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Ep #31: Using Maker Space in Special Education
I came across the teacher Brooke Brown in 2018 when my district began the state redesign process of imagining what our school could look like if the teachers were given the flexibility and freedom to dream big.
A team of teachers from my school drove five hours to meet with this teacher, and I can tell you...she is such an inspiration. She is just bubbly and full of energy and I kinda wanted to be her new best friend.
"It's really a place where all kids can find their passion, explore their intelligence and learn new skills"
Brooke is a gifted and talented teacher who has brought light to makerspace with her STEM bins and Maker Mats, her participation in Stem Con and through her huge Instagram platform. She makes me want to redo elementary school again just so I can be a part of her classroom.
But in addition to working with students who fall into the gifted category, Brooke also opens the doors to her Maker Space to students who have Autism and other disabilities and she is passionate about STEM being accessible to all kids and incorporated into all kinds of classrooms.
Within the episode, Brooke shares
- The benefits of a makerspace for students who have neurological or learning differences
- What procedures a special education teacher needs to implement within a maker space
- The components that go into creating an actual “space” within a special education classroom (storage, set-up, etc.)
- Where should a special educator begin when purchasing and gathering items for a makerspace and the must haves to get started
- Safety considerations to keep in mind when working with tools and materials.
If you need additional tips and tricks of how to incorporate a maker space into your special education program, Brooke is more than willing to continue the conversation. You can reach her at [email protected]
You can find on her website teachoutsidethebox.com and you can follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/teachoutsidethebox/
Check out her blog post: So You Want to Start a Makerspace?
And her products:
Enjoy!
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