My History and Philosophy of Making
My life as a maker started as a young child creating from things we found around the house. Among my favorite creations was a "camera" I made from a band aid tin with my grandmother. I drew pictures and put them inside the "camera". My grandmothers, mother and father were creators and encouraged my creative activities.
I grew up doing lots of arts, crafts, and making. For seven years I was very grateful to work as a Handwork Teacher at a Waldorf-Inspired Charter School. I love teaching the skills of Knitting, Crocheting, Spinning, Weaving, Cross-stitch, Sewing and more then letting the students take off with there own creations. One of my proudest moments was when a former student invited me to the eighth grade project night. Her project included handwork. My great love was teaching the Clothing Block. I research the very beginning of clothing made from skins and grasses then created stories and props to bring the history of clothing alive. Then the students watched a sheep get sheared, brought back the fleece for them to wash, dye, spin and weave. They physical worked through how clothing is produced.
My sons grew up trying a wide variety of activities, music, Civil War Reenacting, blacksmithing, chemistry, rocketry, woodworking, soap making and others.
One day I called home to check on what the boys were up to when the oldest said;
"Listen to this Mom" I heard crackle, crackle, crackle, and a loud pop.
I replied with a tremble in my voice, "Anthony that sounds like electricity!"
He replied, "It is! --- gave me a 12,000 volt transformer and I made a Jacob's Ladder." Saddly we have no pictures of the original Jacob's Ladder but you can look at a few here.
My sons grew up trying a wide variety of activities, music, Civil War Reenacting, blacksmithing, chemistry, rocketry, woodworking, soap making and others.
One day I called home to check on what the boys were up to when the oldest said;
"Listen to this Mom" I heard crackle, crackle, crackle, and a loud pop.
I replied with a tremble in my voice, "Anthony that sounds like electricity!"
He replied, "It is! --- gave me a 12,000 volt transformer and I made a Jacob's Ladder." Saddly we have no pictures of the original Jacob's Ladder but you can look at a few here.
Philosophy of Making
I am working to develop my philosophy of making by participating in the Makers Certification Program at Sonoma State University. The English Language usage of the words art and craft can add to my misunderstandings of what is Art, Craft or Making.
I define a craft as an item that has a list of needed parts or materials and/or tools, instructions and a defined end product.
An art might also have a list of needed part, materials and/or tools but the end product is open ended. Just as I think I have my understanding of the definitions of these words; my brother the beer brewer talks about the Craft of Beer Making.
My philosophy of making starts with the difference between arts and crafts, and making.
Making projects often start with an end goal or challenge (student or teacher created) with a open array of tools, materials available help the student to achieve the goal. Makers embrace the fact that they will probably not create the perfect project the first time. They will develop the skills of perseverance as they try and try again to create the project that works. They develop creative thinking a as they think and rethink their projects. The open ended projects give the students an opportunity to learn new skills to achieve their end project. The process is more important than the finally product.
Making projects are open ended and give the student the chance to use their own ideas to create a project. Making projects also give the students the chance to work on a project then rework it as needed to achieve the outcome that they desire.
I mix individual projects and cooperative projects. Growing up I detested the "group project" were some students took over the work and didn't let others participate or the opposite. I end up working alone outside of class time to complete the project. We are doing our projects in class with discussions on how to work as a team. Students may research at home and bring in ideas or items from home to add to the projects but we work in class.
Most of my projects are make from found/recycled materials. We have loved "unmaking" (taking apart toys, phones, keyboards and other "broken" things. The junior high makers lab has the big special equipment ... 3-D Printers, Arduinos, and vinyl cutters. So we are build our skills of creative thinking, perseverance and flexibility.
I look forward to seeing how my students and I grow as makers.
My goal is integrate making projects into the reading, writing and math for Kindergarten, First and Second Grades.
Please contact me with your great ideas and to share ideas together: [email protected]
I define a craft as an item that has a list of needed parts or materials and/or tools, instructions and a defined end product.
An art might also have a list of needed part, materials and/or tools but the end product is open ended. Just as I think I have my understanding of the definitions of these words; my brother the beer brewer talks about the Craft of Beer Making.
My philosophy of making starts with the difference between arts and crafts, and making.
Making projects often start with an end goal or challenge (student or teacher created) with a open array of tools, materials available help the student to achieve the goal. Makers embrace the fact that they will probably not create the perfect project the first time. They will develop the skills of perseverance as they try and try again to create the project that works. They develop creative thinking a as they think and rethink their projects. The open ended projects give the students an opportunity to learn new skills to achieve their end project. The process is more important than the finally product.
Making projects are open ended and give the student the chance to use their own ideas to create a project. Making projects also give the students the chance to work on a project then rework it as needed to achieve the outcome that they desire.
I mix individual projects and cooperative projects. Growing up I detested the "group project" were some students took over the work and didn't let others participate or the opposite. I end up working alone outside of class time to complete the project. We are doing our projects in class with discussions on how to work as a team. Students may research at home and bring in ideas or items from home to add to the projects but we work in class.
Most of my projects are make from found/recycled materials. We have loved "unmaking" (taking apart toys, phones, keyboards and other "broken" things. The junior high makers lab has the big special equipment ... 3-D Printers, Arduinos, and vinyl cutters. So we are build our skills of creative thinking, perseverance and flexibility.
I look forward to seeing how my students and I grow as makers.
My goal is integrate making projects into the reading, writing and math for Kindergarten, First and Second Grades.
Please contact me with your great ideas and to share ideas together: [email protected]