MakerEd on a Budget
Hey Coach,
I love the sound of Maker Ed, but I don’t have the funds for new technology tools. How can I integrate Making into my classroom without a huge budget?
Sincerely,
Making on a Budget
Dear Making on a Budget,
I am so glad to hear that you are wanting to incorporate Maker Education into your classroom. MakerEd inspires students to think for themselves. Instead of showing the student how to do something, they are charged to question, learn, try, fail, and try again. Most importantly, they share and learn from many different sources. iTeach believes that Maker Education can transform teaching and learning, encouraging all students to collaborate, hack, invent, share, create, make, and do. With that in mind, there’s no need to stress about funding for expensive technology tools, because students can make in all sorts of ways!
When you are planning for Maker Education, start simple. One of my favorite ways to incorporate MakerEd into the classroom is with Novel Engineering. Novel Engineering combines literacy with STEM, giving students an opportunity to work through the Engineering-Design Process. Students start by reading their assigned or chosen text. Then they identify problems that the characters encounter within the book. Finally, they design and create solutions! The easiest way to collect supplies for this type of project is to ask for donations from families in your classroom or hold a school-wide recycling drive. These supplies can consist of anything from toilet paper rolls to disposable cups. If you work within your grade level, each class can collect different supplies and share the resources to work on Maker projects.
Two other Maker projects that require little to no supplies are Green Screen and Stop Motion. For Green Screen projects, all you need is a green background - like a cheap green table cloth or shower curtain - and an app. My favorite is Do Ink, but there are several other free and inexpensive apps available. Check out a comparison of popular apps here. Students can collaborate to write scripts, create props, design a set, and much more, all while sharing what they create beyond the classroom. A great way to get started with a green screen project is to have students learn about a current event and create a newscast or create an alternative ending to a story.
For Stop Motion, all you need is a free app, like Stop Motion Studio, and either paper and a pencil or some type of manipulative. My favorite is modeling clay. Students can create a modern version of the flipbook to demonstrate their understanding of a concept or create something new. An easy place to start with Stop Motion is having students work through a cycle or process - the Water Cycle is an easy one.
Lastly, if you are looking to try something new and incorporate more technology into your Making, the easiest way to get funding is to look into grants or donations. Most likely, your school or district will be able to connect you with resources about getting funding for items for your classroom.
For some additional ways to get started with MakerEd, check out our MakerEd Padlet and Instructables for some projects with step-by-step guides. The Getting Started with MakerEd infographic gives you additional ideas and information for incorporating MakerEd into your classroom.
All the best,
Coach
