Photo by Casey Hussein Bisson
An interest in education is one reason people get involved at The Hacktory. Some want to teach, some want to learn, some want to self-educate – we welcome them all. Recently I came across an article aimed at educators, talking about how hacking fits into the standard curriculum. “Top Ed-Tech Trends of 2012: The Maker Movement” by Audrey Watters gives a quick but thorough overview of important developments in maker education this past year, including MAKE Magazine’s DARPA-funded initiative to build makerspaces in 1000 high schools. I’ve heard what science practitioners identify as the goals and obstacles for more STEM education and outreach; it’s interesting to see what people coming from a primarily educational direction have to say about it.
If you, like several Hacktory volunteers, have been bitten by the online learning bug, you might also find the next post in her series, “Top Ed-Tech Trends of 2012: Learning to Code“, worth a read. In general, I recommend her blog, Hack Education, to anyone interested in current events reporting and user-focused analysis of education technology ventures.
What are your favorite hacker-related developments of the past year? Heard of any awesome Kickstarter projects that we should look forward to shipping next year? Does your local school or library have a fabrication space, or plans to get one? Tell us about your recent adventures in online learning, and any recs for outstanding resources!
