Creating a Classroom

image comPosite: mysondanube/sreVille/Viktor_Vector/istock/thinkstock

Makerspaces are breaking into the

classroom. What are they, and how can
you take advantage of them?
by
Luz rIvaS

I FIrSt BeCaMe IntereSted
In COMputer prOGraMMInG
when I waS In 5th Grade.
This influenced my career path,
leading to 10 years working as an
electrical engineer and in science
and engineering education. After
those experiences, I wanted to go
back to my community to offer this
same type of experience to today’s
5th-grade girls. Creating a classroom
makerspace was the perfect solution.
What is a makerspace? Makerspaces
are community-operated physical
spaces where people (makers) create
do-it-yourself projects together.
These membership spaces serve
as community labs where people
learn together and collaborate
on projects. Makerspaces often
have tools and equipment like 3-D
printers, laser cutters, and soldering
irons. Additionally, arts and crafts
are often integrated into makerspace
offerings. Recently, educators have
worked to bring these types of
environments to schools by creating
classroom makerspaces that offer
students an opportunity to create
and make with advanced technical
tools that were once only available in
engineering labs. Students also have
a chance to work with everyday and
recycled materials.
Creating our makerspace
In my community, I wanted to
provide girls with access to tools and
a creative environment where they
could learn new skills and create real
products, so I launched the DIY Girls
(http://diygirls.org), an after-school
program for 5th-grade girls at my
former elementary school. When I
met with the principal, he offered me
a dedicated classroom space, which
ended up being my old 5th-grade
classroom! With help from volunteers,
friends, and teachers, I converted
the classroom into a makerspace and
recruited girls. We were ready to
get started.
At first, we didn’t have any high-tech
equipment or even computers. We
used the furniture that was already in
the classroom to set up stations and
workspaces. The school gave us a
classroom set of supplies that included
scissors, glue sticks, markers, pipe
cleaners, and construction paper.

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 Creating a Classroom makerspace

We bought old appliances at thrift
stores so we could take them apart,
and we collected donated tools and
other materials.
As we raised funds, we began to buy
our own equipment and materials.
Later, a 3-D printer was donated.
We started the program by creating
projects with electronics and supplies
available at a hardware store because
these materials had a very low per-girl
cost. It took a few weeks for the girls
to adjust to not receiving step-by-
step instructions and to become
familiar with the materials. As they
They’ve become independent and pursue projects
that once seemed impossible to them.
gained skills and confidence, they
started to request specific supplies
to build their inventions. Little by
little, we collected resources. Today,
we have closets full of creative and
technical tools.
Making and learning
Girls in our program make real
things like their own toys, wearable
electronics, and video games.
They learn electronics by sewing
circuits with conductive thread, and
they use other creative materials
like conductive paint. These art
materials are familiar to them, so
they don’t hesitate to jump in and get
started. These projects are also an
opportunity to learn the physics of
electrical circuits.
I love hearing the girls’ project ideas
and watching them bring their ideas
to life. They’ve become independent
and pursue projects that once seemed
impossible to them. I believe that
the hands-on experiences they are
gaining will allow them to succeed
in advanced science courses. The
concepts they will learn in the future
won’t be new, and they’ll able to
relate them to projects they made in
elementary school. The girls have
developed confidence, especially with
electronics, and it allows them to take
risks and develop their own ideas.

Creating a classroom
Advertisement
makerspace
Good Day Future Educators! We have been successful in creating
a place where girls can create a
product and develop their ideas in
a school environment. Creating a
space in a classroom where kids have
access to materials is a great way to
get kids started with making. This
puts teachers in a great position to
offer kids opportunities to get started
GET YOUR
FREE
creating and developing ideas. The
space doesn’t have to have specific

COPY tools and equipment to be considered

a makerspace. It can be a small
area of the classroom or even just
projects that are integrated into the
I need your assistance – Upon finishing my graduate curriculum. Kids will learn by doing
thesis in the Philosophy of Education (specifically and enjoy the opportunity to share
History), I am wishing to give away FREE copies to what they make with others. Who
current and future educators and get feedback before knows what career interests they
taking my findings to post-graduate studies. might discover? ■
Thank you in advance and I do believe this will
help revolutionize teaching not just for History and LUZ RIVAS is the founder of
Philosophy but for education all together. DIYGirls.org in Los Angeles, Calif.
Get your FREE copy at
www.ThePhilosophyOfHistory.org

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