[elearning] Makerspace

[ken price]

A question - are most of the makerspaces that people are considering based
on high-technology "making", or are lower-tech technologies, tools and
materials being included (woodwork tools, leather craft, sewing machines,
hand tools etc)?

How are people seeing the relationship between their makerspace and the
other technology areas? (in the Australian Curriculum this would refer to
the Design and Technologies subject, or in a traditional subject sense, the
areas like Woods, Metals, Foods, Plastics, Robotics, Textiles etc)

kp

On Wed, Sep 13, 2017 at 11:15 AM, Lee, James Q <
lee.james.q at edumail.vic.gov.au> wrote:

> Hi we have a developing Makerspace at our school. It's a work in progress,
> but basically we have access to an old store room adjacent to a classroom.
> The storeroom we keep all the equipment; students would take them out to
> the classroom to play with them.
> We have a 3D printer (also has issues with reliability), a few Makey
> Makeys, a Raspberry Pi where kids can make Minecraft Mods with Python
> programming, a few Little Bits kits, Arduino kits, and a whole lot of
> donated old laptops and computers and electronic equipment from the
> community. Kids love taking things apart (and then not putting things away
> lol). A few more savvy are repurposing and rebuilding them. We also have
> recycled containers and boxes and lego to make stuff with - ideally combine
> with the little bits kits to make something. We have a few tutorials on
> things but rely on a lot of online resources like codeacademy etc and
> encourage students to work things out themselves. We tend to get younger
> kids from Years 7-9 in, but not always the kids with the skills you want to
> help support the others due to it running only after school on Thursdays
> (due to staff commitments volunteering their time to supervise.) I find
> students also struggle to stick to one project so lots of unfinished
> projects. They also want to know but don't want to invest their time
> learning things. I'm happy to answer more questions or do tours of our
> space, and I'm always looking for more ideas to improve on things.
>
> James Lee
> Head of eLearning and Reporting
> ICT and Media Teacher
>
> Bentleigh Secondary College
> Vivien Street (PO Box 186), East Bentleigh 3165
> Telephone: (03) 9579 1044
> Facsimile:  (03) 9579 2720
> email: lee.james.q at edumail.vic.gov.au
>
>
>
>
>
> --
Dr Ken Price MACS(Snr) CP ACCE Professional Associate.
Immediate Past President, TASITE http://www.tasite.tas.edu.au
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