How To ReMake the World: Making With Kids

Jennifer Turliuk – Co-Executive Director, MakerKids@jenniferturliuk / jenn@makerkids.ca

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What you are good at

What the world needs

What you like to do

Opportunities

Skills and knowledge

Confidence

• School system invented in Italy• Ages 2.5-7; multi-aged classrooms• Self-directed learning and discovery for long blocks of time• Collaborative learning• No grades or tests• Math, language, music, art, etc.

Source: WSJ

Thomas Edison, Steve Wosniak, Erik Erikson, and Alexander Graham Bell were all supporters of Montessori.

Larry Page (founder of Google): “I think it was part of that training of not following rules and orders, and being self-motivated, questioning what’s going on on the world, doing things a little differently”

Sergey Brin (founder of Google) credited his willingness to go out on his own to Montessori

Will Wright (inventor of the Sims): “Montessori taught me the joy of discovery – it’s all about learning on your terms, rather than a teacher explaining stuff to you”

Jeff Bezos (CEO of Amazon) would get so engrossed in his activities at Montessori that his teachers would literally have to pick him up from his chair to get him to go onto the next task.

By age 5, Montessori students had higher performance in reading, math and executive function (the ability to adapt to changing and more complex problems, an indicator of future school and life success)

Source: WSJ

Barriers to Kids Doing High-Tech Making:

Many options are basic and step-by-step

Hackerspaces are mainly for adults

3D printers are expensive!

• One of the only kids’ makerspaces in the world; located in Toronto• Ages 3+• Self-directed learning and discovery, collaborative learning• 3D printing, electronics, tools, etc• Montessori for the 21st century

3D Printing WoodworkingElectronics Arduino

CraftsProgramming Robot battleChariot building

Minecraft InventionsRobotics Toy hacking

Rocket launching SewingJewellery making Candy/food making

Kids Open Shop (PWYC)

After-school programs

Teens Open Shop Adults Open Shop

Minecraft Drop-in Themed Workshops

Summer Camps Birthday Parties External Events

MakerKids' Recipe:

1. Dedicated Space2. Real Tools3. Process over Product• It’s OK to fail• Experiential learning (learn by doing)• Choose to celebrate making, not just what they’ve made

4. Interest Driven5. Kids Teaching Kids6. Kids Teaching Us7. Exhibition8. Community

Results:

Featured by:

“When you grow up you tend to get told the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family, have fun, save a little money. That's a very limited life.

Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.

Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again.”

-Steve Jobs movie

Next Steps:

Jennifer Turliuk – Co-Executive Director, MakerKids@jenniferturliuk / jenn@makerkids.ca