Remaking Education with the "Maker" Movement

I was catching up on checking out my usual blogs to find resources to share with the teachers I work with when I came across a post on the CNN Schools of Thought blog. It was discussing the current state of science education in our country and how it is being minimized in both the amount of time spent on teaching science concepts and in the way it is being taught. More and more students are being prepared for standardized tests, and are being told "what" the science concepts they need to learn are, and are not given the hands on opportunities to explore "why" these concepts work they way they do. 

The post, Teach Kids to Make Things, talks about ways the Maker Movement is being utilized to increase students interest and understanding of science and engineering concepts. Wait...you don't know what the maker movement is? Well, just think of it as a bunch of mad scientist/inventor types that in shared spaces to tinker on ideas and create some pretty amazing stuff. These "Maker Spaces" are popping up all over too. Community center type places are popping up in cities, museums, and even schools!

These places usually have are equipped with equipment and resources for people to use to get started creating. Usually, members of the space will teach classes and workshops to each other, and offer support through mentoring and team work. 

This hands on/project based approach fosters deep learning of concepts, and inspires people of all ages to pursue knowledge and create bigger and better things. Many believe, me included, that this is the way we can help students learn that is much more meaningful than the current test prep approach schools are being forced into.

The blog I read referenced an article about two extraordinary kids that have been inspired by this movement and are creating amazing inventions, teaching others, and even running their own businesses! (They are chauffeured by their parents though...) 

Quin Etnyre and Sylvia Todd are both young makers that are doing some amazing things. Here is the full article from September's Popular Science about what they have been doing:
 A 12 Year-Old's Quest To Remake Education, One Arduino At A Time

I have also posted videos from these two inventors' YouTube channels below so you can really see how amazing what they are doing is.

Quin Etnyre Shows How He Created His "Fuzz Bot"

Sylvia Todd Shows How You Can Create a Heart Monitoring Necklace