There are not set materials needed to have a Makerspace. Materials available can be as common as cardboard and tape and as advanced as a 3D printer and soldering tools. A Makerspace can be used to create 2D projects, 3D projects, projects that have a purpose or projects that do nothing but entertain. A Makerspace has no limits, much like the children we work with every day!
So why a Makerspace? At Summit, we believe all children have natural capacities to create and make; they are born tinkerers. Through creating and making, there is increasing evidence that students are more engaged and excited about learning. When children are allowed to make personal, meaningful projects, they develop the habits of mind required to solve their own problems: a critical attribute of 21st Century learners. The Summit Makerspace creates opportunities for our students to spark interest in science, technology, engineering, the arts and math (STEAM). Their applied and hands-on experiences will become a vehicle for them to develop greater confidence and higher academic achievement. The Makerspace is a design environment that lets young learners practice age-appropriate computational thinking processes, including sorting, sequencing, retelling, arranging, decomposing parts of problems and collaboratively solving problems. By linking the maker space with educational goals and learning outcomes, we differentiate our projects from other endeavors that focus on tinkering, do-it-yourself, and shop-like experiences.
If you are a Maker, then you have a Makerspace. It's as easy as that!
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