The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
KSU iTeach MakerBus driven to educate
People can enter with idea, exit with finished project.
Q: Leaving Town Center Mall I passed the KSU iTeach bus. Can you tell me about it?
A: The iTeach MakerBus is part of Kennesaw State University’s Bagwell College of Education iTeach unit.
The bus is 30 feet long and vibrantly wrapped. Inside is some of the latest tech- nology such as a laser cut- ter, 3D printer, drone and circuit kits, according to its website. When the director of iTeach Stephanee Stephens came on board three years ago, it was on “her road map to really create a space they could model and stand up a makerspace.
“We not only wanted to have kids come through to experience what it meant to be a maker and implement STEM and STEAM principles, but also that we could be modeling at the same time for educators out in the field,” she said. According to weareteach- ers.com, a makerspace is a room that contains tools and components allowing people to enter with an idea and leave with a complete project. The goal is to work together to learn, collaborate and share. The idea of a makerbus is not new, but the concept behind the KSU iTeach MakerBus stands out in that it is not restrictive to content or grade level. “My staff is really unique in that it is made up of educators certified K-12 in every content area,” said Stephens. Empowered by leads Leigh Martin and Luke Zeigler, Stephens says they have the abil- ity to design any event that one might ask for. “And so with 40 on the team, we have the expertise to be able to match up outcomes with best pedagogies, best technologies and really become a model,” she said. Outside of the K-12 visits, staff development at schools is worked on. “A lot of times the Board of Education or a district office will want us to come out to do design thinking principles to kind of open up dialogue or think about innovation,” she said. “I think this is what is original to the iTeach MakerBus.” Customized visits combined with maker philosophy — designing, creating, iterating and building resiliency — are something they are passionate about. “That’s really what we are trying to do: get them to be comfortable with coming in and having no idea of what they will be doing or creating, process through design thinking protocol and think about how to make or how to design,” Stephens said.
The goal of iTeach MakerBus is for students, teachers and professionals to have a “personalized” path of learning based on individual interests, level of skill and needs. For more information, visit iteach.kennesaw.edu