How Makerspaces Create Stronger Communities
We live in a world that’s becoming increasingly dependent on technology. While this has opened up new possibilities for our society, it’s also reduced the amount of time we spend socializing with one another in person. People spend more time today looking at their phones, tvs, and computers and less time at places like libraries, churches, playgrounds, and parks.
Social interaction is vital for the community because it allows people to build relationships with each other and help each other succeed. When people in a community can depend on each other for support, the community becomes stronger as a whole. The quality of living is improved for everyone. Without social interaction, people become isolated and are left to fend for themselves. And unfortunately many communities have already drifted in this direction.
However, there are many libraries, schools, and public buildings that are working to change the current state of things. Their goal is to bring communities back together. And they’re doing it with makerspaces. Here’s how.
How to Create a Makerspace for Your Library, School, or Workplace
A makerspace can be a fantastic tool for any learning environment. There is a natural joy that comes from the process of making and creating. Being able to discover new solutions and ideas helps to satisfy our endless curiosity about the world around us. When we can hold up something that we’ve made or created with our own hands, we feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. And in the process, we’re learning new skills, expanding our knowledge, and creating relationships that add to our happiness in life.
If you’re considering adding a makerspace to your school, office, or library, you may have some questions about how to get started. Makerspaces can take on a variety of different forms, so there truly is no right or wrong way to go about creating one. However, there are a few steps you can follow to make the process as easy and efficient as possible and avoid unnecessary expense.
How to Choose Tools & Equipment for Your Makerspace
Adding a makerspace to your school, office, or hackerspace can have many benefits. Makerspaces provide a place where people of all ages can work together collaboratively, helping each other learn and achieve their goals.
If this is your first time setting up a makerspace, you may have some questions about what tools and equipment you will need. How you set up your makerspace will have a direct impact on the way that people who come to it work and learn, so it’s important to put some consideration into what tools and equipment you add to your space.
By identifying your goals and needs beforehand, you can successfully create a makerspace that people benefit from and enjoy.
Three Benefits of Adding a Makerspace to Your School Library
In the past few years, makerspaces have become much more common in educational settings. No longer just a part of hackerspaces and fablabs, makerspaces can now be found in a variety of learning environments, from classrooms in preschools to STEM labs in elementary schools and art studios on college campuses.
A growing number of educators and school administrators are beginning to realize that makerspaces can make a huge impact on student learning and school culture. As a result, many schools have added makerspaces to their library. This kind of mentality is in itself revolutionary, since school libraries are traditionally thought of as being quiet, tidy spaces for individual learning. However, more and more, research is showing that students learn best when they can work in a collaborative environment and participate in hands-on activities.
Makerspaces & Literacy: How Makerspaces Facilitate Storytelling
Technology is an important part of our world. With an increasing number of jobs developing in the tech industry, it’s important that schools prepare students by teaching them how to use technology in class. And teachers have seen incredible results from using technology to teach important STEM concepts, including an increase in student engagement and performance.
But where does that leave literacy and the arts? Are students missing out on fundamental skills as they’re swept away in the tech world? This is the concern of many educators and parents.
However, some teachers have found a new method for bringing the arts and literacy into classroom projects. By using makerspaces as a hub for hands-on activities and group assignments, teachers have found that they can easily incorporate writing, and literacy into STEM lessons by immersing students in the imaginative process of storytelling.
How Makerspaces Can Be Used to Teach STEM & STEAM Curriculum
In recent years, STEM and STEAM curriculum has risen in popularity due to an increased need to prepare students for positions in the industries of technology, medicine, and engineering. STEM programs stress concepts related to science, technology, math, and engineering while STEAM programs add the arts into the mix.
Whether your school uses STEM or STEAM curriculum, the goal is generally the same – to integrate concepts from multiple subjects into one activity or learning experience. This means that schools need equipment and space that accommodates hands-on projects. That’s why many schools are starting to add makerspaces to classrooms and libraries so students can more readily engage in these types of projects and effectively grasp concepts that are part of STEM and STEAM curriculum.
Why Makerspaces Are Key to the Future of Education
Now, more than ever, educators realize that their students need to be kept engaged and involved in order to learn effectively. Having hands-on experiences helps students gain a better grasp of new concepts and retain information. That’s why so many teachers are strong advocates of having collaborative spaces in schools where students can work hands-on with one another to apply the concepts they’ve learned. And a considerable number are turning to makerspaces as a solution.