January 2024 | Vol. 21 Iss. 1
FREE
BEYOND TEXTBOOKS:
HOW THE MAKER MOVEMENT IS CHANGING EDUCATION, FOSTERING CREATIVITY AND ACCESSIBILITY By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
I
In December, Midvale Middle School students create a robot using Cubelets during their lunchtime in their makerspace. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
page 6
Midvale 2023
n Midvale, a sixth-grade girl curiously was examining the workings of Spheros, small, wheeled robots. In Murray, a junior high boy used wood, glue and string to craft a catapult. In South Jordan, an elementary-aged girl was looking forward to creating a 3D butterfly using Tinkercad. Makerspaces allow opportunities for hands-on making, creating, designing and innovating that bring individuals together in a variety of mediums, including robotics, textile crafts, woodcrafts and electronics. Commonly found at some libraries, museums, colleges and at the Utah STEM Action Center, the number of these spaces for open exploration have increased, especially in schools, which has given students equal access as well as gain skills in STEAM—science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. “Makerspaces need to be available and accessible,” said teacher Beth McKinney, who helped open the makerspace in Murray’s Hillcrest Junior High in an existing classroom this fall. “It’s important for kids to have a place where they can explore their own interests, talents, curiosities and have that experience on
Sperry farewell
page 12
Thank You
to our Community Sponsors for supporting City Journals
their own with the freedom to do it in a safe, controlled setting. Many students might not have the tools, the confidence or the opportunity to do so, so it’s important we have a safe space where any student can create and many learn best by doing, with their own hands.” Makerspaces are known as places where people, or “makers,” create, or “make,” projects using a variety of hands-on and digital tools. The junior high’s makerspace offers art supplies, robotics, a LEGO wall, 3D printing, K’NEX, speed and logic puzzles and more. Students opt to come to the space during an enrichment class period once per week as well as during the after-school program. Ninth-grader Allie Lobach likes coming to the makerspace. “It’s comfortable here; I’m free to make my own choices, but there’s help if I need it,” she said. The concept of makerspace is not new, according to Utah STEM Action Center’s director Tamara Goetz.
page 18
Continued page 10
Her promise