Skip to 0 minutes and 4 seconds What exactly is a makerspace? Well, to put it simply, it’s a space for making, but they are also far much more than that. Makerspaces encourage us to discover how things work, to mend, to reuse, to hack, to build. They help us to break the habit of throwing things away and buying them new. They inspire us to think like makers and to develop our creative, collaborative, and problem solving skills. In this open online course from the University of Sheffield, we will explore the benefits of making for adults and children alike. We will look at how to develop your own makerspaces, whether that is starting small with a pop-up makerspace or developing a whole dedicated area and programme of activities.
Skip to 0 minutes and 49 seconds We will visit successful maker enterprises, from community startups to school classrooms, from factory assembly lines to companies like Lego, and see how they’re able to influence and nurture our maker mindsets. We’ll speak to artists, engineers, academics, and museums. We’ll learn what maker skills employers need and why these skills are revolutionising businesses. As part of my work I help schools, libraries, and museums develop their own maker spaces. I train educators in how to run them and support schools by developing maker activities and projects for the classroom, and I hope to pass this knowledge on to you as you start your own makerspaces journey. You’ll be offered a wealth of tips, hacks, and suggestions for creating a makerspace of your own.
Skip to 1 minute and 40 seconds How to get started with what you already have, how to make them accessible, how to engage with your community, and most of all, how to inspire the next generation of creative thinkers. So if you’re ready, come and join us and jump into the wonderful world of makerspaces for creative learning.
