Jacie Maslyk, EdD, has served in public education over the past twenty-eight years. During that time, she has served in many roles. As a classroom teacher and reading specialist, she worked in both inner city and suburban school districts. She served as an elementary school principal and director of elementary education for ten years, with extensive experience in curriculum, assessment, and instruction. A successful school leader, she was recognized as a National Distinguished Principal finalist in Pennsylvania in 2013 and 2014. Dr, Maslyk worked in district administration as an Assistant Superintendent before moving into her current role as an instructional coach and educational consultant, supporting schools through professional learning and job-embedded coaching. She provides workshops (on-site and virtual), model lessons, and curriculum support to school districts and educational organizations across the country. In addition to STEAM Makers: Fostering Creativity and Innovation in the Elementary Classroom, Jacie has also published Connect to Lead: Power Up Your Learning Network to Move Your School Forward, Remaking Literacy: Innovative Instructional Strategies for Maker Learning, Unlock Creativity: Opening a World of Imagination With Your Students, and All In: Taking a Gamble in Education. Connect with Jacie on Bluesky @jaciemaslyk.bsky.social, X @DrJacieMaslyk, Instagram @jaciemaslyk or email her at jaciemaslyk@gmail.com
Empower creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking in your classroom! As STEAM and Making become essential components of fostering student readiness for career, college, and beyond, this new edition of STEAM Makers offers innovative ways to integrate creativity, technology, and hands-on problem-solving into daily practice. With a renewed focus on emerging technologies, environmental sustainability, and a global perspective, STEAM Makers provides educators with fresh approaches to cultivating students' curiosity, innovation, and discovery skills. Readers will gain actionable strategies, from designing student-centered makerspaces to connecting with local and global partners, and learn from inspiring success stories from classrooms worldwide. This updated resource includes: Case studies, vignettes, and photographs of projects Practical and ready-to-use activities and STEAM Maker Starters Integration of emerging technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence to foster 21st-century skills An expanded focus on ensuring equitable and inclusive opportunities for all With STEAM Makers, educators will gain the tools to inspire meaningful learning experiences that drive curiosity, creativity, and engagement. By fostering a mindset of exploration and design, educators can empower their students to thrive in the classroom and beyond.
Preface Acknowledgments About the Author INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1. WONDER HISTORY OF STEM WHAT ARE THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE? ADDING THE A LEFT BRAIN VERSUS RIGHT BRAIN THE MAKER MOVEMENT MAKER EDUCATION INITIATIVE FIVE PILLARS OF STEAM AND MAKER EDUCATION WHAT DOES MAKING LOOK LIKE IN SCHOOLS? FIND IT! (SPACE) FILL IT! (MATERIALS) STAFF IT! (PEOPLE) BUILD CURIOSITY AND WONDER THE MINDSET WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? BUT WHAT ABOUT STANDARDS AND STATE ASSESSMENTS? NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING PRACTICES CROSSCUTTING CONCEPTS CORE AREAS EXPANDING STANDARDS WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE CREATIVE IN A STANDARDS-BASED SYSTEM? SUMMARY EXPANDING YOUR THINKING CHAPTER 2. THRIVE DISTRICT LEADERSHIP PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP CHANGE MAKERS PARENTS AND COMMUNITY SOCIAL MEDIA MAKERS BRIGANTINE SCHOOL DISTRICT: CREATING SPACES WHERE LEARNERS THRIVE GAME MAKERS CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNERS TO THRIVE ELEMENTS OF GAME DESIGN A THRIVING STEAM MAKER ECOSYSTEM THE SCOTT FAMILY AMAZEUM HELPING LEARNERS TO THRIVE SUMMARY EXPANDING YOUR THINKING CHAPTER 3. ADAPT HOW SHOULD K-12 ENGINEERING BE TAUGHT? SYSTEMS THINKING CREATIVITY OPTIMISM COLLABORATION COMMUNICATION ATTENTION TO ETHICS ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS HABITS OF MIND CREATIVITY IN DESIGN ALL INCLUSIVE SPEECH AND LANGUAGE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS (ELL) STUDENTS WITH AUTISM ENSURING ACCESS TO STEM THE IMPACT OF AI ON STEAM AND MAKING ADAPTING OUR APPROACH SUMMARY EXPANDING YOUR THINKING CHAPTER 4. CONNECT STEAM MAKER TEACHING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS CONNECTED LEARNING CREATIVE TEAMS LITERATURE CONNECTIONS LEADING FROM THE LIBRARY SPEAKING, LISTENING, AND THINKING CONNECTIONS SUMMARY EXPANDING YOUR THINKING CHAPTER 5. INVITE INVITING THE OUTSIDE IN INVITING COLLABORATION AN OPEN INVITATION INVITING STUDENTS TO USE THEIR VOICE ACTIVITIES THAT INVITE LEARNERS IN GET CREATIVE CHALLENGE ONE WORD DESIGNS INVITING LEARNERS INTO THE SPACE A GLOBAL INVITATION TO CREATE SUMMARY EXPANDING YOUR THINKING CHAPTER 6. PARTNER REMAKE LEARNING A LEARNING ECOSYSTEM CONNECT WITH YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTNER ON A LOCAL PROJECT ARTISTS AS PARTNERS CONNECT TO LOCAL EXPERTS ESTABLISH CORPORATE PARTNERS EXPLORING PARTNERS IN HIGHER EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS AS PARTNERS CONNECT WITH THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY SUMMARY EXPANDING YOUR THINKING CHAPTER 7. EXPAND GROWING PEOPLE AND PROGRAMS EXPANDING MATERIALS AND RESOURCES EXPANDING OUR ROLES EXPAND YOUR PROGRAMS THROUGH GRANTS MY PERSPECTIVE SUMMARY Appendices APPENDIX A. GAME DESIGN PLANNING SHEET APPENDIX B. DESIGN CHALLENGE TEMPLATE APPENDIX C. STUDENT INTEREST SURVEYS APPENDIX D. DESIGN PLAN TEMPLATE APPENDIX E. BOOKS TO START YOUR STEM LIBRARY APPENDIX F. GET CREATIVE DESIGN TEMPLATE APPENDIX G. CHILDREN'S LITERATURE TO PROMOTE SOCIAL GOOD APPENDIX H. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS EXTENSION IDEAS APPENDIX I. MAKERSPACE SUPPLY LIST A-Z APPENDIX J. CHOICE BOARDS APPENDIX K. LET'S MAKE SLIME References and Additional Resources Index