Author: Sylvia Martinez

United States Maker, mom, electrical engineer, game designer, and maybe more.

Around the World with the 8 Big Ideas of the Constructionist Learning Lab

The FabLearn Fellows have started to create translations of the Eight Big Ideas Behind the Constructionist Learning Laboratory by Seymour Papert into various languages. In 1999, Seymour Papert, the father of educational technology, embarked on his last ambitious institutional research project when he created the constructionist, technology-rich, project-based, multi-aged Constructionist Learning Laboratory inside of Maine’s troubled prison… Read more »

8 Big Ideas of the Constructionist Learning Lab

One of the challenges that many FabLearn Fellows face is explaining the concept of constructionism to other educators, volunteers, administrators, parents, and even students! Luckily, we have Seymour Papert to the rescue as he faced this exact situation. In 1999, Seymour Papert, the father of educational technology, embarked on his last ambitious institutional research project when… Read more »

First posts from the 2016 FabLearn Fellows – Inspiration, resources, and confessions

The 2016 Stanford University FabLearn Fellows cohort is getting started on a year long journey of sharing their diverse experiences in  schools, community organizations, and museums. They are educators who serve a variety of age groups and populations in North and South America, Africa, and Europe. They are newcomers and veterans, all devoted to the idea that… Read more »

Pitt Rivers Museum – Oxford England

Hi all, I wanted to share a cool museum experience from my travels. The Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, England was one of the most interesting museums I’ve visited in a long time. It’s organized so differenty than anywhere else – by theme, rather than by time, culture, or other more common organizing principles. So… Read more »

Making it real – constructionism comes to life

The 2014/2015 FabLearn Fellows are a diverse group of 18 educators and makers. They represent eight states and five countries, and work with a wide range of ages at schools, museums, universities and non-profits. Throughout the course of the year, they will develop curriculum and resources, as well as contribute to current research projects. Their blogs represent… Read more »

Maker research: instruments for efficacy and visual spatial skills

Shaunna Smith, Ed.D. is an Assistant Professor of Educational Technology at Texas State University who I met at the Maker Ed Summit in Arizona last fall. She has been facilitating art + math makercamps for middle school girls with a focus on impacts to their efficacy and visual spatial skills. They use the Revised Purdue Spatial Visualization Tests:… Read more »

The Culture of Making – FabLearn Fellows March 2015 Blogs

The 2014/2015 FabLearn Fellows cohort is a diverse group of 18 educators and makers. They represent eight states and five countries, and work with a wide range of ages at schools, museums, universities and non-profits. Throughout the course of the year, they will develop curriculum and resources, as well as contribute to current research projects. Their… Read more »

Documenting, connecting big ideas, and sharing – what makes “making” work

The 2014/2015 FabLearn Fellows cohort is a diverse group of 18 educators and makers. They represent eight states and five countries, and work with a wide range of ages at schools, museums, universities and non-profits. Throughout the course of the year, they will develop curriculum and resources, as well as contribute to current research projects. Their blogs represent… Read more »

Research to Practice: Observing Learning in Tinkering Activities (Museum)

Unfortunately this is behind a paywall… it would be great to know what these frameworks are! Update – March 30 Here are the frameworks: http://tinkering.exploratorium.edu/dimensions-of-learning Request permission to access the video library of exemplars: http://tinkering.exploratorium.edu/learning-and-facilitation-framework Research to Practice: Observing Learning in Tinkering Activities (Museum) Authors: Joshua Gutwill is Director of Visitor Research and Evaluation at the Exploratorium,San… Read more »

Relevant Research: Evidence & Impact: Museum-Managed STEM Programs in Out-of- School Settings

Interesting paper – seems like a lot to dive into! I haven’t had time yet, but I wanted to share with you all. Evidence & Impact: Museum-Managed STEM Programs in Out-of- School Settings (PDF) By Bernadette Chi, Rena Dorph & Leah Reisman, Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley “The National Research Council’s Committee on Successful Out-of-School… Read more »