P RO J E CTBAS E D LE ARNI NG

Project-Based Learning Through a Maker's

Lens
JULY 9 , 2 0 1 4

ByPatrickWaters,ProfessionalEducator,TheMonarchSchool,TXwithaSTEM&MakerFocus

TheriseoftheMakerhasbeenoneofthemostexcitingeducationaltrendsofthe
pastfewyears.AMakerisanindividualwhocommunicates,collaborates,
tinkers,fixes,breaks,rebuilds,andconstructsprojectsfortheworldaroundhim
orher.AMaker,recastintoaclassroom,hasanamethatwealllove:alearner.
AMaker,justlikeatruelearner,valuestheprocessofmakingasmuchasthe
product.Intheclassroom,theactofMakingisanavenueforateachertounlock
thelearningpotentialofherorhisstudentsinawaythatrepresentsmanyofthe
bestpracticesofeducationalpedagogy.AMakerspaceclassroomhasthe
potentialtocreatelifelonglearnersthroughexciting,realworldprojects.
Makingholdsanumberofopportunitiesandchallengesforateacher.Making,especiallytoeducatorsand
administratorsunfamiliarwithit,canseemtolacktheacademicrigorneededforafullfledgedplaceinan
educationalecosystem.However,projectbasedlearninghasalreadycreatedaframeworkforMakinginthe
classroom.Let'sseehowMakingcouldworkwhenplacedinsideaPBLcurriculumunit.

WhatDoYouWanttoDo?
ThefirststepindesigningaPBLunitforaMakereducatorisconnectingspecificcontentstandardstotheproject.
Thedevelopmentandadoptionofnewcontentstandardsinmath,ELA,andsciencehasplacedincreased
importanceontheprocessandconstructionofastudent'slearning.Makinglovestheprocessandallowsthe
teachertomovefluidlybetweenlevelsandsubjects.WhenIdesignedamiddleschoollevelForcesandMotion
unit,NGSSMSPS2(http://www.nextgenscience.org/msps2motionstabilityforcesinteractions)dovetailsnicely
withCCSSMathmaticalPractice(http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Practice/).Mystudentswouldhaveto
interpretandcommunicatetheirresultsthroughmathematics.OnceIchosetheappropriatestandardformy
students,Icouldbeginbrainstormingprojects.
Choosing,thinking,reflecting,andsortingpossibleprojectsshouldbeacareerlongprocess.Goodprojectsdon't
fadewithtimetheygetricherandmoreexcitingforbothteacherandstudent.Greatprojects,ontheotherhand,
areopportunitiesforlearnersandteacherstocollaboratewiththosearoundthem.Assuch,mystudentsandI
mightspendweeksaskingourselvesinquirydrivenquestionsandcheckingoutonlineresources(suchasthose

listedbelow)asbrainfodder.Collaboratively,wenarrowdownourchoices.Iusemyvoiceintheprocessas
sparinglyaspossible,butIdoguidemylearnerstoprojectswhichreflectoursubjectarea,myownexpertise,and
mystrengthsasaneducatortoprojectswhichcanbecompletedinthetimeallotted.Lastly,wedetermineifwe
havetherightresourcesandtools.It'samessyprocess,buttheresultscanbeincredible.

EssentialQuestions
Withanappropriateprojectchosen,aneducatorcanbeginframingthelearner'sjourney.Essentialquestionsare
besttoolavailableforMakereducatorstoframethisjourney.Essentialquestionsareopenendedpromptswhich
initiate,engage,andguidethestudentintothelearningprocess.Withpractice,thestudentscanframethe
questionsthemselves.Collaboratewithyourstudentsbyhavingthemlisttheirqueriesandsendthemofftofind
answersfromamyriadofsources.Keeptheonestheycan'tansweryet.Inastronginquiryprocess,thestudents
revealtheirpreviousknowledgeandtheirneeds,allowingtheteachertocraftrespectful,differentiatedlearning
goalsthatmatch.Oncecompleted,theprojectbecomeslessofadailyracetofulfilllessonplansandmoreofa
questtodocumentyourstudents'growingcapabilities.Inmyclassroom,ourForcesandMotionunitbeganwith
"Howdowemakeaderbycartravelfaster?"Thenitchangedinto"Doesmassincreasethecar'svelocity?"
andawholehostofotherquestions.Makingisaprocess,andstrongessentialquestionsallowtheeducatorto
framethejourneywhileallowingthelearnertomakeinquirydrivendiscoveries.
Makingrequirespartners.Findacolleagueinyourschooltosupportdeliveringcrosscurriculuminstruction.
Chasedowncommunitypartners,suchaslocalMakerspacesandscientificorganizations,whomaylend
expertiseandresources.I'vefoundTwitter(https://twitter.com/Woodshopcowboy)indispensableforconnecting
withothereducatorswithsimilarpassions.Bringtheseresourcesintoyourclassroom.
Finally,aneducatorcanstartthinkingaboutindividuallessons.Theteachercanbreakdownlargeunitsinto
smalleressentialquestions("Howdoesthearmlengtheffectthedistanceofacatapultshot?"),andusethese
smallerquestionstobuildtoamonsterprompt("CanImakeacatapultwhichshootsamarshmallowover30feet
usingthesematerials?").Withcarefulplanning,thesesmalllabstakeverylittlebuildtime,oftenreusematerials,
andallowforagradualbuildingandexplorationofknowledge.Goodpreviewandreflectioncyclesallowmespace
tointroduceandreinforcethestandards,andallowthestudentstimetoprocessandapplytheirknowledge.I
oftenusebloggingasanonlineshowcaseofmystudents'mastery.

FailureIsaPreferableOption
Goodprojectsrequirefailure.Greatprojectscanteachastudentgrit(http://www.edutopia.org/resiliencegrit
resources),butyouhavetomodelityourselffirst.Processingfailurewithyourstudentsturnsamomentoffear
intoanopportunityforlearninginasafeplace.StrongPBLunitsincreasestudentengagementwhileempowering
students,thereforeminimizingmaladaptivebehaviors.
TeachersnewtoPBLandMakingoftenmakesimilarmistakes:
Choosingprojectstoolargefortheircomfortlevelandresources
Focusingontheoutcome,nottheprocessofMaking
Thinkingtheeducatormusthavetheanswer
Makingisadiscoveryprocessforbotheducatorandlearner.Makingallowstheteachertomovefromauthorof
knowledgetomasterfabricatororbuilder.Makingallowstheeducatortomodelthelearnerthatheorshewants
studentstobecome.

Makingrequiressupportfromallthestakeholdersintheclassroom:students,parents,colleagues,and
administration.Inordertobuildthatsupport,aneducatorhastocommunicateby:
Givingvoicetothestudents'desiretolearn
Invitingparentstowitnesstheirstudents'learningandcreations
Collaboratingwithotherteacherstoshareandgrowprofessionally
Buildingadministrationsupportbyinvitingthemtoseethegrowthofyourclassroom
Blogginginanyformisthemosteffectivetoolavailabletotheeducator,aplatformforalltheselevelsofsharing.
Ifyou'relookingformoreaboutMaking,checkouttheseresources:
Makerspace.com(http://makerspace.com/)
Makered.org(http://makered.org/)
DesignMakeTeach.com(https://twitter.com/DesignMakeTeach)
Makezine.com(http://makezine.com/projects/)
Instructables.com(http://www.instructables.com/)
#makered(https://twitter.com/hashtag/makered)&#STEM(https://twitter.com/hashtag/stem)onTwitter
Inventtolearn.com(http://www.inventtolearn.com/)
AndifyouhaveexperienceswithapproachingaPBLunitasaMaker,pleaseshareinthecommentssection
below.

Source:www.edutopia.org/blog/pblthroughamakerslenspatrickwaters
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