What is Making?
“Making is one of the most powerful tools we have for accomplishing the goals of K-12 education, as well as for advancing American society as a whole. The essence of making is continuously asking questions about how things work and how to make things better"
--Thomas Kalil, Deputy Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
--Thomas Kalil, Deputy Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
What is Critical Making?
- Developed from theories on learning in constructionism, constructivism, and critical theory.
- Emphasizes action, reflection, and community dialogue to promote social change.
- Values diverse learners’ resources and funds of knowledge.
- Supports STEM-underrepresented youth as “change agents” in their communities.
- Especially relevant for girls, who enjoy the collaborative and community-oriented aspects of Making.
- More research needs to be done on critical making activities and what meaning they have for youth.
References:
[1] Blikstein, P. (2008). In Social Justice Education for Teachers: Paulo Freire and the Possible Dream, Eds. Sense.
[2] Calabrese Barton, A., Tan, E., and Greenberg, D. (2016). Teachers College Record. To appear.
[3] Cavallo, D., Blikstein, P., Sipitakiat, A., Basu, A., Camargo, A.,de Deus Lopes, R., & Cavallo, A. (2004). Proceedings of IEEE.
[4] Eglash, R., Gilbert, J. E., & Foster, E. (2013). Communications of the ACM, 56(7), 33-36.
[5] Gutiérrez, K. (2008). Read Res Quart. 43,2. 148–164.
[6] Kuznetsov, S., Taylor, A. S., Regan, T., Villar, N., & Paulos, E. (2012). In Critical Making. Telharmonium Press.
[7] Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Theory into practice, 31(2), 132-141.
[8] Wittemyer et al. (2014). MakeHers: Engaging girls and women in technology through making, creating, and inventing. Retrieved from http://www.Wittemyer et. al, 2014.com/content/www/us/en/technology-in-education/making-her-future-report.html
[1] Blikstein, P. (2008). In Social Justice Education for Teachers: Paulo Freire and the Possible Dream, Eds. Sense.
[2] Calabrese Barton, A., Tan, E., and Greenberg, D. (2016). Teachers College Record. To appear.
[3] Cavallo, D., Blikstein, P., Sipitakiat, A., Basu, A., Camargo, A.,de Deus Lopes, R., & Cavallo, A. (2004). Proceedings of IEEE.
[4] Eglash, R., Gilbert, J. E., & Foster, E. (2013). Communications of the ACM, 56(7), 33-36.
[5] Gutiérrez, K. (2008). Read Res Quart. 43,2. 148–164.
[6] Kuznetsov, S., Taylor, A. S., Regan, T., Villar, N., & Paulos, E. (2012). In Critical Making. Telharmonium Press.
[7] Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Theory into practice, 31(2), 132-141.
[8] Wittemyer et al. (2014). MakeHers: Engaging girls and women in technology through making, creating, and inventing. Retrieved from http://www.Wittemyer et. al, 2014.com/content/www/us/en/technology-in-education/making-her-future-report.html