Maker’s Workshop: a Framework to Support Learning through Making

Abstract

Making and makerspaces are currently an exciting topic in education. The constructionist nature of learning through making, however, creates an inherent tension for teachers – one where the need to meet specific standards must be balanced with the open-ended, creative problem-solving that making supports. Unlike the traditional teacher-centered approach to English Language Arts instruction, the Writer’s Workshop is a process-oriented approach to writing nationally recognized as a student-centered environment that balances that tension. This paper draws on the research around the existing framework of Writer’s Workshop to create a new framework for supporting the learning that takes place in a makerspace environment. The framework, called Maker’s Workshop, offers a process for upholding constructionist approaches to learning while meeting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. To demonstrate the framework in action, we present the case of STEM Read at Northern Illinois University (NIU). The paper provides scholars and practitioners a guide for teaching and learning while also suggesting opportunities for research.