Firstly, what is a makerspace?
A makerspace is an area for students to dedicate themselves to hands-on, creative learning.
As we know, students learn best when they are fully engaged and immersed in their lesson. A makerspace allows you to build an environment where students can invent, prototype, design, explore, discover, code, build and craft their own projects. These activities can be messy (and noisy). By creating a dedicated space, you ensure that your students are set up for success (with the added bonus of not disrupting your other classrooms).
There is some flexibility around what a makerspace looks like, but it should offer the following as a base:
- Storage space
- Working desk or bench space
- A selection of basic tools
Makerspaces are most commonly found in school libraries and spare classrooms. Alternatively, they can also be portable stations that shift from classroom to classroom.
The benefits of a makerspace
Makerspaces are ideal for project-based learning. With a dedicated space, your students can work through all the stages of building their own projects: from innovation and design all the way through to testing and prototyping.
A project could almost be anything. They could design the perfect tiny house, or even design and build a city. Then design and build a robot. Then code it to navigate from one end of the city to the other. The options are endless!
Another benefit to using a makerspace is that you're shifting from teacher-centric learning, to student-centric learning. Instead of telling your students exactly what to do each step of the way, they learn from their mistakes and you work together to create a solution. This helps build problem-solving skills, collaboration, critical thinking, negotiation and other soft skills, which are essential in today's workforce.
How to start a makerspace
Just getting started?
Begin by setting up your own classroom makerspace. You need a workbench or desk space and some storage space set aside. Stock up on physical prototype items such as:
- card
- duct tape/packing tape
- scissors
- adhesive putty (like Blu-tac)
- glue, etc
Additional items to consider are circuitry (such as Creokits Circuits Mastered or Engineering Explored) and, if you have access/budget, a couple of devices devoted to coding and robotics. You may also have the capacity to create a space for a green screen or even a podcast set up.
Ready to invest?
If your school is ready to invest in building a specialised makerspace, it's time to do some research. Consider:
- Space you already have available (such as a spare classroom or a corner of the library)
- How many students will be working in the space at a time
- What year level/s you need to accommodate
- How much storage space you will need
- Specialist STEAM products, furniture and workstations (such as devices, robotics, laser cutters, etc)
- Talking to a specialist who can tailor a solution for your needs
Need help? Talk to one of our Specialists for a custom solution.
Building a lesson plan
Makerspaces are designed for project-based learning. When you're building a lesson plan, think about an authentic context (something they can relate to in real life). Then pose a problem or a challenge they must find the solution for.
The challenge should require them to go through several stages of thinking, creating, building, engineering, coding, calculating, testing, reviewing etc. Not all of these need to be involved in the lesson, but your aim is to cover more than one or two subjects.
Before you start, ensure you have some ground rules set.
Some ground rules to consider:
- Clean-up process – For example: "When we are done for the day, projects are always stored here and our tools are always put back in the same place, here."
- Noise level – While it's good to be collaborating and discussing our projects, it's also good to build in some quiet, concentrated time. Add specific time into your lessons for this. This could be taking 2 minutes to think about our projects, to 10-20 minutes of silent building / coding / engineering / creating / crafting time.
- Language – Consider establishing some ground rules around how to give your fellow students feedback. I.e. "Give feedback that is specific to the project."
A project example: Design an underwater school
- Research and plan:
What adjustments need to be made to accommodate this environment? Think about water pressure, temperature, uneven terrain, sea creatures, coral reef protection, air supply, light quality, etc
- Design:
Will your school blend into its environment? Will it be inspired by the creatures of the sea? How will students get in and out of the school (does the school need airlocks)? What kind of classroom does the school need? Will the teachers get their own staff room? Is there a playground?
- Build:
Provide students with card and other materials to build a prototype of their underwater school. Some of the grand designs from the previous step may flop, but that's ok! Students will need to problem solve and learn from their mistakes as they go.
- Present and Peer Review:
Students can present their projects and peer review them. Help your students learn to clearly present their ideas and provide and receive constructive criticism.
As a lesson like this develops, you're likely to stumble across many more learning opportunities. The best part about project-based learning is the discoveries you make with your students along the way.
Makerspace materials & equipment
There is no right or wrong when it comes to makerspaces. The best thing you can do is get started. Share your experiences with other teachers in your school or in online forums. Learn from what others are doing and build your confidence step-by-step.