Abstract

This paper begins by describing the need for and design of Maker Day, an immersive professional development event for K-9 educators. In 2013, the Innovative Learning Centre (ILC) at UBC Okanagan and the BC Industrial Training Authority (ITA) co-hosted the first Maker Day as a ‘proof-of-concept’ professional development event. During this event, K-9 educators experienced authentic problem finding and prototyping using a participatory design cycle including design thinking, making, and tinkering. The event concluded with participants collectively reflecting on and discussing how such an approach might be integrated into their established classroom practices. Drawing on their initial research findings, the authors will conclude this paper with a discussion of the importance of taking making and design thinking into K-9 classrooms. This discussion includes the current curricular changes all educators are being asked to make at a time when Canadians are grappling with the introduction of advanced manufacturing and its economic impact on workforce and training.