Digital Resources for School Makerspaces

The maker movement and school makerspaces and labs might seem new, but hands-on creation has a long history. From the arts and crafts movement to technical education and shop class to the hacker culture that spawned Apple, Microsoft, and more, tinkering and making is part of the fabric of learning and invention. Now we're seeing hands-on activities such as robotics, electronics, carpentry, and even software development become a bigger part of schools. There's no doubt that making something from scratch is a core component of learning, requiring confidence, imagination, and ingenuity while building conceptual understanding. Maker and DIY-focused apps and websites can be a huge help, providing students with scaffolding and schematics for their next project or serving as tools to use for design and creation.