3
VISIONING:
PROGRAM PARTS
Alright, it’s time to dig in and start planning – based on your programmatic values, stakeholder goals, the resources at your disposal, and your existing programs. You will zoom out and look at your program as a system and then zoom in and think about each of the parts of your program in detail.
OBJECTIVE: Visualize your current and ideal maker education programs
OBJECTIVE: Align existing parts of your program and plan new ones to create cohesion
What do we mean by program?
For us, a maker education program includes all parts of your organization’s work that are focused on hands-on, learner-driven, and equitable educational practices. A program can be big or small, from the work of an entire museum, to the learning that happens through making in a classroom.
GETTING STARTED
The module can be completed on your own; however, you’ll have a much richer discussion if this is a collaborative effort with colleagues and partners. In particular, we highly suggest the first activity be done with multiple people from your organization.
WHO YOU'LL NEED
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
Miro, Padlet, or Jamboard and printed copies of the Program Elements Cards
whiteboard, post-its, chart paper, markers, and printed copies of the Program Elements Cards
VIRTUAL
PHYSICAL
TIME TO COMPLETE
The program values module will take you and your team at least two hours to work through the first time. Remember this is an iterative process - you may need to come back and revise your thinking after you work through other modules.
LET'S PLAN!
PART ONE: Map the System of Your Program
1.
MAPPING WITH COLLEAGUES
Document your current program by Systems Mapping Your Program. Start with your current program and then add possible future parts and connections using different colored post-its.
In person, use a whiteboard or poster paper with post-its and bold markers. Virtually, collaborate with our padlet. Start by making a copy of the padlet for your team.
2.
REFLECT AND DOCUMENT INDIVIDUALLY
Designing for Equity - Identify possible changes to your program by reflecting on the following prompts:
Start by referring back to your thinking from part 1 of the Program Values Module – take a look at your Synthesis statements from “Envisioning a culturally relevant maker learning program” or the slidedeck you created to document your thinking. Then use the following questions to reflect on your program and then apply your thinking to the final prompt, using the system you made visible to visualize impacts of changes you might make.
3.
DISCUSS AND SYNTHESIZE YOUR THINKING WITH COLLEAGUES
Discuss your individual reflections on the above questions and synthesize your team’s thinking. Add your synthesis statements to your Collaborative Visioning Journal.
Need a little support with synthesizing? Try the headlines thinking routine! For this activity, create one headline for each area of the discussion (e.g. agency, funds of knowledge, etc.)
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How can your program center learner agency more strongly?
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Who is not currently being served by your program who you would like to serve? What barriers to inclusion do you see in your system map?
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How can your program weave in the funds of knowledge of the community you serve? Does it center on the identities of the people in your community?
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What resources do you already have that can be used to make changes in your program? What resources do you need?
How does a change in one element of the system affect the various parts and people connected to the system?
PART TWO:
Designing Program Elements
In this activity you will dive more deeply into a few elements of your overall program. In this context a program element is one way in which you see integrating maker education into your overall program.
Examples of program elements include: integrating making into a history course, a making elective in an afterschool program, a design-for-change project, a drop-in making program in a library, and a maker-infused literacy initiative.
1.
REFLECT INDIVIDUALLY
Based on your reflections on the system map, on designing for equity, and on how you can make changes in your system in the previous part of this module, what are 3-5 programmatic elements you would be interested in exploring more deeply. These elements can be existing and/or new to your program.
Not sure what to consider a program element? Here are a couple resources to help you. We have divided the elements into two categories based on who you work with primarily, youth or adults. Take a look at the resource that is most aligned to your work:
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2.
PLAN PROGRAM ELEMENTS WITH COLLEAGUES
Discuss your reflections with your colleagues, and work together to choose 3-5 core program elements you would like to spend more time thinking about. You can choose to design with existing and/or new elements.
Physical Version: Describe these core elements of your program using our Program Elements Cards. Start by printing out a few double-sided copies and cutting them in two. Then work together to define each element you agreed on.
Virtual Version: Use our Program Elements slide deck to describe each of the core elements you agreed on with your colleagues.
Add a link or photo of your program elements cards to your Collaborative Visioning Journal.
Looking for inspiration?
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3
WEAVE PROGRAM ELEMENTS INTO YOUR SYSTEM WITH COLLEAGUES
Take the program elements that you just defined more deeply and add it back into the system you documented in Part 1. If you are designing in the physical world, you can place your cards right into the map. If you are designing in the virtual world, add a post to your padlet to represent each program element that isn’t already there. Add interactions and connections based on your current thinking.
Add a link or photo of your programmatic system map to your Collaborative Visioning Journal.
4
SET PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT GOALS WITH COLLEAGUES​
Take a look back at your Collaborative Visioning Journal and using your designing for equity synthesis statements, your system map, and your program elements cards, reflect on your plans for this year
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What will best serve your learners?
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Do you hope to engage in something new?
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Do you want to grow or re-design something that you are already doing?
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What is realistic given your assets & needs?
After reflecting on these prompts, create some program development goals. Make the goals as specific as you can. Add these goals to your Collaborative Visioning Journal
[FRONT]
[BACK]
Examples of program development goals:
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The 9th grade English Language Arts team will prototype a maker-centered unit to support exploration of learners’ own and others’ identities as they develop writing skills.
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Ms. Robinson, our librarian, will create a maker lunch club with input from students. She will support students