Chched Maker Event

Early in Term 3, the Chched Team decided to hold a MakerEd Event, gathering up eight Christchurch teachers who are doing amazing things in the MakerEd field and cajoling them into sharing their expertise with other Christchurch teachers. We opted for a two hour after school gathering, with two rounds of short opt-in workshops. We were thrilled that all the teachers we asked jumped on board, willingly giving up their time to share their knowledge with us.

Workshops on offer were

• Coding with Paul Sibson of Fendalton School
• Beebots with Liz Fairhall of Selwyn House
• Makey Makey with Nathan Maclennan of Breens Intermediate
• Papertronics with Sarah Coursey of St Margaret's
• 3D Design and Printing with Linda Chong of St Margaret's
• Advanced Scratch with Blake Luffy of Amuri Area School
• Robotics in your Maths Programme with Jill Pears of Sumner School
• Circuitry with Liz Fairhall of Selwyn House

We were unsure how the event would be received, given that it was a mid-week, mid- Winter gathering but we were thrilled by the response. We had a fantastic number of sign ups meaning we actually had to close the registrations a few days before the event. 

We were fortunate to be able to hold the event at the stunning new learning centre at St Margaret's College. The workshops were designed to be a taster; an opportunity for teachers to play. The intention was not to answer all questions about a particular element of MakerEd but rather to open eyes to the possibilities and form supportive connections with other educators.

The feedback from both workshop leaders and participants was overwhelmingly positive. It was a fantastic reminder of the great things that are happening in Christchurch schools and the growth mindset teachers display as they strive to provide awesome experiences for the learners of Canterbury.

Watch this space for more great learning opportunities from Chched.