Last Friday, January 20, the first session of Carpenter’s new Maker Club was held before school. Students in grades 2 and 3 met to learn about educational tools and toys for building, coding, and inventing. The students shared their ideas about what inventions they would create if the only limit was their imagination. Then, they were introduced to some of the robotics and electronics recently purchased with the help of Carpenter’s PTO.
The following Monday, 4th- and 5th-grade students attended their first session. Many of the intermediate students were already familiar with the materials and tools available, having used them in the classroom or in Mrs. Johnson’s Channels of Challenge math classes.
Students were engaged, enthusiastic, and demonstrated the 4 C’s (communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking) in their explorations. Mrs. Johnson and I are looking forward to the next sessions of Maker Club in the weeks to come.
For more information about the Maker Movement and its role in learning, I recommend the following articles and blog posts:
http://www.thetechedvocate.org/why-makerspaces-are-the-key-to-innovation/
http://time.com/104210/maker-faire-maker-movement/
https://www.weareteachers.com/making-matters-how-the-maker-movement-is-transforming-education/
For more information about the Maker Movement and its role in learning, I recommend the following articles and blog posts:
http://www.thetechedvocate.org/why-makerspaces-are-the-key-to-innovation/
http://time.com/104210/maker-faire-maker-movement/
https://www.weareteachers.com/making-matters-how-the-maker-movement-is-transforming-education/