Thing 23: Makerspaces

To start my exploration of Makerspaces, I decided to read Deb Collins post about them.  I liked her rules for the MakerSpace:

1. Be safe at all times!
2. MakerSpace Materials stay in MakerSpace unless you have permission from Mrs. Collins to remove them!
3. If you bring in materials for a project for you to make, be sure you put them in a labeled container. However, be aware that if you bring materials, you are responsible to keep track of them…
4. Before using materials for a project, think about what you are going to make and have a plan – we have limited resources.

I was glad to hear of her enthusiasm and her successes, but she didn’t really discuss how she got the money +/or the materials.  

Then, I went back and read Joyce Valenza’s SLJ post which referenced a MakerSpace-to-Go.  It was good to get an idea of what people thought were important for a MakerSpace.  I had always had the impression that they were mostly tech oriented.  It turns out that I have many of the MakerSpace-to-Go materials already in my library.  I have staplers, paper, pencils, and erasers available to all classes.  I also have a supply station (that I point out to every student in September) with drawing paper, graph paper, lined paper, crayons, colored pencils, markers, rulers, and scissors.  I regularly give kids who ask glue, colored paper, etc.  If I have it, you can usually have it.  I don’t think I will move the glue to the supply station any time soon or add Duct tape as the younger students (starting with pre-K) really aren’t responsible enough yet to use it unsupervised.  (Popsicle sticks would be a good idea though.)  I have some things that I’ve never figured out just how to put out like rubber band bracelet looms and crochet hooks.  

I knew that I have had students making things in my library for years: plays, poetry books, “reports” on unexplained phenomena, games, power point presentations (that have nothing to do with school), even pan flutes!  I also knew that our library has tons of books to inspire creativity: drawing, knitting, crocheting, origami, science projects, paper airplanes, Lego, books on making things that go, bridges, even books that describe how to make trebuchets!  

I have links off my website to Khan Academy and Coding, but it would be nice to see what other software options I could pursue.  We have things like drawing programs.  I have been wondering about Minecraft in the library, but I’m afraid that it would distract students from the education mission rather than lead them to independent learning.  I guess one of the pieces that I am missing is the electronic things, like MakeyMakey kits.  I have wondered about circuit kits like I used to see at Radio Shack and magnet kits before.  The problem is keeping the pieces.  Does anyone have a solution for that?  How do you avoid the theft?  When I got my SMARTboard, a student took one of the pens!  Fortunately, a good sob story later and it was returned, but still…  Teachers have had cell phones stolen and don’t get me started on how hard it is to keep erasers in the library.

I also should probably promote my supply/MakerSpace more.  It is the more assertive kids who think to ask me for help locating books on their area of interest or who ask for glue, etc.  What with the staffing situation, though, I really can’t handle more kids at this point.  Not that I don’t want them to come, it is just that it is awkward to either interrupt my lesson to supervise or chastise other students or to ask the teacher whose class I am teaching to do it.  Despite the fact that I REALLY emphasize my behavior expectations, kids will be kids and get carried away.  Likewise, although I try to show the adults that anyone is welcome to talk to misbehaving students in “my” library, only some of them feel comfortable speaking up.  Starting a MakerSpace club would be an interesting idea, but again I need more staff so that I am not spending my afterschool time doing jobs that an aide or clerk could easily do.

The Caine’s Arcade film was unbelievable!  Everyone should watch it.  The The Global Cardboard Challenge that came about as a result of Caine’s arcade is certainly an interesting idea to consider participating in.

Further investigation of the links of Joyce Valenza’s post led me to a page on www.pearltrees.com.  It made me wonder why it isn’t mentioned as a productivity tool.  It seems to have potential, though for me the disadvantage is that the default is a public collection.

I liked the link TinkerSpace: Library Learning Commons as it seemed among the most practical, especially for an elementary school.  I will definitely look into more of these links for more ideas of how I can expand what I have already without spending a fortune.

As far as how to justify the existence of a MakerSpace to the administrators and beyond, that seems obvious.  The Common Core is all about getting students ready for the real world: learning to problem-solve, work cooperatively, and have “grit.”  Any kind of MakerSpace activity will promote those behaviors.  Even my letting students come to the library during recess to use the computers for non-school uses promotes those behaviors.  The students teach each other how to use powerpoint or other programs.  They are having fun and investigating, but they are learning real-world skills.  We have a tendency in the education world to expect that everything will be taught, but most of the world’s geniuses were self-taught at least in part.  Most tech-savvy adults aren’t “taught” how to use all of the technology that they use; they just try it until they learn how it works.