Reposted from Edutopia.org--original article (found here) by Patrick Waters Maker education is a new school of educational thought which strives to deliver constructivist, project-based learning curriculum and instructional units. Makerspaces can be full high school workshops with a bevy of high-tech tools, or as small and low tech as one corner of an elementary classroom. What defines a makerspace isn't just the tools and equipment, but the learning that happens as students begin making and creating projects. Educators need to design these spaces to reach a diverse set of learners, particularly populations underserved in STEM subjects, and students with neurological differences, learning differences, and special needs. Makerspaces provide a number of benefits and opportunities for typical students. It just so happens that the type of learning Makerspaces promote best is also the type of learning that students with learning challenges need most.

“Although the Common Core and the Maker Movement grew from two very different places…both reflect a larger shift in how we think about teaching and learning, one that recognizes that rote testing isn’t going to prepare kids for the dynamic world ahead that will ask them to adapt to new technology and problems faster than we have ever had to.”

Did you see our last post on the Maker Movement? Still wondering what it is and what the movement's implication is for education? We created our newest white paper to answer these questions and more.

This lesson plan is part of our partnership with two super creative educators from The Curriculum Corner, bringing you free Common Core aligned lesson ideas, teacher resources, and templates you can easily print with your VariQuest® Perfecta® Poster Design System - just be sure you have the latest version of the VariQuest Software! Lesson: Introduction the Scientific Method

We are excited to announce our partnership with two super creative educators from The Curriculum Corner! You can expect to see more blog posts containing free Common Core aligned lesson ideas, teacher resources and templates you can easily print with your VariQuest® Perfecta® Poster Design System - just be sure you have the latest version of the VariQuest Software! Lesson: Introduction to Problem Solving Strategies (Two-Day Lesson)

We are excited to announce our partnership with two super creative educators from The Curriculum Corner! You can expect to see more blog posts containing free Common Core aligned lesson ideas, teacher resources and templates you can easily print with your VariQuest Perfecta® Series Poster Design System or VariQuest Poster Maker - just be sure you have the latest VariQuest Software! Lesson: Review of the Scientific Method Level: Intermediate

Engage students with this hands-on activity that leads them to understand the formula for the area of a circle. Pi Day, 3/14, is considered a national holiday to most math instructors. To commemorate this day, or to help incorporate a tactile learning experience in which students understand the formulas for the area and circumference of a circle, use the following paper folding activity.

In honor of Mathematics Awareness Month, the following activities provide creative ways to incorporate manipulatives into the core math instruction in your classroom.

Featuring Cannon Elementary: A GCSID STEM School

Challenge students to decode the algebraic equations behind number “tricks”