Final Vision Project: Learner Considerations

Maker activities provide authentic
opportunities for collaboration

"Makerspaces support multidisciplinary, individual, and collaborative learning through iterative error- and risk-tolerant tinkering, offering multiple points of entry including repairing items, building robots, and creating. We saw a direct relationship between developing maker competencies and the willingness to learn new tools." (Davidson and Price, 2017).

Why have Maker Spaces and STEAM projects created such a buzz in elementary and high schools across North America? What is their value to us as parents and teachers in British Columbia? How do these science, technology, engineering, art and math projects benefit students?

What is Maker Culture?

"Maker culture embodies do-it-yourself tinkering using tiny, affordable open-source computers, electronics, and recycled items to further sustainability, equity, social innovation, democratization of innovation, and community building. Makers engage in self-directed experiential learning through risk-tolerant, persistent problem solving in interdependent communities tackling complex, socially relevant problems." (Davidson and Price, 2017). Maker culture or Maker Spaces and STEAM are intertwined, and for the purposes of their connection to curriculum, are considered the same.

Although these STEAM activities are fun and engaging for students at school, I would like to inform parents and teachers of their deeper value. These activities can be designed to intentionally meet the curricular goals in both the BC Curriculum and our North Vancouver School District's strategic planning and visioning. It is no 'fluke' that our new curriculum has provided learning outcomes that encompasses STEAM activities.

Let’s take a look at the BC Curriculum…

The Core Competencies include several skills identified as essential for learner success. BC students are expected to reflect on their own development of these skills and give specific examples connecting their learning to the competencies. STEAM activities naturally provide authentic opportunities for students to practice collaboration, critical and creative thinking as well as personal and social understanding.

Core Competencies: BC Ministry of Education

Another curricular area Applied Design, Skills and Technology (ADST) naturally encompasses Maker and STEAM activities.  The Big Ideas directly connect to the Core Competencies. Both curricular areas include the same key words: knowledge, skills, technology, communication, ideas, purpose, joy, thinking, understanding, identity, and purpose.

ADST Big Ideas: BC Ministry of Education

Looking deeper into the intended curricular competencies of ADST, there are even more connections to deeper learning with STEAM or Maker activities. The ADST Curricular Competencies are loaded with skills that are necessary to be life-long learners.

Some of the key applied design and applied skills include: generating ideas and adding to others' ideas, gathering peer feedback, incorporating new ideas into a design, using materials safely, extending capabilities, reflecting on one's ability to work in a group, and telling others of their design story. All of these fit under the 'umbrella' of Communication, Thinking, and Personal and Social Skills from the Core Competencies.

There are also obvious curricular connections within the academic subjects of Science, Math and Art in all grades from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

Equity and access to STEAM activities continues to be an issue. Schools with healthy economic backing supply an assortment of digital technologies for students while other schools simply can't afford the 'extras.' The broad definition of Maker Space or Maker Culture can encompass hands on activities that develop skills even without the digital component. For example, 'Breaker Spaces' where students take apart broken products can learn about how they are made, or play hands on games that use the concepts of coding.

How about my School District Strategic Plan and Visioning Statements…

On our NVSD website it is easy to find our District's Vision, Values and Goals. The first sentence under Strategic Plan states, "The North Vancouver School District provides world-class instruction and a rich diversity of engaging programs to inspire success for every student and bring communities together to learn, share and grow."

NVSD Vision, Values, and Goals

Specifically, listed under Goals, the NVSD states Student-centered Education, Innovative Instruction and Mental Health and Well Being as three of the six goals of our school district. Each of these has been proven to be embedded in student learning during STEAM activities.

  Here is what the research says…

There is an overwhelming volume of research that supports the implementation of STEAM and Maker Spaces. Increased engagement, collaboration skills, and problem solving skills are benefits one would expect. Interestingly, participants in STEAM workshops developed an increased sense of wellness and strong sense of community. Some research also states that participants develop a growth mindset and confidence.

Curiosity Commons has published an article titled Makerspaces: The Benefits. The site describes many benefits and also points out that the actual product is irrelevant. “What is made may not matter at all; it can still influence the thought process, vision, and ability to connect of a learning maker." (Curiosity Commons).

The National Inventors Hall of Fame Journal has also published What are the Benefits of a Makerspace? Learning to take failure in stride, hands-on learning, opportunities for innovation, and developing a wide range of 21st learning skills are some of the claims stated in the article.

The Resilient Educator published the article Benefits of Teaching STEAM Lessons on their website. They list collaboration, developing creative and critical thinking, and hands on experience as benefits, as well as encouraging girls in STEAM.

In the Learning Landscapes Journal titled: Does Your School Have the Maker Fever? An Experiential Learning Approach to Developing Maker Competencies, authors and researchers Davidson and Price conclude in their study that, "Our analysis suggested key themes of initiative, playful learning, authentic adaptation, interdependence, and over resourcing. These themes can be developed into “maker competencies” to meet 21st century needs." (Davidson and Price, 2017).

Maker Spaces and STEAM activities have many overlaps within the BC Curriculum and our NVSD goals and vision. Not only are activities engaging and fun, but prove to develop resiliency and social emotional benefits.

My final project is meant to educate parents and teachers of the value and deeper intent of these activities. Perhaps with increased awareness and support from parents and teachers we can advocate for more equitable funding for digital resources in 'have not' schools like mine.

After all, all students, regardless of their parent's income, deserve a "world class instruction and a rich diversity of engaging programs." (NVSD website).

References

BC Ministry of Education. (n.d.). Applied Design, skills and technologies. Building Student Success - B.C. Curriculum. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/adst

Curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/

Davidson, A.-L., & Price, D. W. (2018). Does your school have the maker fever? an experiential learning approach to developing maker competencies. LEARNing Landscapes, 11(1), 103–120. https://doi.org/10.36510/learnland.v11i1.926

Fingal, J. (2022, October 27). How curiosity, creativity and Student Agency unlock student learning. ISTE. Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://www.iste.org/explore/education-leadership/how-curiosity-creativity-and-student-agency-unlock-student-learning

Makerspaces: The Benefits. curiositycommons. (2016, April 25). Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://curiositycommons.wordpress.com/makerspaces-the-benefits/

Nadelson, L. S. (2021). Makerspaces for rethinking teaching and learning in K–12 education: Introduction to research on makerspaces in K–12 education special issue. The Journal of Educational Research, 114(2), 105–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2021.1914937

Student Centered Education. Strategic plan 2021-2031 - north vancouver school district. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://www.sd44.ca/Board/StrategicPlan/Pages/default.aspx#/=

The benefits of Teaching Steam Lessons: Resilient educator. ResilientEducator.com. (2020, December 10). Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/benefits-of-teaching-steam/

Vongkulluksn, V. W., Matewos, A. M., Sinatra, G. M., & Marsh, J. A. (2018). Motivational factors in makerspaces: A mixed methods study of elementary school students’ situational interest, self-efficacy, and achievement emotions. International Journal of STEM Education, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-018-0129-0