By Dian Schaffhauser
An Oklahoma university has opened the doors to a new facility that includes 23 engineering science and project labs, including four the size of basketball courts. Plus a two-story test space, the "Arena," will host student technology projects — autonomous vehicles, unmanned aircraft and robotics systems — and allow for industry demonstrations. Described as a combination "makerspace" and "learning laboratory," Oklahoma State University's new Endeavor building is intended to help engineering, architecture and technology students gain interdisciplinary experience with hands-on learning that's aligned to industry needs.
Sam Patterson says he isn’t going to be the guy telling everyone else that they should teach with puppets, but he is happy enough to tell you why it works really well for him. Patterson is the makerspace coordinator at Echo Horizon School. He talked with us about using puppets to help students think about design goals, building puppets to teach students about iterative processes and more.
The makerspace isn't just a fixed space where kids come and go to complete busywork. It's an extension of a well-established approach to educating students that has applications and deep implications across disciplines.
The makerspace isn't just a fixed space where kids come and go to complete busywork. It's an extension of a well-established approach to educating students that has applications and deep implications across disciplines.
By Parker Thomas
Over the last few years, I've watched from afar as Pittsburgh's Remake Learning initiative has blossomed into a resource-rich network. Its 533-member organizations are striving to inspire and equip the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers and critical thinkers through hands-on, relevant learning.
By Parker Thomas
Over the last few years, I've watched from afar as Pittsburgh's Remake Learning initiative has blossomed into a resource-rich network. Its 533-member organizations are striving to inspire and equip the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers and critical thinkers through hands-on, relevant learning.
The makerspace isn't just a fixed space where kids come and go to complete busywork. It's an extension of a well established approach to educating students that has applications and deep implications across disciplines.
Schools without a makerspace or without plans to implement a makerspace are now in the minority.
By Dian Schaffhauser
While more than half of school libraries in the United States and Canada (55 percent) offer maker programs to students, STEM isn't necessarily the biggest focus. The most common offering for almost four in five respondents to a recent survey (79 percent) was arts and crafts.
A new resource from the California Community Colleges provides a step-by-step guide to building makerspaces on campus, from initial planning stages to facility design, pilot programs and community outreach. The free Makerspace Startup Guide comes out of the C.C.C. Maker initiative, a project funded by the California Community College Chancellor's Office, Workforce and Economic Division.