Part I: Bibliographic information
Type: Magazine/comic
Title: Make magazine
Dates of publication:The magazine has been in publication since 2005 to present; Issue reviewed good through Oct. 21, 2013
Issue: Make 35: The Danger Issue
ISBN: 0-7447024093-8
Frequency: Quarterly
Publisher: MakerMedia
Genre/subgenre: How to/Maker
Interest Age: 13+
Reading Level: Upper Grades (UG 9-12)
Pages: 160 (varies)
Part I: Reader’s Annotation, Plot Summary, Critical Evaluation
Reader’s Annotation -- The Maker movement was founded in 2005 and is all the rage around the globe among those that enjoy DIY projects. Make magazine offers quarterly issues with a range of content from profiles to projects for the maker crowd -- and the aspiring maker.
Plot Summary -- Make reflects the ethos of the makers movement from content packed insides printed on what feels like recycled paper to the high-design layout that is playful and engaging. Typically, there is a list of the upcoming Maker Faires. There are six features in the latest issue and each features individual makers who have done really cool things. This month features a couple who are pyrotechnics 'freaks' -- they build cars, sculpture and toys the spit out fire. Another article discusses some rocket projects with some step-by-step how to information. Almost always there are some electronic project for that bunch of people who love fabricating motherboards -- go figure! These are not so much crafts in the traditional sense but applied technology and science to semi-practical things that reflect innovation and creative designs.
One of the important aspects of the maker movement is that it’s community-based. Faires are held all over the United States (and globally) each year so most people are in reach of one of these events. Also, libraries and schools are involving themselves with the maker movement and wisely so. It brings in patrons for whom reading novels alone might not engage them thus. They might not be the typical fiction-based reader but rather readers of science, design and hobbyist materials. It’s also fun and engaging for a wide range of ages and backgrounds.
According to a Maker Make Study done in 2012 (Maker, n.d), these are the stats about makers:
MAKE MAGAZINE: READERS
- Total Readership: 300,000
- 81% Male, 19% Female
- Median Age is 44
- Median Household Income is $106,000
- 73% own their home
- 97% attended college
- 80% have post-graduate education
- 83% Employed
So this is an intelligent, productive, successful crowd by and large.
Critical Evaluation -- The maker movement brought together people from a lot of disciplines ranging from uniquely innovative handcrafts to DIY electronic projects. The idea is to promote design and fabrication both for fun and as an exercise in applied science and technology. Even handcrafts involve some level of science or technical processes. Yarn for instance has to be made somehow and there are a variety of approaches. So what we see is a group of people who are interested in going beyond simply consuming more and want to actually make things! It’s a great premise for a popular movement, and the magazine is really a venue for makers to share their achievements and give others inspiration. For kids, it’s really a great draw -- maker projects can range from simple to highly complex. There’s potentially something for all ages and when given a chance at these sort of projects kids are really engaged.
Part III: Author Info
Accordng to Wikipedia, “Dale Dougherty is one of the co-founders (with Tim O'Reilly) of O'Reilly Media. While not at the company in its earliest stages as a technical documentation consulting company, Dale was instrumental in the development of O'Reilly's publishing business. He is the author of the O'Reilly booksed & awk….Dougherty was the founder, in 1993, and publisher of the Global Network Navigator (GNN), the first web portal and the first site on the internet to be supported by advertising. In 1995, AOL purchased GNN from O'Reilley & Associates.”
Doughty coined the term ‘Web 2.0’, according to some sources quoted in his Wikipedia article. He now heads Maker Media, the company that publishes Make and is involved in organizing Maker faires (Dougherty, n.d.).
Part IV: Curriculum Ties, Diversity, Booktalk Ideas, Challenge Issues
Curriculum Ties, if any -- It’s really outside of the classroom experience but, on occasion, there might be a bit of humor to introduce into a current affairs conversation.
Diversity of Cultures -- Fairly diverse in it use of characters though sometimes inclined to indulge in stereotype of women, minorities, gays and the rest of America, too!
Booktalking Ideas -- Humor offers an alternative to straight-forward journalism both in magazine and now on television. What is the risk or downside to getting one’s news from a comedy channel or humor magazine? Why are they so popular?
Challenge Issues -- There are not really any challenge issues raised unless you are a hater of applied science. Also, some of the projects have the potential to be dangerous so parental supervision would most certainly be in order.
Part V: Reasons chosen
I liked to tinker with things as a kid. I’d take apart old electronics. I also liked to build model cars and ships. This went contrary to what girls were supposed to like doing. Girls played with dolls and dress up, according to traditional thinking. But the fact is that its sort of boring. Making things engages your higher intelligence. It demands creativity. I am a big advocate of engaging young minds and Make is a great resource for project ideas and inspiration about DIY projects that are more for the joy of design and fabrication than for practical purposes -- although many maker project have potential practical uses.
Part VI: Citations
Dale Dougherty. (n.d.). Wikipedia [webpage]. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Dougherty
Maker Media. (n.d.). Fact sheet [webpage]. Retrieved from http://makermedia.com/press/fact-sheet/
No comments:
Post a Comment