Teachers Engaging in a Makerspace Literacies Group: "Making" as Professional Development

• In Event: Investigations Into Teachers' "Maker" and Design Experiences

Abstract

In the digital era, children are increasingly engaging with digital practices and multimodal communication forms. These experiences with digital literacies are reshaping student learning and impacting teaching in new ways, creating both opportunities and uncertainties for teachers. In our paper presentation, we present findings from a ‘maker literacies’ teacher research study working with 8 teachers, framed by action research and complexity thinking. ‘Maker’ projects focused on how to better support student learning through merging digital practices in literacy education. Teachers explored ‘maker’ strategies and engaged in conversations focused on professional practice. Key findings suggested that while these teachers often did not have adequate technology provision or supports, they were able to work in innovative ways to engage student interest.

Authors

• Linda Laidlaw, University of Alberta

• Suzanna So-Har Wong, University of Alberta

• Lara Polak, University of Alberta

• Yina Liu, University of Alberta