Learning in the Making: How to Plan, Execute, and Assess Powerful Makerspace Lessons, Aug/2019

Making is a dynamic and hands-on learning experience that directly connects with long-established theories of how learning occurs. Although it hasn't been a focus of traditional education or had a prominent place in the classroom, teachers find it an accessible, exciting option for their students. 

The maker movement brings together diverse communities dedicated to creating things through hands-on projects. Makers represent a growing community of builders and creators—engineers, scientists, artists, DIYers, and hobbyists of all ages, interests, and skill levels—who engage in experimentation and cooperation.
Transferring this innovative, collaborative, and creative mindset to the classroom is the goal of maker education. A makerspace isn't about the latest tools and equipment. Rather, it's about the learning experiences and opportunities provided to students. Maker education spaces can be as large as a school workshop with high-tech tools (e.g., 3D printers and laser cutters) or as small and low-tech as the corner of a classroom with bins of craft supplies. Ultimately, it's about the mindset—not the "stuff."

In Learning in the Making, Jackie Gerstein helps you plan, execute, facilitate, and reflect on maker experiences so both you and your students understand how the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of maker education transfer to real-world settings. She also shows how to seamlessly integrate these activities into your curriculum with intention and a clearly defined purpose.

About the Author:

Jackie Gerstein teaches graduate-level online courses for Walden, Western Governors, and Boise State Universities, and she teaches gifted education for Santa Fe Public Schools. Her motto is "I don't do teaching for a living; I live teaching as my doing, and technology has amplified my passion for doing so." Her background includes a strong focus on experiential learning, which she brings into all of her teaching. Gerstein believes that one of the roles and responsibilities of the 21st century educator is to share resources, ideas, and instructional strategies with other educators.