The Maker Lounge
High Tech High Mesa
HTe • HTMCV • HTHCV
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Developing a MakerSpace

Here you will find a collection of resources outlining the process I went through when developing the Maker Lounge.  My hope is to inform educators and makers alike about the considerations I took from inception to implementation of the Maker Lounge at our campus, and provide information regarding the development of future MakerSpaces in educational settings.

Literature Review

Methods

Developing a MakerSpace in a commercial setting with strong financial backing, is an incredibly complicated undertaking, which involves a complex understanding of everything ranging from design and modeling to fabrication and development.  The challenge of attempting this in an educational setting with limited resources and space increases this challenge exponentially, as it adds a whole new layer of skills, understanding and expertise.

Having been a part of the maker community for many years, has allowed me to develop an intricate understanding of the resources and education available to the maker community as well as explore the various pathways and options available to access and develop these skills and interests.  In addition, since the beginning of my career in education I have been exploring and researching the impact that making and design thinking can have in a classroom setting.

With current educational reform making a strong push towards science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (collective known as S.T.E.A.M education), there has been a generated interest in making and makerspaces in educational settings.  The development of makerspaces in schools has become a recent hot topic in progressive education and the development and implementation of these spaces is trickling down into more traditional settings.  In the past twenty years, career and technical education classes, such as woodshop and metal fabrication, have disappeared from all but a few isolated schools.  This has led a lack of skilled workers in these fields.

The development of new technology and advancements in CNC fabrication and machinery has simplified the processes of everything from product development and engineering to precision production and rapid prototyping, eliminating much of the prohibitive costs and complex education previously required.  Hobbyists are now able to design develop and produce products and prototypes in their home workshops, which until recently would have required access to huge machine shops stocked with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment.  With user friendly interfaces, relatively small footprints, and extensive safeguards, machines such as 3d printers and laser cutters can be used by almost anyone, regardless of background knowledge.

Currently at my school I have worked with seventh graders designing and fabricating complex mechanical components using our laser cutter, which previously would only be able to be made by a skilled machinist.  Additionally, we have had second graders using SketchUp to design and 3d print parts for their own projects, and the list goes on and on.  As the world of engineering and fabrication has been rapidly evolving with the advent of powerful CAD and CAM software packaged into an easy to use interface, precision CNC machinery that is not only easy to use but safe to do so, the skills required, as well as not required, by these workers has undergone an equal change.  At their heart all makerspaces are are 21st century shop classes.  In essence their development in schools settings is filling the void left from the disappearance of technical education classes.

The aim of my work is to get students and teachers alike to see the broader value of makerspaces in education settings.  This website is a collection of my research, discussions, experiences, pitfalls, successes and findings that I have collected over the past three years as I have designed, developed and implemented our own K12 makerspace at my campus.  My hope is for you to develop a better understanding of the important role a makerspace can play in education as well walk you through the process of developing one in a school setting.
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