To prepare our young folk for the complex world they will be living and working in, educators have been developing new ways of engaging students in meaningful and relevant learning. One new and exciting development is the creation of MakerSpaces in schools. A MakerSpace is like a workshop that includes tools and materials to make things! A MakerSpace is being developed at The Children’s Foundation and with the Make a Difference Fund we purchased a sewing machine. One of the first projects is a collaborative one, between a student from the primary classroom and a student from the elementary classroom. Together, with the teacher as a resource person, these two students are designing and making tote bags for each of their classmates to carry to the library to bring books back in.
Working on projects like this, over extended periods of time, engage students in challenging problem solving and active learning. It gives them a strong sense of continuity and satisfaction in seeing the project develop from ideas and decisions they have made. Sewing engages many skills, numeracy (measure twice cut once!), concept ideation (from idea, functional attributes, development and actualization), communication (collaborating with each other on a specific design idea) and community engagement (in this case working towards a gift to their peers). All these skills will help our students move into their futures with hard skills and confidence.
This is the first of many Makerspace projects that will happen at The Children’s Foundation.
Thank You Donors!