The first weeks of school in the BFS Makerspace have been all about creativity, problem-solving, and learning how to turn ideas into action.

This year, students are also enjoying a newly redesigned Makerspace, created to provide a more flexible, organized, and inspiring environment for hands-on learning. The updated space gives students greater opportunities to build, experiment, collaborate, and bring their ideas to life.

Students began the year by establishing the expectations that guide our Makerspace community: take care of yourself, take care of others, and take care of the environment. They also created one-word “goal sharks” representing something they hope to accomplish, explore, or improve this year. Displayed near the classroom entrance, the sharks serve as a daily reminder of the goals students set for themselves.

In the second week, students were introduced to the idea of tinkering through the book The Most Magnificent Thing. They learned that creating something new rarely means getting it right on the first try. Instead, makers and engineers develop ideas through a process of experimenting, testing, adjusting, and trying again.

Using materials from classroom Tinker Boxes, students designed and built their own “most magnificent things” while practicing the engineering design process:

Imagine → Plan → Create → Test → Improve

Throughout the activity, the focus was not simply on the finished product. Students were encouraged to think about what happened when an idea did not work as expected. They experimented with different materials, revised their plans, collaborated with classmates, and discovered that mistakes and setbacks can provide valuable information for improving a design.

These experiences help develop important engineering habits of mind. Students learn to ask questions, define problems, develop possible solutions, test their ideas, and use what they discover to make thoughtful revisions. Just as importantly, they practice persistence, flexibility, communication, and creative thinking.

Next, Makerspace students will begin a new unit titled “What Is Home to Me?” Inspired by conversations about the many places and cultures represented within the BFS community, the unit will combine personal reflection with an introduction to paper engineering. Students will explore techniques for transforming flat, two-dimensional paper into three-dimensional structures while considering the people, places, and experiences that shape their understanding of home.

Makerspace provides students with a place to explore ideas with their hands as well as their minds. Whether they are building, experimenting, redesigning, or collaborating with others, students are learning that meaningful problem-solving is a process—and that some of the best learning happens between the first idea and the final creation.