Design thinking & Maker

Spaces
EDUC 545

Prepared by: Julie Degner, Jamie Gartley, Alysha Nazerali, & Kristie Strumm

design thinking

5 Steps of Design
thinking

Understandings of Makerspaces
and the Maker movement

a primary learning space for

technological experimentation,
hardware development, and idea
prototyping
zones of self-directed
learning
hands on exploration
multidisciplinary
students...take control of
their own learning...projects
Fosters a community of
collaboration
Plan, test, re-design:Project
Based Learning
(Hollohan, n.d.)

How can all types of

learners participate
and feel comfortable in
a makerspace?
How can we incorporate
a makerspace into our
EC classroom on a daily
basis?
How can we effectively
assess the learning
that takes place in a
makerspace?
How can we specifically
direct learning in a
makerspace to
incorporate and
encourage a STEM
perspective among the
students?

Questions We Wish to
Explore and Practice
in Future Teaching
Experiences

How can we ensure that

every child gets a turn
in the makerspace and
has a chance to share
their ideas with the
teacher and the rest of
the class?
How can we connect the
various makerspaces
across the school and
share ideas between
classrooms?
How can we get the staff
and administration
directly involved with
the maker movement?
How can we effectively
create makerspaces in EC
classrooms in relation
to the program of
studies?

Incorporating Science,
math, and Kinesiology

Grade 1: Hamster Scenario

Students are given the
opportunity to research
hamsters and discover what
their needs are and how they
are able to survive. They
have the chance to build
habitats, calculate how much
food and water their hamster
needs every day and the
dimensions of their new
home, and even pretend to be
hamsters themselves in a gym
activity.

Grade 2: Boat Scenario

Students are given the
opportunity to study boats
and buoyancy by constructing
their own boats and
calculating how long they
can stay afloat with a
certain amount of weight on
top of them. They will be
given the chance to test out
their boats, as well as take
part in some gym games in
which they pretend to be
rowing their boats.

Grade 3: Creating a classroom

Students are given the
opportunity to come up with
a classroom design that
would best optimize their
learning. This would involve
figuring out the dimensions
of their classroom, building
a model of the classroom, as
well as moving around
objects in their actual
classroom to try to create
their designs.

References
Emergent by Design. (2010). What is design thinking, really?
Retrieved from
http://emergentbydesign.com/2010/01/14/what-is-design-thinking-r
eally/
Filth Wizardry. (n.d.). Lovely makey people. Retrieved from
http://www.filthwizardry.com/search/label/science
Hollohan, P. (n.d.). Makerspaces: Things you need to know
[PowerPoint slides] . Retrieved from http://libguides.ucalgary.ca/c.php?g=255585
Mark Wolfe Design. (2013). Design thinking ideo. Retrieved from
http://markwolfedesign.com/2013/01/design-thinking-what-is-that/ design-thinking-ideo/
Shutterstock. (2016). Question mark face. Retrieved from
http://www.shutterstock.com/s/question+mark+face/search.html