The maker approach is a creative form of learning that involves creating, inventing and learning. Mathematics, science, engineering (STEM) are the primary subjects associated with the maker approach, and as a P/J teacher, I’ll be teaching these subjects in my future classrooms. The maker approach can be incorporated into these subject areas through do-it-yourself (DIY) paradigms. DIY models makes space for creative expression and self-directed learning. However, it also touches upon important pedagogy principles and 21st century skills including; inquiry, innovation, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and personalized learning. Through DIYs, the maker approach helps students better understand subjects such as math or science through making for the purpose of learning. 

The design process encompasses some similarities to the inquiry-based approach to learning. For example, both approaches start with a problem or question that is student-led and goes through a process of collecting information, brainstorming and analyzing ideas, developing solutions, ideas for feedback, improve the design to finally solving their inquiries. Therefore, I can incorporate the design process and the inquiry-based approach so that learning (within a subject area) involves a process of steps fused with curiosity and hands-on learning while acquiring 21st century skills (critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, etc). 

 

The maker/constructionist approach to education prepares students for the real world through trial and fail. When students try to make things, it's not always the case that they get it right the first time. But, they keep trying and trying until they finally get it right. Thus, the maker approach enables students to be risk averse when it comes to trying new things. After all, not getting it right the first or failing is often the biggest challenge for most students. The maker approach is centered on the students interest, and when teachers provide the students with learning that meets their interests, they are more likely to learn everything that encompasses their interest and much faster. Another observation about the maker approach is that it builds a community and it fosters 21st century skills such as collaboration, communication, innovation, and creativity that are essential for the real world. Making things, makes other things more real and more doable and it’s what get students started on the path of critical thinking. 

Samreen Rafiq 

Maker approach to education can be incorporated in all the subject areas in primary junior. In the maker approach students have the opportunities to have hands on creative activities. The maker approach provides opportunities to the students to practice 21st Century skills such as :global competencies and transferable skills. Collaboration, communication, global citizenship, self-aware learning to learn, entrepreneurship and innovation & creativity. I will use the inquiry based approach, I will start with the guided inquiry and model for the students how to develop questions. Students will learn multiple ways to solve a problem. I will infuse the nature, music, art and literature in the design of STEAM. Maker lessons encompass a wide variety of teaching methods and it is connected to design thinking, problems solving skills and critical literacy. It is a hands on approach to learning. In my classroom a large part would be dedicated for the makerspace and students will have the opportunity to make their own things using recycling material and loose material. The projects that students will create, they will share it with local and global community as well. Students will have flexible art centre and self-directed learning. In our classroom in tinkerlab student would have the opportunity to take different things apart and make something new. Students can use their own creativity and design to make connection to the curriculum. They can create projects for the collaborative learning. As an P/J teacher I incorporate maker approach to education in all subject areas. 

 

One of the interesting thing in the video was that Making culture is something that can bring back children’s science and math scores and making is something that start the path of critical thinking.One example that I observed in the video shows how a maker approach to education can make learning process meaningful is that Adam built the things he wants to get or he could not buy. For example there were things that he wanted but he could not get or buy, so he had to learn how to make them. He made a replica of the pistol from the movie Blade Runner, making the replica pistol make him better at fixing the stuff in my house. He built the prop from the movies, it provided him to opportunity to become creative and solve problems. Students will learn through hand on activities , students will create their own learning experience by engaging in creativity, problem solving and design. 

My subject areas are Biology and Science, thus there are numerous ways to implement the maker approach and design process in these areas. Students can be given the opportunity to develop their own inquiry projects and where the student is at the centre of learning. Inquiry projects very much encompasses the design process where students outline a scientific problem of their interest that is open-ended in nature and triggers critical thinking, collect relevant background information, come up with ideas, develop solutions/experiments, present the ideas, receive feedback, and improve the design. This becomes a cycle that doesn’t necessarily have to end and can keep being improved upon and executed. 

Makerspaces can also be used in the electricity unit of science where students can physically put together circuits. When I was in grade 9, we made simple series circuits and not much inquiry was involved and it was not student-lead. But it doesn’t have to stop there. Now, we can incorporate Arduino technology in makerspaces with students as well to develop coding literacy which is an important 21^st century skill to develop. In this way, students will engage in multidisciplinary projects where they learn how to create circuits and learn coding.

One observation I had in the video of how this approach to education can make learning more meaningful is that it gives students the choice on what they want to learn. Students can inquire and learn how to build things that are based on their own interests (i.e. movie props). This involves innovation, creativity, problem-solving, and hands-on learning which ultimately creates more meaningful and authentic learning for students.

 

 

In my personal opinion both the maker approach and the design process are quite similar in the sense that they require students to define a problem, collect information, brainstorm/analyze the information that is being collected in hopes of developing solutions to solve the problem that was initially presented. Both are a great way for students to learn as it promotes creativity and hands on learning. 
 
 

As for my subject choice I can certainly see myself applying these kinds of practices into my teaching, particularly in the STEM area. Instead of simply lecturing students at their desks about topics in the Science and Math curriculum, I could have them actually engaging and creating pieces of work in which they are the makers. Together with their making, I would have students implement the design process so that they could follow a logical plan when creating their individual designs. The key aspect of the design process that I would definitely encourage is the part in which students get feedback from their peers and then use that feedback to improve upon their initial designs. I think together with the design process in place, students would definitely benefit greatly from engaging in maker practices in the classroom and I hope to implement this as a future educator. 

 

 

The connection that came to mind and took precedent over the rest would be the idea that Savage made regarding the future generation and the risk they take on new inventions. When you think about it our future is basically on technology based. Everyone owns a smart phone; there are self-operating cars, devices that can turn your lights off/on and virtual reality is becoming… reality! In my opinion our future is basically calculated risk, which is what we need to teach our students. We need to teach them it is okay to take risks, to make changes and to create and discover. It is unfortunate that a lot of students have the mindset that there is only 1 answer to each question and it is frowned up if you provide a wrong answer. As a future educator I plan to change the mindset of the males and females and show them that it is awesome to partake in experiments and observations. 

 

 

I am an Intermediate Teacher Candidate who’s teachables are Biology/Science and Physical Education. During my second placement as a full-time physical education teacher, there weren’t many opportunities for students to engage in the maker approach and design process. We were mainly in the field, the gym, or the fitness room working on personal health and fitness. As much as I enjoyed doing this, it is concerning to me that I’m realizing maker space pedagogy is difficult to implement in all subject areas. When I think about how I could use the maker approach in my pedagogical approach to physical education, I think my only opportunity would be found during health units. That being said, knowing that many health units have sensitive topics, I would need to be very cognizant of my approach. I honestly believe that the nest suited unit to use a maker pedagogical approach would be a risky behaviours unit as this unit will force students to work collaboratively to come up with solutions to everyday experiences and real-world issues.

Additionally, In this type of environment, I think using the flipped classroom approach would provide more opportunity for students to express their strengths outside of the traditional “I teach, you listen” approach. Students would also learn how to problem solve, make better choices, listen respectfully and collaboratively with their peers to overcome certain obstacles. I also think it is equally important to teach or allow our students to teach themselves, grit. The best way for them to achieve these lessons it to make mistakes, correct them, and learn from them.

I thought the video by Adam Savage was well directed at the very real epidemic we have in education today revolving around a lack of creativity or freedom to make within the walls of a school. I found the comparison that Adam made between student’s immune systems and their mental capacity. He talked about how some human beings develop or have allergies based on never being given the opportunity to be exposed to those allergens. He raises an interesting point that their immune systems not having a chance to develop is essentially the same thing, or comparable to human beings not being creative enough because they’re not given enough opportunities to make and explore things that relate to their personal interests. We need to provide an environment for our students to explore their personal interests and come up with ideas to relate to those interests which will teach them “grit” skills that they will be applied to apply as citizens in society.

 

One way the marker approach can be incorporated in Phys. Ed would be for the students to develop their own game or activities with the equipment provided. This will engage the student in providing their own input and designing a game that they want to play. By doing this it allows them to brainstorm their ideas and develop a meaningful activity. To improve on the game or activity they have designed we as a class could play the game and provide feedback. 

 

 

After reviewing the Module/Week 6 slide contents and resources, think about how your definition may have changed or expanded….

 

My definition of making has changed, I was always under the notion that “making” was a definition given to people who were working with computers, (software). After going through the website and the TedTalk video, my definition has expanded now. When they say “marker” it basically refers to anyone making pretty much anything. This really opened my eyes, in terms of what classifies as a maker. It can stem from the simple days of playing in the sand box and making sand castles, to growing up cooking your own dinner. Marker are much more than software programmers, they are people who work with their hands to create and take apart things. 

 

What is one observation you had about the video in terms of how a maker/constructionist approach to education can make the learning process more meaningful or better prepare students for the real world (think 21st Century skills & competencies)? 

 

One observation I notice form the video by Adam Savage, is that we shouldn’t be afraid to let kids fail. We should let kids have an experiential learning experience. They should be encouraged to make and build things. Students will learn just as much when the fail compared to when they succeed. Letting this go at their own pace and fail will allow them to think critically, on ways to improve their next attempt. They will seek out collaboration attempts with other student and work together and build a strong communication aspect when engaging in conversation with other students.  

I think there are a number of ways the maker concept and the design process could be used in history.  Students of history should be asking their own questions.  History can be student centred by saying them “What problems do you have with the narrative you have encountered in your experience with history?”  Students can come up with challenging questions, like was the Red Baron a hero?  Students can then gather information, brainstorm ideas, discuss their findings, collaborate with others and get feedback from them, construct understanding together, and think critically with the ideas of history.  This encourages students to be makers and hackers.  They can be encouraged to challenge the traditional understanding of history, rebel against it, be unique individuals, make connections and learn to think divergently.

I found Adam Savage’s comparison between today’s children to as learners, and the way we develop allergies.  We become allergic to certain things by not giving our immune systems a chance to develop immunity to things, and Savage says that we do the same things when we avoid risks.  Making is also about exploring and discovering, but part of doing those things is a willingness to take risks.  Because students have being resistant to trying new things, they are in effect allergic to taking risks or failure or trying things.  Growth mindset and Maker culture can fight back against this tendency.  It can foster a growth mind-set in students, by making trying things and challenging one’s self fun and playful and engaging.  I think that being able to face challenges is a skill that students need as they grow up and enter the “real world”, and maker spaces can foster this ability.

The maker approach can be applicable in any and every subject area, including my own subject areas of physical education and the sciences. Particularly in physical education, the idea of students developing and implementing their own games that correspond with the curriculum is a great way for usual sports and fitness-focused course to be more of a student-centred, skill developing experience for students. Further, social skills and collaboration within the gymnasium and sport environment is even more elaborated on which is an absolute focus today. In the science world, there are many opportunities for students to be leaders of their education and fill the “maker” shoes, it is just the implementing of providing such maker opportunities for these students. Inquiry projects was something we focused on throughout our curriculum course through semesters one and two, which I truly believe provide students with a fresh and individual focus on their learning. Such learning can be applied throughout a variety of science units and topics, specifically in biology regarding any ecological, systemic, genetic, and investigative discussions, and can lead to critical thinking, analysis and reflection on the given topic. The maker approach was not something I experienced throughout my own learning and is definitely a concept I hope to incorporate into my teaching style. 

Slide 26: What is one observation you had about the video in terms of how a maker/constructionist approach to education can make the learning process more meaningful or better prepare students for the real world (think 21st Century skills & competencies)?
             One particular observation I took from the video regarding the maker approach in education was Adam Savage’s connection between making being the starting path for critical thinking and changing learning to a student focused interest rather than curriculum focused. Both these concepts provide students with a different perspective on their learning. Their interests now lead how they explore concepts to develop understanding, and further directly influences their ability to learn and understand as they focus on concepts particularly intriguing to them. Further, addressing making in the education system as a risky learning experience where the potential to get messy and fail I believe is key in the connection to critical thinking and learning. I think experiencing such learning throughout a student’s education is so much bigger than the final grade received after the “learning” and provides students with greater opportunities to grow as future contributors to society. Due to the making approach of such education experiences, students will be more readily prepared for real-life problem solving. 

DOING science is grounded in experiential learning and practical application of skills-a maker-based education follows the same principles but diverges from the rigid and uniform way of conducting science. The pedagogical basis for maker also differs from that of a purely scientific investigation, however, this does no mean that the two cannot be infused. Students have an opportunity to learn about science in a cross-disciplinary manner when exposed to a maker style of learning, not to mention the incorporation of technology at every turn. Personally, I feel that this style of learning promotes curiosity and intrigue while developing critical thinking skills, allowing for the application of ideas. Typical high-school science rarely asks student to design based on their own ideas; the majority of lab activities are close-ended investigations.

Continuing with the same monotonous format of science-teaching will continue to bore students. Why not inject the maker style of learning where applicable? Course like physics and biology have great potential for students to expound upon their own ideas, regarding scientific innovation. We need our students to KNOW that they are all “makers”. I am in agreeance with this claim, stated by Dale Dougherty during his TED talk and I am an advocate for promoting this mentality, especially to high school students. Promoting the maker approach, in accordance with the emergence of STEM and STEAM focused learning, provides science teachers with a range of instructional methodologies to delivering lessons and expanding of previous topics/concepts to enhance and redefine dated learning tasks.

For example, as a culminating/summative task in grade 9 or 10 science, students could posit a solution to a global problem (PBL style) addressing an STSE issue. They would choose a topic that accommodates task of creating or engineering a solution using their knowledge of robotics, circuits, anatomical structure, or traditional knowledge, etc. referring to concepts learned throughout their respective course(s). It is rare that a single scientific discipline will hold to answer to solving the world major issues and teaching out students to adopt an all-encompassing, open-mindedness with catalyze the innovative thoughts and ideas of our young minds.

When learning about science, there is always a connection or relation with other disciplines and subject areas, especially when tackling humanitarian and social justice issues. This is where “making” truly becomes meaningful and begins to fulfill the 21^st century competencies, those which specifically focus on education students to become ethical citizens in their community. The closer we can get students to this point while using a fun, engaging and stress-free form of learning, the closer we will be to rectifying the current outlook and value of education in our country.

Adam’s theory is, if we give students the choice to decide what topics they want to research and how they want to present, will make a significant difference when it comes to depth of research and care about the assignment. Adam believes that allowing our students to take risks, sometimes fail and learning from failure are probably the most important factors when teaching students about the design process and scientific method. Students will always need guidance and structure as they grow and mature, their minds constantly being exposed to new information every second. 

Faced with a bombardment of data, in many forms, students need to be made aware of the issues that not only relate to them but also those issues that permeate throughout their communities. If we want students to eventually become useful citizens, stewards for their environment and active members of positive change in their community, we need to play an intentional and active role in teaching them the of learning by doing, hence the relevance of makerspace and maker pedagogy. Even if students fail, their failure should not be demeaned but praised and be helped back on track. All the while, we need to impress the importance of learning though “play” and discovery. The more we focus on emphasising the 21^st century core values and competencies, the closer we will be in reshaping the current educational mindset and regime.

 

My subject area is the sciences and the design process is crucial to anyone doing any type of research. As you prepare students to enter university and pursue careers in the sciences, students will have to develop strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills when they are working in any type of lab environment. The most important aspect is after you have completed your lab, how could you improve on it. The only way we validate findings in science is by repeating experiments and figuring out if there were any flaws in the research process and how can we eliminate or minimize them. Maker education also helps students grow in their field by promoting curiosity and building on their inquiry skills which is something that we looked heavily into in our biology class. Creating Inquiry-Based Projects that let the students research topics that interest them most.

My current definition of making is creating something using a variety of tools and resources. It is a very broad definition because making can take many forms as Dale Dougherty mentions in his video.

After reviewing the slides and the 21^st century schools website, my definition is still similarly broad but it have seen more in depth how it can impact our students. It caters to the students’ learning needs and different intelligences by allowing them to focus their talents. It builds strong attributes in the students such as analytical and problem-solving skills. Most importantly, the maker approach is modern and student-centered, focusing on skills that are relevant to them by integrating multiple disciplines and allowing them to use a variety of technology and multimedia.

Exit Ticket

I noticed how Adam Savage mentions that the best way to get people into making is by letting them make whatever they want for whatever reason they want. This goes back to the student-centered approach to teaching and catering to the students’ needs and interests. It also helps build important skills that are transferable to other aspects of life as he mentions regarding the making of his blade runner pistol and how it has helped him become more handy around the house. 

Even though some people may not think the maker approach and design process can be implemented into a physical education classroom, I believe integrating this approach can help increase engagement for some students and optimize performance for others. Using inquiry with a student-centered approach will allow students who may not feel comfortable in a traditional phys-ed class open up and become more engaged by showing their interests. This can come in the form of allowing students to simply have free time, see what they do with some of the equipment available, or students would be required to create a mini game/sport for the entire class to play. I think having a mix of the traditional gym class and a modern way of teaching physical activity will be the most beneficial for my future students. 

 

Brought back some memories of my time in middle school in the metal/woodshop. Adam is worried that if we do not provide youth with opportunities to bring out their creativity and interests, they we are not allowing them to see their own potential and opportunities. I had a friend in the woodshop class that always enjoyed it more than the other students, and you could tell because he was never engaged in most of our other classes. Today, he works as a carpenter full time and thinking back if my school didn’t have that woodshop I am wondering if he would still be a carpenter.