Makerspace Moments: Creativity and Science with LEGOs (TPiB Lego Challenge Ideas) As you may know, Christie and I recently put together Mobile Lego Makerspaces for our library system – the Grand Prairie Library System in Grand Prairie, Texas – and we have recently had some of our first “Lego Clubs” at our libraries.
If you don’t know, you obviously aren’t reading the blog enough- LOL (we’ve been kind of Lego obsessed). This is what I wrote about my first meeting on the TLT Tubmlr: “So I had my first Lego Makerspace today and a funny thing happened; I realized that most of my participants didn’t actually own Legos and really had no real idea what to do with them. I guess this shouldn’t surprise me, Legos are expensive, but it broke my heart a little. Okay, a lot. So buoyed by my first Lego Makerspace program, I have been further researching what to do and have some various ideas to share with you, from different challenges you can have in your meetings to how to incorporate technology. Variation 1: Everyone gets only bricks that are 2×2, for example. 9 Maker Projects for Beginner Maker Ed Teachers - Blog.
Maker education (often referred to as “Maker Ed”) is a new school of educational thought that focuses on delivering constructivist, project-based learning curriculum and instructional units to students.
Maker education spaces can be as large as full high school workshops with high-tech tools, or as small and low-tech as one corner of an elementary classroom. A makerspace isn't just about the tools and equipment, but the sort of learning experience the space provides to students who are making projects. Maker Ed places a premium on the balance between exploration and execution. Small projects lend themselves to indefinite tinkering and fiddling, while larger projects need complex, coordinated planning. Often, small projects can organically grow into larger and larger projects.
Maker education provides space for real-life collaboration, integration across multiple disciplines, and iteration—the opportunity to fail, rework a project and find success. Smaller Scale Maker Education Projects. Manufacturing Makerspaces. Kids gather to make Lego robots; teens create digital music, movies, and games with computers and mixers; and students engineer new projects while adults create prototypes for small business products with laser cutters and 3D printers.
Many libraries across the US have developed makerspaces—places to create, build, and craft—and they are experiencing increased visits and demand as a result. For public libraries, they are places to promote community engagement. For academic libraries, they are places where students and faculty feel welcome to do classwork and research. Fundamentally, makerspaces are a technological leap past library knitting and quilting circles, where patrons and experts have often come together to learn new techniques and train others in a skill.
The new tools are a lot flashier, and certainly more expensive than a needle and thread. The ALA 2012 Virtual Conference featured two well-attended makerspace sessions. Three Makerspace Models That Work By Travis Good 1. 2. 3. Lesson Plans. ELA Candid Camera Lesson Plan Appropriate for grade levels ES to HS Combine Makey Makey with a webcam to create candid stories about your classroom.
In this lesson you can also learn how students can write out short tableaus and create GIF cards for visualizing ideas in a text or even vocabulary reinforcement.Tableaus also work for other contents. Social studies teachers can use this lesson for understanding historical events and science teachers could ask students to act out scientific ideas and concepts. Click here for the full lesson plan. Distance Rate and Time for Math/Science/Physics Appropriate for grade levels 8th to HS How does acceleration change from a downward drop, to a flat surface, to an uphill ramp? Click here for the full lesson plan. Game Controller Challenge Appropriate for Grade Levels 5th to HS Wanna get your whole school involved in coding and game creation? Click here for the full lesson plan. Interactive Room Challenge Click here for the full lesson plan.
Maker Projects Archives - Makerspaces.com. The 2nd Edition is now filled with 250+ MakerEd & Makerspace Resources Download the ebook here This latest edition is a collection of over 250+ resources to help you with your makerspace and maker education program. This ebook will be revised quarterly in order to add the latest resources available and to make sure all links are active.