Out of the Box Approach to Planning Makerspaces | Tech Learning

One of the most rewarding experiences in writing my second book (The Kickstart Guide to Making GREAT Makerspaces, Fall 2017) has been having the honor of being able to highlight and showcase GREAT makerspaces far and wide. In doing that research, I discovered some unconventional spaces that clearly have taken an out of the box approach to planning their makerspaces.Despite the many spaces out there that are essentially exactly alike, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to planning a makerspace. Makerspaces should as unique and meaningful as the communities they are in. It is my hope that the links and spaces below can a new and unique perspective on what makerspaces can be.  Each space described below is unique, emphasizing different skills or themes.  Although some of these spaces are not in K-12 schools, there certainly are things we can learn and apply to educational makerspaces.

Source: Out of the Box Approach to Planning Makerspaces | Tech Learning

Technology Will Save Us

We are on a mission to spark the creative imagination of young people using hands on technology. Our award winning make-it-yourself kits and digital tools help kids (and the adults that love them) to make, play, code and invent using technology.We started small, around our kitchen table, and have now built a company of 28 passionate designers, educators, engineers and problems solvers – obsessed with inspiring kids and empowering parents to become creators of technology. We have 6 different make it yourse

Source: About Us – Technology Will Save Us

Arduino Uno For Beginners – Step-by-Step Guide To Getting Started

More and more makerspaces around the world are looking to add coding and electronics to their maker education programs.  One of the best ways to do this is by integrating an Arduino board into makerspace projects and lessons.We’ve found that a lot of maker educators haven’t taken the plunge into coding or Arduino because they think programming is scary.  Because of this, we wanted to make sure this tutorial was written for the absolute beginner with no experience whatsoever.This tutorial is a high level view of all the parts and pieces of the Arduino ecosystem.  In future posts, we will take you step by step in creating your first simple Arduino project.

Source: Arduino Uno For Beginners – Step-by-Step Guide To Getting Started

Thingiverse – Digital Designs for Physical Objects

Thingiverse Education provides over a hundred free lessons that make teaching with a 3D printer easier and more effective for a variety of grade levels and subjects. It also provides a community where educators can exchange best practices or remix projects.

Source: Thingiverse – Digital Designs for Physical Objects

Creative Capacity Building | D-Lab

Creative Capacity BuildingCreative Capacity Building (CCB) is at the core of D-Lab’s approach to international development and is central to our work at MIT and in the field.The goal of CCB is to train participants to create or adapt technologies that will improve their lives and strengthen their communities. By distilling key elements of the design process into a hands-on curriculum that is accessible at any educational level, CCB presents a framework through which anyone can become an active creator of technology, not just a recipient or user of technology.Creative Capacity Building suggests that the underlying principles of co-creation and crowd-sourcing– typically applied to computer software development, corporate management, or high-end product design –can also be relevant to technology innovations aimed at ending poverty. This is only possible when the conditions exist for full participation in the entire design process by the people for whom these technologies are intended, which means investing in strategies that increase local capacity and support local innovation. At present, there are three main approaches to D-Lab’s implementation of Creative Capacity Building: Village-level training; Community Innovation Centers; and the International Development Design Summit.

Source: Creative Capacity Building | D-Lab

Top Ten Makerspace Favorites of 2016 | Tech Learning

by Laura Fleming

With the success of last year’s post on the Top Ten Makerspace Favorites of 2015, we are excited to announce this year’s list. We have spent the year scouring maker products to build this list. Prior to writing this post, we invited our PLN to contribute to a Padlet that highlighted some of their favorites.  Based on the responses to that Padlet, we noticed an important shift in Maker Education.  Once driven by STEM and makerspace in a box types of kits, we are seeing much more of an emphasis on open-ended exploration and stocking makerspaces with materials that foster that. We strongly believe that makerspaces should be unique learning environments that encourages tinkering, play, and open-ended exploration for all.  Our list for 2016 reflects that same philosophy.With so many amazing makerspace products now flooding the market, it was an incredibly difficult task to narrow our favorites down to just 10. All of the items on our list are aligned to the Worlds of Making ‘MAKER’ Framework, which serves as a guide for choosing the right products for your makerspace.

Source: Top Ten Makerspace Favorites of 2016 | Tech Learning

Creative Spaces to Learn | Tufts Now

By Laura Ferguson
October 17, 2016

Neat rows of desks and chairs have dotted the landscape of elementary and secondary school classrooms for centuries. But is that really the best learning environment for children in the 21st century, where future success is increasingly reliant on such attributes as creativity, innovation, problem solving and critical thinking?

Source: Creative Spaces to Learn | Tufts Now