Maker Education Across Different Socio-Economic Environments with Michael Mino

Why are MakerSpaces trending? Why is Maker Education so important? In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood welcome Michael Mino, an Education Development Specialist with over 25 years of experience in K-16 public and private education. Michael is also the founder of numerous innovative student programs and currently serves as the Director of Career and Maker Education at Rancho Del Rey in Monterrey Mexico where he established a MakerSpace to serve underprivileged students.

Listen in to learn the power of the MakerSpace movement and how MakerSpaces serve students with a lower socioeconomic status in the Digital Age. Michael describes the key differences between traditional education and Maker Education, along with the pros and cons of focusing more on STEM and incorporating digital technology into education.

“A MakerSpace can be a catalyst for deeper academic learning.” – Michael Mino

Then, Michael highlights his first-hand experience of the benefits of combining MakerSpaces with traditional schooling and how success in a MakerSpace can lead to success in the classroom. Plus… Michael highlights the skills students learn in MakerSpaces and how they’re preparing kids for the future.

Michael’s Tips for Teachers and Parents:

1. You can create a MakerSpace at any budget, so work with what you have. You can always build up your budget later.
2. Your environment is the third teacher. If you don’t have a dedicated space, again, work with what you have. Try creating a Maker Center within your classroom, your desk, library, workshop, etc.
3. Start with where you are right now. What type of project are you doing now that could incorporate more making opportunities?

Michael Mino is an education development specialist with over 25 years’ experience in K-16 public and private education and an outstanding track record of innovation in STEM and Maker Education. He is the founder of numerous innovative student programs including the IT Leadership Academy, the Connecticut Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, the Connecticut Student Innovation Expo and the Center for 21st Century Skills at Ed Advance. He is currently serving as the Director of Career and Maker Education at Rancho Del Rey in Monterrey Mexico where he established a Maker Space to serve severally underprivileged boys ages 5 to 16. Mino is an “Apple Distinguished Educator” and is also serving as a 21st century STEM and Maker Education Consultant for public, private and nonprofit schools and organizations in the U.S., Mexico and Africa.