In my short lifetime technology has improved so rapidly that it is hard to keep up with the daily advancements therefore it is important that we foster creative thinkers to not only design but to understand technology both in the present and in the future. Due to the fact that people are living longer and staying healthier we need to address global issues that will affect all of us in the coming years such as housing, pollution, global warming, and medicine to name a few. Through Makerspace we can start allowing children at a very young age to think outside of the box and to start tackling these issues of global importance. I read an article stating if students are involved in their learning they will not only be more engaged but the end product will be a better quality.

        Now that we know how important makerspacers are, you may be wondering how you can make one in your own classroom. I struggled with this in my own classroom, then I started diving into more research. I found out that makerspacers can be as expensive as you want or as cheap as you want. The thing I love about makespaces is that they are all different not one looks like another nor do they have to. I turned my reading corner into a makerspace. I asked my custidain for a small table and four chairs. From there I raided my craft closet. I started small, I supplied my makerspace with the following items, pipecleaners, duct tape, glue, pencil, paper, string, tin foil, plastic cups, paper plates, shoe boxes, clear wrap, thin wire, nuts, bolts, recycled plastic containers, plastic lids with holes drilled in them, and paper clips. As you can tell I wans’t ready to spend a ton of money on my makerspace.  By not spending a lot on my space I was able to see if this was something that would work in my classroom or not. In previous years I have spend hundreds of dollars on things that have not worked in my classroom. I figured by starting small, what did I have to lose? Here’s a link to help you create a space in your classroom.

 Create your own Makerspace

       Now that I had created a space in my classroom, my first challenge was to figure out what type of problems I was going to present to my students. How was I going to justify this new space in my classroom? So I thought about what I was teaching my students. Currently my students have researched Native American Tribes and their assignment was to write a narrative about what their life in a tribe would be like. Then they had to design and create an aspect of that tribes’ culture either by their shelter or tools they may have used, etc. I watched my students figure out how to create a sculpture that would actually represent their idea using a variety of materials. At first several of their sculptures did not work and they had to persevere and think through what they could do to make a replica. This is fostering their engineering abilities and creative ideas that they will be able to carry over into future assignments as well as real world problems.  If they can think it, they can do it.  As you can tell I started small with my first problem that I presented to my students.

          How did my students respond? Well saying that they loved it  is an understatement. My students had a blast creating their sculptures. Before beginning I shared an experience with them from when I was a child. I told them about the time I entered the science fair at my elementary school.  I had this great idea I was going to demonstrate how a volcano explodes. I planned my design and then I built a trial model. I made my model out of glue, paper, flour, newspaper, and water.  After that I formed the volcano and I even explained how I used vinegar and baking soda to simulate a lava  flow.  I got them so excited that they couldn’t wait to start their own projects and see how their ideas could become a reality.

        I quickly saw a different side of my students.  I watched them think through their design plans and describe how and what they would use to share their ideas.  Once, they had a plan I watched them try to construct it and to make the necessary changes to convey their ideas. Some of them tried multiple times to get it exactly as they had envisioned it and in the end they were pleased with their efforts.  They were so proud of their work and I watched their joy as they shared each element of their designs.  We all know that everyone thinks, sees, and learns things differently and this was completely evident during this activity.  I will continue to incorporate creative activities such as these with my students as often as I can throughout the year.