K-12 Maker Experiential Learning Opportunities
for MIT Students
for MIT Students
Get involved in K-12 Making with a supervised research project
UROPs for K12Maker Lab at MIT Edgerton Center
Fall 2024
Fall 2024
1. Design and Prototype Maker Projects for K-12 educators
Create the projects you wish you could have done in high school!
Create the projects you wish you could have done in high school!
Description: Create samples of "Maker" projects that can be carried out in middle and high school classrooms. Projects for students are intended to support academic content as well as provide students with opportunities to use creative tools and be expressive.
The Makerspace tools and materials available in our lab include laser cutters, 3D printers, sewing machines, vinyl/craft cutters, electronics, physical computing, hand tools, and craft materials.
Our goal is to make projects that can be self-driven by students, and where the teachers do not need to become experts on maker tools. That is, the teachers are responsible for integrating content and providing resources, and students are responsible for the “making” by learning on their own from tutorials and classmates.
We have many projects published k12maker.mit.edu/ideagallery and plan to design and create samples and tutorials for more. The research may involve review of posted/published materials, communication with educators, and possibly piloting.
Activities and supporting resources created by UROP students will be edited and made available to educators in our online gallery k12maker.mit.edu/ideagallery.
Location: Work will take place at the MIT Edgerton Center Student Project Lab (4-409) and training will be provided.
Seeking: 2 - 3 students interested in K-12 education and the Maker culture
Student responsibilities:
Hours during Fall and Spring Semester: 4 - 6 hrs/wk
Communication with Mentor(s): Document plans, progress, and hours weekly. Meet with mentor at a regular time once a week to review progress and plans, and learn skills as needed.
Compensation: Credit, or Pay at $16 / hr
Contact: Diane Brancazio, Instructor, MIT Edgerton Center [email protected]
Apply on ELX
Background:
The Edgerton Center has a mission of developing and fostering experiential learning opportunities for K-12 students as well as MIT students. In our Maker project initiative we help K-12 educators design and implement Maker projects in their core curricula.
We define Maker projects as authentic (students have a personal connection to the project), project-based learning activities, that involve community and collaboration, and have a strong component of hands-on technology-based tools (think 3D printer, laser cutter, Arduino microcomputer, electronics, shop tools, sewing machine). Our methodology is used by K-12 educators integrating STEM and Maker activities into core academic subjects, including Social Studies, English/Language Arts, and World Languages as well as STEM subjects.
We are working with a group of K-12 schools to develop this methodology and sample projects. Our need is for students to design and create appropriate project samples that will inspire the teachers in this group and show the range of opportunities available with the Maker technologies. Students will learn and use tools and materials at our shop, research standards and school practices, then iterate on projects. The goal is for students to design and create the kinds of projects they wish they could have done in high school or middle school, from their own ideas and/or informed by the collaborating K-12 teachers.
The Makerspace tools and materials available in our lab include laser cutters, 3D printers, sewing machines, vinyl/craft cutters, electronics, physical computing, hand tools, and craft materials.
Our goal is to make projects that can be self-driven by students, and where the teachers do not need to become experts on maker tools. That is, the teachers are responsible for integrating content and providing resources, and students are responsible for the “making” by learning on their own from tutorials and classmates.
We have many projects published k12maker.mit.edu/ideagallery and plan to design and create samples and tutorials for more. The research may involve review of posted/published materials, communication with educators, and possibly piloting.
Activities and supporting resources created by UROP students will be edited and made available to educators in our online gallery k12maker.mit.edu/ideagallery.
Location: Work will take place at the MIT Edgerton Center Student Project Lab (4-409) and training will be provided.
Seeking: 2 - 3 students interested in K-12 education and the Maker culture
Student responsibilities:
- Learn to use Maker tools and materials
- Learn about the needs of academic teachers and time/materials that are typically available
- Work with a team to define, generate, refine, and choose project ideas
- Create prototype project samples (2 - 4 over semester)
- Document projects in short format for the Idea Gallery or long format for our Instructables page
- Interest in K-12 education
- Interest in Maker tools and materials.
- Experience with shop tools, digital fabrication tools, and 2D/3D modeling packages is preferred but not required.
Hours during Fall and Spring Semester: 4 - 6 hrs/wk
Communication with Mentor(s): Document plans, progress, and hours weekly. Meet with mentor at a regular time once a week to review progress and plans, and learn skills as needed.
Compensation: Credit, or Pay at $16 / hr
Contact: Diane Brancazio, Instructor, MIT Edgerton Center [email protected]
Apply on ELX
Background:
The Edgerton Center has a mission of developing and fostering experiential learning opportunities for K-12 students as well as MIT students. In our Maker project initiative we help K-12 educators design and implement Maker projects in their core curricula.
We define Maker projects as authentic (students have a personal connection to the project), project-based learning activities, that involve community and collaboration, and have a strong component of hands-on technology-based tools (think 3D printer, laser cutter, Arduino microcomputer, electronics, shop tools, sewing machine). Our methodology is used by K-12 educators integrating STEM and Maker activities into core academic subjects, including Social Studies, English/Language Arts, and World Languages as well as STEM subjects.
We are working with a group of K-12 schools to develop this methodology and sample projects. Our need is for students to design and create appropriate project samples that will inspire the teachers in this group and show the range of opportunities available with the Maker technologies. Students will learn and use tools and materials at our shop, research standards and school practices, then iterate on projects. The goal is for students to design and create the kinds of projects they wish they could have done in high school or middle school, from their own ideas and/or informed by the collaborating K-12 teachers.