The Pittsburgh Maker Educator Learning Community otherwise known as Agency by Design Pittsburgh, is a research practice partnership designed to connect educators from diverse maker-based learning environments for the purpose of developing mutual understandings of maker-centered learning and assessment. Specifically, the teachers come together in the community to address their need to assess and document learning in maker-based learning experiences. The learning community is lead by an educator/administrator from Northgate School District and a researcher from the University of Wisconsin. And the community consists of 30 educators from 20 organizations in in Western Pennsylvania.
Who? What? Where? Why?
About one third of our educators teach in High Schools, while another third teach in elementary schools.
Three-quarters of us teach in STEM/STEAM, Art, Design, and Making classrooms.
We teach in informal settings, charter schools, but mostly in public schools.
While a third of us have taught less than five years, more than half have been teaching for more than ten years.
50% of us teach in Suburban communities.
47% in Urban communities & 3% in Rural areas.
We value persistence & perseverance, curiosity, collaboration, creativity, empathy, self-awareness & motivation, and JOY!