Professional Development Offerings
teacher jams
Driven by material engagement, “Teacher Jams” give educators the opportunity to get hands-on right away. In these sessions, participants learn techniques and material properties, while connecting and sharing with one another. These sessions are driven by interest, and have included felting, natural dyeing, creative mending, and working with recycled and low-cost materials like cardboard and tin cans. Curricular tie-ins are shared among the group: between districts and classrooms.
getting started with your makerspace or maker events
Want to improve engagement in your makerspace or run a maker-oriented event in your school or district? This workshop focuses on bringing educators together to plan, share and build momentum towards growing maker engagement in your school or district.
ita maker club
Created in partnership with The Magic Trout Imaginarium, The ITA Maker Club Manual and professional development day include an introduction to maker culture through the maker mindset, followed by a hands-on activity. The ITA has funding available for teachers and district interested in integrating maker programming in their schools. For more info ask your Career Education department to contact the ITA.
The Maker Club Manual is a 3 part resource that introduces students and teachers to maker culture while providing ideas, inspiration, and technical skills related to the trades. Our goal is to support teachers in implementing the new ADST curriculum in a way that is fun and creative.
By utilizing recycled materials and exploring 'who makes what' in your community, you can find cheap or free materials to make anything you can imagine. To download the guide and learn more, follow this link.
This manual is not meant to be prescriptive, but rather serve as a sample of ideas for ways to introduce students to the tools and trades through in engaging fun projects that can be customized to their interests. Once students learn how to use the tools, more projects can stem from their learning based on their interests.
in the classroom
I am also available for classroom visits.
Possible Topics include:
“Heart Felt” : Make a felted patch to learn about the anatomy of the heart
Learning Botany from Botanical Illustration
Starting a fibre and natural dye garden
Getting started with natural dyes
Where do your clothes come from and how are they made?
Felted universe crowns
and more!