The goals for this session are to (a) introduce participants briefly to the Agency by Design initiative, situating the project in the current maker/hacking/DIY movement; (b) introduce participants to the core AbD idea of “sensitivity to design” via hands-on activities, documentation, and thinking routines; (c) explore the thinking and learning possibility space afforded through maker-centered experiences; and, (d) view agency through the lens of maker/making and explore the relationship between having a heightened sensitivity to design and the AbD concept of maker empowerment.

During this workshop, Project Zero researchers will explore what it means to bring “maker” into education. Participants will engage in hands-on activities and maker-focused thinking routines aimed at cultivating observation skills and encouraging critical analysis of the made dimension of our world. Documentation and reflection prompts will help frame discussions around the learning and thinking opportunities afforded by making/design-centered experiences.