Design

Identify a topic for your maker-learning project centered in the needs and interests of your learners.
Design opportunities within your project for learners to exercise voice and choice.
Identify your reason for using maker-centered learning to reach your learners and align those reasons with your learners’ motivations and expectations of the project.
Select tools and materials that can support learners to reach the project end-product.
Create a process for learners to document the project experience.
Develop an opportunity for learners to share their learnings with an audience.

Build rapport with learners by understanding their interests, skills, and needs.
Increase opportunities for powerful learning within existing projects.
Intentionally select tools and materials that support the learning experience.
Refine project goals to ensure alignment with your learners’ interests and needs.
Support learners as they reflect on their learnings throughout the project.
Increase real-world relevance by creating opportunities for learners to share their experience beyond your program.

Identify a topic for your maker-learning project centered in the needs and interests of your learners.
Design opportunities within your project for learners to exercise voice and choice.
Identify your reason for using maker-centered learning to reach your learners and align those reasons with your learners’ motivations and expectations of the project.
Select tools and materials that can support learners to reach the project end-product.
Create a process for learners to document the project experience.
Develop an opportunity for learners to share their learnings with an audience.

Build rapport with learners by understanding their interests, skills, and needs.
Increase opportunities for powerful learning within existing projects.
Intentionally select tools and materials that support the learning experience.
Refine project goals to ensure alignment with your learners’ interests and needs.
Support learners as they reflect on their learnings throughout the project.
Increase real-world relevance by creating opportunities for learners to share their experience beyond your program.

Project Concept

Brainstorm a list of project topics that incorporate your learners’ interests and community needs
For sustained engagements in classrooms or afterschool programs, consider the aspects of previous projects that have excited and interested your learners. Think about the interests and skills your learners have outside of your work together that could be leveraged in this project. For short-term engagements, gather information about your learners through an onboarding survey or application aimed at understanding their interests and skills/expertise. You can also use these tools to clarify what expectations or ideas your learners might be bringing to this project/program.

Define your project topic and guidance for an output
After you have identified a potential topic, continue to refine your idea and identify your learners’ potential end goals. If your project topic is rooted in a community challenge, explore the Root Cause activity to identify your core reason for this challenge (or problem) that your project is aiming to address. This process supports users in designing an effective solution that addresses the cause of a challenge. When designing the guidelines for your learners’ end product or goal, you can leverage the How Might We activities to generate potential project outputs.

Aligning your values with those of your learners
What motivates you to engage in maker-centered learning? Use Maker Ed’s Values Mapping Grid to identify your values and vision for this project. It’s important to have a clear lens of what your project is aiming to do. Engage in this Active Listening protocol with a colleague or design partner to ensure balance between your values and the interests and expectations of your learners.

Community or school-based projects:

Consider focusing your project on a challenge within your community.
Brainstorm challenges with your learners.
Invite learners to collect data and interview community members to identify or receive feedback on their identified challenges. Use the Ciena Solution’s guide E.Empathize.Empathy Interview to help learners gain experience interviewing a peer.

Glamorouz Gemz designed and distributed a survey to gain an understanding of who their learners are. This survey included questions about their favorite subject, ambitions, and their experience with entrepreneurship. By distributing this survey, Danielle B. and Danielle R. were able to learn more about their Gemz and identify who would be interested in participating in their pilot.
The Pittsburgh Learning Commons mural team primarily met online. Lisa thought deeply about what materials they could provide to learners to differentiate time and space for engaging in making. Lisa found art easels that provide each learner with somewhere to create and store their portrait and materials.
A broader topic and flexible end goals will allow for your learners to exercise their autonomy and make the project their own

Community or school-based projects:

Consider focusing your project on a challenge within your community.
Brainstorm challenges with your learners.
Invite learners to collect data and interview community members to identify or receive feedback on their identified challenges. Use the Ciena Solution’s guide E.Empathize.Empathy Interview to help learners gain experience interviewing a peer.

Glamorouz Gemz designed and distributed a survey to gain an understanding of who their learners are. This survey included questions about their favorite subject, ambitions, and their experience with entrepreneurship. By distributing this survey, Danielle B. and Danielle R. were able to learn more about their Gemz and identify who would be interested in participating in their pilot.
The Pittsburgh Learning Commons mural team primarily met online. Lisa thought deeply about what materials they could provide to learners to differentiate time and space for engaging in making. Lisa found art easels that provide each learner with somewhere to create and store their portrait and materials.
A broader topic and flexible end goals will allow for your learners to exercise their autonomy and make the project their own

Project Concept Resources

Project Characteristics

The Maker Learning @ Home cohort members generated a list of project characteristics to identify the areas essential to their design process. Review these project characteristics in relation to your context and need to help you to design the facilitation and implementation for your project.

Recruitment

How might we ensure that all learners feel welcomed and invited to participate?

Designing an inclusive and intentional recruitment strategy can help ensure that all learners who are interested in participating feel welcomed and invited. Check out the “Making is for Everyone” infographic to think more deeply about the context that your project is situated in, and reflect on how your previous recruitment strategies can be more thoughtful and intentional to include the learners you want to reach.

Accessibility

How might we increase accessibility for learners?

There are opportunities to increase and address accessibility throughout the project design. For example:

Design of the project: Consider what technological requirements you are asking for learners who are engaging remotely. How can you ensure accessibility when learners are sharing devices or have a weak internet connection? One idea might be to use funding to secure hotspots or to be flexible with your check-ins and allow for phone calls or using no camera.

Culmination: You might be interested in inviting parents and families to engage in a showcase event at the end of your project. You can increase accessibility by ensuring that written materials are translated or that there will be closed captions available in different languages so that families can engage in the celebration

Tools and Materials

How might we identify tools and materials that will support learners with reaching their goals?

We know that when some people think of maker learning, they might think of a specific tool and think that they are synonymous. While tools and materials are an essential part of the making experience, they are not at the center. The Materials Matter infographic discusses how intentionality behind selecting the right tools can help deepen learning.

Use the Evaluating Tools protocol to determine which materials and tools would be best suited for this project and your learning context.

Learner Leadership

How might we create opportunities for learners to build their leadership skills?

If your context has learners of varying age groups or experiences, consider how you might bring these groups together. Providing opportunities for learners to act as leaders and mentors to younger students offers potential to build community among your learners.

Collaboration

How might we weave in invitations for learners to collaborate and support one another?

We know that learning remotely can be isolating. Your making project can have the opportunity to both support learners as they continue working independently while creating space for collaboration and support. If learners are meeting over Zoom at a regular cadence, consider having regular checkpoints where they can share where they are in their project and ask for advice.

Relationship Building

How might we build community while engaging in this project?

While engaging in this project, learners have the opportunity to learn more about one another. Their experiences and expertise are unique assets to your learning community. Creating opportunities within your meetings where learners share more about themselves through ice breakers or discussions can help them create relationships with one another.

Partnerships

How might we identify community partners whose missions and values align with our goals?

Going beyond your project community has the potential to increase the real world authenticity of your project. Consider asking your learners about the people in their community who are experts in your project topic.

Recruitment

How might we ensure that all learners feel welcomed and invited to participate?

Designing an inclusive and intentional recruitment strategy can help ensure that all learners who are interested in participating feel welcomed and invited. Check out the “Making is for Everyone” infographic to think more deeply about the context that your project is situated in, and reflect on how your previous recruitment strategies can be more thoughtful and intentional to include the learners you want to reach.

Accessibility

How might we increase accessibility for learners?

There are opportunities to increase and address accessibility throughout the project design. For example:

Design of the project: Consider what technological requirements you are asking for learners who are engaging remotely. How can you ensure accessibility when learners are sharing devices or have a weak internet connection? One idea might be to use funding to secure hotspots or to be flexible with your check-ins and allow for phone calls or using no camera.

Culmination: You might be interested in inviting parents and families to engage in a showcase event at the end of your project. You can increase accessibility by ensuring that written materials are translated or that there will be closed captions available in different languages so that families can engage in the celebration

Tools and Materials

How might we identify tools and materials that will support learners with reaching their goals?

We know that when some people think of maker learning, they might think of a specific tool and think that they are synonymous. While tools and materials are an essential part of the making experience, they are not at the center. The Materials Matter infographic discusses how intentionality behind selecting the right tools can help deepen learning.

Use the Evaluating Tools protocol to determine which materials and tools would be best suited for this project and your learning context.

Learner Leadership

How might we create opportunities for learners to build their leadership skills?

If your context has learners of varying age groups or experiences, consider how you might bring these groups together. Providing opportunities for learners to act as leaders and mentors to younger students offers potential to build community among your learners.

Collaboration

How might we weave in invitations for learners to collaborate and support one another?

We know that learning remotely can be isolating. Your making project can have the opportunity to both support learners as they continue working independently while creating space for collaboration and support. If learners are meeting over Zoom at a regular cadence, consider having regular checkpoints where they can share where they are in their project and ask for advice.

Relationship Building

How might we build community while engaging in this project?

While engaging in this project, learners have the opportunity to learn more about one another. Their experiences and expertise are unique assets to your learning community. Creating opportunities within your meetings where learners share more about themselves through ice breakers or discussions can help them create relationships with one another.

Partnerships

How might we identify community partners whose missions and values align with our goals?

Going beyond your project community has the potential to increase the real world authenticity of your project. Consider asking your learners about the people in their community who are experts in your project topic.

For short-term engagements:

Consider your timeline. How are you supporting learners to achieve their end goal? What is feasible for learners to accomplish in this time period?

For spaces with dedicated tools and materials:

How will learners have access to these tools while working remotely?
What systems are in place for learners to gather the supplies that they need?
What supports exist to help learners access resources?
Consider: tool lending, pick-up/drop-off times, maker kits.

For spaces without dedicated tools and materials:

What supports exist within your community to help learners access resources?
What are flexible alternatives found in the home that could support your project?
Consider: ReUse organizations, connecting with community members to collect consumables like cardboard, paper, or old art supplies.

The Pittsburgh Learning Commons mural team primarily met online. Lisa thought deeply about what materials they could provide to learners to differentiate time and space for engaging in making. Lisa found art easels that provide each learner with somewhere to create and store their portrait and materials.
Consider creative alternatives to items like tape or scissors, prevent “required” materials by having multiple flexible options for learners to use what they have access to.

For short-term engagements:

Consider your timeline. How are you supporting learners to achieve their end goal? What is feasible for learners to accomplish in this time period?

For spaces with dedicated tools and materials:

How will learners have access to these tools while working remotely?
What systems are in place for learners to gather the supplies that they need?
What supports exist to help learners access resources?
Consider: tool lending, pick-up/drop-off times, maker kits.

For spaces without dedicated tools and materials:

What supports exist within your community to help learners access resources?
What are flexible alternatives found in the home that could support your project?
Consider: ReUse organizations, connecting with community members to collect consumables like cardboard, paper, or old art supplies.

The Pittsburgh Learning Commons mural team primarily met online. Lisa thought deeply about what materials they could provide to learners to differentiate time and space for engaging in making. Lisa found art easels that provide each learner with somewhere to create and store their portrait and materials.
Consider creative alternatives to items like tape or scissors, prevent “required” materials by having multiple flexible options for learners to use what they have access to.

Learner Documentation

A valuable aspect of your project will be identifying methods for learners to capture their process as they engage in making. By capturing this process, you will have the opportunity to gain an understanding of your learners’ approach to their project and challenges they encounter.

Use this questioning protocol as a self-reflection tool or with a colleague to define how you will support your learners with documenting their process:

Ideas:

How do you plan to support your learners with documenting their process
What tools or platforms are you exploring?
How can learners have voice and choice in this process?

Challenges

What are potential barriers for learners documenting their work in this project?
What challenges are you facing in regards to project documentation?

Successes

What success have you had in regards to project documentation?
What models do you know of for project documentation?

Questions

What questions do you have as you are developing this process?

In-school program requiring assessment measures:

Rubrics are one way that maker educators can more formally assess learning. Explore the Buck Institute for Education’s resources for assessing project-based learning.

Project focused on a addressing a community challenge:

Consider identifying an audience that your learners can keep in mind as they develop their solution. For example, learners may want to share their idea with an important stakeholder like a principal or a board. Providing a clear sense of the audience can support learners with identifying important aspects of their process that they should share in the presentation of their final product.

Cohort members of the Maker Learning @ Home cohort leveraged the tool Padlet to document their experiences. At each session, cohort members used their Padlet space to access resources and reflect on the day’s activities. In between sessions, cohort members documented their project progress in Padlet by incorporating stories and uploading artifacts from their work.

In-school program requiring assessment measures:

Rubrics are one way that maker educators can more formally assess learning. Explore the Buck Institute for Education’s resources for assessing project-based learning.

Project focused on a addressing a community challenge:

Consider identifying an audience that your learners can keep in mind as they develop their solution. For example, learners may want to share their idea with an important stakeholder like a principal or a board. Providing a clear sense of the audience can support learners with identifying important aspects of their process that they should share in the presentation of their final product.

Cohort members of the Maker Learning @ Home cohort leveraged the tool Padlet to document their experiences. At each session, cohort members used their Padlet space to access resources and reflect on the day’s activities. In between sessions, cohort members documented their project progress in Padlet by incorporating stories and uploading artifacts from their work.

Learner Documentation Resources

Reflection and Celebration

Creating space for reflection supports learners in deepening their learning and understanding of themselves. You can create opportunities for learners to engage in reflection at project milestones and at the culmination. A tool you can leverage for reflection is Project Zero’s Thinking Routines Toolbox, which provides protocols for scaffolding and supporting learners’ thinking.

The culmination of your project can extend beyond creating a product. Offering your students an opportunity to celebrate and showcase their project, in the form of show and tell or a conversation with community members, can increase the authenticity and relevance of the project. Your learners can create with more intention when they have a clear sense of their audience. By sharing beyond their peers, there is an opportunity for their work to serve a purpose in a real-world context.

Projects with limited synchronous participation:

Consider incorporating checkpoints ahead of your synchronous meetings so that you can tailor the agenda to your learners needs.
Consider prioritizing opportunities for learners to collaborate and connect with one another in live sessions.

Projects with regular synchronous participation:

Consider opportunities for student leadership and community by creating small teams of learners who regularly connect and support one another in their project.

Showcase opportunities can be virtual or in person.
- Virtual: Students can create brief presentations compiling artifacts from their learning to share with their families.
- In person: Hosting a show and tell with community members where learners can share their own experiences.

Projects with limited synchronous participation:

Consider incorporating checkpoints ahead of your synchronous meetings so that you can tailor the agenda to your learners needs.
Consider prioritizing opportunities for learners to collaborate and connect with one another in live sessions.

Projects with regular synchronous participation:

Consider opportunities for student leadership and community by creating small teams of learners who regularly connect and support one another in their project.

Showcase opportunities can be virtual or in person.
- Virtual: Students can create brief presentations compiling artifacts from their learning to share with their families.
- In person: Hosting a show and tell with community members where learners can share their own experiences.

Reflection and Celebration Resources

Implement & Iterate

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