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  • Learning at Home

Learning in the Making is an online video series designed to support educators and families with accessible hands-on learning experiences. This work is part of our focus on supporting remote learning in various environments. (To learn more, read this blog post about our work during shelter-in-place measures in 2020.)

Each episode includes project guides in English and Spanish for making and learning at home (including lists of suggested materials), as well as an accompanying instructional video modeling the project and accompanying educational theme. We invite BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) educators, creators, and makers on as partners and collaborators, so that they can tell their stories and showcase the amazing things they are making and doing! This is because youth of color deserve to see and learn from engineers, scientists, mathematicians, artists, creators, and makers of color.

Explore all the episodes and host interviews:

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  • READ MORE
    Learning in the Making: Mindfulness Glitter Jars
    April 2, 2021
    Regulating our emotions can be the difference between cultivating healing or causing harm. In this timely lesson, science educator, Jackie Macy, guides us through creating mindfulness glitter jars. A mindfulness glitter jar is a tool that can help us regulate our minds & bodies and bring a sense of calm when we experience difficulties.
  • A photograph of Jackie Macy in profile - a Latina woman with long wavy hair wearing a black graduation gown and holding a red flag. She looks pensively away from the camera.
    READ MORE
    "Young People Have the Power to Make Positive Change" - Meet Jackie Macy
    March 30, 2021
    Maker Ed chats with Jackie Macy: a teacher, undocumented immigrant, and mom. See her in Learning in the Making: Mindfulness Glitter Jars!
  • 3 Black students at Grass Valley Elementary School in Oakland, CA participate in screenprinting together.
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    Learning in the Making: Revolutionary Screenprinting
    March 24, 2021
    Black history month may be celebrated during the month of February, but the history that Black Americans, and Black folks across the globe have made and continue to make can be celebrated all day, every day. In this episode of Learning in the Making, host Aáron heard and co-host Paula Mitchell talk Emory Douglas, the Black Panther Party’s printing press and free breakfast program, and the power of image-making.
  • Paula helping a teaching fellow during a design challenge at the Agency by Design Oakland 2019 fellowship kick-off.
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    Dreaming of a World Where Youth of Color Can Be Fully Free, with Paula Mitchell
    March 17, 2021
    In this post, Maker Ed chats with Paula Mitchell: a teacher, advocate for agency, and coach. See her in Learning in the Making: Revolutionary Screenprinting! 
  • A close-up image of a puppet made from paper and brass brads. The puppet is wearing a shirt that says "Harvey 4 Supervisor"
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    Learning in the Making: Everyone Loves Puppets!
    February 3, 2021
    In this activity we will be exploring character and character design by making puppets! As designers we will have to make choices and use design thinking to construct our puppets. Who will our character be? How will they move? What story are they telling? How does this character reflect us and our identities?
  • READ MORE
    Imagining a "future world vivid with culture and diversity" - digging in with Jake Montano
    December 15, 2020
    Maker Ed chats with Jake Montano: a lover, fighter, spirited learner, and guest host on Learning in the Making: Puppets! 
  • READ MORE
    "Art is for EVERYONE!" - An Interview with Illustrator and Educator Bri James
    December 7, 2020
    Maker Ed chats with Bri James, Maker Ed's Content and Communications Strategist and guest host on Learning in the Making: Stamps and Patterns.
  • READ MORE
    Learning in the Making: Stamps & Patterns
    December 3, 2020
    Patterns are all around us. Some are found in nature. Some are made by people. A pattern is a repeated decorative design. Patterns can tell stories and be used as a way of communicating. Since patterns repeat over and over again, it could be useful to have a tool that helps you easily recreate the same shape or image. That’s where stamps come in! A stamp is a tool that has an image on one end and a handle, or something to hold, on the other. The image on a stamp is not flat, but raised up. When you dip the image of the stamp into ink or paint and press it against a piece of paper, your image is transferred over. Patterns can be drawn out, but that would take a lot of time. Stamps give us a chance to play with making patterns.  
  • READ MORE
    Learning in the Making: Natural Paints
    November 13, 2020
    The natural world is filled with vibrant color! Our very own environments hold many valuable tools for creation. Would you believe me if I told you that in today’s project you are going to make your very own paint? You can save money and the environment by learning how to make paint from food items from the refrigerator or pantry. 
  • READ MORE
    "Find Your Bright Spot" - An Interview with Science Educator Annalise Klein
    November 5, 2020
    Maker Ed chats with Annalise Klein, a storyteller, scientist, artist, and guest host on Learning in the Making: Natural Paints.
  • READ MORE
    Learning in the Making: Self-Care Kits
    October 30, 2020
    2020 has been an unexpected year for most of us. We’ve been faced with new challenges, a lot of changes, and that comes with many different emotional responses. As the 2020 presidential election gets closer and the winter blues start to kick in, we’ll need some more self care tools, tips and tricks to get us through this winter.  Join us as we explore a variety of materials, learn more about emotional regulation, and make some tools that can help us in our times of need.
  • READ MORE
    Learning in the Making: Self-Love Headgear
    October 14, 2020
    Hats, tiaras, and crowns, oh my! One way people across cultures have displayed their love for themselves and their culture is headgear! From the Indigenous peoples of the Americas to the ancient pharaohs of Egypt to the royals in England to football teams with their helmets, people have designed special pieces to be worn on their heads to communicate and celebrate who they are. What do you love about yourself? How can you share what you love about yourself with the world around you?
  • READ MORE
    “Know who you are. Destroy the gate. Infiltrate. And MAKE!" An Interview with Mario Martinez-Muñoz
    October 9, 2020
    Maker Ed chats with Mario Martinez-Muñoz, guest host on Learning in the Making: Self-Love Headgear! 
  • READ MORE
    Learning in the Making: Autumn Festival Lanterns
    September 18, 2020
    Not only do lanterns look beautiful, they are often used to celebrate cultural traditions. If you live in the United States, you have probably made a jack-o-lantern for Halloween. In Hindu culture, a Kandeel lantern is used during Diwali, the Festival of Lights. In Chinese, Vietnamese, and Japanese cultures, lanterns are used in cultural celebrations such as the Mid-Autumn Harvest Festival. This festival is a celebration of the moon and the Autumn harvest. This year it is celebrated on October 1st, 2020! What other types of lanterns and cultural celebrations can you think of? 
  • READ MORE
    Meet Aáron! Artist, Healer, Maker, and Learning in the Making: LIVE! Co-host
    September 18, 2020
    Aáron Heard joined the team at Maker Ed in September 2020 to support Learning in the Making: LIVE! as Host and organizer — we're so excited to see what she creates! Learn more about her in her first blog post.
  • READ MORE
    Searching for Non-verbal Language: An Interview with Carolina Simon-Pardo
    September 15, 2020
    Maker Ed chats with Carolina Simon-Pardo, guest host on Learning in the Making: Observation Machines, filmmaker, and elementary school teacher at Prospect Sierra School in El Cerrito, CA.
  • READ MORE
    Learning in the Making: Observation Machines
    July 10, 2020
    We’ll be building observation machines — from materials you have at home — to illuminate objects from nature in new and surprising ways.
  • READ MORE
    "Making is Caring": An Interview with Bárbara Yarza
    July 7, 2020
    Maker Ed chats with Bárbara Yarza, guest host on Learning in the Making: Stop Motion Animation and the creative director of El Garage Project Hub.
  • READ MORE
    Learning to Be Brave and Breathe: An Interview with Reyna Hamilton
    June 30, 2020
    Maker Ed chats with Reyna Hamilton: a versatile educator, maker, and tinkerer; Manager of School Programs at UC Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science; and guest host on Learning in the Making: Shapes in Nature Parts 1 and 2.
  • READ MORE
    "Keep Your Inner Child Alive": An Interview with Cassia Izaac
    June 24, 2020
    Maker Ed chats with Cassia Izaac, an Early Childhood STEAM Specialist at the University of California, Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science and guest host on Learning in the Making: Shapes in Nature Parts 1 and 2.
  • READ MORE
    How Not to Give Up on Students: An Interview with Ariel Marchante Ortiz
    June 18, 2020
    Maker Ed chats with Ariel Marchante Ortiz, guest host on Learning in the Making: Storytelling and a museum educator, who believes strongly in community-driven innovation through access to technology.
  • READ MORE
    Learning in the Making: Storytelling
    June 13, 2020
    Everyone has stories to tell. These stories could be true or could come entirely from your imagination. Who are the characters? What world do they live in? What challenges do they face? Authors have the power to share their vision of a different world. Storytelling also connects us to our history and our ancestors. By creating stories we help other people see different ways of living.
  • READ MORE
    From the Creators of Learning in the Making: Live!
    June 9, 2020
    Dora Medrano Ramos and Linda Le share why they created Learning in the Making: Live! as a powerful response to the persistent omission of youth of color and educators of color from the dominant narratives surrounding maker education. As many people across the United States come to grips with the violence resulting from this erasure — and with the anti-Black legacies and realities of policing and public education — Dora and Linda publish their personal statements of intent, originally composed on May 8th, 2020.
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    Learning in the Making: Stop Motion Animation
    May 29, 2020
    Ever wonder how your favorite cartoon characters come to life? It is done through the process of animation. Stop motion is one style of animation, and it's really simple! Instead of drawings, artists use objects to create their illustrations. This week our guest host Bárbara Yarza will teach us the basic principles of stop motion animation as we explore our stories of self. 
  • READ MORE
    Learning in the Making: Letter Writing & Pop-up Cards
    May 22, 2020
    Do you love receiving mail? Letter writing began around 500 BC, allowing people to talk across a long distance. It’s a great way to capture memories, tell stories, share feelings, document events, and just connect. These days we send and get lots of digital messages, like texts and emails. But there’s something special about opening an envelope and pulling out a handwritten letter or card that’s especially for you. You can send other people that warm, fuzzy feeling too!
  • A Muro de las Palabra: several words written on cards and hanging on a wall
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    Learning in the Making: Visual Poetry
    May 15, 2020
    Poetry is all around us - in books and magazines and in the lyrics to your favorite hip hop song. Whether written on paper or spoken out loud, poetry taps into the power of words to express feelings, communicate ideas, and tell stories. A visual poem (sometimes known as a concrete poem) is a written poem that creates a visual image that relates to its meaning. A visual poem may use spaces between words and letters, breaks between lines, and even alternative spellings of words to produce a visual effect.
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    Learning in the Making: Shapes in Nature
    May 2, 2020
    What shapes do animals use to build their outdoor shelters? Where do they build their shelters? Design a shelter to keep your stuffed animal safe and cozy using newspaper dowels. Have fun creating and innovating with this engineering design challenge. Build, test, and try it again!
  • 3 stuffed animals side by side
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    Learning in the Making: Sewing
    April 24, 2020
    Do you have mismatched socks lying around? Don’t throw them out! Sew them into a stuffed creature of your very own.
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    Learning in the Making: Music
    April 17, 2020
    Close your eyes and listen. What do you hear? Birds chirping? Cars passing by? Laughter? Sounds are all around you, and all of those sounds are created by vibrations! Throughout history, people around the world have used vibration to create music as a source of joy, to mark important events, and to unite people during difficult times. Check out this activity to learn how vibrations create sound, and join us as we build some instruments and make music together!
  • READ MORE
    Learning in the Making: Cooking
    April 10, 2020
    Chefs do so much more than simply combine ingredients to make delicious meals, and they have a lot in common with mathematicians and scientists. They rely on scientific principles—especially with baking—and use math for a range of functions, from measurement to ratios, to conversions! Follow along with us as we livestream making pancakes and talking about the math that happens when we cook!
  • READ MORE
    Learning in the Making: Zines
    April 4, 2020
    A zine, pronounced “zeen” (just like the end of the word magazine), is a homemade publication. There are no set-in-stone rules for making zines. A zine can be about anything you’re interested in. Really!
  • READ MORE
    Learning in the Making: Design
    March 30, 2020
    Follow along with us as we discuss the design process in order to design, build, and test a prototype for your dream shoes using a variety of household materials.

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© Maker Education Initiative

The Maker Education Initiative is a 501c3 non-profit organization. EIN#: 83-4594261
Please make gifts payable to: Maker Education Initiative, 1808 5th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710.