PRESS RELEASE
Maker Ed Organizes Education Forum and Education Stage at World Maker Faire, Announces Launch of Professional Development Course Offerings and New Research Findings on the Needs of Maker Educators
New research findings indicate that there may be a trend towards incorporating making in K-12 settings.
NEW YORK, Sept. 30, 2016
The Maker Education Initiative (Maker Ed) is thrilled to co-host the Education Forum and run the Education Stage at World Maker Faire in New York on October 1 and 2, where the organization will also highlight research results from SRI International related to the needs of maker educators and the learning communities in which they participate. Informed by findings from this research and it’s professional development programs, Maker Ed has launched its first online course supporting educators new to making and those interested in furthering their maker education practice.
Maker Ed’s Education Stage will bring together educators from across the country to share their experiences and insights with the maker educator community through more than 25 presentations, workshops, and networking sessions. Maker Ed’s work at World Maker Faire would not be possible without the generous support and volunteer efforts of Chevron, Autodesk, and Argus.
In addition, Maker Ed is co-hosting the Education Forum, an all-day educator event on September 30, with the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) and Make:. The Education Forum will feature a keynote talk by Pam Moran and Ira Socol from Albemarle County Public Schools, and additional panels about the successful application of maker education in various formal and informal learning environments. Maker Ed thanks Intel and Google’s Making & Science Initiative for sponsoring the Education Forum.
Maker Ed is excited to spotlight newly released research about maker educators from SRI International (SRI), titled “A Study of the Communities and Resources that Connect Educators Engaged in Making.” Maker Ed contracted SRI in early 2016 to conduct research aimed at better understanding the existing communities that bring maker educators together and the interests and needs of maker educators within these communities. This research describes key demographics of maker educators, notes educators’ interests in access to resources such as projects ideas, targeted lessons, and curated collections, and makes recommendations for designing and managing maker-centered communities and sustaining community participation. Download key findings from the research report here.
Maker Ed’s Executive Director, Warren (Trey) Lathe, says, “Whether at the Education Forum or the Education Stage at World Maker Faire, Maker Ed is always excited for educators to share how they are creating more engaging and motivating learning experiences through making. In addition, the wonderful insights from the maker educator community research will help us continue to develop programs and professional development opportunities to better train and encourage educators in a variety of settings.”
To that end, Maker Ed is excited to launch its first online professional development course for educators: Mapping Making: Charting a Path for Your Maker Educator Practice. Maker Ed’s first professional development course provides online modules with vetted resources and activities that orient educators to develop sustainable spaces for making, encourage thoughtful integration into curriculum, and deepen their own expertise and experience. The course launches on Oct. 17, to be followed by the release of a full professional development category in Maker Ed’s online Resource Library.
With the upcoming World Maker Faire events and the future launch of its online professional development offerings, Maker Ed is leading the way in supporting educators to be confident facilitators of making experiences, leading to more engaging, motivating, and fulfilling educational experiences for youth everywhere.
About Maker Ed
Maker Ed is a national nonprofit organization that provides educators with the training, resources, and community of support they need to facilitate engaging learning experiences with youth through maker education – a hands-on, youth-driven, and open-ended learning approach. Through this work, Maker Ed plays a national leadership role in both broadening access to and deepening the impact of maker education for youth. Maker Ed is a project of the Tides Center, a registered 501(c)3 non-profit public charity. For more information, visit the Maker Ed website and follow @MakerEdOrg on Twitter.
Contact
Keyana Stevens
Communications Manager, Maker Ed
(510) 655-1935 | Keyana@MakerEd.Org
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