Keywords

Education, Makerspace, Teaching, Elementary Education, Preservice Teachers, Instruction

Description

The purpose of this project was to design a makerspace in the McKay School of Education here at Brigham Young University. This project is for pre-service teachers and faculty in the Teacher Education Department primarily in the Elementary Education program.

The purpose of a makerspace is to provide students with the materials and experiences to iteratively design and create. It’s a place for hands-on learning with all the tools for creativity. Makerspaces provide creative ways to encourage students to design, experiment, build and invent as they deeply engage in science, engineering and tinkering. A makerspace is not solely a science lab, woodshop, computer lab or art room, but it may contain elements found in all these
familiar spaces.

A makerspace will help pre-service teachers be given opportunities to take their learning to a deeper understanding and apply what they are making and learning into their own future classrooms out in the field. Faculty will benefit as they are able to engage in authentic learning experiences connected to real-world experiences alongside their students.

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