Open today from 10 am - 5:00 pm.
Members FREE | Kids under 2 years FREE | Adults & Kids age 2 and older $12
Open today from 10 am - 5:00 pm.
Members FREE | Kids under 2 years FREE | Adults & Kids age 2 and older $12
The Amazeum believes tinkering develops the capacity for innovative problem solving by engaging students in hands-on, skill building projects that incorporate science, technology, engineering, art and math. Tinkering is an innovative approach to learning that focuses on open-ended explorations with materials, tools and ideas. As the leading resource for school based tinkering in NWA, the Amazeum offers several professional development workshops to support schools as they implement tinkering and develop makerspaces.
The NWA STEM Summer Institute is a two-day, immersive experience for schools interested in the AR Model STEM Designation Program. The Amazeum and NWAESC are excited to offer this hands-on learning intensive. The NWA STEM Summer Institute includes the following:
June 7-8, 2023
9 am - 3 pm
Location: Scott Family Amazeum, 1009 Museum Way, Bentonville AR
Fee per school: $1,900
Registration is per school for a core team of 2-4 members. The core team should consist of a mix of content teacher(s), building level leadership, and/or instructional support personnel. Advanced registration and payment required.
Financial aid available for Benton/Washington county schools upon request.
Open up the possibilities of recycled materials! Learn modes of making that reuse and repurpose plastic and paper into creations, engage in culturally relevant projects, and reflect on the equity of making. Experience projects and activities like journal making and fused plastic that you get to take home and can be easily replicated with your students. This workshop is designed for educators from all settings, backgrounds, and contexts.
June 15, 2023
9 am - 12 pm
Location: Scott Family Amazeum, 1009 Museum Way, Bentonville AR
Fee per educator: $40
Advanced registration and payment required. Financial aid available for Benton/Washington county schools upon request.
The digital and physical world collide with the invention tool, Makey Makey! Come learn the basics of Makey Makey through this entry level 3-hour workshop designed for beginners to explore computer science concepts connected to their educational settings. Each participant will get to take home a Makey Makey kit to begin implementation right away! This workshop is designed for educators from all settings, backgrounds, and contexts.
June 22, 2023
9 am - 12 pm
Location: Scott Family Amazeum, 1009 Museum Way, Bentonville AR
Fee per educator: $40
Advanced registration and payment required. Financial aid available for Benton/Washington county schools upon request.
Don't have a makerspace in your school? Well, join the Amazeum's Educational Partnerships Specialist and the Co-op's STEM Specialist to learn more about how making can take place in your classroom! This fun, hands-on and engaging session will help you learn how to integrate making through literacy, science and social studies, along with how to create a classroom culture and environment conducive to making. Leave with ideas that you can use this school year, along with a goodie bag of supplies! Note: This session is appropriate for STEAM lab/makerspace teachers. Also, new ideas will be shared so feel free to join us even if you have attended in the past!
July 11, 2023
8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Location: Northwest Education Service Cooperative, 4 N Double Springs Rd, Farmington, AR 72730
Fee per educator: $60
Advanced registration and payment required. Financial aid available for Benton/Washington county schools upon request.
The Amazeum offers private workshops for Tinkering 101, Tinkering 201 and Skill Swaps. Full descriptions are available below. Each private workshop is 2 hours long with the date determined in collaboration between school and Amazeum. Private workshops are best when held at Amazeum due to the experience and access to resources/tools. However, workshops can be held at your school site. Workshops are ADE-approved for professional development credit. Professional Development workshops held in-person have new processes and procedures to maintain a healthy and safe environment. More information provided during registration.
Fee*: two-hour workshop at Amazeum for up to 25 teachers: $450
two-hour workshop at school site** for up to 25 teachers: $500
Advanced registration and payment required by contacting Director of Education at mporter@amazeum.org
*Fees listed are negotiable with the Director of Education based upon quantity and frequency.
**Additional fee may apply for sites over 45 miles from Amazeum.
Professional development workshops are designed for adults only.
Tinkering 101 Workshop
Are you asking yourself 'what is tinkering' or 'how do I start tinkering in my classroom'? Then this is the workshop for you! Tinkering studios and makerspaces are growing in popularity among schools, museums, and libraries. But what is tinkering and making? Does this approach to learning really belong in schools? If it does, then what are the best practices for implementing tinkering in a classroom setting? As the leading resource for student based tinkering in NWA, the Scott Family Amazeum will share insights and strategies including opportunities to sample tinkering experiences.
Tinkering 201 Workshop
After completing a Tinkering 101 workshop, are you excited about implementing tinkering based learning into your classroom? Are you ready to continue your tinkering journey? Tinkering 201 is your next step! This workshop features hands-on experiences with implementation resources including documentation and assessment strategies. Participants will use a three part planning framework to structure tinkering experiences that lead to deep learning opportunities.
Developing Maker Pedagogy
| Developing Maker Pedagogy: Motion | This workshop will transform your motion based maker skills and teaching practice whether you are a novice, developing, or established maker educator. Includes personal, hands-on maker experiences focused on motion such as automata, shaky machines, and chain reactions. |
| Developing Maker Pedagogy: Circuits | This workshop will transform your circuitry based maker skills and teaching practice whether you are a novice, developing, or established maker educator. Includes personal, hands-on maker experiences focused on circuits such as scribbling machines and paper circuits. |
| Developing Maker Pedagogy: Textiles | This workshop will transform your textile based maker skills and teaching practice whether you are a novice, developing, or established maker educator. Includes personal, hands-on maker experiences focused on motion such as journal binding and weaving. |
Skill Swaps
Skill Swaps are workshops where you can learn new tinkering skills and build upon the skills that you already have while experimenting first hand with ideas and materials. The Amazeum will lead an exchange of making/tinkering based skills and hands-on activities in order to develop your own tinkering and implementation with your students. A variety of Skill Swaps are available- descriptions are below.
| Makey Makey | This Skill Swap will focus on the creative tool called Makey Makey. We'll explore how you can start inventing with a Makey Makey out of the box and how you and your students can take it further by combining it with Scratch to experiment with basic programming. Join us as we investigate this simple tool for incorporating technology into the classroom that has endless creative possibilities! |
| Shakey Machines | Ready to expand your tinkering experience? Ready to shake things up with motors and batteries? Join the Amazeum team for a workshop all about bots! Bots that move, bots made out of everyday items, bots that can make art, and more! |
| Circuits | Learn how to create a basic circuit using circuit blocks. We will explore conductivity and switches by giving you hands-on time to mess around with your circuit. Then we will take it up a level and get creative with squishy circuits. |
| Build a Block Party | Want to use circuit blocks in your classroom but you don't have circuit blocks? Build a Block Party is your solution! Come learn how to turn everyday objects and interesting materials into a tool you can use to engage your students in basic circuits. We will provide the tools and materials for you to make your first few starter circuit blocks. |
| Animation | Animation is defined as 'using slightly different pictures that when shown quickly in a series create the appearance of movement'. In this Skill Swap, we will explore a variety of ways to animate your series of slightly different pictures. Discover the progression of animation from the earliest forms before film to the modern animation techniques of stop motion. Whether it's hand-drawn or computer based, animation can bring out the creativity of your students and connect to content as well. |
| Circuits and Coding | Want to keep exploring the world of circuitry? Paper circuits blend art, electricity, math, and even simple coding into awe-inspiring projects. This friendly way to learn electronics is a great for beginners and anyone looking to complexify their experience with circuits. |
| Sewn Circuits | Circuits can be soft, too! Come join your sewing and circuit skills together to create projects called sewn circuits. This Skill Swap will focus on the spatial awareness of sewing and the complexity of completing a circuit in fabric. |
If you are looking for a more in-depth partnership with the Amazeum to develop tinkering based learning at your school, check out the Making Spaces program.
