Classroom
CoSN 2019: Elevate Your K–12 Makerspace
The design and execution of makerspaces deserve the same level of imagination and innovation as the activities that happen inside them. Sylvia Martinez, an adviser to the Columbia University FabLearn Fellows and co-author of Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering and Engineering in the Classroom, says these creative spaces can be more than simply rooms to house 3D printers. The best makerspaces give students the opportunity to make sense of the world around them and encourage them to develop expertise in a few select technologies.
Be sure to check out more of our coverage from CoSN 2019 to get a better sense of how leaders are discussing the future of ed-tech.
Participants
- Sylvia Martinez, Co-Author, Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering and Engineering in the Classroom
Video Highlights
- The value of makerspaces is in the creative process of working with tools and technologies to explore the power of ideas.
- One effective approach is to replace a large number of superficial activities with a smaller number of substantive projects that help students gain deeper expertise with makerspace tools.
- Teachers have an important role in guiding students through makerspace exploration and facilitating the achievement of big-picture goals.
Check out more of our CoSN 2019 coverage here.
