Active Learning | Kristin Fontichiaro's Blog About Learning, Teaching, Making Things, and Libraries Building professional capacityTeacher-librarians are well positioned to impart data literacy to teens, but who’s giving instructors the resources and support that they need to do so?Kristin Fontichiaro, clinical associate professor at University of Michigan’s School of Information, and Jo Angela Oehrli, learning librarian at University of Michigan Library, were up for the task. As principal investigators of the two-year IMLS-funded project “Supporting Librarians in Adding Data Literacy Skills to Information Literacy Instruction,” they set out to design materials for high school librarians looking to foster data and statistical literacy skills in their students.
Makerspace Resources and Programming ideas | Create, Collaborate, Innovate Create Collaborate Innovate Posts on Making Sign up for this MOOC offered by Exploratorium: Tinkering FundamentalsSign up for Google’s Maker Camp and Google Science Camp.Follow and read the blog over at Exploratorium’s Tinkering Studio or sign up for their tinkering course!Find cool stuff and Make it at your Library!Need ideas? Favorite Maker Tools Invent to Learn by Sylvia Martinez and Gary StagerInvent to Learn Guide to Fun by Josh BurkerScript Changers: Digital Storytelling with Scratch by Kylie PepplerSoft Circuits by Kylie PepplerShort Circuits by Kylie PepplerArt of Tinkering by Karen Wilkinson and Mike PetrichMakerspace Playbook by Maker MediaBig Book of Makerspace Projects by Me! Check out these Great Blogs from other Makers The Tinkering Studio Blog : This R&D lab on the floor of the Exploratorium is a maker’s dream! More Great Books for Your School Library Makerspace Diana Rendina has a great post and pinterest board on this topic! I’ve learned so much from my Twitter PLN.
Makerspace in the Library! The Maker Space Difference: Amazing Inquiry, Shared Learning | Tech Tidbits Students work with the new 3-D printer. “Is it true? Do we have a 3-D printer?” When I put our new 3-D printer in the window of the school library, not only were my own maker space students interested, but the rest of the school seemed to take note. Some of you have been curious about how this new maker space project is coming along, so here’s an update. The library unofficially opened our maker space in January after receiving all kinds of goodies from a DonorsChoose fundraiser and other grants. The purchases tumbled out of boxes and students explored each item. Thingiverse nameplate The students and I decided to meet after school every Wednesday to learn all we could together. The students have programmed and raced the two Sphero Robotic Balls, even trying them under water! Collectively, our goal was to learn as much as we could so that students and staff would be ready to explain how each thing worked at our Makerspace Open House during our parent-teacher conferences in February.
Maker & DIY Programs Maker enthusiasts: anyone can edit this page. Please share your resources here! You may also be interested in our STEM Resources page and our Teen Programming Guidelines from YALSA (.pdf) Activities Congressional App Challenge (for teens)Digital Learning DayDo Now (weekly activity for teens to do via social media from KQEDHour of CodeMaker Party (hosted by the Mozilla Foundation)6 Second Science Fair (create a Vine video showing off your science project & use the hashtag #6secondscienceTeen Read WeekWeek of Making, June 17 - 23 (sponsored by the White House) Resources Makerspaces & ongoing maker programming Have a makerspace, pop-up maker space, mobile maker lab or ongoing maker programming at your library, school, museum or youth center? Funding Organizations Research & Reports
Launching a Makerspace: Lessons Learned From a Transformed School Library | MindShift | KQED News 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. 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. Luhtala is blessed with a big library, but for most of her career it has been dominated by large bookshelves. Over time, Luhtala has pared down her collection as she increased the digital reading material the library offers, but in order to make room for a makerspace she cleared out 7,000 books. A floor plan of shelving in Luhtala’s library in 2011.
I Created A Little Makerspace To-Go.....It Even Includes A Makerspace Mobile Too! On Monday and Tuesday of next week I have the honor of presenting to a variety of educators including administrators, teacher librarians, technology coordinators, and classroom teachers at the TIES Conference in Minneapolis. My presentations focus around makerspaces and the importance of the make movement and these spaces in education. By definition makerspaces are creative, DIY spaces where people can gather to create, invent, and learn. In libraries they often have 3D printers, software, electronics, craft and hardware supplies and tools, and more. I love seeing what my friends and others are doing with makerspaces. It was so much fun to create one in the library at Van Meter. They are everywhere and it is exiting to follow this movement that is creating change within communities, education, and especially the lives of our children. In fact, a makerspace can be any size. even a bag to make it "to-go". I have been gathering materials together for the last several months. PuppetEdu,
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:
(Rethinking) Makerspaces Kids have always made in my library. We encouraged digital and visual and dramatic and rhetorical creativity before, during, and after school. But for a while, I’ve questioned the value of using already heavily used real estate to randomly carve out space for a 3D printer, electronics stations and sewing machines. I had my doubts about the makerspace movement in school libraries. A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to chat with Amos Blanton, project manager of the Scratch online community, and a member of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT Media Lab. Amos makes the case for makerspaces as powerful, authentic, relevant learning experiences, and for when and why library may be the very right space to create a makerspace. Here’s the video of our chat and a few of key points to consider before adopting a maker culture for libraries Amos’ key points: School pressures make it challenging to make space for interest-driven learning.
How Fair Is Your Maker Space? All students should be able to benefit from maker spaces and maker education, which emphasize student-driven learning and foster the development of 21st-century skills. However, not all maker spaces and activities are created equal. Some feature high-tech equipment such as 3-D printers and scanners, programmable robots, mini-computers, and high-tech construction toys—equipment carrying a hefty price tag that not all schools can afford. In addition, maker space activities may cater to certain kids’ interests but not others—including dynamics that educators might not even be aware of. Plus, is self-directed learning the best type for all kids? Here are answers and ways to address these issues. A maker space on a shoestring How can schools with limited budgets invest money in fancy tech for a maker space? Last year, the Montour School District in McKees Rocks, PA, set up its first maker space in an elementary school library in one day. The low-tech/no-tech advantage Inclusive maker spaces
Baby Steps to creating a Makerspace in the Library Makerspaces in Your Library When I entered Fields Elementary Library, it was traditional in every way. Slowly, I have worked to make it a learning space, one where I can share technology and create a community of shared learning. Gone are the days that the library is just a place to check in and check out books. Since McAllen ISD is a 1:1 district, I am thrilled to see the potential every student has in this space. When I interviewed a month ago for this library position, my principal asked what my vision was for the library. make that 3D printer materialize along with other tech gadgets. The exciting part of this whole concept is that the library holds the potential for collaboration between students in other parts of the country or world. For now, our small maker space (Fields Fab Lab) has tools for students to build or experiment with simple materials.