My Maker Journey Has Begun

 

My journey to immerse myself in Maker Culture has begun. Makerspaces are one way I can encourage my students to explore, create and develop essential skills for the 21st Century without spending time on screens in the classroom. I am pleased that my initial search was fruitful. Current and creative resources are abundant. Here are a few books, journals, and videos that I’ve chosen to help me get started.

In 'Tinkering with Makerspaces' Christopher Hunt's maker journey is featured in the Canadian School Library Journal. Photos, links and mini journals describe the maker culture in the Sardis Elementary School Library. Storage of materials, cardboard challenges, Lego Walls and making bread are some of the featured projects. He also features a ‘Breaker Space’ for dismantling retired electronics and toys. He briefly mentions his next project: sewing plush monsters to build literacy connections with books and student writing.

I have sewn plush monsters with my students as well. Felt is easy for children to cut and sew without worrying about the fabric fraying at the edge. The ‘stuffies’ have so much visual character that it is a natural writing prompt to imagine, and then describe the character ‘traits’ their creation might have.


Tinkering with Makerspaces


Makerspace: Essential or Phase?

Jennifer Brown is the teacher-librarian at Castle Oaks Public School in the Peel District School board. “The biggest impact on our school is the realization that makerspace is really all about creating community. "When our students recognize that they are at the center of the learning, they take ownership and responsibility for themselves and the entire learning community.” Jennifer brown summarizes her school’s journey in fostering a maker culture. She states that the maker culture is more important that the actual maker space and insists that student voice and interests should be the focus of all aspects of the makerspace.

Uncovering the Truth About Makerspace



Tinker Tubs

The Regina Catholic Schools published a YouTube video highlighting their Tinker Tub project. The inquiry based ‘travelling’ kits are used throughout their district to help develop the essential skills of critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity and a maker mindset. In our BC curriculum we call the same skills The Core Competencies as outlined in Building Student Success B.C. Curriculum (gov.bc.ca). The Tinker Tubs contain a variety of kits that help students prepare for the 21st Century, specifically to become empowered learners, innovative designers, computational thinkers, knowledge constructors, creative communicators, global collaborators, and digital citizens.

Tinker Tub Project

BC Curriculum


Future Ready Librarians

In this Tedx video, teacher-librarian Mark Ray challenges us to rethink libraries as a future ready space for our students. He compares the quiet library of his childhood to current libraries that feature technology and creativity. He says, “Students consume less, and make more.” He describes a student initiated Maker Test Kitchen where commercial 'maker kits' are assessed by students, and school libraries that have sewing machines and other 'maker' devices available for student use.

Changing the Conversation About Librarians | Mark Ray | TEDxElCajonSalon - YouTube

Kickstart Guide

This ‘step by step’ book on how to create custom maker spaces sounds practical. It describes the seven attributes of a great makerspace. It is a workbook style planner for educators planning to set up a powerful learning environment in a classroom, school or district.

The Kickstart Guide to Making Great Makerspaces by Laura Fleming, Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin, 2018.

 

The Art of Tinkering

I actually have this book already in my classroom. It has an assortment of ideas but some of the projects are too expensive to be of practical use. My students still enjoy looking at images and talking about the projects. It is inspirational. There are several ideas that use recyclables which are much more economical for public schools. The front cover is a functioning circuit.