Why Are Makerspaces Important? 8 Ways Makerspaces Benefit Students, Educators, and Communities
At 1st Makerspace, we're on a mission to bring learning to life. We believe that makerspaces are the necessary foundations for empowering children to learn through doing and fostering a passion for learning that lasts a lifetime.
Makerspaces: Collaborative Hubs for Creation and Learning
Makerspaces are collaborative work areas where people come together to create, invent, and learn. Understanding what a makerspace is is helpful for educators and communities looking to foster innovation. These innovative spaces are equipped with various tools and technologies, from 3D printers to traditional crafting materials. They serve as hubs for creativity, innovation, and experimentation.
The Importance of Makerspaces in Education
Makerspaces bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. They provide a unique environment where students can experiment, fail, and learn from their mistakes in a supportive setting. Educators and community leaders often wonder how to start a makerspace when looking to embrace this innovative approach, which is particularly valuable in STEM fields, where understanding complex concepts often requires practical experience.
Enhancing Practical Learning for Students
Makerspaces significantly enhance practical learning by allowing students to apply theoretical concepts to tangible projects. For instance, after learning about circuits in a physics class, students can use a makerspace to build simple electronic devices, reinforcing their knowledge through practical application.
Promoting Creativity and Innovation
Makerspaces are powerful catalysts for creative thinking and innovation in educational settings. They provide a safe environment for students to experiment with new ideas and take risks without fear of failure. This freedom to explore fosters a maker mindset that embraces curiosity and experimentation, as emphasized by maker education advocate John Spencer.
Empowering Teachers and Educators
Educational makerspaces empower educators to enhance their teaching methods. These spaces provide opportunities to incorporate more hands-on, project-based learning into their curriculum, making lessons more engaging and effective. Teachers can use makerspace resources to create interactive demonstrations and develop new ways of assessing student understanding.
Societal and Community Impact of Makerspaces
The maker movement has sparked a revolution in how we approach education, community engagement, and economic development. Makerspaces serve as vibrant community centers that bring people together from diverse backgrounds, encouraging collaboration and knowledge sharing.
At 1st Makerspace, we know it takes more than just space. Our team of educators, engineers, designers, and content experts works with you to ensure that, in addition to building your custom makerspace, you're equipped with everything you need to bring STEM learning to life successfully.
1st Makerspace firmly believes the Maker movement is important to America's future. With an emphasis on 21st-century skills and thinking outside the box, we build makerspaces to help children become highly engaged, lifelong learners and to help educators teach in ways that promote student enjoyment, engagement, and retention.
For those ready to begin the makerspace journey, we invite you to see our makerspace supplies store page for helpful resources. Contact us to learn more about how makerspaces can transform learning in your community.
8 Benefits Makerspaces Offer
Makerspaces have been making an appearance throughout the country as new places to conduct hands-on learning. From small in-classroom maker corners to new buildings dedicated to innovation, maker education has continued to sweep the nation. Why is maker education so impactful for students? How will they lead to better outcomes for students, teachers, and communities? Read below for eight ways that maker education benefits students, educators, and communities alike.
Maker education requires students to develop employability skills. These essential skills, also known as “soft skills” or “21st Century Skills” are the cornerstone of how we function as humans. Problem-solving, communication, time management, and perseverance (just to name a few) are key skills that students develop alongside academic skills in a makerspace. When students are designing a nametag in Tinkercad or making a guitar using cardboard and a microbit, they have to think critically about how to solve a variety of problems. Regardless of the project, projects without single solutions enable students to test their ideas and learn how to work with others. In an earlier blog post, we discuss how makerspaces develop employability skills in more detail. The Elementary, Middle, and High School Maker Education Curriculum from 1st Makerspace is aligned to both Indiana Academic Standards and the Indiana Employability Skills Standards.
Hand-on learning leads to better academic outcomes. Academic research has revealed that makerspaces deepen content knowledge in addition to employability skills (Bower, et. Al., 2018). A study by Wilson, Taylor, Kowalski, and Clarkson in 2009 found that students who were taught using inquiry-based methods performed significantly better than students in receiving regular instruction. Additionally, students who were taught with commonplace teaching methods had gaps in their knowledge by race and those who were taught using inquiry-based methods did not. Makerspaces are not just for “bonus” or “extra” learning, they belong in the regular school day to deepen content knowledge and develop employability skills. See our previous blog post, the Brain Science of Making, to discover about how the brain and hands are connected.
Maker Education is an early investment in workforce development. Most efforts in workforce development are geared towards skilling up adults, but shouldn’t some of those efforts be directed towards our youth? Students should be exposed to and prepared for world of work that will evolve over time, and maker education develops that mindset early on.
The future of manufacturing will be led by makers. 3D printing has completely redefined the additive manufacturing process over the past few decades, and schools now have access to the same technology that manufacturing companies use. Prototyping a part or product has never been easier. Like many maker education projects, 3D printing engages students in manufacturing while connecting to academic content.
The competitiveness of the USA depends on makers. The US Senate passed the Innovation and Competition Act, led by Senator Todd Young. This monumental legislation will create spaces and opportunities across the country to advance STEM fields. This legislation was introduced to strengthen the position of the USA in the world as a global tech leader. Our future as a country depends on students being prepared to thrive with technology. Maker education gives students the opportunity to not just consume technology but develop it.
Makerspaces enable community partnerships. Makerspaces are focused on people, not tools, and enable a variety of different institutions to get involved. For example, Phalen Leadership Academy School 48 in Indianapolis, IN uses its new makerspace to foster creativity and STEM education, aligning with 1st Makerspace's vision of nurturing hands-on learning and problem-solving skills. The local businesses and non-profits bring different resources to the school, including donations, guest speakers and volunteers, and supplies. These mutually beneficial relationships are made possible by their makerspace.
Cross-curricular connections are abundant in makerspaces. It is almost impossible to do a project in a makerspace that does not involve at least two content areas. For example, if students were to build an Interactive City using Makey Makeys, they are exploring social studies, computer science, visual art, and ELA.
Teaching in a makerspace is more fun for educators. Although makerspaces require some professional development to get started, teaching in a makerspace shifts the learning from being teacher-driven to student-driven. Teachers turn into facilitators and help students discover the joy of learning. Student disruptions and misbehavior are less likely to occur when students are engaged in meaningful projects. At a time where teacher recruitment and retention are at an all-time low, maker education brings joy back to education for students and teachers alike.
Maker education aligns with SEL. Students come to school carrying burdens that to many of us are unimaginable. Social-emotional competencies, including collaboration, critical thinking, and mindset, can all be developed and deepened through maker education.
Students enjoy learning in a makerspace. At Gardner Bullis School, the impact of hands-on learning is evident. The principal, Katherine Schermerhorn, emphasizes how their makerspace allows students to explore, create, and discover what excites them. This approach enhances the student experience with joy, fosters curiosity, and encourages open-ended exploration. Student engagement and enthusiasm are important elements in education. Deep learning is significantly more effective when students are genuinely interested in the subject matter.
Every makerspace is more than a room with tools. It is a place where creativity takes flight and students discover their passion. What will your students have to look forward to this school year? If you see the benefits of a makerspace, contact 1st Makerspace for a free consultation at info@1stmakerspace.com.