Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is Maker Ed? What is “maker-centered learning”?
Maker Ed is on a mission to transform teaching and learning through the power of liberatory and learner-centered education by cultivating a powerful community of educators who center learner voices, honor all ways of knowing, and wield a liberatory approach to embodied learning. Our vision is that all learners from historically-marginalized backgrounds will see themselves in the future and understand they have the power to shape it. We provide professional resources to educators from historically-marginalized backgrounds; educators who work with learners from those backgrounds; educators in formal and informal learning environments; and educators who are committed to the disruption and transformation of structurally inequitable systems affecting learners.
I don’t consider myself a “maker” educator. Is this for me?
At Maker Ed, we define “maker education” broadly as tactile, participatory, embodied and learner-driven. We believe that everyone is inherently creative. While we recognize the power of language and labels, you don’t have to identify as a maker to join us. We see all varieties of activities – from gardening, cooking, art, robotics, and paper crafting – as making.
I haven’t read Cultivating Genius (yet). Can I still attend?
Throughout the course, we will provide free and accessible resources to learn about the HILL model from Cultivating Genius. You do not have to purchase or have read the book (though we encourage you to!). We will also be mailing the first 30 people to register before June 5th a copy of the book!
I’ve attended a Maker Ed workshop before – will I learn anything new?
If you’ve attended one of our events before, then you’ll know that our workshops are only partly driven by the content. Most of the learning comes from the unique subset of people in the room and the brilliance that they bring to the space! We are always developing new activities and lesson ideas and invite you to do the same for your own setting during our workshops.
What is your accessibility plan?
For our live workshop sessions, we will provide an advanced draft of our slide deck 24 hours in advance as well as enable closed captions on Zoom. We also prioritize screen and body breaks, time for processing information, and facilitate multiple modes of participation. For our online platform, we will ensure that any resource used (videos, articles, etc) meet web accessibility compliance standards. If you have any further accessibility needs, please reach out to us at info@makered.org.
What if I have to miss one or more of the workshop sessions?
Workshop sessions are integral to the learning experience. Sessions are designed to be participatory, immersive, are discussion based and an opportunity to build community with other educators. If you have to miss a session, you will have access to the slides and resources along with the online course materials. We will not be providings recordings for workshop sessions.
What if I don’t teach in a K-12 school? Can I still take this course?
We acknowledge that learning is life-long, life-wide, and life-deep and occurs in many formal and informal environments. We honor educators of all kinds, from classroom teachers, to after school educators, museums, makerspaces, librarians, and more. If you design and facilitate any kind of learning experience with youth of any age, this course is for you!
What if I don’t work directly with youth? Can I still take this course?
We encourage anyone who is interested in developing liberatory learning experiences for others to register. However, this course is intended to support in designing maker-centered activities, projects, or lesson plans where you will share and receive feedback on them. If you work with other educators, either providing training or professional development, you are welcome to adapt the strategies in this course for your specific program!
What is the cancellation/return policy for this course?
Please see our standard cancellation policy here.
Can I get credit (CEUs) for completing this professional development workshop?
If you have completed 80% of the online activities, attended at least 3 live sessions, submitted a draft of your lesson plan by 9/1/22, and completed our post-survey, you will receive a certificate of completion from Maker Ed showing 20 hours of professional learning.
If you would like to receive CEUs for participation in this course, participating educators are eligible to earn 1-3 graduate-level credits (or CEUs) through the University of the Pacific.* The cost of credits is separate from registration fees. If interested, please see this website (https://teacherfriendly.com/maker-ed-graduate-level-credit/) and follow the instructions for enrolling there. The course number associated with this course is “Professional Learning for Educators through Maker Ed” (EDUP 9114).
*The credits offered are post-baccalaureate, graded, graduate-level semester units, provided directly through the University of the Pacific, Benerd College. They are specifically designed to meet the needs of educators for Salary Advancement and Re-certification. These Professional Development Courses are for participants who are NOT pursuing an advanced degree at University of the Pacific. The credits are acceptable where local districts approve and applicable to state licensing where authorized. We always encourage that you check with your employer for acceptability of these credits. All participants are responsible to determine acceptability of these credits for their intended use.
For any additional questions, please reach out to info@makered.org.