Response: The Maker Movement Believes In ‘Kid Power’ – Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo #makereducation
Larry Ferlazzo at edweek compiled responses from award winning educators on how the The Maker Movement can best be integrated into classroom learning.
…Tinkering is a powerful form of learning by doing, an ethos shared by the maker community and many educators. Tinkering is the process of design, the way that real science is done. It is not unstructured, but a process of purposeful iteration towards a goal that may not be well defined. Many inventions were created on the way to another goal, or were “mistakes” that turned out to be valuable. We owe it to our children to give them the tools and experiences that real scientists and engineers use, and the time is now to bring these tools and learning opportunities into real classrooms.
We unabashedly believe in kid power and know that teachers hold the key to liberating the learner. Embracing the values, tools, and activities of the Maker Movement enrich and accelerate that process.
With falling prices and options multiplying by the minute, once futuristic technologies are within the reach of the average school. However, it’s not that technology is going to change how students learn, but the conditions that teachers create in their classrooms. A “makerspace” is a state of mind as much as a space or the stuff in it. A makerspace invites creativity, messing about with tools, materials, and big ideas – all driven by a wise leader who steers students towards meaning.
Options for maker spaces vary widely depending on the classroom (or other space), the teacher, and students. Libraries are popular options because they are cross-curricular, multi-grade, and often have extended hours. These are important traits of a makerspace. Over the past decade, many librarians rebranded themselves as Library Media Specialists; now without changing the acronym, they can be Library Maker Specialists – making meaning, making learning possible, and making things…
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Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.
Each Tuesday is EducationTuesday here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts about educators and all things STEM. Adafruit supports our educators and loves to spread the good word about educational STEM innovations!