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Makerspaces and STEM/STEAM

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5 Important Ways Libraries Are Getting Kids Excited About Science! When word got out that libraries across the country were giving away eclipse glasses in advance of the August 21 solar eclipse, our phone started ringing off the hook.

5 Important Ways Libraries Are Getting Kids Excited About Science!

Teachers and parents, in particular, were eager to jump on the chance to engage kids in some real-world science and perhaps even inspire a life-long interest in astronomy. The fact that the eclipse promised to be a unique and memorable experience also made it all the more appealing to grab a pair of solar viewers and join the fun. The fact is, while the push towards Science, Technology, Arts, Engineering, and Math (STEAM) fields has never been stronger, many schools struggle to find the funding or time to support extracurricular activities in these areas.

The solution? Public libraries are stepping-up to meet the demands of their communities through exciting STEAM programs and resources. Here are some of the ways libraries are filling the science education gap: 1. 2. Seven Myths Keeping Teachers from Designing Makerspaces. In a previous post, I explored this idea that every student deserves a makerspace.

Seven Myths Keeping Teachers from Designing Makerspaces

10 Tools for Your Students’ Creativity Toolbox. “Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.” —Edward de Bono When I write an article, I usually draft two or three versions before I find the one I call the first draft. Creating an article requires exploring what I want to say and how I want to say it for my audience. DESIGN SQUAD GLOBAL. Design Thinking with iPads. Design thinking is a powerful tool to really get your students thinking about and tackling a problem or topic at a much deeper level.

Design Thinking with iPads

It is a structured task that focuses on giving considerable time to thinking about and empathising with the people within the situation (Target audience or client), designing and prototyping a possible solution that is immediately challenged in order to improve it. It is used much in business and the design industry but can be used as a general classroom task within any subject area. It also gets students to work quickly without much introduction. Design thinking promotes creative thinking, team work, and student responsibility for learning. Drawp for School Blog - Edcamp STEAM: How To Outfit The Ideal Elementary... Edcamp STEAM: How To Outfit The Ideal Elementary School Maker Studio The Makerspace Maker Studio at Trace Crossings Elementary School, Hoover, AL STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) is an educational initiative to incorporate more art into STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

Drawp for School Blog - Edcamp STEAM: How To Outfit The Ideal Elementary...

Art can be added to STEM with traditional arts, with design principles, or with creative solutions to problem solving. Engaging the future of STEM. Five Ways to Boost Student Engagement with Flow Theory. KinderLab Robotics - Robotics for STEAM Learning for 4-7 Year Olds. LittleBits. Little Bits Webinar. Only 11% of architects and engineers are women. Let's build a new pipeline for female talent. I am a female engineer.

Only 11% of architects and engineers are women. Let's build a new pipeline for female talent

When I introduce myself, I still get gasps or looks of surprise. This isn't a surprise to me as women account for just 11% of employees in architecture and engineering. There are a number of reasons for this, including what has been dubbed “the pipeline challenge”, that is points all along the engineering talent pipeline where we lose women and girls. At the beginning of the pipeline girls are not aware of engineering careers. OpenIDEO - Home. Renovated Learning. SolarBuddy. Connected Toys. STEM & Maker Space - Virtual ​Library. The Power of the Maker Movement Piktochart infographic created by Heather Lister.

STEM & Maker Space - Virtual ​Library

References and further readingBritton, L. (2012). The Makings of Maker Spaces, Part 1: Space for Creation, Not Just Consumption. The Digital Shift. Create 3D digital designs with online CAD. VEX IQ - VEX Robotics. Artist Creates Dante Inspired Lego Masterpiece - For Reading Addicts. An online catalogue of over 200 art books has been released by the Solomon R.

Artist Creates Dante Inspired Lego Masterpiece - For Reading Addicts

Guggenheim Museum, and all are free to download for the art-loving public. Art lovers from around the world are given the opportunity to freely download art books on great creative minds such as Klimt, Picasso, Lichtenstein, Rothko, and Kandinsky, among many others. A broad range of artistic forms and expressions are available to discover from classic sculpture to futurism, and beyond! The archive website states: “As a vital part of the Solomon R. Custom Jigsaw Puzzles Photo Printing Manufacturer. Building a Makerspace Library. Calling All Makers! Look What You Can Build, Watch, Share & More With PBS... Designing a School Makerspace. Makerspaces, STEAM labs, and fab labs are popping up in schools across the country. Makerspaces provide hands-on, creative ways to encourage students to design, experiment, build and invent as they deeply engage in science, engineering and tinkering.

A makerspace is not solely a science lab, woodshop, computer lab or art room, but it may contain elements found in all of these familiar spaces. Therefore, it must be designed to accommodate a wide range of activities, tools and materials. How to set up a makerspace at your school - ABC Education - ABC Splash - A makerspace can be any place where students can get creative, whether a classroom, library or garden.

How to set up a makerspace at your school - ABC Education - ABC Splash -

It's not about the space, but the innovation mindset that the space promotes. Instructables - How to make anything. Launching a Makerspace: Lessons Learned From a Transformed School Library. Excitement about school makerspaces has been in the air, but many educators eager to create hands-on learning spaces in their schools still aren’t sure how to get started or why it’s worth the effort.

Launching a Makerspace: Lessons Learned From a Transformed School Library

New Canaan High School librarian Michelle Luhtala recently jumped headfirst into creating a makerspace in her library and documented what she learned, how her space changed and how it affected students along the way. Her experience was very different from elementary school librarian Andy Plemmons, whose makerspace started with a 3-D printer obtained through a grant and blossomed into a core teaching resource at his school. Makerbook - The best free resources for creatives. Maker Movement Meets Literacy. Makerspaces. Buy Direct (Official Site) How to make a Pumpkin Piano (using a Makey Makey) Levitating pumpkins!

How to make a Pumpkin Piano (using a Makey Makey)

Halloween superconductor science. Maker Education Guide for Teachers. Making and Designing Art with Digital Technology. Learning through making Learning by doing, has been a cornerstone of progressive education with roots dating to the 18th century. In the United States, the Progressive Education movement, through the work of John Dewey, as well as other education philosophers like Jean Piaget, have advocated for learning through experience. Seymour Papert expanded this idea through his learning theory of Constructionism. People learn best through creating and sharing the things they make. Making Culture - Expressive & Creative Interaction Technologies Center. Making Culture is the first in-depth examination of K-12 education makerspaces nationwide and was created as part of the ExCITe Center's Learning Innovation initiative.

This report reveals the significance of cultural aspects of making (student interests, real world relevance, and community collaboration) that enable learning. The research highlights how makerspaces foster a range of positive student learning outcomes, but also reflect some of the gaps in inclusion common in the STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math) fields. Micro:bit Promises to Grow with a Learner’s Skill Level.

Say “hello, world!” To the micro:bit, a codable computer you can put in your pocket. The micro:bit was originally developed by the BBC as an educational initiative in the UK, and it’s finally made its way across the pond. Along with 29 partner companies, and in an effort to address a looming technology skills shortage, BBC created the micro:bit, and in 2016, distributed the device for free to year seven (sixth grade) students across the UK. Because the micro:bit was designed to teach and inspire kids to learn coding skills, it’s versatile and easy to use out of the box. How To Start Integrating Coding Into Project Based Learning – from Kate Wilson.

This post first appeared on Edudemic. Out of the Box Approach to Planning Makerspaces. Starting a School Makerspace from Scratch. TinkeringChild. The Innovation of the Maker Movement. Want To Create a Budget-Friendly Makerspace in the New Year? Think, Plan, and Organize.