"Making" It Through the Day!
Cos Cob School Makerspace
What is a Makerspace?
Our Makerspace is currently under construction and should be ready to rock and roll by the middle of September!
Thanks to a generous grant from the Greenwich Alliance for Education, the Cos Cob School Makerspace is a reality!
Why a Makerspace?
What is in Cos Cob School's Makerspace?
Lego Wall
Green Screen Video Production
Robotics and Circuitry
Workbench
3D Printer and Scanner
Coding
Collaboration Center
Unplugged Activities
Take Apart Station
"Children should engage in tinkering and making because they are powerful ways to learn." (Sylvia Libow Martinez and Gary Stager, Invent to Learn.)
FAQs
All students in grades K-5 will visit the Makerspace on a regular basis. Classes may use the Makerspace to work on projects for content areas, and students are welcome to use the Makerspace under our Passport for Learning program.
What is the Passport to Learning program?
Still in the planning stages, the Passport to Learning program will allow students to visit the Makerspace during indoor recess or other unstructured times to explore an interest or continue work on a project.
Who is in charge of the Makerspace?
The Makerspace is the responsibility of the Media team. Teachers and parent volunteers will round out the adult presence in the Makerspace. Students will always be supervised by an adult in the Makerspace! We have also entered into a partnership with Travis Sluss of MacInspires, who will support us as we transition into this very exciting venture!
What will students actually DO in the Makerspace?
A Makerspace is student-directed--in other words, students will decide what they want to do. They may build, draw, connect electronics, make a video, collaborate, tinker--the choice is theirs. Often students will work on a project for class. The Makerspace is a place for students to explore a new interest, find a new passion, try something new, and fail! If you don't fail, you're not learning!
How is the Makerspace funded?
We were very fortunate to receive a grant from the Greenwich Alliance for Education to get our Makerspace started, and we received a very generous donation from the Tesei Family to purchase robotics equipment and more! We held a Lego drive in June and we received literally thousands of Legos! We are also relying on donations from parents and the community for consumables, and our fantastic PTA has contributed as well. This is truly a community effort!
Image credits
Makerspace image courtesy of Makerbridge.
Being a Maker image courtesy of Kristin Fontichiaro.
Lego Wall photo courtesy of Diana Redina.
Little BIts image courtesy of Little Bits.
Workbench photo courtesy of Lowe's.
3D Printer photo courtesy of Tinkerine.
10 Reasons to Code chart courtesy of Sylvia Duckworth.
Whiteboard table photo courtesy of Kathy Cassidy.
Unplugged Activities photo courtesy of origamiyoda.wordpress.com.
Take Apart Station photo courtesy of Fairbanks Children's Museum.
"What Do You Want to Create Today?" chart courtesy of by Wes Fryer.