132 - Makerspaces with Sarah Woods and Elizabeth Perry

The International Schools Podcast

Makerspaces: rooms filled with tools and gadgets or creative havens that are transforming learning in international schools? Join Sarah & Elizabeth: two Makerspace educators share their experiences and insights. We delve into pressing questions: Why are Makerspaces essential in today's education? What are the common myths and misunderstandings surrounding them in schools? Discover how schools can foster a culture of making, integrating it seamlessly with design thinking principles to engage students across various mediums. How through Makerspaces educators and schools can nurture problem-solving skills and innovative approaches to learning across all ages in an international school

About Sarah Woods

Innovation Integration Coach & Design Teacher currently living in the Caribbean and teaching at Cayman International School, but heading to Prague in the fall to work at ISP and teaching design and computer programming (lite) . Previously I've lived in Uzbekistan, Amsterdam, Ukraine, and Hong Kong. I'm keen on all things that involve some kind of making stuff (3D printing! Crochet! Everything in-between!). I'm also super enthusiastic about tools that make work more efficient which has gotten me into doing a lot of using Google products, which led me to being a Google Trainer, Innovator, and Champion.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-woods01

About Elizabeth Perry

I am a teacher, writer, and artist with a particular interest in making, tinkering, and play. I have been at the International School of Prague since 2015, where my current title is Design and Innovation Coach. Before moving overseas, I taught for many years in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I have also consulted for Google in K-12 education and outreach, and have been a fellow at the Studio for Creative Inquiry at Carnegie-Mellon University. I am a lifelong maker, with particular interests in textiles, mechanical toys, and wearable tech. I draw something every day. My pronouns are she/her/hers.

I am @elizabethperry on Twitter, but now that it has taken a turn towards X, I am there less and less. @elizabethperry on Threads, which may become a successor/replacement? On Instagram I am @elizabethperry (photography and some making projects) and @elizabethperrysketchbook (daily drawings - current location for a project approaching its twentieth year)

Resources

Mark Rober: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY1kMZp36IQSyNx_9h4mpCg

Tinkercad: https://www.tinkercad.com/

Toys from Trash - Arvind Gupta - A site full of activities and things to make requiring no budget and no complex tools, but many projects teach scientific and engineering principles - all are fun!

Instructables - crowdsourced DIY - consider having students contribute as well as use the site. A great place to find project ideas. (As with everything crowdsourced, read through all the comments and corrections!)

The Art of Tinkering, by Karen Wilkinson and Mike Petrich - not a new book, but a very useful one.

John Mikton on Social Media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmikton/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmikton

Web: beyonddigital.org

Dan Taylor on social media:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/appsevents

Twitter: https://twitter.com/appdkt

Web: www.appsevents.com

Listen on: iTunes / Podbean / Stitcher / Spotify / YouTube

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