Master Making in the Classroom
Enroll in Master Making in the Classroom and leverage your school makerspace to support academic learning in any subject area.
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Applications for 2026 are now open!
Educators in Master Making in the Classroom will learn to design and lead Maker projects that boost student engagement, promote 21st century skills, and enrich academic settings. Students will gain fresh perspectives on their coursework and find new ways to express their ideas using creative, hands-on tools. What we call “Maker” projects are often called STEAM or PBL, since both of these philosophies involve creative projects where students take ownership and determine the outcome. In Maker projects, students build tangible or interactive products using a variety of fabrication tools, such as 3D printers, vinyl/craft cutters, laser cutters, simple electronics, physical computing, basic shop tools, and sewing machines. We use the word “makerspace" to describe a space for this type of activity, but many schools use other names like STEAM lab, innovation space, or design hub. Master Making in the Classroom is geared towards educators who lead Maker initiatives in their schools by coaching or collaborating with teachers to carry out Maker projects - e.g. Technology Integration Specialists, STEM Coordinators, and Makerspace Coordinators. We strongly recommend that participants come in with some experience with Maker tools. Participants wanting to boost their Maker skills can learn on their own with our follow-along tutorials, or enroll in our Maker Project PD Workshops that are scheduled just before Master Making in the Classroom starts. |
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2026 Program Schedule
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The program begins in-person at the MIT Edgerton Center makerspace, following the Maker Project workshops
The sessions meet from 9:00am - 3:00pm Eastern Time
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We continue with online meetings on Zoom on the days listed below, all from 3:00 - 5:00 pm Eastern Time
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The program also includes 4 individual coaching meetings with K-12 Maker Lab team. These 30-minute meetings are scheduled between the Fall sessions and support educators in whatever way they need.
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What you’ll do
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What participants will do and learn |
What past participants are saying |
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Master our Maker Methodology and the mindset embedded in it. Learn Maker project design tools and practices for use in their own classrooms, and in coaching and supporting other educators.
Design engaging Maker projects that incorporate academic content. Starting with relevant academic content, draw inspiration from successful project samples, and create prototypes in our well-stocked Makerspace. Learn to transition your teaching from direct instruction to facilitation. Unlock practical strategies for enabling your students’ self-direction and ownership of their learning. Get coaching from the K-12 Maker Lab team. Receive support and advice while carrying out Maker projects back at school as part of the program work. Get answers to questions about Maker technologies. The K-12 Maker Lab instructors have extensive experience with Maker tools and materials and are easily reachable by email. Join an enthusiastic community of practice. Participating educators will have regular on-line communication to share experiences, ideas, and resources, and support each other as Master Makers during the MMC experience and moving forward. |
“I can vouch for how great it is. Going to MIT, working with other maker/educators and getting to know [the K-12 Maker Lab staff], as well as the other participants, was fantastic. It was great to develop a network of practitioners and to get to know them and their work within their own schools. I don't know about you, but I feel like I have received a lot of “101-level” PD opportunities, this course provides the next level of thinking about what we do every day and adds in a curricular design piece. I really miss not going this year!!”
“I gained so much from the ability to brainstorm projects and share knowledge with fellow makers through this course... It is also wonderful to continue to have the community available via email for any questions or concerns.” “I always came back [to school] with ideas to think about which developed over time to actual projects.” “...a real game changer in terms of pushing lessons into new places, and allowed for some really great collaborative ideas…” “I am better able to assist teachers in setting realistic goals for projects given time constraints, resources, expectations…” “I have a system in place for assisting teachers with planning and assessment and helping students to execute projects” |
Freqently Asked Questions
Do I need a makerspace or specific tools? A dedicated Makerspace is recommended but not required, as long as tools and materials are available to students in their classrooms.
Do I need to know how to use Maker tools? We recommend foundational skills in at least 2 types of maker technologies from this list: vinyl/craft cutter, 3D printer, laser cutter, hand construction with cardboard or light wood, sewing machines, hand sewing, basic electronics, physical computing.
Participants wanting to boost their Maker skills can learn on their own with our follow-along tutorials, or take our Maker Project PD Workshops that are scheduled just before Master Making in the Classroom starts.
Do I need to attend all sessions? Each session of the program contains new material and builds on previous concepts. Attendance at the in-person sessions is essential. The remote sessions during the Fall are interactive, and it is best to join from a quiet space where you can talk and access a laptop. That said, the remote sessions will be recorded and participants will be able to watch them later.
Will I receive Continuing Education or Professional Development credit? We provide participants with certificates for 20 hours of class and with 20 hours of worktime over the 10 week program (project documentation required).
Can I share the materials and skills with other educators? Yes! All of our work is licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 which allows for remixing and sharing for Non-Commercial purposes as long as there is Attribution to the MIT Edgerton Center K-12 Maker Lab as the source.
Are there scholarships? Unfortunately we cannot offer scholarships or reduced fees. We keep the fee as low as possible and use it to help us to staff the workshops and maintain our free online resources. We are happy to provide resources to help you make the case for funding.
Do I need to know how to use Maker tools? We recommend foundational skills in at least 2 types of maker technologies from this list: vinyl/craft cutter, 3D printer, laser cutter, hand construction with cardboard or light wood, sewing machines, hand sewing, basic electronics, physical computing.
Participants wanting to boost their Maker skills can learn on their own with our follow-along tutorials, or take our Maker Project PD Workshops that are scheduled just before Master Making in the Classroom starts.
Do I need to attend all sessions? Each session of the program contains new material and builds on previous concepts. Attendance at the in-person sessions is essential. The remote sessions during the Fall are interactive, and it is best to join from a quiet space where you can talk and access a laptop. That said, the remote sessions will be recorded and participants will be able to watch them later.
Will I receive Continuing Education or Professional Development credit? We provide participants with certificates for 20 hours of class and with 20 hours of worktime over the 10 week program (project documentation required).
Can I share the materials and skills with other educators? Yes! All of our work is licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 which allows for remixing and sharing for Non-Commercial purposes as long as there is Attribution to the MIT Edgerton Center K-12 Maker Lab as the source.
Are there scholarships? Unfortunately we cannot offer scholarships or reduced fees. We keep the fee as low as possible and use it to help us to staff the workshops and maintain our free online resources. We are happy to provide resources to help you make the case for funding.
Want to host Master Making for educators in your school or district?
We can deliver this program in your school or district! See Maker PD Packages for more details!