The Enrichment and Innovation Centre is considered a ‘Maker Space Community’ with a strong focus on STEM principles, problem based learning, design thinking and arts education, each with an overriding theme of Social Justice and Environmental Education. The Inquiry driven model was designed with specific attention to enriched programming, current pedagogies, computer science, environmental considerations (physical space), online and blended learning, and community partnerships.
The Learning Environment is something that I’ve discussed many times in this blog. More and more, the term ‘Makerspace’ is becoming synonymous with the “Learning-space”. A space where we teach, learn and create. However, the conditions for engaging students and teachers in a space where creativity and design is at the core needs to be implemented first. Making requires a strong sense of community, of team work, of shared learning experiences and requires tough challenges and risks and it also requires constant evolving innovations. There is so much more to the space then providing a set of robotics, circuits or robotics – we need to provide the opportunity to develop strong relationships and a place where learning can happen regardless of age, or skill, or interest. Here, I share our story in creating the Innovation and Enrichment Centre – a Makerspace Learning community that is far more than circuits.
In 2008, when Skype, along with the internet first became available in my district (at my school), my classroom walls literally opened up. Even in that small classroom, students became empowered to learn outside the classroom, from people and sources beyond the teacher and the curriculum. It was fascinating. 2009, we Skyped (yes, its a verb now) over 80,000 kms on the first and second day of school.
If you’ve read my blog you will know why I have tea circles in the classroom or have a crock-pot of soup on throughout the day. You will know why I so strongly value game based learning and feel strongly against the ‘gamified’ approach which I believe contradicts the factors that are so necessary for learning to be fully realized. Learners, regardless of age, need to feel respected and valued and honoured. We need to create instances where we talk naturally (games are a great way to make this happen) and to find real world connections to what they are learning about. Learners (all of us) need to have a say in what we are learning as well as provided with up to date, current and challenging tools and projects.