Approaches to Maker Education

Join us for 4.5 days of carefully paced, hands-on, minds-on, equity-focused learning that culminates in the creation of a maker-centered project tailored to your learning environment. Step into your learners’ shoes and explore foundational approaches to weaving making into your practice: tinkering to discover, making to learn, and the application project. This workshop is perfect for those who are just getting started or are looking to further develop their practice in schools, libraries, museums, makerspaces, and other educational settings — whether in person or online.

These approaches are also designed to elicit ways in which educators can use maker education as a tool for equity. Throughout the workshop, we will be exploring and sharing how making enables learner agency and how to shift educator practices to be more culturally relevant.

With the current pandemic, we have redesigned this workshop to take place virtually over 4.5 days, with a thoughtful mix of synchronous time together over video and other virtual community spaces, asynchronous time for independent work and reflection, breaks, and opportunities to engage 1-on-1 and in small groups. We expect to be synchronously engaged together for approximately 3 hours each day, split between morning and afternoon. In addition, we will be engaging in learning and making asynchronously for another 3-4 hours during the day; this can be done during times that work for your schedule. Our virtual workshop aims to be as hands-on and interactive as possible, intended to showcase what maker education can look like, whether facilitated remotely or in-person.

In order to participate in this workshop you will need a computer, internet access, installed zoom app, and functioning video and audio. No additional making materials will be required outside of what is shipped to you, but feel free to use materials you have on hand.

Location(s): Virtual! Join us from your own home or learning space.

Fee: $100 – $200. The cost of this workshop covers a kit of making supplies which will be mailed out to you ahead of the workshop.

Dates: August 3-7, 2020

Register

Schedule

Synchronous Times: Please plan to be fully present during the following times:

• Monday, Aug 3: 9 – 11am PT and 1 – 2:30pm PT
• Tuesday, Aug 4: 9 – 10:30am PT and 1 – 2:30pm PT
• Wednesday, Aug 5: 9 – 10:30am PT and 1 – 2:30pm PT
• Thursday, Aug 6: 9 – 10:30am PT and 1 – 2:30pm PT
• Friday, Aug 7: 9 – 9:30 PT and 10:30am – 12pm PT

Asynchronous Times: Participants will also have 3-4 hours a day of asynchronous activities.

Learning Goals

Workshop participants will:

• Reflect on our current language, practices, and ingrained understandings in order to design maker activities as a means to center learners and develop their critical consciousness and cognitive capacities (Equity). 
• Plan learner-driven activities, adaptable to various learning environments and using diverse facilitation techniques, that integrate with existing content and skills (Pedagogy). 
• Collaborate and connect with maker educators with similar and different values and visions of maker education (Community).