As I began learning more about the maker movement, Carol Dweck’s TED Talk about the power of believing in the “Power of Yet” came to my mind instantly. Ever since I watched that TED Talk, I have used the line “you’re just not there yet” with my students constantly. I work hard to instill the idea that they will make mistakes, they will encounter challenges, they will be frustrated, and that is all okay! Mistakes mean we’re learning! This idea of overcoming struggles until you succeed is perfectly demonstrated in the maker movement. Allowing children the opportunity to be creative and make things is one of the most authentic ways to teach them problem solving and perseverance.
My next thoughts were focused on time. I am willing to bet that most teachers struggle to fit everything they want to do into the school day. With each new and unique instructional idea, one of the first things we ask ourselves is “When?” I decided to back up and think about what my students would get out of the opportunity to explore and create. The list was long, but I narrowed it down to how their character would be positively impacted. Our school focuses on four character traits as a part of our character education program: respect, integrity, responsibility, and perseverance. When I think of a child sitting down for “Maker Time”, I can see them learning a lot about being responsible with their time and materials, being respectful of other kids’ ideas and failures, showing integrity by focusing on doing their best work, and, of course, they would have to learn to persevere. As I was creating a remix to represent the idea that our failures lead to our successes, I was challenged, frustrated, and engaged. Although there were times I wanted to call it quits, I also found myself being motivated by the challenge. It was engaging to learn a new skill and solve problems. This activity showed me the importance of putting our students in that same type of situation. They need to learn how to fail in a safe environment so they know how to react in every day life. The kids are so used to being set up for success all the time and getting a prize whenever they win a game that many of them have no idea how to fail, problem-solve, and try, try again. These skills and lessons are so important for the kids to learn that it is hard to not justify the time to allow these kids to experience the success and failure that the maker movement brings.
Check out the remix video I created below. It is certainly not perfect and I do think I have a lot to learn, but I enjoyed the journey getting to this end product.
<p><a href=”https://vimeo.com/159721459″>Not There.. YET!</a> from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/user38095039″>Lori Opron</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>
References:
Growth Mindset and Failure. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2016, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/15664662@N02/18525580481/in/photolist-53Tg1H-9WpJwB-CSB7rR-tcQTjZ-ue3rE2-zCJjGY-cSkNGS-bN1ytr-iifqnr-oS2tWs-o2EFGs-w6oPVg-bmPVRa-9WsziA-7ayVmX-ijmP6T-zbB5Do
Think Inside the Box: The Power of Creative Constraint. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGyjGwSQXpg
Zoella Background Music. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2016, from https://soundcloud.com/katefo/zoella-background-music
Nevergiveup. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2016, from https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VJlvqc6jIjk/maxresdefault.jpg
Growth Mindset Poster. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2016, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/131993690@N04/16665714110/in/dateposted/
How To: FAIL To SUCCESS. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDvRsfzWidY
Learn From Failure. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2016, from https://vimeo.com/69977212
Tech In Lower El 
