As schools nationwide are expanding the use of maker spaces, researcher Edward Clapp spoke with Education Week about how teachers can get it right. Clapp is senior research manager on the Agency by Design initiative at Harvard University, which examines the promises of maker-centered learning. The Q&A that follows has been edited for length and clarity.
What are some of the misconceptions about maker spaces and how would you address them?
Clapp: The whole idea of a maker space is really ill-conceived because it suggests that making happens in a contained and isolated environment—down the hall in room 313 between periods four and six. Yet making can be just as relevant in the Spanish or language arts classroom as it is in the engineering or math classroom. One of our newest projects, “Making Across the Curriculum,” honors the thinking and learning that happens in the maker…
