Maker Ed Courses and Challenges

A Maker's Approach to Design Thinking

3 Professional Development Hours included

In this course we will share our unique approach to design thinking, introduce a variety of specific activities, and cover practical ways to bring this thinking into your classroom through your morning routine, passion projects, and genius hour.

Prototyping with Purpose: Human-Centered Engineering Design Challenges

In Partnership with e-NABLE

This series of seven challenges engages students in the positive power of engineering and human-centered design. Lessons are designed to make it easy for grade 4-8 teachers to deliver remotely and include instruction as well as videos that can be assigned directly to students. Centered on the work e-NABLE has done to bring 3D printed prosthetics to people all around the world, students will learn about the Engineering Design Process, how makers and engineers are using that process in the face of Covid 19, the power of empathy in design, anatomy, and simple machines. The culminating challenge gives students the opportunity to create an initial prototype of an upper limb prosthetic.

Infusing Your Curriculum with Inquiry

3 Professional Development Hours included

In this course we will focus on how you can bring inquiry, making, and constructivist learning into every subject matter that you teach. We will cover the pedagogical imperative to shifting into this approach, specific activities you can do, ways to assess student learning, and ways to keep your excitement about this work alive well after the course is over.

3D Printing Prosthetics to Teach Engineering, Anatomy, and Empathy

Created in collaboration with e-NABLE, this course leads teachers in powerful professional development that enables them to engage learners in empathy, problem-solving, and skill building as students learn about limb differences, anatomy, 3D printing, and assembling prosthetic hands.

Our Make It! Program

Make It, Play It!

Access to curriculum & 3 Professional Development Hours included

Our Make It, Play It! class allows for true iteration as students create a series of physical rough drafts and build on techniques to gain an understanding of the scope of what they can create. Each week students learn new skills and tools that they immediately apply.

Make it, Race it!

Access to curriculum & 3 Professional Development Hours included

Feats of strength, speed and beauty abound in our Make It, Race It course. Students have the opportunity to design, build and test their very own racing vehicle in this hands-on learning project that introduces students to design thinking, and woodshop tools and techniques.

Make it, Wearable Electronics!

In this course, students aged 10-14 get to explore the wonders of circuits, code, and electronics combined with textiles to create smart clothes. We ship your maker’s kit straight to your door so you can log on and follow along with our expert Guides!

Design Challenge

5-Day Design Thinking Challenge For Students!

This 5-Day Design Thinking Challenge includes 5 quick activities for kids to do to flex their design thinking muscles. .

Our Comprehensive Curriculum

Gain Access to Our Comprehensive Curriculum

Get access to our comprehensive resources on making. This includes information on tools, techniques, and materials as well as a host of activities and projects that you can use in your classroom. With resources on material construction, digital fabrication, interactive media, electronics, computational thinking, communication, and design thinking, it's your one stop resource for all things related to maker education.

I have taught a ton of after school classes in my career and Bitspace Wearables class is a dream come true - seriously. I am Team Bitspace all the way! Please do keep me posted on what is coming up. I would like to stay involved and keep teaching these classes in our Makerspace.

— Karen R., Technology Innovation Specialist & Maker Mentor

I’m really impressed with what I’ve seen. Just the type of compliment to my existing skills – and the safety and training information I will definitely use when I teach this course in the spring.

— Kim, Maker Space Teacher, Massachusetts