MakeStuff, Fail, AndLearnWhileYou'reAtIt
A) We'vealwaysbeenahands-on, doit-yourselfkindofnation. BenFranklin, oneofAmerica'sfoundingfathers, didn'tjustinventthelightningrod. Hiscreationsincludeglasses, innovativestovesandmore.
B) Franklin, whowaslargelyself-taught, mayhavebeenagenius, buthewasn'treallyanexceptionwhenitcomestoAmericanmakingandcreativity.
C) ThepersonalcomputingrevolutionandphilosophyofdisruptiveinnovationofSiliconValleygrew, inpart, outofthecreationsoftheHomebrewComputerClub, whichwasfoundedinagarageinMenloPark, California, inthemid-1970s. Members-includingguysnamedJobsandWozniak-startedmakingandinventingthingstheycouldn'tbuy.
D) Soit'snosurprisethattheMakerMovementtodayisthrivingincommunitiesandsomeschoolsacrossAmerica. Makingisavailabletoordinarypeoplewhoaren'ttiedtobigcompanies, bigdefenselabsorresearchuniversities. ThemakerphilosophyechoesoldideasadvocatedbyJohnDewey, Montessori, andevenancientGreekphilosophers, aswepointedoutrecently.
E) Thesemakerspacesareoftenoutsideofclassrooms, andareservinganimportanteducationalfunction. TheMakerMovementisrediscoveringlearningbydoing, whichisDewey'sphrasefrom 100 yearsago. WearerediscoveringDeweyandMontessoriandalotofthepracticesthattheypioneeredthathavebeenforgottenoratleastputaside. Amakerspaceisaplacewhichcanbeinaschool, butitdoesn'tlooklikeaclassroom. Itcanbeinalibrary. Itcanbeoutinthecommunity. Ithastoolsandmaterials. It'saplacewhereyougettomakethingsbasedonyourinterestandonwhatyou, relearningtodo.
F) Ideasaboutlearningbydoinghavestruggledtobecomemainstreameducationally, despitebeingoldconceptsfromDeweyandMontessori, PlatoandAristotle, andintheAmericancontext, RalphEmerson, onthevalueofexperienceandself-reliance. It'snotnecessarilyanefficientwaytolearn. Welearn, inasense, bytrialanderror. Learningfromexperienceissomethingthattakestimeandpatience. It'sveryindividualized. Ifyourgoalistohavestandardizedapproachestolearning, whereeverybodylearnsthesamethingatthesametimeinthesameway, thenlearningbydoingdoesn'treallyfitthatmoldanymore. It'snottheworldoftextbooks. It'snottheworldoftesting.
G) Learningbydoingmaynotbeefficient, butitiseffective. Project-basedlearninghasgrowninpopularitywithteachersandadministrators. However, project-basedlearningisnotmaking. Althoughthereisaconnection, thereisalsoadistinction. Thedifferenceliesinwhethertheprojectisinasensedefinedanddevelopedbythestudentorwhetherit'sassignedbyateacher. We'llallgetthekidstobuildasmallboat. WeareallgoingtolearnaboutX, Y, andZ. Thattendstobeoneformofproject- basedlearning.
H) Ireallybelievethecoreideaofmakingistohaveanideawithinyourhead—oryoujustborrowitfromsomeone—andbegintodevelopit, repeatitandimproveit. Then, realizethatideasomehow. Thatthingthatyoumakeisvaluabletoyouandyoucanshareitwithothers. I'minterestedinhowthesethingsareexpressionsofthatperson, theirideas, andtheirinteractionswiththeworld.
I) Insomeways, alotofformsofmakinginschooltrivialize （使变得无足轻重） making. Thethingthatyoumakehasnovaluetoyou. Onceyouaredonedemonstratingwhateverconceptwasinthe; textbook, youthrowawaythepipecleaners, thestraws, thecardboardtubes.
J) Makingshouldbestudent-directedandstudent-led, otherwiseit'sboring. Itdoesn'thavethemotivationofthestudent. I'mnotsayingthatstudentsshouldnotlearnconceptsornotlearnskills. Theydo. Buttoreallyharnesstheirmotivationistobuildupontheirinterest. It'stoletthembeincontrolandtodrivethecar.
K) Teachersshouldaimtobuildasupportive, creativeenvironmentforstudentstodothiswork. Averysocialenvironment, wheretheyarelearningfromeachother. Whentheyhaveaproblem, itisn'ttheteachernecessarilycomingintosolveit. Theyareresponsibleforworkingthroughthatproblem. Itmightbetheyhavetotalktootherstudentsintheclasstohelpgetananswer.
L) Theteacher'sroleismoreofacoachorobserver. Sometimes, topeople, itsoundslikethisisadiminishedroleforteachers. Ithinkit'saheightenedrole. You'recreatingthisenvironment, likeamakerspace. Youhave 20 kidsdoingdifferentthings. Youarewatchingthemandreallyit'sthehumanbehaviorsyou'relookingat. Aretheyengaged? Aretheydevelopingandrepeatingtheirproject? Aretheystumbling （受挫）？ Dotheyneedsomethingthattheydon'thave? Canyouhelpthembeawareofwheretheyare?
M) Mybeliefisthatthegoalofmakingisnottogeteverykidtobehands-on, butitenablesustobegoodlearners. It'snottheknowledgethatisvaluable; it'sthepracticeoflearningnewthingsandunderstandinghowthingswork. Theseareprocessesthatyouaredevelopingsothatyouareable, overtime, totacklemoreinterestingproblems, morechallengingproblems-problemsthatrequiremanypeopleinsteadofoneperson, andmanyskillsinsteadofone.
N) Ifteacherskeepitform-freeandstudent-led, itcanstillbetiedtoacurriculumandaneducationalplan. Ithinkamakerspaceismorelikealibraryinthattherearemultiplesubjectsandmultiplethingsthatyoucanlearn. Whatseemstobemissinginschoolishowthesesubjectsintegrate, howtheyfitttogetherinanymeaningfulway. Ratherthansaying, "Thisisscience, overhereishistory," Iseeschoolstakingthisideaofprojectsandlookingat: Howdotheysupportchildreninhigherlevellearning?
O) Ifeellikethisisashiftawayfromasubjectmatter-basedcurriculumtoamoreexperientialcurriculumorlearning. It'sstillinitsearlystages, butIthinkit'sshiftingaroundnotwhatkidslearnbuthowtheylearn.
36.Amakerspaceiswherepeoplemakethingsaccordingtotheirpersonalinterests.
37.Theteachers, roleisenhancedinamakerspaceastheyhavetomonitorandfacilitateduringtheprocess.
38.Comingupwithanideaofone'sownorimprovingonefromothersiskeytotheconceptofmaking.
39.Contrarytostructuredlearning, learningbydoingishighlyindividualized.
40.Americaisanationknownfortheideaofmakingthingsbyoneself.
41.Makingwillbeboringunlessstudentsareabletotakecharge.
42.Makingcanberelatedtoaproject, butitiscreatedandcarriedoutbystudentsthemselves.
43.Theauthorsuggestsincorporatingtheideaofamakerspaceintoaschoolcurriculum.
44.Themakerconceptisamodernversionofsomeancientphilosophicalideas.
45.Makingisnottakenseriouslyinschoolwhenstudentsareaskedtomakesomethingmeaninglesstothembasedontextbooks.