Setting up or reassessing a makerspace at school: a short practical guide

Thinking of setting up a makerspace in your school or want to reassess the one that is already in place? Our collaborator found a little guide that could be very useful to you!

Whether you want to set up a makerspace or whether you are looking for new ideas to improve the one available to your school, the booklet The Maker Program Starter Kit, downloadable for free (in English only), is a reference, a mine of ideas.

At the start, we invite you to develop a spirit maker. It is assumed that a teacher who has the mind maker is above all a coach, a coach. It is also a cheerleader, a learner himself and an investigator. The teacher with the spirit maker is the essential link between students and the resources available to enable them to achieve the learning objectives.

Then, the authors of the booklet encourage to define their own vision of the term maker, a term that can have several meanings. What does mean maker for you? We suggest some activities to guide you:

• the brainstorming in groups of 3 to 8 people, where everyone offers their point of view on their vision of success as part of a program maker, talks about his concerns, etc .;
• an activity aimed at identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the team;
• an animation allowing team members to specify their vision of activities such as maker that they will advocate.

The booklet also talks about the choice of activities offered as part of the makerspace. Will they be projects, design activities, technical activities or a makerspace Of type drop in? We present the characteristics of each type with a few examples.

Appeal to the community

A makerspace is a community concept. In chapter 6 of the booklet, we offer animations that will help with the logistics and coordination of support. Further on, we also speak of inclusiveness.

What to do in the face of failure, in the face of the unforeseen? The booklet suggests setting up support groups, for example a Facebook group that would bring together schools with makerspaces. It is also necessary to know how to call on groups with specific skills, for example the Facebook page of the Raspberry Club, the community of Rapsberry Pi users in Quebec.

What will tomorrow be made of? Good luck to all makers current and future.

Access the page to download the booklet.

Of makerspaces in Quebec schools

• The Beaubois factory (Beaubois College)
• Our The absolute from St-Paul College
• Our fablab network of CS Marguerite-Bourgeoys