Two years ago, the White House hosted its first ever Maker Faire, a festival dedicated to invention, creativity and resourcefulness. Today, the spirit and sentiment behind the event — putting education into the hands of students — extends to educational environments and libraries across the country.
Spring Hill School District, a small K–12 district in southwest Arkansas, has joined the makerspace movement in a big way. The district’s massive, new makerspace was built to give teachers new ways to inspire students to hone their abilities and develop their critical thinking skills.
“All the teachers love it, and the kids love it,” says Jan Rhodes, the district’s technology coordinator for the past 25 years.
While districts like Spring Hill are implementing maker activities, there’s no single description for the makerspace movement. The best way to describe maker…