Makerspaces

Learning to Make, Making to Learn!

Series Part 2: K-12 Learning Environments

by Pierre Theriot, Jr., AIA, A4LE

"Making is fundamental to what it means to be human. We must make, create, and express ourselves to feel whole. There is something unique about making physical things. These things are like little pieces of us and seem to embody portions of our souls."

Mark Hatch, The Maker Movement Manifesto

Why a Makerspace?

The 21st-Century is inhabited by a generation of students who have taught themselves to consume information that interests them.  All the information they want to know is available to them with just the swipe of a finger.  The ability to master rote memorization will no longer set a student apart from the rest and assure success.  So where do we go with this?  The 21st-Century student now needs to master the use and manipulation of the information obtained to be successful.

This realization has fundamentally changed how we educate students in grades K-12.  The idea of learning through creativity is at the heart of the Makerspace Movement.  The essence of it is the process of learning when learners create their own understanding through the process of making things and sharing these things with others.

"To define a school makerspace by its purpose and simplest of terms, it is a place where young people have an opportunity to explore their own interests; learn to use tools and materials, both physical and virtual; and develop creative projects". 

Laura Flemming, Worlds of Making

However, having said this, a makerspace is more than a space to make things, but rather a mindset about how to deliver education.  When used successfully, a makerspace is not a place of destination, but it becomes the method for how every lesson is taught in the normal education setting.  In this setting, students create their own knowledge by creating and interacting with tools and materials through research and construction.  The makerspace movement is tied to the constructivist and constructionism theory pioneered by Seymour Papert and first introduced by Jean Piaget in the 1930s.  The theory encourages students to be creative, innovative, and independent through the use of technology and/or the manipulation and assembly of physical objects.   Now in the 21st-Century, it can no longer be an “alternative” way to learn, it is now a necessity.

St. Mark’s School of Texas, Winn Science Center by GFF, Inc.

What is a Makerspace?

The makerspace was initially developed by necessity through a grassroots DIY effort.  Educators who realized the need had to develop creative ways to adapt and improvise using whatever means were available to them.  However, as the movement has caught on, educators and designers have embraced the possibilities.  Through the use of shared informal spaces, learning environments are changing to be more conducive to the spirit of making.  Ultimately, the outcome of this form of education leads to creative problem-solving, determination, and independence.  Ideally, these traits are achieved by simulating real-world challenges and creative problem solving utilizing the digital tools of the 21st-Century.  One question to keep in mind is how to present a student with a challenge or problem that cannot simply be solved by “googling it.”  A more beneficial approach might be to present a situational or specific problem to their current environment or interests, which might require collaboration and creativity through the use of digital resources or physical materials to solve a complex problem.  Students must be provided with the space, tools, and resources to rise to the occasion.

"Makerspaces come in all shapes and sizes, but they all serve as a gathering point for tools, projects, mentors, and expertise. A collection of tools does not define a makerspace. Rather, we define it by what it enables: making." 

Makerspace Playbook School Edition 2013

St. Mark’s School of Texas, Winn Science Center by GFF, Inc.

Discovering a Passion?

The spirit of a makerspace enables students to explore subjects that interest them in ways that will guide them to discovering their own passion.  It allows a student to utilize what they already know and gives them a reason to learn more.  It can also provide them with challenges through simulations and creativity to connect what they have learned in the classroom with real-world situations.  Among others, exercises in time management, acquisition of materials, cost analyses, and budget management can be integrated into the makerspace lessons to prepare them for real-world challenges.  And in the process, allow them to explore and discover the things that really interest them.  As Confucius said, “Choose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work to work a day in your life.”

"Ultimately, the outcome of maker education and educational makerspaces leads to determination, independence and creative problem solving, and an authentic preparation for the real world through simulating real-world challenges. In short, an educational makerspace is less of a classroom and more of a motivational speech without words.”

The Philosophy of Educational Makerspaces: Part 1 of Making an Educational Makerspace.

GMU Makerspace, VMDO Architects

Milner Library Makerspace, Teeple Architects

In support of the above discussion, we offer the founder of the Constructionist Learning Lab, Seymour Papert’s, Big Ideas.  He developed 8 big ideas crucial to this type of teaching and learning and were published in his work: Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom.  This is at the heart of what the Makerspace strives to achieve.

H/S EXPERIENCE

As human beings, we spend our personal and professional time within the built environment. As Architects, we are privileged to create spaces where people can gather, live, learn, work, eat, sleep, and worship. Therefore, it is incumbent that we design spaces that enhance the quality of life and nurture a greater passion for living. Our design approach is influenced by the environment, culture, and community in which architecture exists. To take it further... We Design for Life.

Pierre Theriot is a principal at Holly & Smith Architects.  He is a member of the Louisiana Chapter of the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) and Design Director for Holly & Smith Architects.