The document outlines the importance of maker spaces in education, which promote hands-on learning, creativity, and problem-solving skills essential for future job markets. It details the components, benefits, and challenges of establishing maker spaces, emphasizing the need for community support and effective integration into curricula. Additionally, it provides methods and resources for funding, operation, and project planning within these innovative learning environments.

1. With Kim Moore
Georgia STEM Forum 2016

2. What is the Maker Movement?
○ Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
○ Shift from consumer culture to
producer/creator culture
○ Connect physical and digital worlds
○ Ingenuity and creativity
○ Building community - skills taught and
learned; ideas and projects shared

4. Maker Faire

5. ○ “Making” stimulates interest in STEAM by
tapping into natural curiosity and interest.
○ Result is a work force more adequately
prepared for the jobs of the future.
○ This benefits not only the students, but it also
benefits our communities.
○ Maker Spaces encourage innovative thinking.

6. Making Then…
Making Then

7. Making Now…
Making Now

8. What is a Maker Space?

9. What does a Maker Space do?
○ Maker Spaces provide the space, tools and materials
to facilitate hands-on projects.
○ These spaces allow makers (students) to design,
experiment, build and invent as they deeply engage
in science, engineering, creativity and tinkering.

10. Maker Spaces
Teach
Problem Solving
○ Maker Spaces place students in situations that
require application of what they know and are
learning.
○ Maker Spaces require students to apply typical
“Scientific Method” or “Engineering Process Method”
in order to design, create and improve what they
make.
○ Students will gain real experience using these skills in
“real world” situations and will be “rewarded” with real
products they have created.

11. Maker Spaces =
(tools + materials + makers) x (maker mindset)

12. Most Importantly…
Maker Spaces encourage and nurture a “maker”
mindset
○ Creativity
○ Perseverance
○ Engineering
○ Curiosity
○ Failure
○ Collaboration

13. The “Maker” Mindset
• Needs Faculty leadership, Administrative support
• Build a culture of invention and experimentation.
• Failure is not only an option, it is expected!
• Teachers may have to give up some control – Maker
Spaces are very active learning environments
• Teachers should be comfortable with not having all the
answers and with not being the “expert”. Model how to
find the answers!
• Students will drive the classroom and may learn from
each other as much as they learn from the teacher.

15. Developed by J.P. Guilford in 1967, the Alternative Uses Test
stretches your creativity by giving you two minutes to think of
as many uses as possible for an everyday object like a chair,
coffee mug, or brick. (or paperclip)
Here’s a sample brainstorm for “paper clip” uses:
• Hold papers together
• Cufflinks
• Earrings
• Imitation mini-trombone
• Thing you use to push that emergency restart button on your router
• Keeping headphones from getting tangled up
• Bookmark
The test measures divergent thinking across four sub-categories:
• Fluency – how many uses you can come up with
• Originality – how uncommon those uses are (e.g. “router restarter” is
more uncommon than “holding papers together”)
• Flexibility – how many areas your answers cover (e.g. cufflinks and
earrings are both accessories, aka one area)
• Elaboration – level of detail in responses; “keeping headphones from
getting tangled up” would be worth more than “bookmark”

16. • Empower students to become innovators and
technologically proficient problem solvers
• Ensure that all students have access to the appropriate
technology conducive to enhancing their learning
experiences both in and outside the traditional classroom
Georgia STEM Goals

17. ○ Increase student 21st century skills and technological literacy by
providing students with opportunities to use the technical tools of
the STEM industry
○ Nurture partnerships that allow schools and the business sector to
join efforts to improve students’ STEM-career opportunities
○ Increase the number of students pursuing careers in STEM-related
fields and/or post-secondary STEM related education/training
Georgia STEM Goals

18. Challenges
• Funding
• Space
• Logistics
• Project planning
• Integration with
Curriculum
• Mindset/Culture

19. Space for a Maker Space
School Maker Spaces – can
be set up in:
○ Media center
○ Unused classroom
○ Art room
○ Science classroom
○ Mobile space on a cart
○ Center or Station within a
classroom

20. Funding
Our school started a Maker Space with no money
Ask teachers for
old art/craft
materials or
teacher
supplies
Donation Drive – old/broken electronics to take
apart, scrap wood, tools, other materials

21. ○ There are many projects that can be
done for little or no money
○ Create engineering “challenges”
using recycled/repurposed materials
○ Leftover laminating film, cardboard
boxes, toilet paper tubes, bottles/cans
– get the custodial staff on board to
help with “collecting” materials.
○ Our entire staff has been great at
spotting potential items for our Maker
Space.

22. Potential Funding Sources
○ Grants - could be community
based or through other entities
○ Kickstarter or Donors Choose
(www.donorschoose.org) –
crowdfunding
○ Approach local businesses and
other organizations for
sponsorship donations (money
or in-kind)
○ Fundraisers – Students can
make items to sell in the school
store or at school
festivals/events

24. Logistics – How does the Space
Operate?
○ Club model – groups of students meet before or after
school
○ Electives/Connections/Specials class – meets during
non-academic class time, courses can be designated as
a STEM class, Technology/Engineering class
○ Academic STEM class (emerging model)
○ Classes use the Maker Space as a resource as they
would the Media Center or Computer Lab. This requires
more training in order for teachers to feel comfortable
using the tools and materials. The school needs a point
person responsible for scheduling, training and
maintaining the space

25. Project Planning
○ Independent projects (more advanced students)
○ Projects based on learning a tool or technique (3D
design, woodworking tools, soldering) where
individuals are each working on the same activity
○ “Challenges” to build something using limited
materials and time
○ Whole Group Projects - individuals contributing to
a larger project
○ Event/Contests – Robotics Leagues, Science
Olympiad, Beta Club

26. Integrating with Curriculum
○ Planning and flexibility are key
○ There are many projects that can be easily adapted
to suit standards
○ Projects may take more time to complete than
traditional teaching (lecture/notes/activities)
because they require students to learn as they go.
○ Choose projects that can cover several standards
at once.
○ Consider scheduling projects as a mid-term or final
as a culminating activity
○ Interdisciplinary projects can work very well

27. 3D Printing/Prototyping -
Use 3D Printing to teach:
○ 3 Dimensional Geometry
○ Engineering – how to design using software
○ Measurement, understanding how a 3D printer works
○ Chemistry – properties of different types of filament and their
uses, properties of other modeling materials such as
Shapelock, Sugru, latex, polymer clay
○ Following directions
○ Tinkercad.com

28. Hand Tools/Woodworking -
Use woodworking to teach:
○ Measurement
○ Geometry – cutting angles using a mitre box, creating 3
dimensional objects
○ Simple Machines – using hand tools and power tools and
understanding they are made of simple machines
○ Engineering – designing and building, choosing
appropriate materials and fasteners for designs

29. Electronics - Use Electronics to teach
○ Electricity – currents, voltage, amperage, circuitry
○ How different types of matter can be conductors, insulators
or resistors
○ Mathematics – calculating the voltage, resistance, etc.
needed for a circuit and components to work
○ Engineering – designing electrical circuits to power different
components
○ Magnetism – using electrical current to create a magnetic
field (electromagnet, solenoid)

30. Textiles - Use Sewing to teach:
○ Geometry -using quilting patterns
○ Electrical Circuits -using conductive thread and sewable
circuit components like Lilypad
○ Engineering -understanding how a sewing machine
works, how different fabrics are made and how they
behave, understanding how patterns are created and
engineered to create garments and other items
○ Chemistry – understanding different types of fibers
(man-made and natural), studying polymers that create
synthetic fabrics
○ 2D and 3D design and pattern making
○ Measurement
○ Following directions
○ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk3kNnHZdl0

31. Recycled Materials - Use recycled
materials to teach
○ Environmental Science – what happens to our trash
○ Chemistry – properties of different types of plastics and
how they can be recycled or re-used (for instance, plastic
No. 6 shrinks to 1/3 of its size when heated)
○ Engineering – using scrap or recycled materials to create
new objects
○ Measurement
○ Geometry
○ Simple Machines – build simple machines from scraps
○ Forces, Motion and Energy – build roller coasters using
scrap materials to teach potential and kinetic energy,
friction and motion

32. Interesting Materials and Tools
○ Thermochromatic Pigment
○ Ferro Fluid – can be made from old VCR tape
○ Paintable Circuts (uses conductive paint)-
similar technique is also used to screen print
circuits for things like keyboards
○ Google Cardboard
○ 3D Hologram Effect Viewer
○ Makey Makey – Turn almost any conductive
material into an input device for a computer

33. Resources
• Local Maker Spaces
• Other Teachers - in
Robotics, Industrial
Arts, Fine Arts
• Parents
• Community
Members/Businesses
• MakEdu.org

34. Running the Space
• Supervision
• Scheduling
• Purchasing the right
tools and equipment
• Training and careful
supervision of tools

35. Best Practices
• Get the minimum
gear
• Create achievable
projects for
students/faculty
• Actively share with
the community to
build awareness and
enthusiasm.

36. What a student “Maker” looks like:

37. When student Makers grow up:

38. For more Information and Links to Resources:
Southern Fried STEM
twitter@moore4STEMed
MakEdu.org
kmoore@perfectionlearning.com
atlanta.makerfaire.com
southeastmakersalliance.org
perfectionlearning.com
fieldtripzoom.com
sumorobotleague.com