Essential Question: Why does “YOUR SCHOOL NAME HERE” need a makerspace?
The mission of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District is to provide an excellent and equitable education in a safe, supportive environment so all students can become productive members of a diverse and changing society.
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
Mission Statement
The Fairbanks school district’s mission is to encourage students to become productive members of society. Incorporating makerspaces into schools can prepare students for future skills and careers. As stated by Schwartz (2014), “Kids want to make an impact on the world and very often they are more motivated by contributing to the common good than to anything else.” Makerspaces encourage students to collaborate, create and share in skills and concepts. Makerspaces is where authentic learning and problem solving take place. According to the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Technology Plan, one of the district’s goals is to prepare students for a world rich in technology with appropriate 21st century skills and knowledge. Objective 1.5 in the FNSDSB Technology Plan is to investigate new technologies to support student learning and achievement (p.4). Makerspaces encourage students to use and create new technology while learning. Objective 1.7 in the FNSDSB Technology Plan is to investigate and develop educational structures to optimize the use of technology to improve student learning (p.4). Makerspaces are educational structures that can be used to teach rigorous problem solving concepts as well as encourage the use of technology.
Mrs. Gryga’s Makerspace
Mission: To allow students to create, learn and collaborate with their peers. Students will build activities/projects based both on curriculum and student interests. The Makerspace will be aligned to state, district and ISTE standards.
Students will be given 60 minutes once a week on Fridays to plan and design projects.
Objectives:
- Foster creativity and confidence in each student.
- Develop educational contexts that connect making to curriculum and state standards.
- Promote a creative space within which significant engagement and idea sharing takes place.
- Encourages open dialogue and collective contribution
Creating a classroom makerspace is an opportunity to give students ownership of their own learning as they explore their own passions.
Martinez & Stager (2013)
Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom
School makerspaces encourage students to become teachers and share their knowledge with others. As stated by Martinez & Stager (2013), “We have an obligation to build upon the technological fluency the students bring to us, expand learning opportunities, and amplify human potential.” North Pole Elementary School needs a makerspace to encourage students to obtain/promote essential skills that will prepare them for their future and encourages them to become productive members of society.
Resources:
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved July 21, 2015, from www.k12northstar.org/about
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. (n.d.). Technology plan 2014-2017. Retrieved July 21, 2015, from http://www.k12northstar.org/sites/default/files/fnsbsdedtechplan2014-2017_0.pdf
Martinez, S., & Stager, G. (2013). Invent to learn: Making, tinkering, and engineering in the classroom. Constructing Modern Knowledge Press.
Schwartz, K. (2014, September 4). How to turn your school into a maker haven. Retrieved July 21, 2015, from http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/09/04/how-to-turn-your-school-into-a-maker-haven/
uasedetrobotics 
Your objectives make a viable argument for why your school needs a makerspace. I think the key objective might be the one that you said to develop educational contexts that connect making to curriculum and state standards. Fostering creativity and collective contribution are also good objectives. Creating a makerspace at your school aligns with your district’s technology goals to prepare students for the world using 21st century learning skills, investigating new technologies to support student learning, achievement, and rigorous problem solving.
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I like how you specifically mention that your makerspace will align with state, district and ISTE standards. That’s a good idea, especially if you have to convince administration. I didn’t include that info in my club planning docs but will make that change before I submit my final proposal. Thanks for the idea!
I was thinking that Fairbanks would be a great location to start a makerspace. All of the mining activity combined with oil pipeline resources and UAF’s engineering programs may supply you with a ton of support. They may even provide you with volunteers who have significant building and engineering knowledge. Many of my former students have entered UAF’s engineering programs. It would be great if you could convince the colleges to send some of these kids your way to help. It would provide them an excellent opportunity for community service and in return, you’d get some amazing assistance.
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