My Background

I grew up in an elementary school that was heavily influenced by the fine arts. Across every grade level, we all had schoolwide musicals, and all of the other activities in our ancillary classes would align with what we were doing for that school musical. When I was in middle school, I would start playing around with my writing skills, taking popular songs and rewriting the lyrics to them about my interests (I know, it's very cheesy). When I got to high school, I was in an engineering program that allowed me to participate in design projects while also writing poetry at the same time. I guess what I am saying is that creativity has been so ingrained in me that it is a no-brainer for me to join UTeach Maker

​

My Personal Definition: Creativity & Making

I define making as the act of creating an artifact of personal meaning that allows for someone to connect with the world. This artifact can be anything varying from art, design, a product, etc. Making involves creating something and bringing it into the world. I define makers as many different variations of creatives, designers, and artists.  My philosophy is that making is a process in which humans engage with their creativity to create something to connect them to the world. This is mainly an artifact (physical or virtual) that serves as a snapshot of how someone is making sense of their environment and of life. Making is for everybody, and it helps us make sense of the world. Everyone has their own reasons to make, whether it be personal or practical.

​

A key aspect my philosophy of making is being open. In order for people to engage in making, they have to be open to learning and all of the possibilities that come with it, including failure. Being open helps us deal with failure by reflecting on it to see how we can move forward. Thus, being open involves creating a space in which makers are curious, willing to take risks and learn from their mistakes. According to Rick Rubin's and Neil Strauss' The Creative Act: A Way of Being, "...Creativity is just free play with no rules, it's easier to submerge yourself joyfully in the process of making things." (page 78)  Thus, being open allows for makers to explore and play with the tools in their environment, which allows makers to better engage in their creativity.

​

Making in the Classroom

Making is a mindset that is very applicable in the classroom. According to a video, Ken Robinson on Flourishing, one of the biggest limitations from schooling is that students are taught to conform rather than express themselves (Robinson, 2013). This prevents them from interacting with their talents and use their background to their advantage. I believe that students are able to express themselves and make connections to the content when they are engaged in making. This is because it provides students with a common experience as well as a tangible artifact that they can use as a reference to build their own knowledge. Students are also expressing themselves, which allows them to apply the content knowledge in a way that is personally meaningful to them. Thus, when students can collaborate with one another, they engage with different skills as well as different perspectives. I believe that making can help students establish their own identities in STEM as it gives them the opportunity to connect to their cultural and personal experiences and build engagement. It disrupts the idea that knowledge is withheld and allows for students to craft their own knowledge. To create a space for students to make in the classroom, it has to be tailored to their needs for making.

​

Worlds of Making: Best Practices for Establishing a Makerspace for Your School

To help me establish my maker philosophy, I read a book called Worlds of Making by Laura Fleming, who is a librarian who recently opened a makerspace at her school library. A key point that Fleming mentions is that making can help students explore their interests and creativity (Fleming, 2017). Thus, when it comes to making, it allows for people, and in this case students, to actively engage in the learning process. Students get to engage with their environment to create their own projects and artifacts. However, it seems like accessibility and lack of resources seems to be a major issue. When it comes to making it is important to start with what the community needs. From then on, we can find ways to expand within the community and find new ways to provide access to more tools and resources. Having a common space for makers to engage in their creativity is key to accessibility, and as the maker community expands, the makerspace can mold itself to best fit the community's needs (Fleming, 2017). It is best to honor where the maker community is at so that we can have an idea of what makers need moving forward.

​

Sources Cited:

• ​

  Fleming, L. (2017). Worlds of making. CORWIN SAGE.

• RSA. (2013). Ken Robinson on Flourishing. Retrieved December 2, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDhhIghXxfo.

• Rubin, R., & Strauss, N. (2023). Make It Up. In The creative act: A way of being (p. 78). essay, Canongate.