Post #8 Creating an Educational Makerspace

-

Makerspaces are making an appearance across classrooms and libraries alike. As “Making is an inquiry-driven social activity that allows students to develop the very same skills, dispositions, responsibilities, and strategies touted in the AASL’s 21st Century Standards” (Canino-Fluit, 2014, p. 2) they are a perfect addition to any library.

A complement to the STEAM movement, makerspaces allow the habits of mind of the 4 C’s (Critical thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity) to flourish in a model that fosters “the values of agency, authenticity, and audience” (Angevine and Weisgrau, 2015). Succinctly put by Laura Fleming in her blog, Worlds of Learning, “PBL is the Pedagogy. Makerspaces are the Learning Environment.”


Although the term “Makerspace” is not a common one in the secondary education classroom, project-based and problem-based learning definitely ring a bell. What often stymies the creation of these environments is a simple lack of know-how. Serendipitously, the blog of John Spencer offers a multitude of assistance. Spencer is a former middle school teacher who now teaches at the university level. A creative himself, he creates amazing video prompts and all manner of inspiration through his Youtube channel. On his homepage is the statement: “I believe that all students deserve access to student-centered learning. This is why I share tools, ideas, and resources to help you on the PBL and design thinking journey.” Because of his specific passions, he has a wealth of knowledge in the makerspace arena.

Although Spencer writes for the classroom teacher, the advice in his post,  “The Seven Myths Keeping Teachers from Designing Makerspaces” is also apropos of libraries. Spencer’s advice is grounded in his own vision and experience in the classroom. He is an early adopter, a sage guide, and a scholar (he recently received his PhD) who can be trusted. Without too much elaboration, the seven myths that hinder the creation of makerspaces are as follows:

1.   It’s about STEM or STEAM (Although makerspaces can be components of these, they demand a wider net, as they are flexible for any situation).
2.   It has to be high-tech (Spoiler alert: cardboard is just as important as a 3D printer).
3.   It has to be expensive (Nope. Inexpensive materials net just as much creativity as expensive ones).
4.   It’s completely unstructured. (Makerspaces offer much more flexibility for constraint than people give them credit for).
5.   It’s fluff (Maker-mindsets demand a high level of creativity and critical thinking).
6.   The space doesn’t matter (Yes, it does, in that the space is the place where students wonder, create, and problem-solve. Spencer admits makerspaces can be in classrooms, libraries, or on a mobile cart, but by definition, the verbiage creates the space to wonder, think, and learn).
7.   You have to be an expert in each maker-related endeavor. (Part of the maker mindset is that students are learning new and different things—and some of that isn’t teacher/librarian directed).

As a final note, Spencer’s recent book, Vintage Innovation, is a handy resource for anyone interested in problem-based learning or design thinking. Here is a video all about this idea, which is inherently related to the maker-mindset and makerspaces:


Below are additional ways to follow John Spencer’s work:

The Creative Classroom Podcast
Twitter: @spencerideas

Resources

Angevine, C., & Weisgrau, J. (2015). Situating makerspaces in schools. Retrieved from https://hybridpedagogy.org/situating-makerspaces-in-schools/

Canino - Fluit, A. A. (2014). School Library Makerspaces. Teacher Librarian, 41(5), 21-27.

Fleming, L. (2019, May 2). Makerspaces & PBL…perfect together [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://worlds-of-learning.com/2019/05/02/makerspaces-pbl-perfect-together/


Spencer, J. (2018, July 15). The seven myths keeping teachers from designing makerspaces. [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.spencerauthor.com/makerspace-myths/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Information Technology, Literacy, and Digital Media (Post 2)

-
As a high school English teacher, the notions of literacy, technology, and digital/media quite literally intersect on a daily basis. My students are ninth and tenth graders in a rural South Carolina high school, and they are routinely charged with using technology to research, filter information, and cite responsibly to complete assignments. We are a 1:1 district, and these are digitally native kids. They Google like they breathe, often and deeply.  I generally choose to begin with research before a big unit. It helps with mindset, background knowledge, and “hooks” as students dive deeply into the Salem Witch Trials while simultaneously noticing that McCarthyism looks a great deal like the Puritans. As hysteria and herd mentality prevail, students must navigate an admittedly choppy ocean of information. My pleas to use Discus databases and avoid Wikipedia often fall on deaf ears. Or worse, students fall into a pit of Prezi presentations created by students muc...
Read more

National School Library Standards and ISTE Standards (A Comparison)

-
In reading through the articles in the May/June 2019 issue of Knowledge Quest, and in seeking  to compare and contrast the new AASL Standards Framework for School Libraries with those of ISTE, I was particularly helped by Courtney Lewis’ contribution “Collaborating to Communicate. ” In the article she states, “The impact this reading group has had on our daily practice cannot be overstated” (p. 40), and I find it apropos that as she points to the value of shared reading, understanding, and collaboration, these are the very cornerstones of the standards themselves. Throughout the study, librarians met in person, through a Google group, and through Slack, a backchannel chat group. Throughout the meetings, the members were truly able to dig deep into the standards in order to make sure they were understood and faithfully implemented. The most helpful reference in Lewis’ article was the Crosswalks document that offered a side-by-side look at each set of standards. Foun...
Read more

Sharing is Caring: Two Tech Tools You Can Use in Your Library or Classroom Today (Post #3)

-
Image
Photo Credit In this issue: Shake Up Learning Ditch That Textbook The Google Teacher Podcast Spotlight: Be Internet Awesome Bonus Content: Peardeck As a not-so-recovering information and educational technology junkie, I follow MANY blogs on a wonderful site called Feedly . It allows me to categorize websites and blogs, and then it  automatically curates the latest updates from people that I follow into one large list. For today's post,  I want to make everyone aware of two bloggers  that are well-known and respected in the ed tech world. Matt Miller (of Ditch That Textbook ) and Kasey Bell (of Shake Up Learning ) have devoted their careers to the latest in teacher training with a technology lens. Both are Google Certified Innovators, and their sites are top-notch. They both share generously, post regularly, and produce quality content that is always timely and relevant to any subject area. Kasey's "Dynamic Learning Framework" matches ...
Read more