Why Making is Meaningful

Making has become a hot topic, not just in 4-H but in all of education. More 4-H programs are planning to host Maker Camps this summer than ever before. I am so thrilled to see youth across the country involved in the Maker Movement, however, my fear is that some of us are missing the point.

Some of us are jumping on the bandwagon because we were told to, or it’s what everyone else is doing. When this happens, in many cases I see youth following instructions, recipes and patterns—building what the manual says to build—this is not bad, it’s a good start but it is not making.

Anyone can follow instructions and make something, but that doesn’t mean they are learning. So, what makes ‘making’ meaningful?

• The Social Connections
  When young people engage in the process of making they open themselves up to try new things, to collaborate with others and to really struggle at solving problems to arrive at their finished product. Through this process, they become more self-directed learners. They learn to ask the right people the right questions and more effectively use search engine operators.
• The Learning Process
  The process of learning is found in making. Brainstorming, building on the ideas of others, tinkering and iterating is prolific and sparks creativity. Making is about not being afraid to try something that might not work. It’s about failing—over and over again—until it works.
• The Experiential Learning Model
  This is what sets a 4-H maker activity apart from any other maker activity. As we follow this model that we know so well, our learners not only gain insight into how they learn, but how what they learn applies in life.

Here are 2 promises I will make you if you join the Maker Movement:

1. You will be renewed
   I have seen the act of making rejuvenate tired 4-H educators and volunteers. The process of making will help you reconnect with the reasons you got into positive youth development in the first place.
2. You will connect with 4-H youth on a deeper level
   As you see them struggle, become frustrated and triumphantly solve problems, you will help them build confidence they didn’t even know they had. You will notice their strengths and be able to help them master skills even faster. The positive influence you have will last a lifetime.

​Finally, as you lead 4-H maker activities this summer, remember to document learning moments as the process of making happens. Take pictures of the failures, make a slideshow of all the mistakes and celebrate the how they learned, not just what they learned. Remember, FAIL stands for: First Attempt In Learning.
 
So often we stress perfection, making sure that the project is “blue ribbon quality” that we miss the opportunity to highlight the amazing learning that happens during the process itself. As we facilitate and encourage making, we are nurturing the next generation of passionate, innovative, and caring problem solvers.

This blog post was originally published on the 4-H Today Blog on May 24, 2016.