The AMS Digital Media Lab is expanding to become a makerspace, a place where students can create all kinds of things from media projects to banana keyboards (and I mean real bananas) to lego robots. Students in the Digital Media Club are tinkering, exploring, and creating and there is nothing more rewarding than sharing the excitement with a student as they discover something new or they solve a difficult problem.
Initially, my instinct was to guide students and explain how to work with the variety of equipment and supplies we have added to our digital media lab. I mean, isn't that what teachers are supposed to do? The students quickly taught me that I had to relinquish control and let them take the lead. When they started saying things like, "I think I can figure this out, Mrs. DeLuca," and "What if I change this and try to . . .", it became apparent that I had to take a backseat.
Our makerspace is also promoting collaboration and communication. Students are working together to create projects and then brainstorming solutions when things don’t work out as planned. These experiences will help to prepare them for the future and the workplace of the 21st Century.
Over the next few weeks and months, we plan to expand our makerspace to make it available to all. I can’t wait to see what new things I will learn from my students!!
Initially, my instinct was to guide students and explain how to work with the variety of equipment and supplies we have added to our digital media lab. I mean, isn't that what teachers are supposed to do? The students quickly taught me that I had to relinquish control and let them take the lead. When they started saying things like, "I think I can figure this out, Mrs. DeLuca," and "What if I change this and try to . . .", it became apparent that I had to take a backseat.
Our makerspace is also promoting collaboration and communication. Students are working together to create projects and then brainstorming solutions when things don’t work out as planned. These experiences will help to prepare them for the future and the workplace of the 21st Century.
Over the next few weeks and months, we plan to expand our makerspace to make it available to all. I can’t wait to see what new things I will learn from my students!!
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