Maker Educator Convening

It’s not enough to just make things—we have to help students make things that make a difference. In this session, we will share examples of projects in which students design with others, not merely for others. In moving away from designing "for" others, we are encouraging participatory design, an approach that actively involves all stakeholders to ensure the result meets their needs and is usable.

Educators will participate in a design sprint, document their process, view exemplar projects, and engage in collective discussions. Participants will design for one another by learning about their partner’s needs and designing with those in mind. They will also engage with their partners by designing with them not merely for them. They will present their prototypes to one another and get feedback.

Participants will reflect and discuss how we can move beyond stereotypes and build empathetic capacity in our students, concluding with brainstorming ways to apply the learning in our classrooms.