Is making new? How does it work best? A SXSWedu panel explores concepts around making.
Making, maker spaces, and maker labs have dominated educational discussions in recent months. How can schools create maker spaces for students? How can they link maker technology and maker activities to core curriculum?
Though terms like “maker” and “making” might be the buzzwords du jour, the concept itself is far from new.
During SXSWedu, a panel of educators and industry experts touched on important concepts and practices around making.
As the discussion unfolded, panelist Paulo Blikstein, an assistant professor at Stanford University’s School of Education and Computer Science Department, revealed that maker spaces are far from new.
1. Making is new
Making is not new, though the term “making” might be new. “There’s a long tradition in constructionist learning,” Blikstein said. “There is lots written about making, just not with that label.” Decades of research focus on making, using terms such as constructionist or constructivist learning.
2. All kids are hackers
All students are not innate hackers. Not every student will emerge from a maker lab having created something innovative or unique completely unguided or without educator help. Some will, but most won’t, Blikstein said.
“When we start talking about how every kid should be a hacker, it might sound really nice, but that’s not how the average student learns,” he said. “The average student needs some sort of structure or facilitation.”
Read the full story in eCampus News.
Paulo Blikstein is an assistant professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Education.
Read more about Blikstein's Transformative Learning Technologies Lab.
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