Don't Waste Money on a Makerspace... #MakerEd

...if you are not going to support your staff with professional development.

One of the things I encounter on the internet and in my travels are schools that have spent lots of money on makerspaces, but have not provided a framework of support for teachers on how to get the most out of them. I have seen the same thing done with interactive whiteboards, chromebooks, and other pieces of technology rolled out into schools. Makerspaces require much more support than one would think. It is because teachers need to shift their instructional practices to truly get the most out of the new space.

Project Based Learning and Design Thinking are a couple of approaches that can help teachers truly understand and lesson plan in ways that will have students utilize a makerspace. It usually starts off with teachers creating lessons that just allow students to make things at home or in the classroom. As their creativity increases, there will become a greater need for a variety of tools. That is where a Makerspace can truly have a wonderful impact on instruction.

If you are considering add a makerspace to your building, please consider finding ways to provide professional support for the instructional practices that teachers will need to best utilize the space. Trust me, you do not need to spend an arm and a leg to do it either. 

Let Your Students Be Storytellers #MakerEd #EdChat

Anybody that knows me, knows that I love to tell a story. I also love hearing a good story. There is something so beautiful about the exchange of stories between groups of people. People think that stories are only verbally shared between people and that is not true. Look around you right now and you might not notice it, but you are surrounded by stories. Everything ever made has a story. It is a very cool way to look at the world. 

When young makers come into the makerspace, I want them to not only think about what is going to be made, but what story is the piece going to tell. Making, whether it is painting, coding, knitting, etc, is part storytelling. It is why there are such large and supportive communities dedicated to making various things. I have become part of the Turning and Beginners Woodworking communities on Reddit and it has really made me appreciate the amazing work being done by others and the stories that are shared. 

As we look at the different ways we want to engage our students in learning, storytelling is a wonderful approach. Give the students a chance to create something amazing and have them tell you the story of the learning that happened through the piece. That is what we want to see in the classroom. That is the type of education we need in the classroom. We have gone decades focused on creating consumers. It is time to support our students as the storytellers they naturally are and let them create amazing things. 

Project Based Learning really changed everything about my classroom. It is one of the best approaches to instruction that I have ever used in the classroom. If you want to learn more about Project Based Learning and implementing it in your school or classroom, feel free to reach out to me or you can check out my book, Beyond the Poster Board. 

Please Adjust Your Mask Before Helping Others #EdChat

I am on my way to #TCEA and I was listening to the pre-flight instructions when the safety video came on. They showed how to put on the O2 masks and a line that I have heard many, many times, stuck a chord with me.

"Please make sure to adjust your mask before helping others."

For whatever reason, this really stood out to me. I have been writing about MakerEd and Mental Health the past few months and maybe that is why I connected with this statement. February can be a hard month for teachers. Especially teachers in the North that are not getting enough sunlight day to day. It is so important to make sure we, as educators, take care of ourselves first so we can help others around us. 

As someone who deals with depression and anxiety, making sure that I get a good handle on my mental health is key for me being successful in the classroom each day. If I am a hot mess in my head, I will be a hot mess in school. For those that are dealing with the same malaise as many other teachers, here are some things that have worked to help take care of myself so I can help others. 

1. Eat Healthy

A study from last year looked at how a diet can impact mental health. A group of people were given a Mediterranean-style diet for multiple weeks and were found to have reduced feelings of depression. An article from Harvard found that the different types of food you intake can have drastic implications on mental health in the short term and long term. Personally, when I have made a specific effort to cut back on red meat, eat more fruits and veggies, and whole grains, I am less likely to deal with bouts of depression. Making these types of choices can be hard, but the Science behind doing it to support mental health is very interesting. 

2. Exercise 

I have struggled with multiple herniated disks, a bad knee, and a bad ankle. I have always been an active person, but it gets harder when you get busier and older. Just 5 years ago I trained and ran a half marathon. It was the most in-shape I have been recently. However, back problems had me stop working out, which led to weight gain, which causes more back pain, which leads to sitting more, which leads...

Here is an article from Psychology Today that explains the Science behind exercise and mental health. 

"...exercise reduces the likelihood of depression and also maintains mental health as we age. On the treatment side, exercise appears to be as good as existing pharmacological interventions across a range of conditions, such as mild to moderate depression, dementia, and anxiety, and even reduces cognitive issues in schizophrenia.

But how?

Put simply: Exercise directly affects the brain. Regular exercise increases the volume of certain brain regions—in part through better blood supply that improves neuronal health by improving the delivery of oxygen and nutrients; and through an increase in neurotrophic factors and neurohormones that support neuron signaling, growth, and connections. 

Of critical importance for mental health is the hippocampus—an area of the brain involved in memory, emotion regulation, and learning. Studies in other animals show convincingly that exercise leads to the creation of new hippocampal neurons (neurogenesis), with preliminary evidence suggesting this is also true in humans."

Finding the time to workout is easier said than done. Finding the best workout for yourself when you deal with chronic pain is also difficult. I have found that VR workouts have been awesome for my knees and back. I do VR boxing with the Creed app on my Oculus Quest. I can get in a good swear in 45-60 minutes punching virtual sides of beef or a virtual Rocky Balboa. It is pretty low impact and it works great for me.

3. Indulge in a Hobby

I've recently written about the positive impact of making on mental health. I am a person that is happy when they are working on something. I have made so many things over the past decade to help me with my depression and anxiety. I've built with Raspberry Pi,

View this post on Instagram

and have started to spend more time teaching myself the ins and outs of woodworking using a lathe. I have made pens, bowls, rings and more.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Jan 9, 2020 at 4:28pm PST

When I'm making, I get lost in my world. All the fears, anxiety, and depression melt away. It is such a nice and calming thing for me to do. I try and set aside time before school to make something or continue on a larger project. That calm really gets me going for the day. It is important to find the hobby that makes you happy and make time for it. It will make you feel better. It is Science. 

4. Compliment Others

It might sound weird, but complimenting other people can actually make you feel better. Surprise, there is Science to back this up. Here is a video from SoulPancake that shows the power of simple compliments in a relationship. Just by giving more compliments in your day, you are likely to receive more and everyone around you will be happier. This happiness is an awesome feeling and great and taking care of yourself and others. 

Taking care of yourself is not something many teachers have been taught. We are expected to give all of ourselves to our students and take what is left over and give it to our loved ones at home. What does that leave a person for themself? We cannot run on empty all of the time. It is not good for anyone. Take the time and adjust your mask first so that you are better prepared to support the ones you love in the classroom and in your home.