimensions and back again. Perhaps children will build something with Play-Doh or clay first and then try to replicate what they’ve built using design software. That 2-D design can then be sent to the laser cutter for cutting. Inevitably the first design won’t work, so they’ll go back and tweak, in the process learning about iteration, trial and error, proportions and other engineering and math concepts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One of the things we’re really grappling with now is that a major limiting factor is the software,” Rood said. Most design software isn’t appropriate for kids younger than 6 or 7. The museum is committed to keeping the Fab Lab child-centered, where parents are encouraged to interact with their kids, but activities are explicitly designed to be child-led. Most of the commercially available software would require lots of one-on-one adult-to-child attention, so the museum is looking into commissioning its own software.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The museum already has a strong focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities, and often trains teachers on ways to bring more hands-on approaches into the classroom. Some of those activities, like “fairytale engineering,” could easily be taken a step further with access to the Fab Lab. The activity is designed for kids ages 4 to 6. The educator begins by reading a version of \"The Three Little Pigs\" story, but with a focus on designing and engineering stronger houses. The story introduces the idea of prototyping. Then they read parts of the \"Three Billy Goats Gruff\" story and ask kids what they would design to get the goats across the bridge safely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The kids come up with lots of creative ideas and then they get to play with designing and prototyping their ideas. Often that starts with cardboard, but in the Fab Lab, kids could take their exploration of materials further, printing the same design in plastic or wood and experimenting with how the same design works differently when made in different materials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s been a lot of concern from \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/01/23/how-do-parents-think-educational-media-affects-learning/\" target=\"_blank\">parents and early education teachers\u003c/a> about the encroachment of screens into young children’s lives. There are tons of apps and gadgets marketed to parents of young children, many of which require the child only to passively consume content on a device. Rood agrees that kind of passive screen time can be a concern and that parents will ultimately make those decisions for their children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s exciting about this is it offers a different way of using technology that’s much more active,” Rood said. Her goal is to make technology use in the Fab Lab all about creating, with clear tie-ins to what’s happening in the material world. Even the lead curriculum designer was a little unsure that technology would be appropriate for young children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_42871\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-42871\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/programmable-car-1440x810.jpg\" alt=\"A facilitator helps kids figure out how to program one of the cars in the Fab Lab.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/programmable-car-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/programmable-car-400x225.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/programmable-car-800x450.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/programmable-car-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/programmable-car-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A facilitator helps kids figure out how to program one of the cars in the Fab Lab. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Bay Area Discovery Museum)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I was a teacher who really strongly pushed back against introducing technology into the classroom,” said Sara Norris, associate director of STEM education and partnerships. Most of the technology she saw being pushed on classrooms was passive, or limited to keyboarding or projecting things onto a smartboard. She wanted her kindergarten classroom to stay focused on interactive, interpersonal learning. So she was skeptical in her new job with the museum when they started talking about Fab Lab software for very young learners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I felt that experiential learning couldn’t mean time with screens,” Norris said. “It felt counterintuitive to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the museum has built out the idea over the past several months, Norris has come to see the technology in the Fab Lab as just another tool, equal to any other tool in the space. The museum is working hard to make any technology time active time and Norris is watching how kids interact with the space to make sure it remains developmentally appropriate. She’s open to the idea that they may discover that 3 is too young for the technology side of things. She’s looking to see how long the little kids stick with the technology, whether they’re able to create what they wanted and if it sparks curiosity. All those things would be good signs.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">'We want to not only hit things they need to address anyway, but enrich the experience and introduce new and creative ways for how to teach.'\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“It’s also about equity and empowering kids so they feel they can shape the world around them,” Norris said. Both she and Rood are passionate about bringing their design-thinking, creative, hands-on approach to kids from all backgrounds. As they experiment with the Fab Lab space, they’ve tried to bring in students from many backgrounds to make sure the space works for all learners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are seeing that these tools and this kind of technology is popping up in schools that serve affluent kids,” Rood said. “It is not happening in our public schools. I’m deeply concerned that there’s a divide not only in access, but I worry the answer will be putting technology in without understanding how we’re really going to use it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When visiting less affluent schools, Rood sees a focus on reproducing knowledge instead of creating it, a gap she hopes the museum can help correct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the past year, the museum has been piloting a multivisit program. Museum educators visit the classroom and teach about design thinking before bringing the class to the museum, where they get to work with hands-on materials. In the Fab Lab, that hands-on time will mean using the software to design prototypes and using the machines to make their designs real. Then, back in the classroom, the museum educators continue to work with teachers to apply the same ideas to the rest of the curriculum, drawing direct parallels to the standards teachers are required to cover.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve made it really explicit to teachers that all of our projects are connected to the standards,” Norris said. For example, the lessons look at more hands-on and creative ways to think about form and function, or cause and effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to not only hit things they need to address anyway, but enrich the experience and introduce new and creative ways for how to teach,” Norris said. Bay Area teachers they’ve worked with have been appreciative of this work, asking for more resources and lessons to extend the learning beyond the three-visit structure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Norris said a lot of her time with teachers is spent helping them recognize the creative work they are doing daily in the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Classroom teachers are constantly involved in design-thinking process all the time, whether they know it or not,” Norris said. They design lessons, see how their “end user” -- students -- respond, and tweak the idea. Norris says more and more public school teachers are seeing how creativity ties into the STEM subjects they are teaching, and are hungry for more resources and training in this model.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>LEARNINGS SO FAR\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the museum Fab Lab is in a “soft opening” phase right now, museum staff are already seeing some interesting things. “The most exciting thing for me was the collaboration I saw between younger and older children,” Norris said. Parents were also excited about the new space and many were down on the floor with their kids, instead of on their phones or having side conversations with other parents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rood is excited about how the Fab Lab can push forward the museum’s mission to improve math education. “We really feel strongly that early math learning is the gateway to so many next steps,” Rood said. “We are working a lot in trying to help teachers make mathematics more visual, more conceptual and less performance based.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The interplay between building and designing is a great way to help make \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/11/19/how-turning-math-into-a-maker-workshop-can-bring-calculations-to-life/\" target=\"_blank\">theoretical concepts more concrete and visual\u003c/a>. “The FabLab is a great way to build math learning in the early years especially as we think about shapes, proportionality, how shapes fit together, angles and going from two dimensions to three dimensions,” Rood said. “There is so much you can teach in a FabLab using the equipment that’s so engaging and hands-on that is also so rich with math.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the museum continues to invite families and classes into the space to test their activities, they will be reporting back to a \u003ca href=\"http://www.tiesteach.org/solutions/fab-labs/\" target=\"_blank\">global network\u003c/a> of educators interested in replicating any promising practices that come out of this pilot. The museum will also be commissioning a third-party evaluation of the program after it is formally up and running and has found its feet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Screen time for young children has been a \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2011/03/11/screen-time-for-kids-is-it-learning-or-a-brain-drain/\" target=\"_blank\">hotly contested debate\u003c/a> among parents for years. Many worry that passive consumption of media through screens harms young children’s brain development, or at the very least means they are getting less interaction with caregivers, other children and hands-on play. On the other hand, most children under the age of 8 have access to a mobile device in the home and it can be hard to enforce an absolutely-no-screen-time rule. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.baykidsmuseum.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Bay Area Discovery Museum\u003c/a>, which focuses on hands-on, play-based learning, is trying to introduce a more active kind of technology use with the first Fab Lab for kids ages 3 and up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Discovery Museum is open to families and \u003ca href=\"https://www.baykidsmuseum.org/programs-and-events/programs-for-schools-teachers/program-offerings/\" target=\"_blank\">partners with schools\u003c/a> to bring schoolchildren to the museum in coordination with a multi-part visiting structure to help bring hands-on, creative learning back into the classroom. In contrast to a makerspace, which is a more free-form experience of making, the Fab Lab that museum educators are designing is explicitly connected to the ideas of design and engineering and connects to the \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/04/10/new-science-standards-aim-to-relate-concepts-to-students-lives/\" target=\"_blank\">Next Generation Science Standards\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">'What’s exciting about this is it offers a different way of using technology that’s much more active.'\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“In many ways it’s very connected to the maker movement, but there is more of an intentional focus on some of the skills connected to engineering, electrical engineering and more of an intentional draw back to math concepts,” said Elizabeth Rood, vice president of education strategy for the museum. Rood says young kids have always been fascinated by building things, and educators at the museum hope to help even the youngest kids begin to understand that the built world is designed by people. It doesn’t appear by magic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really trying to take away the black box and helping kids understand the made-world around them,” Rood said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The museum will be one of the first institutions in the country to pilot a Fab Lab for kids this young, and they are doing a lot of learning along the way. They’ve already started bringing in test groups and will start inviting classes to participate in the spring. All along, they are taking video, watching how interactions take place in the space and modifying activities, materials and curriculum based on what they see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>WHAT DOES A FAB LAB FOR 3-YEAR OLDS LOOK LIKE?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rood said the space is designed with multiple age groups in mind. If a family brings their 8-year-old and their 3-year-old, both kids should have developmentally appropriate activities available to them. The space has a laser cutter, 3-D printer, vinyl cutter (fun for little guys, making stickers), software, and soon hopefully an industrial sewing machine, which automatically sews based on a digital design. The Discovery Museum Fab Lab is three rooms, one room with the more complicated machines requiring more adult facilitation, and two rooms requiring less adult supervision and lots of materials at kid height.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a recent test of the space, museum staff set up activities related to building a city. They had precut cardboard pieces that kids could use to construct buildings, and the laser cutter ran in a corner so kids could see where those pieces came from (although in this activity they didn’t get to cut pieces themselves). They also had a circuitry table so older kids could wire up lighting for the buildings and streets, along with programmable cars. Little kids had access to lots of stickers, tape and paint to beautify the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_42857\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-42857\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/city-beautification-1440x810.jpg\" alt=\"A dad and son beautify the building they built with pre-cut cardboard pieces.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/city-beautification-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/city-beautification-400x225.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/city-beautification-800x450.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/city-beautification-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/city-beautification-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A dad and son beautify the building they built with precut cardboard pieces. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Bay Area Discovery Museum)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s all very hands-on, even with the kids who are at the point where they can interact with the software, it’s very hands-on,” Rood said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She imagines the space as a place where kids can experiment with moving from three dimensions to two dimensions and back again. Perhaps children will build something with Play-Doh or clay first and then try to replicate what they’ve built using design software. That 2-D design can then be sent to the laser cutter for cutting. Inevitably the first design won’t work, so they’ll go back and tweak, in the process learning about iteration, trial and error, proportions and other engineering and math concepts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One of the things we’re really grappling with now is that a major limiting factor is the software,” Rood said. Most design software isn’t appropriate for kids younger than 6 or 7. The museum is committed to keeping the Fab Lab child-centered, where parents are encouraged to interact with their kids, but activities are explicitly designed to be child-led. Most of the commercially available software would require lots of one-on-one adult-to-child attention, so the museum is looking into commissioning its own software.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The museum already has a strong focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities, and often trains teachers on ways to bring more hands-on approaches into the classroom. Some of those activities, like “fairytale engineering,” could easily be taken a step further with access to the Fab Lab. The activity is designed for kids ages 4 to 6. The educator begins by reading a version of \"The Three Little Pigs\" story, but with a focus on designing and engineering stronger houses. The story introduces the idea of prototyping. Then they read parts of the \"Three Billy Goats Gruff\" story and ask kids what they would design to get the goats across the bridge safely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The kids come up with lots of creative ideas and then they get to play with designing and prototyping their ideas. Often that starts with cardboard, but in the Fab Lab, kids could take their exploration of materials further, printing the same design in plastic or wood and experimenting with how the same design works differently when made in different materials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s been a lot of concern from \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/01/23/how-do-parents-think-educational-media-affects-learning/\" target=\"_blank\">parents and early education teachers\u003c/a> about the encroachment of screens into young children’s lives. There are tons of apps and gadgets marketed to parents of young children, many of which require the child only to passively consume content on a device. Rood agrees that kind of passive screen time can be a concern and that parents will ultimately make those decisions for their children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s exciting about this is it offers a different way of using technology that’s much more active,” Rood said. Her goal is to make technology use in the Fab Lab all about creating, with clear tie-ins to what’s happening in the material world. Even the lead curriculum designer was a little unsure that technology would be appropriate for young children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_42871\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-42871\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/programmable-car-1440x810.jpg\" alt=\"A facilitator helps kids figure out how to program one of the cars in the Fab Lab.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/programmable-car-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/programmable-car-400x225.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/programmable-car-800x450.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/programmable-car-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2015/11/programmable-car-960x540.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A facilitator helps kids figure out how to program one of the cars in the Fab Lab. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Bay Area Discovery Museum)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I was a teacher who really strongly pushed back against introducing technology into the classroom,” said Sara Norris, associate director of STEM education and partnerships. Most of the technology she saw being pushed on classrooms was passive, or limited to keyboarding or projecting things onto a smartboard. She wanted her kindergarten classroom to stay focused on interactive, interpersonal learning. So she was skeptical in her new job with the museum when they started talking about Fab Lab software for very young learners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I felt that experiential learning couldn’t mean time with screens,” Norris said. “It felt counterintuitive to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the museum has built out the idea over the past several months, Norris has come to see the technology in the Fab Lab as just another tool, equal to any other tool in the space. The museum is working hard to make any technology time active time and Norris is watching how kids interact with the space to make sure it remains developmentally appropriate. She’s open to the idea that they may discover that 3 is too young for the technology side of things. She’s looking to see how long the little kids stick with the technology, whether they’re able to create what they wanted and if it sparks curiosity. All those things would be good signs.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">'We want to not only hit things they need to address anyway, but enrich the experience and introduce new and creative ways for how to teach.'\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“It’s also about equity and empowering kids so they feel they can shape the world around them,” Norris said. Both she and Rood are passionate about bringing their design-thinking, creative, hands-on approach to kids from all backgrounds. As they experiment with the Fab Lab space, they’ve tried to bring in students from many backgrounds to make sure the space works for all learners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are seeing that these tools and this kind of technology is popping up in schools that serve affluent kids,” Rood said. “It is not happening in our public schools. I’m deeply concerned that there’s a divide not only in access, but I worry the answer will be putting technology in without understanding how we’re really going to use it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When visiting less affluent schools, Rood sees a focus on reproducing knowledge instead of creating it, a gap she hopes the museum can help correct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the past year, the museum has been piloting a multivisit program. Museum educators visit the classroom and teach about design thinking before bringing the class to the museum, where they get to work with hands-on materials. In the Fab Lab, that hands-on time will mean using the software to design prototypes and using the machines to make their designs real. Then, back in the classroom, the museum educators continue to work with teachers to apply the same ideas to the rest of the curriculum, drawing direct parallels to the standards teachers are required to cover.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve made it really explicit to teachers that all of our projects are connected to the standards,” Norris said. For example, the lessons look at more hands-on and creative ways to think about form and function, or cause and effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to not only hit things they need to address anyway, but enrich the experience and introduce new and creative ways for how to teach,” Norris said. Bay Area teachers they’ve worked with have been appreciative of this work, asking for more resources and lessons to extend the learning beyond the three-visit structure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Norris said a lot of her time with teachers is spent helping them recognize the creative work they are doing daily in the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Classroom teachers are constantly involved in design-thinking process all the time, whether they know it or not,” Norris said. They design lessons, see how their “end user” -- students -- respond, and tweak the idea. Norris says more and more public school teachers are seeing how creativity ties into the STEM subjects they are teaching, and are hungry for more resources and training in this model.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>LEARNINGS SO FAR\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the museum Fab Lab is in a “soft opening” phase right now, museum staff are already seeing some interesting things. “The most exciting thing for me was the collaboration I saw between younger and older children,” Norris said. Parents were also excited about the new space and many were down on the floor with their kids, instead of on their phones or having side conversations with other parents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rood is excited about how the Fab Lab can push forward the museum’s mission to improve math education. “We really feel strongly that early math learning is the gateway to so many next steps,” Rood said. “We are working a lot in trying to help teachers make mathematics more visual, more conceptual and less performance based.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The interplay between building and designing is a great way to help make \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/11/19/how-turning-math-into-a-maker-workshop-can-bring-calculations-to-life/\" target=\"_blank\">theoretical concepts more concrete and visual\u003c/a>. “The FabLab is a great way to build math learning in the early years especially as we think about shapes, proportionality, how shapes fit together, angles and going from two dimensions to three dimensions,” Rood said. “There is so much you can teach in a FabLab using the equipment that’s so engaging and hands-on that is also so rich with math.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the museum continues to invite families and classes into the space to test their activities, they will be reporting back to a \u003ca href=\"http://www.tiesteach.org/solutions/fab-labs/\" target=\"_blank\">global network\u003c/a> of educators interested in replicating any promising practices that come out of this pilot. The museum will also be commissioning a third-party evaluation of the program after it is formally up and running and has found its feet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
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}
},
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"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
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"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
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"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"order": 1
},
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"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"meta": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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}
},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
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},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
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"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
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