Teaching for Creativity and Innovation: Fostering a Maker Culture

Learn how to integrate maker activities in all curricular areas and grade levels during face-to-face, remote learning, or in the blended classroom.
In this Section

Our online EDUC 660 Teaching for Creativity and Innovation: Fostering a Maker Culture course will show you ways to create activities, build models, solve STEM problems, and promote teamwork for all subject areas and grade levels.  

Register now to reserve a spot.
There is no registration fee to reserve a class.

Our Teaching for Creativity and Innovation: Fostering a Maker Culture course includes how to:

  • Articulate the relationship between maker labs or makerspaces and academic disciplines.
  • Guide students through design challenges and explore fixed stations versus workshops.
  • Apply learning theories that support making principles when designing STEM-related learning activities.
  • Align instructional goals to design maker-style STEM learning experiences.
  • Demonstrate appropriate teaching and assessment behaviors in a maker environment.

Online Course - Three Semester Hours Graduate Credit
Instructor: Renee Williams

If you need a copy of the syllabus for your employer to approve enrollment in the class, email: Online Professional Development.

We’ll discuss innovative tools and maker project ideas that support STEM learning in all content areas.

We invite you to enroll in our course to meet your professional development goals if you need license renewal, graduate credits, or a refresher course.

Our online course allows you to complete your weekly assignments as they best fit your schedule. All discussion postings and projects are submitted online.

This course is an approved elective in the Master of Science in Education online degree program. 

Our students include:

  • PK-12 classroom teachers
  • School library media specialists
  • Teacher-librarians
  • STEM educators
  • Tech integration teachers
  • Educational technology teachers
  • Public and Academic Librarians
Course Description

Learn evidence-based instructional strategies and how to use tools (physical or virtual) to support building models, prototypes, inventions and innovations and encourage creative problem solving and team collaboration across a wide range of subject matters and all grade levels.

Applications of learning theory and assessment strategies will be employed to create K-12 interdisciplinary inquiry-based maker experiences.

How do I register?

Complete the Online Registration Form.

If you need a copy of the syllabus for your employer to approve enrollment in the class, email: Online Professional Development.

When is the registration deadline?

Reserve your spot now. This program is very popular, and courses fill well before the start date. This course is offered three times each year (spring, summer, and fall).

Textbook to Purchase

Martinez, S. L., & Stager, G. (2019). Invent to learn: Making, tinkering, and engineering in the classroom. (2nd ed.). Constructing Modern Knowledge Press. ISBN: 978-0997554373

Additional web-based readings, virtual field trips, and videos will be available within the course.

 

Our Students Say ...

"I found this course meaningful and useful. It prompted me to think about the things I am currently doing, how I can improve them, and how to effectively work on my goal of transforming my computer technology/computer science classes."
~ Keith Lavigne, Massachusetts
 

"This was one of the best courses I have taken in YEARS  - and I have taken quite a few online courses from a variety of institutions. The course content was excellent; the activities were relevant, rigorous and thought-provoking."

"This was the most interesting and applicable elective course that I have taken--time and money well spent!" 
- Molly Dall'Osto, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
 

"I like how we got to submit work product in different formats - infographics, cartoons, presentations, podcasts, etc. I never have time to learn those things during the school year, and this course gave me the freedom to do that. I was able to take what I was doing for this course and apply it to my classroom during this school year!
 

"I have been looking for a course like this to engage students in learning while doing hands-on fun activities! I highly recommend this course to anyone involved with students!" 
~Terri Lee Pocernich, Ashland, Wisconsin

No travel to campus - 100% Online
  • Participate 24/7 from your home or work computer during hours that are best for your work and family schedule.
  • The class is highly interactive with a significant discussion component.
  • All discussion postings, projects, and assignments will be submitted via the course discussion board and Dropbox.
  • Activities are conducted according to a schedule with specific due dates each week.
  • There are no required "live" chat sessions.
  • This course is not a self-paced.