Week 5 - Retroactive Module 2 - History of the Maker Movement Discussion

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    I honestly did not agree with many of the resources this module when it comes to what the maker movement is, and makers in general. The article "Maker Culture" summed up the themes I picked up on in the other articles well, by only describing the technology aspects of makerspaces. The articles defining the terms "Maker Culture" and "Maker Education", seemed to define the terms as a technology offshoot of DIY/crafting culture. I think this does not properly encompass what those two terms actually mean. I consider myself a maker, but prefer the physical kinds of making over computers. I am not saying maker culture does not include technology, not at all, but I think it is restrictive to exclude other kinds of making.

    I think all humans are "makers", as humans have been making things for basically all of human history. I also think this technology-only approach also goes against what we have learned previously in the course. Thankfully, I have not seen these definitions actually applied in real makerspaces.




My two additional resources:

https://makerbay.net/a-history-of-makers-and-its-significance-in-education/#:~:text=Maker%20Culture%20started%20to%20appear,to%20the%20%E2%80%9CMaker%20Movement%E2%80%9DLinks to an external site.. This page talks about both maker culture and maker education, and how the two are related. It also talks about the importance of many kinds of making, including repairing things that have broken rather than buying new things.

https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/everyday-wonders/brief-history-diyLinks to an external site. This page talks about the history of the maker movement (from the 1600s, to the maker movement in the 50s, to now). It includes a lot of photo examples.




Comment made on Katherine Johnson's post:
 
   Hi Katherine. I appreciate you bringing up accessibility issues in the maker culture. Making is for everyone, but not all maker spaces are made for everyone. I have autism, and the current method to schedule appointments with my local makerspace is not accessible. I am also very aware that my experiences are only a small part of the lack of accessibility in makerspaces/maker culture. I hope we get to learn more about this in the class, as I think knowing how to better make the culture/spaces available to everyone would be beneficial.

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