*Enhancing Educators' Cultural and Digital Literacies through Makerspace Development Activities DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112613*

populations are divided and excluded [19]. The pandemic has presented educators with a renewed insight on the importance of participation in digital learning development, as now they are aware of their own digital skills, abilities, and limitations [20]. This presents an opportunity for organizations to foster stronger development approaches and to identify gaps in digital competencies, teacher capabilities, and abilities to use technology to communicate well, or digital fluencies. Schools can look to the International Society of Technology Education (ISTE) standards, Common Framework for Teaching Digital Competence or TPACK as a starting point. Investment in technology training cannot be an afterthought during the strategic plan process and is a required component to equip students with future-ready skills. Measuring the quality of teacher training and resources can provide insights on how financial allocation of professional development influence URM student engagement, STEM literacy, use, and academic performance. Makerspaces provide an informal space for active learning outside of the classroom to facilitate self-directed learning opportunities for faculty development in which faculty collaborate with others to learn about digital resources and technology approaches to improve integration efforts in the classroom [2]. Makerspace environments provide a safe place for educators to participate in trial-and-error experimentation of new technology tools, for learning and investigating within a makerspace community [21]. The La Frontera Mobile STEM program expands upon Miller's study that investigated the effect of professional development on educator perception of integrating technologies with STEM. The NASA funded Makers' Guild study incorporated 2D and 3D technologies during STEM makerspace pop-up activities in which participants reported a statically significant increase in self-reported competence in technology integration, the use of the World Wide Web, and Emerging Technologies for Student Learning as measured by the TPSA C-21 [11].
