Michaels `s The idea behind the Makers Movement includes allowing people to imagine, envision, create, innovate, play, formatively learn, experiment, collaborate, share, and most of all dream of possibilities. The idea of making is really not a new concept. In fact,the art of making is at the root and mixed into to the very fabric of our culture. I believe that the amazing innovation we have seen in this country is due to a Maker mentality. We have long been a culture set on dreaming up possibilities, and then taking the action to make it happen. The initial growth of technology has somewhat taken some of our creativity and produced  consumption based thinking. We are now past the initial way of thinking, and the Makers movement allows people to finally use the technology to create and make.

It is encouraging to see that Education Maker Spaces are making space in numerous schools including elementary, middle, and high school. This was evident at the 2014 ISTE Convention in Atlanta with over 16,000 attendees and space for Maker vendors, Maker presentations, Maker playgrounds, and Maker possibilities. After all, childhood has long been a time that allows young minds to play and make. It is important to understand that allowing kids to be Makers opens the doors to personalized and authentic learning. Let me share a list that I feel are positive qualities that schools can Make as take away ideas from the Makers Movement.

• Allow for student intrinsic motivation and self-directed learning

• Support students in a natural connection toward the facilitation of the 4 C’s

• Engage students in significant content by allowing for connections to curriculum

• Immerse students in experiences that promote the idea of flow

• Provide students opportunities that allow then to fail in order to succeed

• Emphasize to students and teachers the importance of process over outcome

• Amplify or introduce to students the components of a school STEM disciplines

• Provide for student opportunities to enhance Project, Problem, Design, Inquiry, and Challenge Based Learning

• Promote student literacy through writing, reflecting, and journal writing while Making in specific subject areas

• Engage students in relevance and connections through a authentic learning experience

• Promote service student learning by identify and inventing solutions to local and world problems

• Allow students to see the importance and value of the arts

• Allow students to be a part of partnerships between school, home, and community

• Create opportunities for students to be producers of content and products

• Facilitate to students the idea of entrepreneurship through innovation

• Provide students an opportunity to connect with college and career opportunities

• Allow for student mentorship between students and also between community and students

• Give students the opportunity to learn through kinesetic opportunities

• Introduce students to the iterative process for problem solving

• Support student inquiry by relaying the importance of good questions and continued questionin  

•  Thanks for this great introduction to Michael Gorman (https://21centuryedtech.wordpress.com/)