Becoming a Maker Manager: How to Build and Sustain a Thriving Makerspace
Are you an educator or community leader looking to build an active maker community? If so, the Maker Manager Program is for you! Coming summer of 2024, join us for four intensive training days of developing and sustaining a makerspace, STEM Lab, or innovation space. Our program covers everything from the basics of the maker movement to practical skills like managing your space and safety practices. We'll foster a maker mindset amongst participants while providing personalized coaching throughout the course - plus explore educational theories and build a maker community in your school or organization with tips on making a case for your program. Join us this summer to get certified as a Maker Manager!
1. What is the Maker Manager Program?
The Maker Manager Program is ideal for educators to engage and motivate students through hands-on learning. The Maker Manager Program is tailored specifically for educators – providing them with the tools, resources, and expertise they need to establish thriving maker communities in their schools. Through this program, participants learn critical components of makerspaces, such as equipment, tools, materials, and instruction methods. Participants will also explore educational theories like Constructivism, Constructionism, PBL, and Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning to help them create a Culture of Making and Innovation in their school and community. With the Maker Manager Program, educators can increase student engagement and achievement!
2. What does the program cover?
This four-day program guides participants through developing, assessing, and sustaining a makerspace, STEM Lab, or innovation space. They will learn to properly operate all equipment, tools, materials, and safety practices in the area. Additionally, participants will be taught how to create a maker community in their school or organization with tips on making a case for the program. The program also covers curriculum development and assessment strategies that accurately measure student progress and success.
At the end of the program, all participants will receive Maker Manager Certification from 1st Maker Space.
3. Why is the Maker Manager Program beneficial to educators and community leaders?
The Maker Manager Program is an invaluable opportunity for educators and community leaders to help students unlock the power of maker education. As history has shown us, humans have a natural propensity for experimentation - maker education capitalizes on this by teaching students important STEM, creative, and technical skills to be better prepared to enter the workplace and address whatever challenges come their way. Maker education equips young people with employability skills in a hands-on learning environment to hone an artistic craft or develop robots and AI technology. Ultimately, maker education helps create a sense of agency by enabling students to become autonomous problem solvers. This is useful for their professional development and provides the foundation of hope needed to turn their dreams into realities.
4. What educational theories we'll explore:
The Maker Manager Program offers an exciting, unique educational platform that uses Constructivism, Constructionism, PBL, and Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning as the core for its learning modules. Its cutting-edge approach is designed to provide students with improved problem-solving skills and better critical thinking capabilities. Constructivism focuses on active engagement from the student, which transforms their experience from a passive one to a vigorous inducer of knowledge. Constructionism adds to constructivism by requiring learners to create a tangible product from their wisdom. PBL increases the autonomy of students through self-directed investigations. Finally, Inquiry-Based Teaching promotes further exploration through questions and activities that excite each learner's interest in the studied topics. The creator manager program brings all these approaches together under one roof while still providing a modern outlook on learning!
5. We'll discuss how participants can build a maker community in their school or organization.
Creating a makerspace in your school, library, or learning environment is an exciting way to bring out the best in students and inspire creativity and innovation. Maker education can provide students with valuable critical thinking and problem-solving skills - invaluable tools becoming increasingly crucial in today's workforce. Not only will they learn more through making, but they'll also have much fun! Every makerspace has its unique personality, reflecting the culture and identity of the school, library, or learning environment. This unique space becomes an oasis where ideas can be explored, inventions can be hatched, and projects can be brought to life, fostering a collaborative environment for striving toward success.
6. You'll become a Certified Maker Manager.
Becoming a Certified Maker Manager through 1st Maker Space gives you the tools to start your makerspace. We aim to create an environment of fun and creative exploration where people of all ages can be part of a dynamic group of makers, sharing knowledge and ideas. Setting up a makerspace is more than just teaching a few skills - it's about igniting the fire of creativity in the community around us and empowering people to take pride in what they make. With your Certified Maker Manager certification, you can make that happen!