Post #5 for #blogjune – where I reflect on makers and making
This evening I went along to the opening of the Scarf Festival 2014 exhibition being held at the National Wool Museum in Geelong. This is a popular event for those who have an appreciation of things crafty, and there’s always some amazing scarves to be seen. What struck me in the opening remarks was that the festival is a celebration of the maker, the person who makes things by hand. The person who is creative and works through that process of concept, design, & creation to finish with an artefact or product. This piece has a personal investment, it reflects some of the maker, it will have an aesthetic, have significant time invested, and usually has a function. Any visit to a craft/night market will provide an insight to the huge range of (some) hand made things, and it’s encouraging to see. I like the idea of buying something that someone has made, something of quality, and something unique. Yes, is easy to by a mass produced cheap product off the shelf, but it just not the same – that product just doesn’t have enough soul.
I also wanted to recognise the maker movement/culture that highlights a growing movement of people inventing their own products and services using cheap and accessible technology. This is also an interesting development, and I believe something we could encourage in education. I guess you can’t go past what Sir Ken Robinson says about creativity in schools. If you are one of the nearly 27 million people who has seen his TED talk you’ll know what I mean, if you haven’t seen it yet – spend the next 20 minutes watching it now.
Still, I want to try and relate this to education and #highered and I want to ask what we expect our students to make. I guess most of the opportunities we give students to be makers and to create, are in assessment. Do we allow them to be creative, to be expressive and add their personality to their making? Do we develop rubrics and marking guides that allow for difference and creativity and, dare I say it – what about levels of subjectivity in making and grading? I think we should be able to build the concept of maker into learning outcomes and graduate attributes. Wouldn’t students still be able to demonstrate a competency and of assurance of learning. What do you think?
329 scarves on display at the Scarf Festival 2014 exhibition.
Our very special Word of the Day is: ‘onomasticon’, Hey, Jake, Frank, Jane, Sue, George, Sylvia, & Stephen – do you like it?
Tags: blogjune
Which was your favourite scarf, and did you vote? (so jealous of the scarf festival!)
Yes, I voted in the People’s Choice – I liked a woven scarf in plain off white with a geometric pattern and made of silk, wool & bamboo. It had a nice weight and texture. So many nice ones though, could easily spend lots of money 🙂