Author Topic: What is a makerspace?  (Read 2473 times)

Reyed Mia, Daffodil

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What is a makerspace?
« on: February 24, 2018, 01:16:31 PM »
What is a makerspace?


A makerspace is a collaborative work space inside a school, library or separate public/private facility for making, learning, exploring and sharing that uses high tech to no tech tools.  These spaces are open to kids, adults, and entrepreneurs and have a variety of maker equipment including 3D printers, laser cutters, cnc machines, soldering irons and even sewing machines.  A makerspace however doesn’t need to include all of these machines or even any of them to be considered a makerspace.  If you have cardboard, legos and art supplies you’re in business.  It’s more of the maker mindset of creating something out of nothing and exploring your own interests that’s at the core of a makerspace.  These spaces are also helping to prepare those who need the critical 21st century skills in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).  They provide hands on learning, help with critical thinking skills and even boost self-confidence.  Some of the skills that are learned in a makerspace pertain to electronics, 3d printing, 3D modeling, coding, robotics and even woodworking,   Makerspaces are also fostering entrepreneurship and are being utilized as incubators and accelerators for business startups.  There have already been some amazing success stories that have come out of makerspaces to date.
Makerspace Projects

Every makerspace is unique and the projects that are worked on inside of them are also very diverse.  Here are just some of the things you can do in a makerspace :

Coding
3d printing
Laser cutting
Soldering
Electronics / Arduino
Robot building / Robotics
Learn Circuits and Electricity with paper circuits
Sewing
Wood working
Take-a-part sessions
Inventing

A makerspace can take many forms and so can a definition of one

Laura Fleming –   “A makerspace is a metaphor for a unique learning environment that encourages tinkering, play and open-ended exploration for all.”

Diana Rendina –  “A makerspace is a place where students can gather to create, invent, tinker, explore and discover using a variety of tools and materials.”

John J Burke –  “A makerspace is an area in a library where users can use tools and equipment to design, build, and create all sorts of different things.  It may be a dedicated room or a multipurpose space in which a collection of raw materials and resources can be utilized as desired. Projects range from prototyping product designs with 3D printers, to programming robots, to creating art out of recycled items.”

Colleen Graves – ” A makerspace is not only a place where you can make stuff but many times its a place where you make “meaning” which many times is more important than the stuff you make.”

Ann Smart – “A space with materials for students to let their curiosity and imagination come to life.   An informal, playful, atmosphere for learning to unfold.   A space where making, rather than consuming is the focus.   A space where trans-disciplinary learning, inquiry, risk-taking, thinking, crafting, tinkering, and wondering can blossom.”

TheRSA.org –  “Makerspaces are open access workshops hosting a variety of new and old tools – from 3D printers and laser cutters to sewing machines and soldering irons.  Makerspaces are more than just sites to craft objects. They are also places to experiment with a different way of living – one that responds to the challenges and opportunities of a world in which technology is ubiquitous.”

i3Detroit.com –  A Makerspace is  “a collision of art, technology, learning, and collaboration”

Mad-Learn.com –  “A makerspace is a place that provides creative time and space for people of all ages to build prototypes, explore questions, fail and retry, bounce ideas off one another and build something together. These spaces don’t always include technology, since some prototypes and designs can be built out of anything or may include various stages of design that move from analog to digital and back again, but many do include technology. Now, with 3D printing and design, makerspaces are really taking off.  Kids gather in a common area to design and ideate on 3D printing projects.   The makerspace becomes a safe area where creativity and risk-taking becomes common practice.”

Techtarget.com – “A makerspace is a community center that provides technology, manufacturing equipment and educational opportunities to the public.  Makerspaces allow community members to design, prototype and manufacture items using tools that would otherwise be inaccessible or affordable such as 3-D printers, digital fabrication machines and computer-aided design (CAD) software.  Makerspaces are typically funded by membership fees or through affiliations with external organizations, such as universities, for-profit companies, non-profit organizations and libraries.  The free exchange of ideas and resources is a central tenet of makerspaces.  Often, members of different makerspaces will collaborate on projects and share knowledge at gatherings known as build nights or open-house days.”

Bozeman Makerspace –  “A Makerspace / Hackerspace allows groups of people to pool resources and create a community of people with varied interests. These interests may include but are definitely not limited to: circuitry, robotics, soldering, woodworking, fabricating, programming, networking, hacking, bending, etc.”

Room 6KGH.com –  “A makerspace is simply a place where people gather and make.  They come all shape and size.  A makerspace is a student centered learning environment with limitless possibilities.”

Educause.edu – “Makerspaces are zones of self-directed learning. Their hands-on character, coupled with the tools and raw materials that support invention, provide the ultimate workshop for the tinkerer and the perfect educational space for individuals who learn best by doing…they promote multidisciplinary thinking and learning, enriching the projects that are built there and the value of the makerspace as an educational venue.”

Wikipedia defines a makerspace “as a community-operated workspace where people with common interests, often in computers, machining, technology, science, digital art or electronic art, can meet, socialize and collaborate.  Additionally, Wikipedia has a secondary listing for Library Maker Space which they define as “an area traditionally found in public libraries that offers patrons an opportunity to create content through various resources such as computers, 3-D printers, audio and visual devices, and traditional arts and crafts materials, including ecologic material.   In the field of library science, maker spaces are classified as a type of library service offered by librarians to patrons.”

Libraries & Maker Culture –  “Makerspaces which are sometimes called hackerspaces–can be any area where people gather to make and create. These spaces often include 3D printers, but do not necessarily have to.  In makerspaces, people share supplies, skills, and ideas, and often work together on projects.  Makerspaces grew out of maker culture–a group of people dedicated to craftsmanship and creation. Makerism focuses on DIY projects, and makers value creation by individuals or small groups rather than bulk production. In general, makerism is also a culture of creation over consumption.”

Library as Incubator – “Makerspaces are collaborative learning environments where people come together to share materials and learn new skills.  Makerspaces are not necessarily born out of a specific set of materials or spaces, but rather a mindset of community partnership, collaboration, and creation. ”

Source- https://www.makerspaces.com/what-is-a-makerspace/
« Last Edit: February 24, 2018, 01:23:20 PM by Reyed Mia (Apprentice, DIU) »
Reyed Mia (BBA and MBA in Finance)
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Daffodil International University
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