Having just returned from the MACUL conference, I was struck by the number of educators who don't identify themselves as makers. A maker by definition is "a person or thing that makes or produces something." ( Google ) It seems to me that by that definition that all humans are makers. Perhaps the reason that many of the educators that I met at the MACUL conference don't identify as makers is that they have had the creative spirit educated out of them. This theory is based on an amazing TED Talk by Sir Ken Robinson. (Included below) To summarize he posits that schools educate students into compliance which defeats the creative ability of kids. Do you agree with this statement? In an environment based on standardized testing and high stakes performance is there time to be creative? The maker movement is catching fire nationwide and I believe it is a direct response to try to counteract the loss of creativity. Students should be empowered to be creative in