MARCH 2019 | EDUCATIONANDCAREERNEWS.COM
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Empowering Our Makers
DISCOVER the online community that empowers makers around the world
MEET the college student who is innovating in the world of public health
LEARN how the DIY movement is inspiring girls to take an interest in STEM
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One teacher’s Maker Faire is inspiring schools across the country. Page 6
in this issue
Ayesha Curry gives advice to creative entrepreneurs entering the business world. ONLINE
Innovation in the confectionery industry is sweetening up the maker movement. ONLINE
A World of Our Making Makers imagine and create solutions to modern problems. We all benefit when they innovate and share their ideas across communities.
Dale Dougherty Founder, CEO, MAKE
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e as humans are called to create, invent and shape the world around us. We build and break things, making and remaking our environment and ourselves. We learn to use new technologies and rediscover old tools to realize the products of our imagination. This is the essential idea behind the maker movement.
All around you there are hobbyists, creatives and enthusiasts who found something they love to do, and want to share their projects and practical knowledge with others. For some it is a livelihood, and for others it is simply something they enjoy doing. I bring them together at Maker Faires around the world. It’s a way for people to meet makers and see what they do. I hope it helps people see themselves as producers, not just as consumers. Makers in the modern world Making is so basic and universal that we might not understand its value in our culture. One might ask why it is worth calling it out now, especially since our ancestors viewed making as a necessity of life. In today’s consumer society, making is optional. Con-
sumerism demands our attention and promises to save us time and money. Making requires time and dedicated effort to deliver a deeper satisfaction. Despite the pervasiveness of consumerism, there has never been a better time to start making things, and more people than ever are learning how. Recently, I met a knife-maker at Maker Faire Kuwait. He was showing his finished knives and the materials he starts with to fashion a knife. I was surprised when he told me that he had been making knives only one year, and that he learned from YouTube. Today, people young and old are learning to do things by sharing information through an online community. Now is a great time to find the resources you need to learn to make anything.
Creative experiences Making is something you must choose to do based on your own interests. Making consists of many and varied projects, and one’s capabilities develop through practice and patience. It involves taking risks and experimenting. It requires you to become a self-directed learner. You begin to construct a life that has its own meaning and purpose. Making has profound implications for our society, particularly for children. Today’s kids spend more time than any previous generation in front of screens, consuming pre-made content. The maker movement works at a grassroots level to organize meaningful creative experiences that help students develop technical skills and instill a confident mindset. Any parent, teacher,
community leader or librarian can help facilitate these experiences for adults and children by organizing makerspaces. Makerspaces are a new kind of workshop that are increasingly found in schools, museums, suburban malls, universities and kindergartens. Corporations like Google, Facebook and Microsoft contain large and elaborate makerspaces as an amenity that encourages everyone in the company to innovate. But a makerspace can also be as simple as the kitchen table in your home. The best makerspaces foster community. They are playful, engaging places with lots of ongoing experiments. In time you can start a creative journey that helps you discover your own unique talents and opens a new world for you to explore. n
Publisher Isabel Carretero Business Developer Jordan Hernandez Managing Director Luciana Olson Designers Tiffany Pryor, Lee Miller Copy Editor Juliana Burkhart Director of Sales Shannon Ruggiero Director of Business Development Jourdan Snyder Director of Product Faye Godfrey Lead Editor Mina Fanous Production Manager Josh Rosman Content Strategist Vanessa Rodriguez Cover Photo Bluprint All photos are credited to Getty Images unless otherwise specified. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve USA Today. KEEP YOUR FEED FRESH. FOLLOW US @MEDIAPLANETUSA
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How Tech Partnerships Can Bring STEM Education to Underserved Classrooms Careers of the future will involve technology in increasingly fundamental ways. Equipping students with hands-on experience is the key to success but it’s something underrepresented communities struggle with.
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Network has allowed me to gain experiences in subjects I wouldn’t have been exposed to otherwise,” Ramirez says. “Lenovo provided my school with laptops and tablets to develop and test our apps, and NAF gave us opportunities to demonstrate our app in multiple settings. I’ve been able to explore career paths and make connections that will help me when I enter the workforce.”
Hands-on experience Over the past five years, NAF and global technology company Lenovo have partnered to create the Lenovo Scholar Network, which offers various high school programs to encourage interest in STEM careers. Initiatives include a mobile app competition, summer internship program and STEM learning classroom activities.
PHOTO: LENOVO
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nter NAF, a nonprofit organization of education, business, and community leaders who work together to ensure high school students are college, career and future ready. Since 1982, NAF has partnered with high-need communities to improve outcomes for students by implementing NAF academies — small learning communities within existing high schools — and currently serves over 100,000 students in 617 academies across the nation. The impact is significant — last year, NAF-affiliated academies reported a 99 percent of graduation rate, compared to 84 percent nationally. NAF’s mission around workbased learning, job shadows, mock interviews and paid internships aligned perfectly with global technology company Lenovo and their focus on encouraging interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers.
“The Lenovo Scholar Network really embodies exactly what NAF is about,” says Colleen Devery, vice president of strategy at NAF. “Students are getting an opportunity to learn how companies come up with ideas, how the apps are developed — and then do that work themselves.” Milanka Muecke, director of PR, events and community relations at Lenovo agrees with the benefits this partnership delivers to underrepresented communities. “We’re not only teaching them how to code, but also how to create a business plan and promote their mobile apps, thus giving them the tangible skills they need to find success in the future,” she says.
App competition One element of the Lenovo Scholar Network is the mobile app development curriculum and annual competition. Teams of students from more than 100 NAF-affiliated academies nationwide spend months using MIT’s App Inventor technology to develop mobile apps for their classrooms and communities. A panel of more than 200 judges select the top six winners and one winner is voted upon online to become the “Fan Favorite.” Winning teams receive brand new Lenovo laptops and accessories. “What makes the mobile app competition especially meaningful,” notes Matt Zielinski, president of Lenovo North America and
a new addition to NAF’s Board of Directors, “is seeing how students with diverse backgrounds draw inspiration from the real-world scenarios that afflict their families and local communities and use coding to solve these problems. By giving them the right tools, proper coaching, and some encouragement, we allow all students to reach their full potential.” Last year, Brandon Ramirez helped develop SpeakEZ, one of the winning apps, to help users with performance anxiety practice public speaking techniques. For this Lee County High School senior and NAF Academy of Engineering student, the program benefits are immense. “Working with NAF and being a part of the Lenovo Scholar
Real-world benefits For Lenovo, this is just the beginning. The program lets NAF student interns spend their summers at Lenovo’s headquarters in Raleigh, NC working alongside full-time employees. They learn about the cutting-edge technology from smartphones to data center and work on projects like the Virtual Reality Classroom, gaming laptops and more. Lenovo employees also visit NAF academies to discuss STEM careers during “Lenovo in the Classroom Day.” To date, the Lenovo Scholar Network has served nearly 12,000 students in over 130 academies across the country. NAF President JD Hoye celebrates the partnership. “Lenovo is a NAFTrack Certified Hiring partner and has offered NAF high school students paid internships and invested in their preparation to ensure success, for years” she said. “Lenovo is showing our young people on every level just how committed they are in developing their skill sets for future job consideration. That’s a really powerful message!” n Jeff Somers
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Road to success Outside the classroom, Challoner has written more than 30 books on science and technology, but his path to becoming a celebrated author wasn’t a direct trajectory. He had trained to be a math and science teacher, but then found himself working at London’s Science Museum. “It seemed to me that there were not enough exciting, interesting science books, and so it seemed a natural step to do something about it.” In 1991, Challoner was asked to write a book for DK Publishing in London. From there his career took off, and he now has a whole series of Maker Lab titles. Today, Challoner is focused on sharing his enthusiasm for STEM subjects and inspiring young people, but he also encourages people of all ages to embrace creativity and curiosity. “I like to think outside the box and look at things from many different perspectives,” he says. His advice for makers of all ages: “I like to try things that I’m not necessarily good at, like drawing and videoing and writing poetry. I think overcoming the fear of trying something new is a big part of it.” Michael Flocker
Becoming a maker can be about so much more than being your own boss or raking in cash. In some cases, it can save lives.
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ack Andraka’s STEM inventions are helping detect cancer, fight water pollution, identify neglected tropical diseases and redefine global health approaches. It may come as a surprise to learn that this National Geographic Emerging Explorer is only a junior at Stanford University. “The most rewarding part about inventing to me is when my invention is used by the communities and individuals I set out to help,” Andraka said. “The feeling you get from the knowledge that something you created is helping improve the lives of people is this amazing combination of joy, pride, empathy and humility from recognizing that you could make a positive change in collaboration with your communities.” Working to help others Andraka speaks to aspiring innovators about topics including new approaches to public health, the role of humanities in tech and the importance of big data and education. Andraka, who has been doing backyard experiments since he was three years old, also shares more
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Jack Challoner is a science teacher in the UK who wants to get young students interested in and inspired by STEM subjects. He believes that parents play as important a role as educators when it comes to unleashing a child’s curiosity and creativity. “Parents can ask simple questions about things their child sees around them,” he says. “Why is the sky blue? How does a smartphone work? How do plants grow?” Even if they don’t know the answers, the idea is to get them thinking.
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It’s never too early for parents to help their children learn to look at the world through the lens of innovation.
How One College STEM Student’s Inventions Are Changing Global Health
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How Parents Can Get Kids Excited About STEM
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about the high school invention that helped put him on the map: a tool that helps detect certain cancers in five minutes for 3 cents. “I first became interested in cancer research following the death of a close family friend from pancreatic cancer when I was 13 years old,” Andraka said. “Following this, I began researching how pancreatic cancer is diagnosed and found that 85 percent of all pancreatic cancers are diagnosed too late, when surgery is no longer an option and survival is less than 2 percent.” He identified a protein, mesothelin, that skyrockets in people with
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pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancers, and invented a paper biosensor that detects minute changes in blood mesothelin concentrations. He proposed the idea to MD Anderson’s Dr. Anirban Maitra, who was then at Johns Hopkins University, and Maitra helped make Andraka’s idea a reality. The test detects early signs of those cancers with 90 percent accuracy, Andraka said. “While the biosensor still has to clear FDA clinical trials, it represents an exciting possibility for the future of pancreatic cancer and, more broadly, disease detection,” Andraka added. This summer, Andraka is traveling around the world to propel his projects. He remains motivated by the desire to effect positive change. “Dream big and take risks,” said Andraka, offering advice to hopeful makers. “If I hadn’t taken the chance of emailing Dr. Maitra, I would never be where I am today. Don’t be afraid of failure. Just work a little bit on your project every day, even if it’s frustrating, and you’ll be changing the world before you know it.” ■ Melinda Carter
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How Teachers Can Engage Students with Maker Technology
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Maker Faires Foster Curiosity in STEM Education
K-12 teachers who develop makerspaces in their schools foster creative collaboration and STEM learning among students.
Getting started You don’t need expensive equipment to create your own makerspace. Begin with a dedicated space in your classroom or school, stocked with basic materials and tools. If you’re low on space, mobile makerspaces on carts have been used by a number of schools with great success. Then commence with entry-level digital tools, such as visual programming software, 3D printers and digital storytelling. Making a makerspace There are four key elements to fostering a maker mindset in your classroom: 1. A playful, experimental approach 2. A focus on asset- and growth-oriented learning 3. Reminders that “iterations” (not “failures”) are needed to achieve success 4. Emphasis on teamwork and collaboration With these elements, it’s easy to see what the maker mindset can bring to the K-12 classroom. Engaging your students with that mindset and digital tools will not only increase STEM learning, it will also help prepare them for living and working in the 21st century. Jolene Gustafson, Director of Digital, National Girls Collaborative
PHOTOS: ERYCA CARD
Kids and teens seem naturally drawn to technology. They are undaunted when it comes to mastering the new features of each new software update on their smartphones and tablets. When it comes to discovery and hands-on learning, children naturally approach technology with a maker mindset. They explore and experiment without hesitation. They problem-solve with their peers, evaluating efforts and sharing knowledge. They take ownership of the challenge. Research tells us that the use of digital tools and connected learning techniques increase student engagement. No matter what area of the K-12 curriculum you teach, giving children space to use maker technology and strategies can spark enthusiasm in your classroom and help students master critical knowledge and skills.
By encouraging creative thinking, innovation, technological advances and critical problemsolving, educators can better prepare students for tomorrow’s jobs. Wisconsin sixth-grade science instructor Eryca Card knows how crucial it is for young people to learn 21st-century skills in planning their eventual careers. For her, embracing the maker movement means returning creativity, communication and collaboration to education, while extending the classroom experience into the community. “Seeing all levels of students succeed and discover their strengths and challenges empowers the teacher to perform at the highest possible level, and allows us to bridge generational gaps.” Launching a Maker Faire Hoping to give students a chance to demonstrate what they’d accomplished in school, Card approached Elkhorn Area School District superintendent Jason Tadlock about applying for a national license to conduct a Maker Faire, which she describes as a celebration of making, innovation and invention. “He was very supportive, and we began the task of producing our first Mini Maker Faire, which we felt could enhance our students’ STEM learning, promote their talents and create partnerships with makers in our community.” Last year’s inaugural event attracted more than 1,200 attendees. “It incorporated our community, businesses and other school districts from around the area, as we
know making does not happen in isolation, and neither does the preparation of our students. We want to expose them to all possible career opportunities, and this was one way to bridge education to those careers. “We support the spirit of creativity, innovation and science during our annual Mini Maker Faire, where our students can showcase things they’ve done in their classes, but are also free to create their own booths based on their interests or talents.” Project Lead the Way Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is a national organization providing hands-on, project-based STEM curriculum for school ages pre-K-12. Card serves as the 4k-8 coordinator for PLTW. “We recently added early childhood, to have all four of the PLTW pre-K modules in our district. We now have every student from age four through [students in] fifth grade participating in two engineering modules, one biomedical science module and one computer science module.” “At our elementary schools, we also have three afterschool STEM programs per year to support students and their curiosity in STEM. At the middle school level, we have STEM Club, Robotics Club, Tech Ninjas, Fluid Power and Newspaper Club. A wide variety of clubs and competitions continue at the high school level.” As for getting the word out, says Card, “We started our Mini Maker Faire in an effort to promote our PLTW STEM programs, but we have inspired many more students and teachers to get involved, as well as districts throughout Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.” ■ Cindy Riley
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School Makerspaces Inspire Scientific Thinking Makerspaces allow students of all ages to try, fail and create solutions. Makerspaces allow students to explore their own interests and choose what problems they want to solve. A makerspace can be the corner of a library or classroom. It can be a dedicated STEM lab for students to visit on a weekly basis. It can even be just a rolling cart with a few inexpensive supplies on it. Makerspaces empower students to explore on their own, find solutions and create something without worrying about failure. There is no failure in a makerspace because there is no single correct answer. In makerspaces, students can explore, tinker, engineer and design. They can pursue their curiosity and creativity openly. Encouraging STEM skills When we talk about welcoming more STEM learning in schools, we sometimes make the mistake of thinking that we have to design specific experiments or activities related to science, technology, engineering and math for it to count. But STEM learning is far more than just computer coding and science experiments. The skills students need to think like scientists and engineers are the same skills they can gain from making. They develop critical thinking skills, collaborate with others, pursue curiosity and use the materials in front of them to create solutions. Starting students early The great thing about using makerspaces as a way to encourage STEM thinking in the classroom is that it is appropriate for students of all ages. Even before they learn the details of the scientific method or the engineering design process, they can practice what it means to solve problems by trying a solution, learning from failure and trying again. Incorporating makerspaces in early learning is a fantastic way to get even very young students developing foundational skills that will help them in their future educational and career pursuits. Peggy Reimers, Director of Professional Development, TCEA
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How the Do-It-Yourself Movement Is Empowering Girls DIY Girls is a Los Angeles-based program that empowers young women to take an interest in technology and become creative innovators. Recently we spoke with three of their students to hear about their experiences as makers.
April De La Cruz
Paola Ramos
Nalani Avila
What does do-it-yourself mean to you?
things, like how to improve air quality in low-income houses.
April De La Cruz: To me DIY means that we can innovate new ideas to help our community. With DIY Girls, I can express myself, share ideas and be creative. It makes me feel good about myself to know that I can help other people in my community with their needs.
PR: Before DIY Girls I taught myself crochet and embroidery. I also loved to follow recipes and make cookies and pies. While this sort of creating is different from what I had created before, the feeling of accomplishment when a piece of a project is done is the same. Failing at first and learning from it has helped me in DIY Girls because although it is challenging, it always keeps me motivated.
DIY Girls very proud to say that we are part of a movement. One thing that I am very proud of making was a Solidworks design for this year’s DIY Girls. I am proud because I learned how to use Solidworks pretty well, and I find it fun to design with it because I like drawing.
Paola Ramos: To me do-it-yourself means taking matters into your own hands. It means that, when faced with a problem or inconvenience, you decide to figure out solutions yourself. Armed only with the materials available to you, you make something that lends itself to the problem and issue to improve it. Nalani Avila: I think that do-it-yourself means that you can make or create anything just by putting your mind to it. When did your interest in making and creating start? AD: My interest in creating started in fifth grade when I was a part of the first year of DIY Girls. It interested me that we can make anything using just simple things from home. In freshman year of high school I was glad to hear that DIY Girls had spread to other schools to help other girls reach their goals of engineering. I joined DIY Girls again in my sophomore year. It was fun learning new
NA: My interest in making started was when I was about eight or nine years old. My sister and I were playing outside, and I saw a piece of wood in our front yard. I grabbed a step stool from our house and tried to build a little ramp for our bikes and scooters. It wasn’t right the first time, so when I tried to ride on it, I faceplanted on the ground. But I got back up and kept trying to make it better by adding supports to the step stool, and in the end my sister and I had a cool little ramp to play on. How has the maker movement impacted your life? What is your biggest accomplishment? AD: I would say that the maker movement has impacted my life because I have gotten to see new innovations. It has also made me and my friends from
PR: In participating with the maker movement, I have learned that people are capable of making incredible things. With good planning, it is possible to make so much. One thing that I have made that I am proud of is a small vacuum that would go on an air duct cleaner that my group and I were making. Finding the right components was challenging, and our first prototype was made of an empty water bottle and a fan cut out of an aluminum soda can. Making it actually work was another difficulty and we hit many roadblocks. Eventually, after numerous tries it finally was able to function. NA: The maker movement has impacted my life because it inspires me to keep trying. When I make something and it doesn’t turn out the first time, I can always keep trying until I get it right. One thing that I made that I am most proud of was when I was 11 years old and my parents let me make a dog house for our new puppy. Since I was pretty young my dad helped me out a little, but the majority of the work was done by me. n
Makers see things a little differently. Where some see paper clips, popsicle sticks, or a set of googly eyes as simple art supplies, Makers see a spark of innovation. Maker learning offers design-centered, hands-on opportunities for students, who can build their conďŹ dence, inventiveness, and creativity through problem-solving and action. When young people engage in powerful learning, it sets them on a lifelong path of possibility and opportunity. At Digital Promise, we're working to close the Digital Learning Gap and ensure all students have access to powerful learning experiences, like maker learning. Join us in engaging the hearts and minds of students everywhere.
digitalpromise.org
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Digital Platform Bluprint is Helping Makers Get Creative Tackling creative projects is easier than ever thanks to the maker movement, a blend of DIY sensibility and technology.
“I made it” The maker movement is growing. According to Forbes, over 46 percent of Americans, young and old, say they’re part of the maker community. Consumers have a strong interest in creative activities including arts, crafts, technology, cooking and more. That interest is particularly strong in times of uncertainty. “In an unsettled world, people turn more and more to creative passions and pursuits because they’re looking for tangible projects and programs that they can really take part in,” says Catherine Balsam-Schwaber, general manager at Bluprint, a digital destination for lifestyle learning. She says
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Making things is nothing new, but now consumers can use technology to create better, more advanced items. It used to be that if you wanted to learn a craft, you’d have to buy a book or find someone to show you how to make your creations. Today, online tutorials from industry experts are just a click away.
everyone from a casual baker to someone selling crafted jewelry at a market is contributing to the maker movement. Bluprint is a subscription service with over 13 million community members and a content library with over 3,000 hours of original material including online classes on crafts, home décor, cooking, entertaining and more. They also produce original entertainment series featuring creative experts to help inspire and entertain.
The goal is to empower users to get creative and take on an assortment of projects. In the end, they’ll be able to proudly say, “I made it.” Last summer, the company launched start-up kits called Bluprint boxes to help beginners take on a project. “If you’re successful making the first project, you’re more likely to go on to the second and the third project because you feel like you’ve made something incredibly tangible,” says Balsam-Schwaber, noting
the site also has intermediate and advanced classes. Partnerships The platform is creating partnerships to help its users connect with maker opportunities they see in popular culture. “In the case of ‘Project Runway,’ we have additional content on Bluprint that introduces our larger maker community to challenges or creative projects you can do at home that are inspired by the challenges that you see in the show,” says Bal-
sam-Schwaber, explaining those challenges incorporate a range of crafts such as sewing, illustration and design. In other videos, users can get sewing inspiration and costume tutorials from sewist and comic book fan Marcy Harriell; décor and design tips from professional crafter Jo Gick; sewing and fashion tips from lifestyle blogger Mimi G; as well as fashion and design tips from Mondo Guerra, runner up from “Project Runway” season 8 and winner of “Project Runway All Stars.” “Our experts are really able to help you avoid the pitfalls and have the opportunity to make your project successful the first time around,” says Balsam-Schwaber. Benefits Being a maker has many benefits. Adults use it to relieve stress and get creative outside of work. Kids may use it to learn new things, collaborate with others or bond with a parent. “When I think about crafting I think about it really as creativity,” says Balsam-Schwaber, noting that the creative projects, “really release a sense of joy in your daily experience. It’s such an enhancement for people of all ages.” ■ Kristen Castillo
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