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. There were more than 135 million adult makers, more than half of the total adult population in America, in 2015. Articles & Blog Posts on Makerspaces 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) 6.) 7.) 8.) 9.) 10. ) It all started with a training offered by the Washington State Library… Part of the “Between the Lines” series of the Washington State Library Blog, this post describes one library manager’s first encounter with STEM-based makerspace programming. 12.) Maker Faire Touted as the “greatest show and tell on earth,” Maker Faire has emerged as the official international celebration of not only creativity, resourcefulness, and innovation but also a mass gathering of the maker movement at large. Makerspaces Directories 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) Revitalizing Community Spaces
Creating Makerspaces in Schools Two weekends ago, I attended EdCamp NYC at The School at Columbia, an independent school on Manhattan's Upper West Side. One of the things I love about attending edcamps is that the day is always unpredictable because you don't know what will be discussed or who will be leading conversations until that morning. What ensued was an inspiring day focused on tinkering, exploration and innovation. A Day of Play and Exploration The day began with a discussion led by Don Buckley, The School's Director of Technology and Innovation, focused on design thinking in schools. Following this, my colleagues and I ran a session entitled "Programming with Food," during which the four of us set up our new MakeyMakeys along with Play-Doh and various types of food ranging from tomatoes and grapes to potatoes and orange peels, to show how students can manipulate existing programs and websites using the MakeyMakey board and conductive materials -- or build their own to manipulate in Scratch. Why Makerspaces?
Make Your Own Makerspace - Ideas & Inspiration from Demco Carson Block Carson Block has led, managed and supported library technology efforts for more than 17 years. He has been called "a geek who speaks English" and enjoys acting as a bridge between the worlds of librarians and hard-core technologists. He has a passion to de-mystify technology for the uninitiated, and to help IT professionals understand and support the goals of libraries. Apps & More for Makerspaces | Mix It Up Whether your library or school has a dedicated makerspace, you are experimenting with maker and STEM programming, or looking for inspiration to get started, this inaugural installment of “Mix It Up” offers a broad selection of free or low-cost apps, websites, and tools for engaging kids and teens in creative maker projects. Our field-tested recommendations are grouped into three main sections: Coding, Filmmaking, Tinkering, and 3D Printing. Making is all about trial and error; don’t be afraid to experiment with these tools and encourage playful exploration by your patrons or students. As makers like to say, “If at first you succeed…you’re probably doing it wrong.” Tinkercad Rainy Day, Solo ExplorationFree | Gr 5 Up A computer-aided model (CAD) software program that allows users to design items for 3-D printing or lasercutting. Cookie Caster Rainy Day, Solo ExplorationFree | Gr 3 Up Make cookies and the cookie cutters! Coding Filmmaking Tinkering
Thing 23: Makerspaces “Creating is becoming a new digital competency, and libraries are building and expanding their programs and services to meet these changing community needs.” Ann Joslin, president of the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies Some of you are already immersed in creating maker programs in your schools. “Tinkering is about hands-on experiences, learning from failures, and unstructured time to explore and invent. Whether you call this the Maker Movement, Tinkering, Hacking, Fabricating, DIY or whatever… t’s all about creating, exploring, encouraging curiosity and creative problem-solving. Why is this important? “Why should you commit time and effort to a Maker Club or Makerspace? Take 3 minutes to watch this video: What is a Maker or Innovation Space? School Makerspaces Many K12 makerspace programs are run as after-school club projects. Making inside the space and outside the boxJoyce Valenza on the value of creating spaces where students create their own learning agendas. More Resources
There's a Maker Faire in That iPad! 10 Ways to Create Student Makers With Apps - Getting Smart by Alison Anderson - edapps, iPad, maker, maker fair, makerchat, makered Too often the word on the street is “my school or class has new iPads but we don’t know what to do with them.” The best part about these devices is that they get the learning into the actual hands of students- make learning “hands-on.” That is NOT a new concept. Dewey, Montessori, David Kolb knew this long before the digital age- constructivism is one of the most effective ways to learn anything. These days, the word “maker” can be interchanged for “constructivist” and the Maker Movement is really starting to sweep the country. The White House announced last week they would host their first Maker Faire this spring (follow the hashtag, #IMadeThis). These are all exciting events but all students should have easy access to becoming a maker. 1. DIY.org (app and webbased) has it all! 2. Play-i Bots: coming soon – these little bots will take the code written on the ipad and make it come to life in the real world. 3. 4. 5. 6. Foldify: Don’t have the cash to get a 3D printer? 7. 8. 9.
Why the Maker Movement Is Important to America’s Future I grew up in the age of Tinker Toys and Erector Sets. Both were meant to inspire me to be a maker instead of a consumer. My first real tool was a wood-burning engraver that had such a short chord it was almost impossible to use. When I started using it, I burned myself more than once and nearly started a fire at the house. I was in Silicon Valley in the late 1970s, and I started to get more interested in the Homebrew Computer Club and similar user groups where people could get together and talk about tech-related interests. Along the way, the idea of creating technology got sidelined as I instead started to write about it, chronicling its history. Fast forward to today, and I am very excited about the Maker Movement. So what is the Maker Movement? The maker movement, as we know, is the umbrella term for independent inventors, designers and tinkerers. I met Kaplan at the recent TED conference in Vancouver, where he told me about the history of the Maker Movement and its culture.
The Common Core Meets the Maker Movement How do maker projects jibe with the requirements of the new Common Core? Educators were out in full force this past weekend, for the annual World Maker Faire held in New York City. Billed as the “greatest show (and tell) on earth,” a good chunk of the DIYers, citizen scientists, crafting experts, and tech enthusiasts in attendance were, thankfully, also educators. And in addition to working on their own projects, these educators were sharing ideas for how to use making in classrooms this fall. The Maker Education Initiative released an online resource library, a digital archive of sorts intended to help educators get started making in education. But how do these maker projects jibe with the new demands placed on classroom teachers from the Common Core? Back in June, Gary Stager, coauthor of “Invent to Learn,” told Education Week that he felt despite some “overlapping interests” between the standards and the maker movement, the two are ultimately “incompatible.” Could this be true?
Makerspaces in Schools: Creating STEAM Connections Educators have discovered the power of makerspaces in schools to build students’ competencies and interest in science, technology, engineering and math. Guest blogger Diana Rendina, media specialist/school librarian at Stewart Middle Magnet School in Tampa, FL, describes how her school set up and uses a makerspace to support curricular goals and encourage STEAM skills. Our Makerspace Story Stewart Middle Magnet School has been a STEM magnet school since 2000, but until recently, the library played little part in our magnet focus. Our Makerspace Today Our makerspace consists of an open area that takes up one corner of our library, as well as a storage room. Passive Programs Our makerspace frequently has pop-up stations with curricular connections.