Last spring (2016), our Crossroads campus kicked off their Makerspace with the donation of a 3D printer and plans for renovating the Crossroads Library to accommodate Makerspace activities.
What about Makerspace activities on the Raleigh campus? How are TK-6th grade students embracing the Maker movement?
First, let’s recap: What is a Makerspace - and why should we have one at GRACE?
The Maker movement in education allows students to have unique learning
experiences. A Makerspace is “any space where a student can design,
explore, and create using a diverse set of tools and materials” ("Make MakerSpaces Work for Your School"). The
Maker movement allows students to be designers, tinkerers, innovators,
and creators, to build 21st Century learners with skills in critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.
On
GRACE’s Raleigh’s campus, our Makerspace will look different from the
Crossroads campus. Instead of a designated space, we will have two
MakerCarts, one on each floor with the tools and materials on them.
The
MakerCart on the first floor will be geared towards the TK-1st grade
students, while the one on the second floor will be geared towards the
2nd-6th graders. Both carts will include tools and materials for
fabrication technology, information technology, and coding activities.
This
past Friday -- on our second full day of school -- our 3rd graders had
their first Maker activity, tied to their summer reading, Humphrey's Really Wheely Racing Day
(by Betty G. Birney). Using cardboard boxes, foam noodles, and other
materials, the 3rd graders created racetracks and raced each other using
matchbox cars. The students enjoyed it and they worked well together
in their teams.
Before
they started their activity, I reminded the students that Thomas Edison
failed thousands of time, trying to find the right filament for the
light bulb. If he had stopped after his first attempt, we might not have
lightbulbs! I encouraged them to try, to tinker, to fail, and to try
again.
Well done, 3rd graders! What grade will be the next one to tinker, create, or design?
Read more about the Maker movement in education.
REFERENCES
1) “Make Makerspaces Work for Your School.” MindBridge Partners. Boston, MA, May 2016.
Reposted from our 21stCenturyGRACE blog.
