Week7: Constructionism and the Maker Movement
What is makespaces ?
Makerspaces are interactive workshops that promote teamwork, where youths can acquire hands-on experience with modern technologies and innovative procedures to design and construct projects. These spaces offer a versatile setting where education is made tangible by utilizing science, technology, mathematics, and imagination to address challenges and create objects. (Dougherty, 2013)
Makespaces activities with relation to the curriculum
The maker movement emphasizes the importance of human enthusiasm, competence, and the aptitude to generate solutions and tackle challenges at any place and time. When classrooms engage in design and making activities, it tells students a belief in their ability to tackle any problem. As a result, students gain confidence in their problem-solving skills and become self-reliant, no longer requiring constant direction. This transformation can be especially significant for students who are accustomed to receiving detailed instructions throughout their day. Moreover, this process can provide teachers with valuable insight into how to implement authentic assessment methods in the classroom. (Martinex, & Stager, 2014).
Patert's theory and others like it illustrate how young makers are capable of impressive achievements, emphasizing the importance of creating classrooms where knowledge is derived from hands-on experience. Furthermore, Papert's learning theory serves as the foundation for making an approach to learning that emphasizes the active creation of an object that can be shared with others. In order to encourage making, teachers must foster an environment where students can engage as mathematicians rather than simply absorbing math concepts passively.
According to some resources: Circuitscribe and Makey Makey, teachers can organise workshops, often beginning the day working with cardboard construction to house microcontrollers they’ll program later in the day.
Potentials associated with learning and teaching in makerspaces
Students now have the opportunity to turn their innovative concepts into tangible creations rather than simply constructing pretend models. With their own inventions, children can effectively address genuine issues. Consequently, technology education can shift its focus to delivering genuine interdisciplinary encounters rather than concentrating solely on technology-specific abilities.
Robotics is perhaps the most recognizable example of this phenomenon. Standard robotics kits, such as those produced by Lego and Vex, conceal the intricacies of electronics and constrain learners to predetermined assignments and components. However, microcontrollers such as the Arduino offer greater transparency into the circuitry, enabling students to gain a deeper comprehension of electronic principles. Here is my work during my tutorial with Micro: Bits.
Reference
Dougherty. (2013). The Maker mindset. In Honey, D. E. (Eds. . David E. Kanter, Margaret Honey, David Kanter (David E.), Taylor, & Francis (Eds.), Design, make, play : growing the next generation of STEM innovators / edited by Margaret Honey, David E. Kanter. (pp. 7–11). New York : Routledge.
Martinez, & Stager, G. (2014). The maker movement: A learning revolution. Learning & Leading with Technology, 41(7), 12–17. http://simsrad.net.ocs.mq.edu.au/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=97093591&site=ehost-live
Hi Xin Thank you very much for your blog post, it was incredibly informative, and you have covered a lot of great ideas of the Maker Movement and Constructionism pedagogy, including the hands-on ability to ensure the students have the confidence to solve the problem with a practical design. This will lead to a more significant result due to the teacher's assistance through frequently evaluating and understanding how to improve their understanding. Furthermore, I also enjoyed your explanation about the realism and effectiveness of using a program like Makey Makey or MakeCode as like you said, much planning would need to be considered to ensure that students are not overwhelmed or struggling with a limited time frame. One thing that I…
Hello Xin, you have provided a thorough explanation of how the concept of constructionism and makespaces benefit a students learning and increases their critical thinking skills. Your blog was very engaging as it is written in a clear and cohesive manner and you have implemented photos and videos to explain your chosen technology further. The video you provided is beneficial for teachers as it allows them to see how the micro:bit can be used to create products based on curriculum outcomes. You have provided a range of academic resources back up your blog which is fantastic as it strengthens the credibility of your blog. I like how you explicitly linked your chosen technology to different KLAS ad this is useful…
Hello Xin,
Thank you for the informative blog post. I think you gave a well-understood description of what maker movement is and how it is to be used in the classroom to enhance creativity. I think you also linked it well to the curriculum. An easy to follow blog for future teachers!
Amanda
Hello Xin,
Well done on your post, it is a really informative and easy to read post that gives future and current educators lots to consider. I really liked how you gave information on a range of maker spaces, I this is a really good idea so teachers and students have more options.
Are there any limitations or concerns when using makerspaces in the classroom? I would like to know if all schools can have access to them, and if they don’t what would you suggest for students who don’t get the opportunity to use a maker space? Just some food for thought.
Great post, I really enjoyed reading it!
Emma W
Hi Xin,
This is a well-written, comprehensive overview of the maker movement that makes the topic easy to understand. A key point I took away was that it's centred around active engagement in learning and by immersing students in the learning process, provides opportunities for students to feel like they can tackle any problem and allows them to be creative. I also loved the video example of your experience with one of the technologies; it linked back nicely to how you had to be creative and totally hands-on.
I would have liked to see you link some of these concepts to syllabus outcomes and limitations of constructionism and the maker movement or related tools for a holistic understanding of the…