Where are you in your maker journey?
makification
I am not only more excited about implementing makification into a classroom but I feel much more capable of doing so as a maker and as a teacher answering why makification?
Making (makification) promotes critical thinking and leads to critical problem solvers. It fosters engagement and motivation. Incites autonomy. Teaches agency. Aligns with critically responsive pedagogy. Envelops the core competencies. Emphasizes collaboration. Relies on and promotes growth mindset. Embraces failure. Requires empathy. Highlights the First Peoples Principles of Learning. Welcomes differentiation. Invests in community. Incorporates the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization, anti-racism. Helps students to feel competent. Cultivates authentic learning experiences. Allows for a student-centred approach. Encourages creativity. Provides opportunities for reflection. Utilizes technology. Rewards struggle. Nurtures mistakes. Is really fun.
It shows students that learning comes from being given the opportunity to try again. To think about what’s not working and make it better. It’s tangible. Relevant. Authentic. Our education system is so arbitrary it makes sense students are excited about making. It’s innate.
Group maker challenges: I really liked this because even when we were making the challenge for our peers I was like oh dear this isn’t going to work and there’s no way to do it. And then when our classmates went over there they did it, and it was fun and exciting and that was really cool and really important to see.
