Technical requirements

Maker’s Red Box contains everything but a makerspace that a teacher and a group of 12 students need to start making. It consists of 16 two-hour long sessions that build on each other. For the workshops, you’ll need:

• 4 3D printers
• 12 micro:bit microcontrollers
• 1 laser cutter
• 4 soldering stations
• 12 laptops

Traditional education needs a rethink.
Building factual knowledge and
providing tried-and-tested answers to
existing problems served students
well in the past when schools’ primary
goal was to prepare them for life in
the industrial economy. But this
approach is no longer engaging or
motivating for children, nor is it
effective in navigating this brave new
digital world.

The digital citizens of the future must
be prepared to find solutions to
challenges that might not even exist
today, use technology to research,
create and collaborate, and share their
ideas with impact. This requires
schools to equip students with hard
skills they often lack themselves and
soft skills that are near-impossible to
teach in a traditional classroom
setting.

From lecture-based to
problem-based learning
According to the World Economic Forum, many of today’s
students will work in jobs that do not yet exist. Still, it is
already clear that tech savvy is far from being the only skill
they will need in the future. The Society of Human Resource
Management has found that soft skills such as
problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity are the top
qualities employers miss in today’s job applicants, regardless
of industry or job type.
Maker’s Red Box programmes foster problem- and
inquiry-based learning and motivate children to find
solutions using a mix of traditional crafts and digital
technology by working together to achieve a larger goal.
Building 3D printed cities, designing Mars rovers and
laser-cutting robots give them a stronger drive to succeed, a
greater awareness of their environment and a deeper
understanding of the course material than any other form of
instruction.
At the same time, team-based, hands-on creation challenges
them to apply the essential four C’s of the 21st-century:
critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication.
Not only that, it also prepares them to become productive
members of a global workforce and society; one where
cross-border cooperation, understanding cultural diversity
and using technology to connect with and learn from each
other are absolute necessities.

Maker pedagogy is no longer
a “nice to have” in education
– it is a must
It is also doable. Maker’s Red Box programmes are more than
simple course materials. They include comprehensive
teacher’s guides and supporting digital content such as
presentations and lines of code. In other words, everything
educators need to plan, prepare for and manage a maker
education course – besides an open mind and willingness to
learn new technologies.

The courses do not require students to have any prior
experience or special knowledge of maker technologies
either. Through the use of “frame” stories, they become part of
a narrative in a way that best suits their interests and abilities.
Tested in various environments, from summer camps to
weekly workshops, the materials are designed to help
educators tailor courses to individual strengths and
weaknesses.