Maker Education Infusion in Educator Preparation Programs: A 2025 Vision for Technology and Teacher Education

Overview & Synopsis

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, some teacher education programs started maker education initiatives to integrate the tools, practices, and mindset of the maker movement into their curricula. These efforts came to a grinding halt at the beginning of the pandemic due to the sudden transition to emergency remote teaching (ERT). Post-ERT, educators have been exploring strategies for students to recover from the interruptions of their learning gains and maker education seems to be on the backburner compared to other priorities. However, maker education is still meaningful post-pandemic because it promotes creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and resilience using hands-on projects. Envisioning teacher education programs in 2025, all teacher educators will have developed the competencies necessary to apply and implement the practices of maker education within their subject areas. Furthermore, all preservice and in-service teachers should have the literacy, fluency, and toolsets to engage with maker education, as well as develop a maker mindset. In other words, maker education should be infused into every aspect of teacher education. Detailed vision and suggestions for implementation are discussed.