Week Four Reflection

Essential question: What is the pedagogy behind a Makerspace? What are the benefits of this pedagogy to students?

Makerspaces are all about creating a space for our students to explore and learn by doing. It is easy to see the sense of wonder without limitation in young children, but by they time people are young adults it is often missing and makerspaces can help change their mindset. "Replicating a sense of play in the classroom is vital to creating a tinkering mindset for children." (Baggett, 2016). In a great TED talk called "We are Makers", Dale Dougherty (2011) said, "It's important to understand that a lot of the origins of our industries, even like Henry Ford, come from this idea of playing and figuring things out in groups."

Makerspaces are beneficial to students in a number of ways.  According to the National Inventors Hall of Fame blog, makerspaces provide students with opportunities to innovate, real-world applications for classroom concepts, the ability to learn from failure, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and a wide range of 21st century skills.

Makerspaces are such incredible and inspiring places. The best thing we can do, as teachers, is to give our students guidance and support them as they figure things out for themselves.

Resources:
Baggett, Alice. (2016, November 18). Building A Tinkering Mindset In Young Students Through Making. Retrieved May 29, 2019, from https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/46938/building-a-tinkering-mindset-in-young-students-through-making

Dougherty, D. (2011, January). We are makers. Retrieved May 29, 2019, from https://www.ted.com/talks/dale_dougherty_we_are_makers?language=en#t-685350

National Inventors Hall of Fame. Why Your Students Need a Makerspace - The STEM Maker Lab. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2020, from https://www.invent.org/blog/trends-stem/benefits-makerspace