The maker movement is going mainstream, migrating from museums, garages, and informal “faires” into the highly regulated world of K-12 education.
For fans of hands-on, student-driven learning, the shift presents an opportunity to breathe fresh life into old teaching philosophies.
And for the maker community, too often focused on the interests of middle-class white men and boys, the move into public schools marks a chance to diversify.
But as districts rush to embrace the trend, some key observers are also worried.
Can schools, with their standards, state tests, and bell schedules, maintain the do-it-yourself, only-if-you-want-to ethos that fueled making’s popularity in the first place?
“There’s an amazing grassroots effort underway to bring the maker movement into education,” said Dale Dougherty, the founder of MAKE magazine and godfather of the modern maker phenomenon….
