Resources for the Maker Mindset
In my research and planning I found certain resources more valuable than others. Below you will find links with descriptions of resources that are particularly helpful in supporting the educator.
Learning in the Making: How to Plan, Execute, and Assess Powerful Makerspace Lessons, by Jackie Gerstein
I recommend this book as a resource for supporting your work in the classroom. This book walks through planning your space and lessons. It includes specific examples of lessons as well as assessments. It is not overwhelming in size and is well organized.
Design, Make, Play: Growing the Next Generation of Stem Innovators, by Margaret Honey and David E. Kanter
I recommend this book as a resource for developing your mindset surrounding the maker space. This book gives case studies of the maker space and helps the reader understand the philosophies surrounding maker space ideas.
The Power of Purposeful Play in Primary Grades: Adjusting Pedagogy for Children’s Needs and Academic Gains, by Karyn A. Allee-Herndon and Sherron Killingsworth Roberts
You can read this article for free at the link provided above. It is a significant resource for understanding the need for play, including opportunities to create in spaces such as the maker space. The article highlights how this type of play is particularly important to developing cognitive function in a child’s early years. This translates to a child's overall academic readiness.
The Arts and Crafts Movement in America,
by Monica Obinski
In this article, you will find a brief history of the human as a maker as it relates to the arts and crafts movement.
I found this article interesting to reflect on because it points to the human experience and society as influential to the shifts in how we as a society ‘make’ using our hands, whether it be for survival or craft.
A short read but well worth it.