Welcome to Ignite a Maker

As the Maker movement picks up STEAM, educators from various disciplines are discovering new ways to include creating, making, and doing as part of the learning process.  But as the maker community has discovered, the maker movement is less of a DIY (Do It Yourself) process than it is a DIT (Do IT Together) process.  In his book, ZERO TO MAKER,  David Lang documents the importance of community and collaboration in growing from “zero” experience with “making” to a place where maker vocabulary, maker skill, and maker passion fill you with a feeling of maker empowerment.   Our goal in the IGNITE a Maker project is to offer an opportunity to experience making and the maker community as powerful professional development that can move you from ZERO to MAKER.   

What are desired outcomes for IGNITE a MAKER?

●      Mentoring for an educator who is getting started with ‘making in the classroom’

●      Acknowledge the skills or experienced maker educators

●      Advanced PD for experienced maker educators by providing increased access to larger maker community and schools 

●      Possible model to replicate maker/mentor collaboration in other parts of the state

●      Create increased capacity for maker-ed leaders within our organization

●      Create an collection of projects/ resources/ materials for aspiring maker educators

●      Promote diversity and equity in maker-ed

Benefits for Maker Mentor & Emerging Maker

o   2 month paid  studio at the maker space for working on projects, storing materials, showcasing projects, etc.

o   2 month paid monthly membership to the maker space during grant period, including access to tools*

o   connecting with the larger maker community found at maker spaces and maker events

o   ideas and inspiration from working in a maker space for a focused period of time

o   sharing skills with community of makers, students,  & educators

o   interdisciplinary collaboration

o   lending library of books and other resources (i.e. personal 3D printer, books, kits, etc)

o   access to field trip  to the maker space (in accordance with guidelines set by the maker space

o   using maker space membership and studio space to  work on their own personal or professional project during the two month period

o   making new contacts and connections by participating maker events (i.e. Third Thursday Social)

Expectations Maker Mentor & Emerging Maker

o   Complete the maker space orientation and safety training

o   Take inventory of resources available in the studio and keep track of any that are borrowed

o   Communicate at least once a week (virtually, email, phone, etc)  and once a month physically with  project partners (maker mentor, emerging mentor and/or coordinator to discuss progress of IGNITE a Maker Project.

o   Document project and connection to education practices

o   Complete shared reading (i.e. Zero to Maker)

o   Participate in online discussion and/or blogging

o   MAKE SOMETHING together during the 2 months.

o   Participate in a debriefing video conference

o   Keep an exhibit of the process in making in the studio 

(The making process does not have to be at the studio, but the studio should have a visual exhibit of the process of making they are going through (perhaps prototypes,  posters.)

o   Take inventory and pass on the ‘studio” to the next team.

o   Share experience at a Vita-Learn event (conference, video conference, regional meeting)