201 - Megan and the Makerspace

Makerspaces in education are not a new concept; yet it can still be an uphill climb to embed a makerspace culture across all content areas and grade levels. In this episode, our very own Megan Whitacre shares how she is embracing all and making makerspace waves in her district. 

Links mentioned in the show:

Forward Edge Coaches Camp Registration

Follow Megan on Twitter

John Spencer's The Launch Cycle


Podcast Team

Hosts- Katie  Ritter & Justin Thomas

Editing Team- Megan Whitacre, Michael Roush, Mark Gumm,

Social Media/ Promo Team- Annamarie Rinehart, Lisa Kuhn, Maggie Harris

Creative/Content Team- Brooke Conklin, Emily Cowan, Tracee Keough

Producers- Tyler Erwin & Katie Ritter

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Transcript

Katie Ritter: 0:06

Aloha everyone. I am Katie Ritter,

Justin Thomas: 0:08

and I am Justin Thomas. And this is the restart recharge podcast, a podcast by coaches for coaches, we bring you the tips and tricks to help you in your everyday work as an instructional technology coach, or whatever they call you in your school district.

Katie Ritter: 0:21

So hopefully you're gonna leave this episode with us today feeling just a little bit less on your own coaching Island.

Justin Thomas: 0:27

And guess what, everyone? Welcome into Season Two. We're so excited.

Katie Ritter: 0:32

I can't believe it to Season Two.

Justin Thomas: 0:34

I know right already on to Season two, we have an awesome episode here to start off this second season. And it's talking about makerspaces like Makerspace in education is not a new concept yet, it still can be an uphill climb to embed a makerspace culture across all content areas and grade levels. In this episode, our very own Megan Whitaker is going to share how she is embracing and making Makerspace waves in her district. And before we dive into introducing Megan, we do want to mention that we are offering our coaches camp this summer it is a two day training we're offering on two different dates. And this is just a really great session in which you will learn more about working with adult learners planning and developing high quality professional development and coaching teachers overall. So you can learn more about the coaches camp that we have coming this summer if you visit our website and forward hyphen edge dotnet forward slash coach camp. And actually for our listeners here, if you use the promo code, our our coach cast, you will get$50 off for coaches camp. So just a nice little special, special code for our listeners out there.

Katie Ritter: 1:49

Yeah, and we'll link all of this in our show notes too for the podcast.

Justin Thomas: 1:53

Alright, so now let's introduce Megan Whitaker, Megan taught middle and high school land for six years before joining the Ford Edge team. Now she serves as a tech coach in a local school district with special focus on learning in a makerspace a Google Certified Trainer Megan is passionate about helping students and teachers learn by doing and accomplish their goals. So welcome, Megan.

Megan Whitacre: 2:18

Thank you. What an honor to be here for the premiere of season two.

Katie Ritter: 2:21

Yeah, we're so glad to have ya.

Justin Thomas: 2:24

We're excited for this episode with Season Two. Thanks for joining us here. Megan

Katie Ritter: 2:29

Can I Can I throw in a cheesy joke

Justin Thomas: 2:31

go for it. Why not?

Katie Ritter: 2:32

We're ready to make Season Two happen with Megan.

Unknown: 2:36

That's a very cheesy nice,

Katie Ritter: 2:45

I needed the two Oh,

Justin Thomas: 2:47

no. option for

Katie Ritter: 2:51

Fourth time's the charm.

Justin Thomas: 2:54

Okay, but anyways, nice joke. Love it. But Megan, why don't you just briefly explain what your experience from day one until now as a coach in the makerspace has been?

Megan Whitacre: 3:06

Um, okay. So when I joined the forward edge team, I was placed into this school that has a makerspace. And it was a makerspace program that really had just barely started in the fall and spring of 2020, before they got shut down for COVID. So there was a little bit of a framework in place, the equipment was already there. It had been introduced to the teachers. But then, of course, everyone had to go home for a couple of months for the, for the pandemic. So there was a that was really all that there was to

Katie Ritter: 3:38

it. Yeah, it's hard to use a makerspace when you can't be in this space.

Megan Whitacre: 3:42

Right. Right. Now, one of our colleagues does have a really great presentation on making virtually you can still make when you're at home. It's just a different kind of making. So when I walked in, there was really only one like ongoing project that was going on, which was they were doing a weekly news broadcast with their high school students. So my job when I walked in the door was first to like, learn all of this different equipment, learn how to do it, learn how to use it, figure out what its applications were. And we have a huge range of equipment there in the Makerspace in the district that I'm in everything from 3d printers, which you see in every Makerspace to vinyl cutters to my favorite thing, which is this like Glowforge laser Cutter Engraver thing, which has just been so much fun to play with, to the green screen and the video editing software. So I had a lot of these things that I really had to take on and figure out how to do and then start advertising them to the teachers or trying to get some teacher leaders to come in and use those that those equipment that use that equipment, pardon me with their classes. So that really meant there were lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of conversations about like, what exactly is a makerspace? I know you talked about it. In March of 20 Funny let's refresh ourselves what is the point of having one What can this stuff do for you? How does it benefit you and your students? What's it all for. And then, in addition, there was a lot of work with students, there was a makerspace course where they had a couple of kids signed up to kind of work as Makerspace aides. And working with them was another great way to kind of get the conversation about Makerspace started in the district, because they would learn how to do things with tools, or they would make things for fun. And they would take it back to their teachers or make something for a project that their teacher had assigned them. And it really kind of spread the word as like, oh, this stuff is down here. Oh, when I'm using a makerspace, I'm not just using it to like build catapults or 3d print keychains, you can use a makerspace for pretty much anything. I'm one of the people that I this was supposed to be a brief thing, but it's not really brief and polished.

Justin Thomas: 5:54

Okay. It's hard to make something like this

Megan Whitacre: 5:57

on Twitter, is this guy, Nicholas Provenzano. He's at the nerdy teacher on Twitter. And he is he also has given several talks at ISTE that I was able to tune into he he's really kind of my, my inspiration for what it means to build a makerspace. He directs Makerspace at his school. And one of the things he said in his is you talk and I can't remember who was 2019, or 2021 of the things he said was,

Katie Ritter: 6:21

nobody can remember if it's no one can remember, but 21 of

Megan Whitacre: 6:29

the things he says is making is creating something new that wasn't there before. And like that kind of really change. Just hearing him say that and hearing him talk about the different kinds of projects he did really changed my perspective on what a makerspace is. And being able to drop that in my conversations with all of my teachers really helps shift the perspective because when you hear makerspace, you think, when I heard makerspace, I think Oh, robots and catapults and 3d printers, right. But really, a makerspace is just a place to make stuff, any stuff, any stuff that is new, anything that you are creating with your hands, that's what a makerspace is for. So like you don't have to shoehorn a Makerspace in your curriculum, a makerspace is for everyone, because everyone needs to make stuff at some point in all of their classes.

Katie Ritter: 7:14

I love that in I have a couple of follow up questions for you, Megan, because the way that you just summarize that at the very end, is so powerful, because I think that so often, you know, teachers kind of have if they if they even have an understanding, you know, teachers, principals, other coaches, right, like, I'll lump myself into this, if we even really understand what a makerspace is. There's kind of this like stigma or stereotype in our mind that it's meant for, like, certain types of classes. And there's certainly certain things that you can do and how, how would that apply to me as a former social studies teacher, or ELA teacher, or, you know, certain certain content areas, maybe struggle initially to figure out like, how would I find a home for my curriculum and my students in here? So Well, you talk about what did what was the and I know you weren't there from the initial introduction of the makerspace at New Richmond, but I think you've probably been there long enough and have enough background information that you can maybe touch on, what was the initial impression of what a makerspace? would be? Are they all on board? And super gung ho? Or was there a lot of groundwork that had to be done to kind of bring people along with this idea?

Megan Whitacre: 8:27

Oh, I would say like, they are still not all gung ho, like no, no one, I think it would be very difficult in any district to like, have every single person on your staff be totally gung ho about using the MakerSpace. And that's totally understandable. Because there's a lot of built up preconceived notions about what a makerspace is, or what that money is being used for that. That you really kind of have to break down and break through. One of the things that I think is really important when you're having those conversations, or when you're demonstrating what a makerspace can do, is to really focus on like authentic uses only of the MakerSpace. Like you cannot tell an English teacher, for example. And I keep thinking English teachers, because I was a Latin teacher, and I feel like they kind of go hand in hand. But you can't tell an English teacher or a Latin teacher, for example, that like it's going to be a really great use of your precious instructional time to come down here and use the 3d printers to model an abstract concept of what the what you're feeling about this poem, like, like it could be if that's the goal, if that's the learning goal that you have, if you want these kids to be thinking abstractly, and connecting art to poetry and all of that like that, that would be a really authentic use, but like, usually, that's not what you're doing when you're learning poetry. Like when I was teaching Latin, we were like trying to figure out what subjects and verbs were like and I'm sure in English classes, it's the same way and you're not going to have a 3d printer healthy with that. So you really want to narrow down what are your learning goals? What are some authentic uses of the maker A space that can support those learning goals. And like, really, sometimes it's just hey, I've got a bunch of crap supplies down here, come use them, don't go buy your own, I have a ton. I have duct tape, I have scissors, I have cardboard, I have paint, I have anything that you need, and it's here for you and your students. Like that's what that money is for. That's what the stuff has been. That's why we have bought all this stuff for you and your students, you're doing trifold boards come use our stuff. That's why it's here. And as soon as you bring people into the space, connections start to be formed, kids start to light up, kids start to see the possibilities, sometimes faster than than teachers do. And like things kind of roll from there.

Katie Ritter: 10:34

I love it. And your passion is so contagious, which I love so much. That's kind of on the theme of just bring them and they will make the connections. And I think part of that is maybe Yeah, I think that kind of goes into like the next question that I had, as you were kind of giving that introduction of you know, what a makerspace is, and then even more so with what you just said. And that is I'd love if you could talk about because I think so often I know like when I've been asked about this in years past, like, hey, we want to start a makerspace. And like, naturally, you're the tech coach. So help us do it. And I'm like, I have literally zero experience with any of those things, because that's not the same thing as knowing how to use Google tools for instruction. And so I think that from that standpoint, I think very often tech coaches and people who kind of serve that niche for schools are turned to for support to start this process from ground zero. And that maybe that's even the barrier sometimes because those people get a little held up in their own self doubt and kind of impostor syndrome. So I'd love if you could talk about, you know, like, what was your experience with with all of this prior to kind of being thrown in to to run the lab or run their makerspace?

Megan Whitacre: 11:51

Well, I will tell I think I probably first got started with maker stuff. A long, long time ago, early on in my career, I I had gotten a position of a tech coach at a school district. And because I was the tech coach exactly, like you said, they were like, Oh, here's a robotics team, like you're a techie person, you should be in charge of that. And I was like, the last time I wrote code was in college, but okay. So that kind of made me have to really just dive in and do it. One of the things I learned from that was like you, especially in a maker situation, especially when you're doing something crazy, you never have to know all of the answers. In fact, the whole point of this kind of space in this kind of experience, is that you the teacher don't know all the answers is that you are letting your students kind of figure it out together, that you are there helping them research that you are there making sure everything is safe, but also being willing to try stuff and saying, oh, did you find that on Google? That seems like a cool idea. Let's do it. Let's see what happens. What's the worst that could happen? Again, you want to be safe, and be careful with your expensive equipment. But you can use your adult common sense there. And anybody has some adult common sense about that. Everything else, like you just have to kind of dive in and start trying things and see what you can find online. So when I was thrown into this coaching robotics team, I knew literally nothing about robotics. And I spent a lot of that first year like saying, Well, I don't know kids, like why don't you try it and see what happens. And that has really now become my mantra anytime I don't know something, it's Hey, I don't know, why don't you try it and see what happens. And then together, we try a bunch of things. And then slowly your knowledge just built up. Basically, the point is, like, everyone feels like they everyone feels intimidated by makerspaces. And I think that goes back to the those preconceived notions about makerspaces being for STEM and maker spaces being for engineering, which they are, but they're also for everything. And everyone can be a maker, everybody makes something, even if you feel like, you don't make things with laser cutters, you probably make things with pancake batter. Or maybe you make things with knitting needles, or maybe you make things with with a needle and thread, like everyone makes something and all of those skills are transferable because they all come with the attitude of if I don't know how to do this, I'm gonna find out how to do it. I'm gonna try things out. I'm gonna see what happens.

Katie Ritter: 14:20

I love that. And sorry, last question for me, but kind of building building on that kind of like maybe our own mental block where we can maybe get in our own way of feeling like we're not prepared or, you know, we can't guide people because we haven't done it ourselves before. Are there other challenges or barriers that you've encountered to actually like getting the makerspace off the ground and running kind of big things that you point out?

Megan Whitacre: 14:45

I would say in our MakerSpace one of our biggest challenges is just making sure there aren't any conflicts on our equipment schedules.

Katie Ritter: 14:51

That's a good problem to have

Justin Thomas: 14:54

booked up. Reserve early

Megan Whitacre: 14:56

to start a makerspace have a really clear schedule is my first pieces of advice. My second thing is like, I think that all teachers, including myself, probably, especially myself, have a need to control everything in the situation. I know that I am a perfectionist, and I want to control every single outcome, you have to really, if you're going to start embracing maker culture, if you're going to start getting into a makerspace, you really have to learn to let go of that control, like all of these kids are going to do a project. And the results of that project may not end up as what your vision was when you first designed it to them. And that is okay, because it's not about the product. It's about the process that they went through, making it and like maybe their product is like really interesting and feels the need that they saw on you didn't anyway, right? You really have to start to relinquish control, and let them start to explore on their own. They say and this is gets said a lot at like ed tech conferences. So I don't know who said it, but they say the person who does the work is the person who's doing the learning. And so that is all the more true in a makerspace. And so that is why you really have to just let go, let go and let God maybe, but let go.

Katie Ritter: 16:16

Thank you. Yeah, I

Justin Thomas: 16:17

really enjoy that the fact of just creating something, and maybe it doesn't end the way that you thought it would. But you're still learning a process, right?

Katie Ritter: 16:26

Every art project I ever had.

Megan Whitacre: 16:31

Exactly, exactly. And maybe you learned that painting was not for you, but you learned something and

Katie Ritter: 16:37

no medium of art was for me,

Justin Thomas: 16:38

right? It's like you, you know, you think you're drawing a picture of a horse and then someone comes over. It's like, that's a really awesome seal you got going on. They're like sure, yeah, we'll go with it. I'm not very artistic myself, so. But we'll get to some of these high points. These projects that went really well and what made some awesome projects and waves in the makerspace after we take a moment break from our sponsor. Calling all technology coaches join for an edge this summer for a two day coaches camp packed with high quality professional development exclusively for you. Attendees will work with like minded coaches on creating strategies for teacher relationships, executing coaching cycles and building a culture of coaching and tech integration within their school district. There are two opportunities to attend coaches camp this summer. Join us either June 25, and 26th in New Orleans prior to SD 2022 or in Cincinnati on July 28 and 29 please visit For and hyphen edge dotnet slash coach camp to reserve your spot today. Welcome back to the restart recharge podcast. We are here for season two, episode one, we have Megan Whitaker join us, as always, Katie Ritter, Justin Thomas for the restart recharge podcast, and we were talking about makerspaces. And getting things started here for season two. Since it is the end of January, we thought that, you know, maybe there are some teachers that you got to semester on your belt, you're looking for something a little bit newer to try out. So we got Megan on here talking about the MakerSpace. And before we went to break, we're kind of alluding to the fact we're going to talk about some high points, some projects that went really well the projects that made waves for the MakerSpace. And, Megan, I'm sure you have a whole collection of some projects that were just amazing when they came to the finished product.

Megan Whitacre: 18:23

Yeah, the Yes, yes, I have a lot of really great projects. And it was really exciting to see these projects come together at the end of last year and the beginning of this year, because well, because too many of them right. Because I was intimidated by building a makerspace. And let's see these happen. It was just really, really wonderful to see what the kids could pull off. So I have to mention, I would be remiss if I did not mention their weekly broadcast. That was the one ongoing project that I walked into, that was the one that was kind of dropped in my lap. And that is that is a really exciting project because it is run by the public speaking teacher. And she has gone from last year, I think she had like eight or nine kids sign up for it. She's gone to like 30 Something kids signed up. So split into two class periods. She has a group of experts that are gonna take over and kind of be producers of the whole episodes. Next semester. She's got apprentice apprentices coming in, and she's got several groups, they're not all producing an episode every week and they have some time to make some really quality content. It's really it's really impressive how much that has grown. And I think that that is because the kids really have been able to kind of unleash their creativity on that so every week they make like a 10 to 12 minute news broadcast and so they do the things you always do like the the weekly announcements and the local news and that sort of thing. But then they also like channel their inner YouTube stars and make these crazy See funny segments to try to cheer everybody up at the end of every week. And so they'll do things from like, run around and make people finish the lyric to this past week because it was Christmas, they like wrapped up presents, so that they looked like something they were not, which I guess is a tick tock trend, I don't know. But then they like gave these presents to people and made them unwrap them on camera. And it was hysterical was really funny. So that project is very, very cool because it's gone from like a really teacher led thing with that small group of students to this huge, huge organization. And like, as we go, every week, it gets more and more and more student led. So by next semester, when they have when she has the students who have already taken the class, once they're coming back to take it a second time, they're going to be like executive producers of the whole show. And they're going to run it, they do all of the editing, they do all of the planning, they do all of the script writing, it's like a super cool from the from the bottom, complete production experience, which is really, really, really neat for these kids to be having. And this whole community. So like they posted on Twitter, and everybody everybody in the in the village watches it. It's really, really neat.

Justin Thomas: 21:08

Oh, that's awesome. Now this is the equipment that the US is I mean, this is what news channels are using, right? So they could they could take what their skills are that they're learning here in high school and implement that in a TV station right off the bat, right?

Megan Whitacre: 21:21

Oh, absolutely. We use a pretty advanced editing software. We use a teleprompter, our public speaking kids. So they all practice speaking on the teleprompter and being on camera and that sort of thing. They and they do some really crazy editing with our green screen. I had a kid for Halloween. He wanted to learn how to like decapitate someone on camera and then get the head to like roll across the camera while it's making funny faces. It was very like Monty Python esque. I don't really know. Again, he thought it was hilarious. I was like, Do you do you? So so so we did that. So we learned how to do it with the green screen and you learn how to animate this little head rolling across the screen. And it was just like that is a really impressive skill that you would really never learn except for on your own time. And now you can take it with him for forever.

Katie Ritter: 22:06

Megan, I feel like you have the most impressive set of skills. In part because

Megan Whitacre: 22:14

it's, it's a kid says I want to do this and I say cool. Let's figure out how it's a. It's a I harken back to like, I don't know, I was always in the theater as a kid. And so it's kind of like an improv skill. Right? I guess. Yes, exactly. It's Yes. And that kid says, hey, I want to animate my head being decapitated. And I say yes. And what if you made funny faces the whole time and we turned to black and white and then we played scary music behind it. Let's see how we make this happen.

Justin Thomas: 22:44

Yeah, the whole Halloween TV special right there.

Katie Ritter: 22:47

So Michael, what if we all had a yes the end attitude towards our kiddos and our teachers when they wanted to try something that is awesome. Okay, I'm gonna throw a just a curveball kind of building on Justin's question. But what is what's maybe like the most bizarre or unexpected, maybe project that has come from working with the teacher?

Megan Whitacre: 23:09

Very good question. Well, the thing I never expected to do, but turned out to be extremely fun was at the end of last year, we live in Cincinnati, and the Cincinnati area was going to have the cicada outbreak. Right. Outbreak. I think that's the right word. But

Justin Thomas: 23:25

oh, depending on where you were.

Megan Whitacre: 23:31

And so the science teacher said to me, like, I want my kids to make a museum about the cicadas so we can educate the community about this kid as and these exhibits all have to be interactive. So that like, you know, we're gonna invite the middle schoolers over and they'll have something to do. And I was like, yes. Awesome. What a cool project. super neat. expecting it to be like, you know, we're gonna have some videos, and we're gonna have some cicada models on the Google use some robotics to make things move and that sort of thing. Right. Which we did. We did all of that. It was amazing. We also built some interactive posters that had like buttons and stuff where you could press it and it would like, tell you a cicada facts and it was just very, like children's museum esque. Very cool. That was done with a Raspberry Pi. Just because I want to keep dropping an equipment that we that you could consider Makerspace Yeah, but the weirdest thing, the weirdest thing was this kid came up to me and she said, Okay, so for this project. I want to make like a scale where when you step on it, it tells you how many cicadas you would weigh. Okay, and I said, I said I have literally no idea how to do that. And she said Me neither. And then we said, okay, let's figure out. So we got, we got an Arduino. We looked up a bunch of tutorials online. I ordered some like weight sensing plates and we tried to connect it all together. And eventually it did not work. It did not work. It was not a successful project. So then like before the project was to, we had to revamp and we turned it into a cicada calculator. So you could type in your weight, and it would tell you how many cicadas that would be. Yeah, but it was just it was so cool. Because it was so absurd and out there. Like, I think maybe they have something like that at the zoo, but like for a kid to say, hey, I want to build that. That's something I can do. Like, that was amazing. It was amazing.

Katie Ritter: 25:22

What a good lesson of like, how to pivot and this gonna work. But okay, what else can we do with what we've got?

Megan Whitacre: 25:29

Yeah. So my due Day is coming up. Like, I didn't achieve my original goal. How can I get the same message across? And that was also extremely cool.

Katie Ritter: 25:37

Yeah, I think I would prefer a calculator. So I could lie about. Okay, awesome. So, okay, so talk a little bit about, you know, I think you kind of have, but, you know, we haven't necessarily asked you this directly. So, maybe for any doubters out there, how has a makerspace? Like, how does it impact education and instruction? From your perspective?

Megan Whitacre: 26:07

I think that the biggest benefits of a makerspace is that when you have a Makerspace in the building, when you bring people and kids, especially into the makerspace, they just by virtue of using the equipment and starting to build things there, they start to develop a maker mindset. And that is that is the most important thing that is one of those things that I think everyone should develop a maker mindset, especially all of our students should develop a maker mindset because it was one of those things that makes you resilient, and it makes you persistent, and it makes you ready for any challenges that you are going to face in the future. Now, because I was waiting for you guys to ask me this question. I did look up a quote that describes what a maker mindset is, I don't know if you want me to read it, go for it. Okay, this is from John Spencer, another person who I really I do I follow a lot, especially when it when I was starting my Makerspace experience, John Spencer was a big person who influenced everything I'm doing there. So he is the author of a book called The launch cycle, which is specifically about teaching design thinking, which is basically a maker mindset. But he also wrote, write several books about innovation and making and that sort of stuff. So great person, he's got a great blog, too. So he says, when kids embrace a maker mindset, they learn to think divergently and solve problems by connecting seemingly disconnected ideas. They learn to take creative risks and try new things. They learn to embrace iterative thinking, as they move through the creative process. In the process, they experience failure and develop a growth mindset. They become systems thinkers, who can navigate complexity, but also they become hackers and rebels who change the world. In other words, they become innovators.

Katie Ritter: 27:58

Wow, that.

Megan Whitacre: 28:00

So that is what I think a makerspace is important is because it builds these skills into these into these students. And those are things that are not directly connected to a curriculum, but are also connected to every single curriculum. There are things that are, are not like explicit learning goals, but also like, isn't that who you want to take over our future? Like when you think about that description to people who are going to be hackers and rebels, but also be able to navigate complexity, but also can experience failure and bounce back? Like, isn't that who you want leading our country and our world? 20 years from now like that? That is who I personally feel we should be producing as educators. And I think that a makerspace is a great way, not the only way, but a great way to do

Katie Ritter: 28:42

it. Megan, I love it so much. Who would have thought I got the goose season almost cry on episode two. So we're sold? We're believers. Oh, yeah. But I'm a coach at a school that doesn't have a makerspace. Right. I still feel I mean, I know that a lot of schools that we work with don't have a makerspace you know, they do not have a dedicated space, and they don't have a lot of the equipment that you've even talked about to use outside of maybe a specific course, right? Like it's not readily available for our science teachers to come down or English teachers come down or whomever to come down. So what would you tell coaches who, whether it was before this podcast or you are just so inspiring that they are on board now to make a makerspace happen in their school? What do you say to them if they don't have that formal space yet?

Megan Whitacre: 29:31

You do not need a makerspace to really do making there. You can start doing maker type activities and start building a maker mindset and your students with a bunch of construction paper and duct tape like you you can do. Making with very minimal materials just start collecting like I hear at my house. I collect my paper towel rolls and my old newsprint and I bring that in and like that's all you really need stuff that kids can actually start To construct with, um, I think that a makerspace becomes more and more powerful when you actually have that equipment and kids can get exposed to that crazy stuff because it kind of lights a fire in them that is much more difficult to light with construction paper. But like you cannot let that hold you back. Because as long as they have as long as we ask them to write the right questions, and and prompt them to start putting things together with their hands and not just writing things down, like that is going to really start them down the hill of making.

Katie Ritter: 30:35

That's awesome. Thank you.

Justin Thomas: 30:36

Wow, I mean, I don't know if that was intended to be one of your your three tips or not, but that was spot on for a good tip. So it was actually not a bonus tip for folks out there. Well, you know, we we do like to finish our segments with three tips. So you got a bonus one there from Megan. But, Megan, what other tips do you have for using a makerspace? If you're a coach out there, whether it's someone that's getting started someone that is already in it and looking for new ideas, what do you got?

Megan Whitacre: 31:07

Um, so the two I mean, I think I've kind of alluded to all three of these already. So the first two are authentic uses only if you are if you have a makerspace. Or if you're trying to start making with start a maker culture in your school district, do not try to shoehorn it into a curriculum, the history teacher is never going to use that 3d printer if you are forcing something to happen. It's also important to remember that not every Makerspace project has to be a huge gigantic undertaking, like sometimes the best design thinking opportunities, sometimes the best who making happens when the class is working on like something totally different, but they just happen to be down there using the supplies. And a kid says, Oh, hey, I really wish this would look like so and so. And we have to figure out how to bring that vision to life. So like it doesn't have to be big, it can just be using those craft supplies, and it's going to start something. So make sure your uses are authentic. That's tip one. Tip Two is burn the candle from both ends. So work with your teachers work with your students work with both, as much as you can have conversations with literally every single person who walks in the door with your Makerspace about the benefit of making as much as you can try to get every single person who walks in the door, have their hands on some equipment, or some materials or something that is going to start spreading your Makerspace faster than then really you can imagine those spontaneous conversations are more powerful than anything. So also like a makerspace, with an open door that people can walk into a Makerspace in a location that's easy to find hugely, hugely helpful. My last tip, big tip, I said at the beginning, I said in the middle, I'm gonna say it again, you personally as the coach cannot be afraid of making, you have to start calling yourself a maker, you have to start doing your own making, you have to start diving in and trying to learn all of these things around you. You don't have to be an expert at anything at all. But you have to call yourself a maker. And you have to say I am someone who makes that helps your students identify themselves as makers, that helps people realize that anybody can be a maker and then that helps that maker mindset spread and build those kids that we really want in our future.

Katie Ritter: 33:16

I love that.

Justin Thomas: 33:21

I really do like that last one that you need to have that confidence. And I think that's something that you can certainly insert yourself but also to insert into the kids that's gonna be important for them through out anything that they do, whether it's making in the makerspace, or just making in the world, right. Absolutely. Exactly. Exactly. Awesome. Well, Megan, it has been a joyous ride we've had here with you on our MakerSpace. I know,

Katie Ritter: 33:43

I know how it makes sense. But I'm feeling inspired. Now.

Justin Thomas: 33:48

Again, you have to start projects again, aren't you? Oh, no, no, not that we're not doing that then. Awesome. Well, Megan, thank you for joining us here for Episode One, the honor bestowed upon you episode one. Thank

Unknown: 34:01

you for having me. Absolutely.

Justin Thomas: 34:03

And make sure you tune in next time we're gonna have our teammate, Mark, GM talking about student centered coaching programs coming up. So that's gonna be a really good conversation with Mark talking about how he's really using the students in the coaching program to work with them and really exceed some awesome awesome things down there.

Katie Ritter: 34:21

Absolutely. So be sure to subscribe to restart recharge wherever you listen to podcasts. We would also love if you wouldn't mind now that we're on to Season Two. If you wouldn't mind if you're listening on Apple podcast, you can scroll all the way down and give us a rating and review that just helps other people find us figure out what we're about in listen as well if you find this valuable as a coach, you can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at our our coach caste.

Justin Thomas: 34:50

And I think that we're pretty friendly people and our social media team is pretty friendly people and I think that if you are so inclined, you should feel free to reach out and talk to us. Let us know what topics that you are interested didn't and we just might discuss them here on the podcast.

Katie Ritter: 35:03

Absolutely. And with that, press the restart button,

Justin Thomas: 35:07

recharge your coaching batteries and leave feeling equipped and inspired to coach fearlessly with the restart recharge podcast

Katie Ritter: 35:14

at Tech coach collective go it houses were great. Night