September - Initial Meeting: Virtual convening of participants
The initial meeting will be scheduled in September via Zoom, and will most likely take place in the late afternoon, after the school day has ended. This meeting will take about an hour will aim to accomplish the following:
• Introductions – getting to know the cohort of individuals embarking on the maker space journey over the next several months.
• Discussion of hopes and expectations of what each participant would like to take-away from the experience.
• Co-creation of a framework for the journey – discussion about how to get the most out of each site visit. What should happen during each visit to ensure that they are of value?
• Review site visit schedule
October to March: 4-5 Site Visits
School visits will occur either at the start or end
of the school day
. The goal is to observe the space while it is in use, while being mindful of the challenge of being away from one’s own school. During the site visits, participants will be asked to make non-evaluative observations, avoiding judgments about what they see. Participants will be provided with a protocol for note-taking, which will include prompts for observation.
Each site visit will follow the following format:
• 15 minutes - introduction/background by the host
• 45 minutes - 1 hour of observing the space in action
• 30 minutes – debrief and sharing of observations
• Total time at each site will be approximately 1 1/2 hours
April - Culminating Meeting
In-person convening, to reflect on the experience and share key takeaways. This meeting will be held on a late afternoon and will last approximately 2 hours. Food and beverages will be provided.