This was perhaps one of my favorite areas to learn and read about.
When it comes to the maker movement
no-one strikes my mind quite like Quinn, the Eighth-grader who designs,
develops and teaches other students how to make 3D objects and use his or her
imaginations to make anything come alive. This video http://youtu.be/e9lvW6ZY-Gs had me realizing that anything is possible
and at any age. Our students are quite bright for their age and if they are
given the right tools and technology they can soar farther than ever before
imagined.
One common point made in both the
youtube video about Quinn and the article in the May 2014 Issue of Learning&Leading is the accessibility and
relatively inexpensive materials needed in order to get our young makers moving
along side the face pace of technology as it continues to adapt and we continue
to adapt to it. Learning by doing is not a new idea. When I was in school we
had wood shop and auto class along with fashion design classes. I personally
excelled in woodshop, I took some of those skills home with me and was my own
woodmaker in my parents garage, the only difference in todays maker movement is
that the things our students can build are much more complex and can accomplish
tasks once only imagined. “knowledge is a consequence of experience” Jean Piaget.
This new kind of maker movement
when put together with a cooperative lesson plan makes digital learning a part
of everyday life. (Martinez & Stager, 2014) This movement
lets our students set a pace and a standard for what is to be learned. We must
remember that these creative minds will be the leaders of the future and if we
let them continue to develop their God given abilities now who knows what they
will be able to accomplish.
