Makers Club

 Personal Philosophy of Making 

 I am an ardent believer of the concept of “Actions become things.” and what better and satisfying way to live this thought than to have incidentally joined Maker’s course? And I wonder how it is different from experiencing magical transfigurations in wizarding world! After all we too have been tinkering and transforming materials in our workshop and bringing inventions to life. I believe maker culture is a way of living. Creating and mending things, finding solutions is innate to humans and it predates the conception of Maker movement. 

I remember in my childhood when I had time in the middle of my day, I would like to make things with little bits of clay, doodle up crazy (hypothetical then) solutions to my seemingly big problems, or just open up an electronic device and try to combine wires to see what it effects to. I was unknown to these terms “making and tinkering” then. But now when I reflect upon my interests it dawns upon me that I have been making and creating things lifelong; it has been an integral part of my growth. There is something deeply satisfying about the act of making. I believe it gives a different part of my designer brain some exercise. You kind of start seeing portions of your soul in what you have created and that brings in a great sense of ownership. 

Making is a mindset for problem solving that is distinctly different from the analytical mindset that is traditionally taught in a conventional classroom setup in school. It is a revolutionary approach to teaching as well as learning. It not just allows students to experiment with their own ideas, but also creatively express themselves, try tinkering things with simple readily available tools and materials, contemplate what to do next, trust their intuition, and learn from their mistakes. 

 The act of making forces us to articulate ideas in a more concrete fashion giving direction to our efforts. We are empowered through the experience of making because we gain clearer vision of what can and should be made. It is a unique way of combining art with technology, blending physical objects with digital components to invent and create solutions to our own problems. Though technology can certainly play a part in enhancing maker environment in a classroom, but it doesn't necessarily have to. You don’t have to be a programmer to create things; coding is just one of the multitude channels to approach a solution and there can be more than one solution too. The most appealing part about Maker’s movement is that it promotes the idea of learning from failures and experimenting. It opens up a whole new dimension to the art of parallel learning experiences for the learner. I personally enjoyed all my failed attempts because every time I failed I learned something new. 

In a maker’s space learner is engaged in an informal, self-directed and play way method of learning and the role of the facilitator is transformed to that of a co-learner. In today’s trending ‘DIY Culture’, the ‘Maker’ subculture promotes the ideology of creating your own product or idea which is tangible and then be shared or improved upon. The idea of remixing codes to reiterate on existing prototype makes making experience richer when fused with student's self-initiated quest. The ideology of the Maker Movement is to discover through the sharing of ideas. Students are encouraged to share knowledge, help each other, respect individual differences and work in teams which also serves as an opportunity to learn life skills. 

Each budding mind is filled with an amazing sense of curiosity, boundless energy to explore, an immense capacity to learn, and the ability to absorb all that is in the environment around. A maker’s space justly caters to this need by providing a seamlessly stimulating surrounding that is both welcoming and embracing, yet, challenging and testing. For every individual the making experience is very personal and meaningful to them as they create a working prototype for a problem situation that is relevant to them or the one that they can empathise the most with. I’m sure every maker who has been through the process of connecting and empathising transforms into a compassionate individual, responsible self-learner, open minded thinker and a reflective leader. 

It instils confidence and practical skills in learners to tackle any real life problem with right attitude and build on the previous knowledge. Making activity gives students an immense sense of gratification for meaningfully contributing to the society with their creation, thus making them knowledgeable initiators of change. 

My take away from the journey of making so far is that making is an ever evolving process that is fundamental to what it means to be human, you will become a more complete version of you as you make. During the course of Maker workshop I came across the following quotes which quite resonate with my learnings. 

“Making is fundamental to what it means to be human. We must make, create, and express ourselves to feel whole.” 

“Sharing what you have made and what you know about making with others is the method by which a maker’s feeling of wholeness is achieved. You cannot make and not share.” 

“Building a lifelong learning path ensures a rich and rewarding making life and, importantly, enables one to share.” 

“Invest in and develop local access to the tools you need to do the making you want to do.” 

“Be playful with what you are making, and you will be surprised, excited, and proud of what you discover.” 

“Join the Maker Movement and reach out to those around you who are discovering the joy of making.” 

“The best hope for improving the world is us, and we are responsible for making a better future.” 

“Embrace the change that will naturally occur as you go through your maker journey.”