04/09/2026
We live and work in the middle of Los Angeles, and collaborate with LAUSD schools. LAUSD families are in our workshop weekly. With the teacher strike looming next week, I canât stop thinking about how often schools are encouraged to âinnovateâ by buying things. There always seems to be endless funds for devices and shiny equipment while schools underinvest in the adults who actually make learning work. Schools will spend millions on unproven AI that is short-lived and soon abandoned, but teachers are expected to keep track of how much paper they use. Make it make sense.
A makerspace or edtech program doesnât become meaningful because you purchased a 3D printer. It becomes meaningful because a skilled educator is in the room.
Can a 3D printer teach routines and safety so students can work independently?
Can it coach kids through frustration without rescuing and achieve real SEL outcomes?
Can it connect projects to real learning goals?
Can it create a culture where iteration, collaboration, and craftsmanship are normal and expected?
Can it support classroom teachers so hands-on learning isnât isolated to one room?
When schools spend blindly on tech without training and staffing, you donât get innovation; you get a closet of expensive tools and a few enthusiastic moments.
The tool is never the transformation. The teacher is.
So if youâre a school leader building a makerspace (or any STEAM initiative), a hard truth and a hopeful one:
-Budget for people AND PD and planning time
-Budget for ongoing ops, i.e. consumables, maintenance, repairs, upgrades, subscriptions/apps
HIGH QUALITY INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING AND MAKERSPACES ARE PROGRAMS, NOT JUST A ONE TIME PURCHASE.
Kids donât learn resilience, problem-solving, and confidence from equipment. They learn it from adults who know how to teach through making.
