Role of the Maker

Establishing the role of the maker is a key component of promoting a maker mindset

among makers in the makerspace. In order to take on a maker mindset, makers must understand their roles as makers: what makers should do, how makers should act, what makers should consider. Facilitators can influence the role makers play in the space by treating

makers as active participants in their learning, encouraging makers to teach each other, and allowing makers to make as many choices as possible.

Treating makers as active participants in their learning both encourages and inspires

makers to try new things, because they can take more control over their learning. With more of a sense of agency, makers who are active participants in their learning want to continue

learning new things, because they have engaged in the learning process in a hands-on way. Instead of treating makers as empty vessels to be filled with knowledge, facilitators should be involving makers in the learning process by incorporating as many hands-on learning

opportunities as possible. In the school-based makerspace, the predominant form of instruction was lectures and demonstrations. While lectures and demonstrations will be necessary to teach new techniques and new technology, hands-on activities should outweigh passive forms of learning. Activating the makers’ learning process requires them to actively engage with what they are learning.

One way to activate makers’ learning is to engage the makers as teachers for each

other. Ensuring that makers understand a concept that has been introduced, facilitators can teach select makers to use and maintain the technology, techniques, and methods that those makers need to create what they want to create. Rather than teaching all of the makers the same technique at once, facilitators can teach relevant skills to makers who need them. Those makers can then teach those skills to other makers once those makers need to learn those skills. Teaching skills are a way of practicing those skills, improving the makers’ understanding of concepts they are taught. Teaching other makers also places makers in a place of authority, promoting their involvement in the makerspace and their sense of belonging. Embracing a teacher role in the makerspace will boost makers’ confidence in their skills. Including teacher as a role for makers promotes the idea that makers are in charge of their learning within the makerspace.

Ensuring that makers maintain the ability to be in charge of their learning involves

often in a makerspace are choices. Facilitators should ask makers: What problem do you want to solve? What do you want to make? What’s the best way to make it? Makers should be able to choose the problems they want to solve, the materials they should use, the best tools for the job, and what to make. Equipping makers to make choices promotes the role of the maker as the decider of what is made within the makerspace.

Establishing the role of the maker depends on the facilitators’ willingness to allow the

makers to control as many aspects of their own learning as possible. Makers should be able to take on an active role in the makerspace, making their own choices and decisions. The role of the maker in a makerspace should be one of partnership, engagement, and confidence. 5.3.2 Role of the Facilitator

The role of the facilitator is to promote a maker mindset by tactfully teaching technology concepts and providing relevant challenges for makers to take the lead on solving. Even if it is

housed in a school, the makerspace is generally a more informal learning environment. The role of the facilitator in promoting a maker mindset among the makers in the makerspace is

different than the role of a teacher in a classroom situation. A facilitator is not a teacher, but more of a guide for the makers within the space. The makers should be taking the lead in their learning, and the facilitators should be providing guidance to the makers while following their lead. Makers were more engaged in the making processes that they chose for themselves. Facilitators can fill this role by making sure that makers are in the position to make the best choices for their own making processes, by teaching relevant techniques and presenting them with relevant problems.

Facilitators should hold more knowledge about the tools and equipment within the

space than the makers, and they should impart that knowledge in a way that is meaningful for the makers’ growth in the makerspace. Any technology that is available for makers to use should be introduced to the makers, so that makers can take the lead on the production process using the tools. The facilitator can teach the technology in a way that engages the makers by teaching the technology when the makers need the technology. Introducing the

technology as the makers need the technology, depending on the projects they are interested in making, ensures that makers can choose technology that best fits their needs, rather than all learning the same technology at once that may or may not be the best means of making what they are interested in making. Facilitators should provide an overview of tools and equipment that is tailored to the needs of the makers.

Facilitators can guide makers’ decision by presenting them with problems to solve that

are interesting and engaging. To ensure that makers are leading the making process, facilitators should allow makers to choose a problem to solve and how to solve it. Completely open

options can be overwhelming for young makers, so providing them a starting point can be better guidance than asking, “What do you want to make?” To start the makers on the right path, facilitators should present a variety of options of problems that are engaging to makers and relevant to real-world situations. facilitators should offer guidance throughout the process that is tailored for each maker.

Serving as a guide to makers, rather than an instructor, ensures that facilitators are

allowing makers to be in charge of their own learning. Promoting a maker mindset means that makers must be engaged in the learning process through hands-on processes.