"But I don't know how to do anything"

Hoping to learn more about the Maker Movement, I applied for and received a grant from the Innovative Technology Education Fund to attend the Education Forum at the World Maker Faire in New York City. Although I was certainly a newbie among a crowd of more seasoned educators, I was inspired by the public schools who are embracing Making, such as the Albemarle County School District in Virginia, which views Making as a great equalizer across race, culture, and socio-economic class. I decided, somewhat foolheartedly, that I wanted to have a "Making Class" the following school year. I sent excited e-mails and texts to my principal and gifted director.

Me at the New York City World Maker Faire Education Forum 

But, I have to admit, I was more excited by the dream than the reality. Part of me was hoping that one of the responsible people supervising me would tell me that it wouldn't work. Because here's a little secret:

I don't know to do anything.

Not in Maker Movement terms, anyway. I don't build stuff, I don't code, I don't know how electricity works on any practical level, my spatial-reasoning skills are severely lacking. I'm an English teacher, for goodness' sakes!

To my excitement and dismay, I was met with a lot of "yeses." Yes, you can have a class period next year just for your new class. Yes, I will buy you the equipment you need. Even the engineering teacher at the high school said, Yes, you can use my classroom with the 3-D printers and one-to-one computers. (And I hadn't even asked--he volunteered!)

The part of me that loves safety and routine, which is the largest part of me, internally screamed No! I think what I really wanted to hear was, Wow, Megan, you have really great ideas. Too bad we can't make it work. Keep doing what you've been doing. You're the best.

Just like many of my students, I like to avoid opportunities for failure. I needed to take my own advice and believe that avoiding discomfort and failure means avoiding growth.

So I'm working on it. It doesn't mean that I still don't wish a little bit that something throws a wrench in the whole idea before the next school year. (By the way, I don't know how to use a wrench, either.)

What I keep reminding myself is what the panelists at the Education Forum kept reiterating: 1) Making doesn't have to super high tech or complicated and 2) Educators mostly need to create opportunities, then get out of the way. It doesn't matter if I know how to do anything. My students will.