A study in contradictions: Exploring standards-based making in elementary classrooms

Abstract

This paper explores the integration of interdisciplinary, standards-based making in elementary classrooms through an investigation of teachers’ navigation of contradictions between traditional academic practices and the playful, imaginative, and collaborative design thinking that characterizes making. Empirical findings are reported from a three-year, NSF-funded research project that involved the integration of standards-based Mobile Maker Kits into 15 elementary schools within a suburban-rural Southern school district. Drawing on a framework that recognizes making and formal learning as interactive activity systems, this qualitative study illustrates how teachers experienced and resolved contradictions as they integrated the kits into their classrooms. We conclude by discussing how integrating standards-based making provides opportunities for transformative learning that allows students and teachers to engage in creative production, design thinking, and experimentation.