Makerspaces Archives. Starting a School Makerspace from Scratch. With the National Week of Making behind us, you might be ready to start a makerspace in your school -- but not know where to start. Will purchasing a costly 3D printer and the latest robotics kit ensure learning and maker success? What are some steps to starting a successful makerspace from scratch? Step 1: Immerse Yourself in Maker Education Before you can build your own community of makers, you need to join one!
Immerse yourself in makerspaces by joining a summer maker camp like Exploratorium's Tinkering Fundamentals or the virtual Camp Google for cheap and easy STEM ideas, but most importantly: make stuff! Go to the public library or a community makerspace and learn Arduino, coding, etc. Some easy ways into coding are the Hour of Code and Scratch programming. Start of newsletter promotion. Subscribe to the Edutopia Weekly newsletter—full of innovative teaching and learning strategies that will work with your students. Subscribe now End of newsletter promotion. Step 2: Get Others Involved. Brilliant Labs Makerspace Projects. Maker Space. The Makerspace At Lee Elementary. What is a Makerspace? Makerspace Intro. Advice for Educators Interested in Creating a Makerspace. Creating a Maker Space in Your Classroom. Instructables Search Results.
14 Crafts for Teens and Tweens - ARTBAR. There are so many crafts for teens and tweens out there on the internet. One could get lost on Pinterest for days. I want to make it easy for you. These fifteen ideas are simple, use few supplies, and use mostly recycled materials. Cheap and easy! This post contains affiliate links. When I first started my blog, I had one tween and the other two were still little. Teens are very social, so all of these ideas are really fun to do with a friend or with a group of friends. Yarn Crafts for Teens and Tweens: 1.
Although this yarn craft is really quite good for all ages, teens and tweens will love to make these letters to decorate their rooms. 2. This is such an old-school craft, I remember making these with popsicle sticks when I was little. Here is a link to my favorite neon pink yarn. Paper Crafts for Teens and Tweens: 3. Save old crayons for this craft. 4. This has been one of my most popular paper crafts. 5. These paper bag stars are SO easy and fun to make. . ~ Glue sticks ~ Scissors 6. 7. Accordion Paper Christmas Tree - Easy Peasy and Fun. This little accordion paper Christmas tree has to be the cutest little holiday project to make with your kids ever. It’s insanely easy to make and looks adorable. And we even have a craft template for it for you to print. *this post contains affiliate links* We love the festive season, we love all the crafting that comes with it and all the memories that crafting together makes. These little trees are great both as crafts or as a DIY decorations for your home of for your classroom.
You can stick the paper straws into pots filled with soild, or you can hang the little DIY paper trees on a string to make a holiday garland. These are great for younger kids to do as they will get their fair share of scissor skill practice and working with folding paper as there are quite a few accordion folds involved – great for fine motor and for folding confidence as they are easy to master. Ready? What you need Optional: pom poms, sequin, gemstones to use as additional decoration Watch the Video Tutorial. Monster pencil toppers. Did you like this? Share it: How to Run an AWESOME After-school Makers Club. Creating School Library Makerspaces.
While there is no clear, single definition to the term makerspaces (Burke, 2013; Fontichiaro, as cited in Bell, 2015), there are commonalities existing in terms of features, functions, goals and activities that makerspaces provide. A makerspace is a place where people gather as communities to be innovative, create and collaborate, to share knowledge, tools and resources (Britton, 2012). Makerspaces have transpired from the maker movement which has been popularised by Make magazine and Maker Faire founder Dale Dougherty.
These creative spaces emphasise the ‘do-it-yourself’ philosophy while promoting a richer engagement and curiosity within the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) disciplines (Dougherty, 2013) and encourages students to pursue careers in these fields, but also to create their own jobs and industries (Peppler and Bender, 2013) that may not exist yet in a rapidly changing information and technological world. How Libraries Are Becoming Modern Makerspaces. If you could ask Ben Franklin what public institution he would like to visit in America today, I bet he would say the public library. And if you asked him which part of the library, I bet he would say the makerspace.
Ben Franklin is well known as a founder of the early subscription library, the Philadelphia Library Company, almost 300 years ago. It may be less well known that Franklin used the library’s space for some of his early experiments with electricity. Today, perhaps taking a cue from Franklin, libraries across America are creating space for their patrons to experiment with all kinds of new technologies and tools to create and invent. As I wrote in a short piece in the March issue of The Atlantic, called The Library Card: Miguel Figueroa, who directs the Center for the Future of Libraries at the American Library Association, says makerspaces are part of libraries’ expanded mission to be places where people can not only consume knowledge, but create new knowledge.
How to Start a Makerspace When You're Broke. Everyone’s Favorite Excuse I’ve had the honor and privilege of sharing with hundreds of librarians and educators about our makerspace. Unfortunately, I see many educators hold back on starting a makerspace because of funds. I’m always hearing excuses like: “I’d love to do (insert cool Maker activity) at my school, but we don’t have a budget for that.” What many people don’t realize is that the idea that you need a lot of money to start a Makerspace is a myth.
Share Your Vision with ALL THE PEOPLE You want to start a makerspace. Recycled materials can make for awesome projects Seek out Donations Never discount the value of donated materials. Consider putting out a bin for donations of recycled materials. We first started our makerspace with bins of K’nex found in a storage room Work with What You’ve Got Since you’ve started sharing your vision, you might have found out that your school already has some maker supplies lying around.
Our Epic LEGO Wall was funded through DonorsChoose Like this: Starting a School Makerspace from Scratch. With the National Week of Making behind us, you might be ready to start a makerspace in your school -- but not know where to start. Will purchasing a costly 3D printer and the latest robotics kit ensure learning and maker success? What are some steps to starting a successful makerspace from scratch? Step 1: Immerse Yourself in Maker Education Before you can build your own community of makers, you need to join one! Step 2: Get Others Involved Start a steering committee for your makerspace by involving interested teachers and students. If you can, reach out to the community and get parents and community members involved. Step 3: Purchasing Makerspace Resources Here are three guidelines: What purchases will give you the most bang for your buck? Step 4: Building a Community of Makers Immerse your students in maker supplies.
Photo Credit: Colleen Graves Step 5: Hosting Workshops and/or Design Challenges Here are some design challenge ideas that worked for me: IFLA -- MakerSpaces: new tradition in context. Generally, a MakerSpace is considered a place where informal, collaborative learning and discovery take place through hands on creation, via use of any combination of art and technology.
MakerSpaces facilitate both analog (low-tech) and digital (high tech) creation. Teen library programming and services that include use of a MakerSpace or equipment associated with a MakerSpace provide 21st century skills that contribute to new forms of literacy which include exposure to various types of technology, problem solving and collaboration skills. Much of the literature on the maker movement offers practical guides for design and implementation of MakerSpaces, including tools, technology, projects, and kits, as well as advice for libraries in the beginning stages of planning the physical layout of a MakerSpace. Why do libraries have MakerSpaces for teens? What are libraries trying to achieve via MakerSpaces? How do MakerSpaces fit into the library’s mission/vision? User driven peer directed. Beginner’s Guide to Maker-ize An Elementary Classroom – HonorsGradU.
When most penny-pinching, time-crunched, and exhausted teachers hear about lofty ideas like the MakerSpace movement in education, they are likely to dismiss it as another passing and impractical fad. However, the more we investigate, the more convinced we are that there are practical–and profoundly meaningful–ways for teachers to implement its ideals, even in an elementary school classroom. Benefits of Maker Spaces “Makerspaces come in all shapes and sizes, but they all serve as a gathering point for tools, projects, mentors and expertise. A collection of tools does not define a Makerspace. Rather, we define it by what it enables: making.” (MakerSpace Playbook) They cultivate creativity. (Remember Caine’s Arcade? They provide an opportunity for students to take the lead. They make for a much more productive fast-finisher.
They develop essential characteristics. They can “Create a physical laboratory for inquiry-based learning” 4 Realistic Tips to Maker-ize Your Room #4: Gradually Invest. A Librarian's Guide to Makerspaces: 16 Resources. "There were more than 135 million adult makers, more than half of the total adult population in America, in 2015. " What is a makerspace? You’ve no doubt been hearing that word more than a few times over the past several years.
Makerspaces, also called hackerspaces, hackspaces, and fablabs, are collaborative spaces where people gather to get creative with DIY projects, invent new ones, and share ideas. Since the first official makerspace convened six years ago in a library in upstate New York, libraries have remained an ideal setting for makerspace events across the country. Many offer community resources like 3D printers, software, electronics, craft and hardware supplies, and more. The idea of a communal creative space has only gained momentum and become increasingly popular over the years, and the makers’ movement shows no signs of slowing down.
There were more than 135 million adult makers, more than half of the total adult population in America, in 2015. 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) 6.) 7.) 6 Fun Ways Kids Can Join the Maker Movement. Children are natural makers — give a kid a cardboard box, and she’ll transform it immediately into an oven, a spaceship, an elevator, or something else that I probably cannot imagine. Recent years have seen a growth of the maker movement, or an enthusiasm for inventing and creating new technologies and tools, in the U.S., Europe, and many countries across the world. Here is a look at the origins of the maker movement, how it fosters creativity, and some of the resources available to kids. How the Maker Movement Got Started The maker movement has its origins in the do-it-yourself (DIY) attitude. Dale Dougherty is credited with having started the movement with the launch of Make: magazine in 2005.
A lot of people see it as the modern emblem of pioneering American innovation, though the movement is not limited to the U.S. Makers are creating inventions that are advancing and celebrating many fields — science, technology, art, engineering, design, and music, among others. Sources: Makerspace Starter Kit. The hot new Makerspace Movement is NOT new to Murray Hill Middle School. Eighteen years ago we designed and opened the school with the idea that we would have creation labs in the Media Center, GT room, and the TV studio. We started with video production, iMovie, Specular LogoMotion, Hyperstudio, and animation with Hollyood High kids. Here's an example of an EARLY (2003) video production called Bookfellas, featuring some Guy Ritchie-esque film direction techniques. These kids are now all grown up and we've kept evolving, too!
It's OK to Start Small! I re-purposed some of my empty study carrels for this Makerspace center at the top corner of our library. As I asserted in a recent blog post about new Ed Tech trends, fads, & tech -you can start small and You Don't Have to Marry It! For the Duct Tape Craft Cubby, I used a spring loaded curtain rod to hold the duct tape rolls, bought a bright blue colored shower caddy for the scissors and other tools. Amazon Delivers! FUND Me! Mobile Maker Spaces. The production cart includes a tripod with iPad Pro mount, a piano keyboard, professional lighting, mics, headphones, and various items to help students produce movies, videos, and podcasts. The concept was pretty straightforward, but the logistics were a bit complicated. We wanted to create four mobile maker space carts that could rotate among four middle school libraries in the Knox County School district of Knoxville, TN. It all started when our director of instructional technology, Theresa Nixon, encouraged us to apply for a TeacherPreneur Grant to fund a traveling maker space program.
Our funding goal was approximately $50,000. Requesting this much money meant that we needed a an idea that dazzled. As we prepared the grant application, the librarians representing the middle schools (Farragut, Vine, Carter, and Karns) discussed rotating maker space carts that would dock in each library for nine weeks. What we bought and why Purchasing process; designing the docks up and running. Creating a School Library Makerspace: The Beginning of a Journey | Tech Tidbits. Our library at Silver Creek High School in Longmont, CO is an active hub for extracurricular activities. We host an Anime Club, monthly Poetry Slams, and Book Buddies, but I felt like we could do more. I wanted something that I could tie to student learning which would promote inquiry, giving students opportunities to solve problems and find answers to questions. My assistant and I began looking at innovative library programs and community partnerships. Many of the teacher librarians in my professional network have been expanding their libraries by adding makerspace opportunities, classroom collaboration, and even 3-D printers.
Makerspaces are a natural evolution for libraries. No need to reinvent the wheel We have great models to guide us as we select the equipment to purchase and the procedures to follow. Where to get the money? There are several online fundraising sites to help raise funds for our venture, such as Kickstarter, GoFundMe.com, and adoptaclassroom.org. Next steps See also: 60+ Makerspace Ideas for Maker Education | Maker space. 4 Super Easy Budget Friendly Projects for Your Makerspace.