Professional Development Considerations for Makerspace Leaders, Part Two: Addressing “How?”

As makerspaces begin to move into school libraries and classrooms, there is a growing need for professional development to help K-12 educators answer common questions such as “what is a makerspace,” “why should I bother with a makerspace,” “how do I run a makerspace,” and “how do I teach from a makerspace?” In part one of this two-part series, content and professional development activities were recommended to help educators develop a basic understanding of what comprises a makerspace, what happens in a makerspace, and how the makerspace can benefit their curriculum. For educators interested in taking the next step, part two of this series includes recommended content and professional development activities to help them answer the “how” questions. This article summarizes related literature and best practices from maker leaders to ground recommended professional development activities that may be applied in workshops or in the authentic context of making.