Full STEAM Ahead! The Digital Artifact and Final Reflection Part 2

"A person who never makes a mistake has never tried anything new." Sidewalk sign on Hastings St.

My journey to become a teacher of the 21st Century is well on its way. My vision of implementing a Maker Culture has been established and growing. My technological skills are developing every day. At first I challenged myself to learning a new digital tool each week and teaching it to a colleague or student. I do this much more often and can't believe that in a short time I have become a 'go to' person for trouble shooting tech at school. 

My mindset has changed. I used to be so anxious about making a mistake that I wouldn't try. Now I start, and if I make a mistake I try something else and maybe eventually ask for help. Speaking of help... thank you all for your thoughtful suggestions and feedback.  Your wealth of knowledge is humbling and I deeply appreciate your openness and generosity. 

My digital artifact is a video that educates others on the value of Maker Culture in schools. The concept of my final artifact changed several times... It took me awhile to figure out that what I wanted to say, and needed to say were not the same. Speaking of help, again... I could not have pulled it off without help from a friend (who happens to be a former student), which is a really positive and impactful way to learn, mistakes included. 

My plan for sharing this digital artifact is to first share it with staff at a 'lunch and learn,' then with the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC). With staff I will also be highlighting the STEAM Trolley (including assessment rubrics with the new reporting language that will be implemented next year) and inviting teachers to use it in their classrooms. As you may have read in my previous blog, our librarian and I have started a lunch time Maker Club with Grade 7 students taking on leadership roles.  

With the PAC I will feature the STEAM Trolley and have a couple of students share about their favourite activities. I will be challenging the PAC members to support our school by investing their hard earned funds in tools and digital technologies that can be shared by the school. Building a Lego Wall in the library and purchasing a few sets of screw drivers (Breaker Space), Makey Makey, or micro bits are the first requests. 

After several edits I decided that the video would be most useful to me if it was quite general. That way I can potentially share it with older students, but more importantly with my new staff, and PAC when I eventually get a job as a teacher-librarian. I would love to share some of the most popular activities at a school district workshop and the video might be suitable for that presentation as well, or I can make new one now that I know how. 

I have never spent so much time on a single project before! I wish I had logged the specific time spent just on making the video. I am going to guess it took around 30 hours. Writing the script was the first task. I think it started as five pages then I edited down to three.  I kept thinking to myself, 'Less is more!'   At the same time, I was collecting and cropping classroom photos, and screen shots to use in Google Slides. It seemed like a good way to organize the presentation so I could visualize potential  images as I read the script. 

I absolutely needed help with recording my voice and all the video related technology. I had never done anything like this before.  My friend borrowed a good quality microphone and we set up a little 'studio' in my bedroom closet. It took several tries to get the sound right. I needed to hang more blankets and lay down a yoga mat to get rid of the echoes. I think we recorded the script (or sections of it) fifteen times. I have a whole new appreciation for how much time and work goes into a five minute presentation. My friend used Audacity to split the audio into the right files and then helped me move it into Canva Video. I needed to watch several youtube tutorials on how to use Canva video. They were helpful in adding a level of professionalism to the final project. Most of editing process in Canva is 'drag and drop'  so it was very beginner friendly. There was a plethora of stock images and videos to use. It was finicky to get the images and sound lined up as well as the general animation timing. I already had a google account so uploading the project to youtube was straightforward.  I learned a great deal during the process and I am proud of my final project. I hope you enjoy it as well!

                                                                    My digital resource. 

My greatest take away from this learning journey is that as a future teacher-librarian I will need to be a digital mentor. I have a long way to go to catch up on skills, but I have already started and more importantly I have changed my mindset so that I am enjoying the process now (rather than being anxious). The technical skills I acquire(d) are gifts that I can use in my personal and professional work, as well as share with others. 

I have also learned that there is lots of solid research supporting Maker Culture, and STEAM activities. Making always 'seemed right' for my students, but it felt like a reward or extra activity. Creating a maker culture is really embedded deeply in our current curriculum and school district vision and goals. 

I have connected with great colleagues across the country. It is really refreshing to speak and write with teachers and teacher-librarians that are outside of my district and can offer a different perspective (or the same).

In the future I hope to get hired as a teacher-librarian where I can share my love of inquiry-based learning, literacy, social justice and Maker Culture. I will continue to grow as a learner myself so I can be a mentor and support person for my staff. 

In preparation of reflecting on my rationale I went back and read over my first blog entry. I just noticed that I did not title it or put on any labels. I was a nervous wreck when I wrote it because I wasn't sure it was going to be 'good enough' compared to others who have been posting to blogs for years. It took me awhile to figure out how to upload photos. 

As for the content, the key concepts have held true throughout my journey.  Curiosity, creativity, collaboration, authentic assessment, risk taking, educational balance, inquiry, engagement, and digital technology have remained central throughout my research, writing, and action. 

A significant challenge that has presented during this journey is equity. I work at a small school with a PAC that works hard to raise money, but doesn't come anywhere near other schools in more affluent areas. This is most evident in the lack of resources our school has in technology tools. I am hopeful that my video my help divert funds to our school library and STEAM initiatives. 

Students testing wind turbine (photo release with permission)

Finally, I really tried my best to respect the privacy of my students when posting photos. I used mostly my own photos because it represented my journey best. I took lots of videos in my class but if I cut the students faces out of the frame it wasn't effective. I wanted to include a video of my students testing their wind turbines but I could not get permission for photo release for one of the students. In the end, I didn't use any videos although I would have loved to showcase the joy in my students' faces and voices. 

It was really overwhelming to choose a topic for this learning journey but I am glad I chose Maker Spaces. Full STEAM ahead!  I've got a Maker Culture to nurture and grow.

Works Cited & References

About Us. Empower the Learner. (2021, August 29). Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://empowerthelearner.com/about/

BC Ministry of Education. (n.d.). Applied Design, skills and technologies. Building Student Success - B.C. Curriculum. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/adst

Brown, J. (2017). Uncovering the truth about Maker Spaces. In Canadian School Libraries Research Archive.

Butler-Kisber, L. (2020). How do Makerspaces heighten student engagement? EdCanNetwork.

Cowen, A. (2022, November 4). 26 projects to jump-start your makerspace: Science buddies blog. Science Buddies. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/blog/makerspace-projects

Curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/

Davee, S., Regalla, L., & Chang, S. (2015, May). Makerspaces highlights of select literature. Retrieved           from http://makered.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Makerspace-Lit-Review-5B.pdf

Davidson, A.-L., & Price, D. W. (2018). Does your school have the maker fever? an experiential learning approach to developing maker competencies. LEARNing Landscapes, 11(1), 103–120. https://doi.org/10.36510/learnland.v11i1.926

Fingal, J. (2022, October 27). How curiosity, creativity and Student Agency unlock student learning. ISTE. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://www.iste.org/explore/education-leadership/how-curiosity-creativity-and-student-agency-unlock-student-learning

Hunt, C. (2019, March 18). Tinkering with makerspaces. Canadian School Libraries Journal. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from http://journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca/tinkering-with-makerspaces/

Littlebins. (2020, July 31). Printable Lego challenges for kids. Little Bins for Little Hands. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/lego-challenge-calendar-ideas-kids/

Makerspaces: The Benefits. curiositycommons. (2016, April 25). Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://curiositycommons.wordpress.com/makerspaces-the-benefits/

Miller, S., & Bass, W. (2019.  Leading from the Library: Help your School Community Thrive in the Digital Age. (Links to an external site.) International Society for Technology in Education.

Nadelson, L. S. (2021). Makerspaces for rethinking teaching and learning in K–12 education: Introduction to research on makerspaces in K–12 education special issue. The Journal of Educational Research, 114(2), 105–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2021.1914937

Otieo, C. (2017). Makerspaces: A Qualitative Look into Makerspaces as Innovative Learning Environment Catherine Otieno Follow this and additional works at: https://digscholarship.unco.edu/dissertations This Text. University of Northern Colorado Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC, 1–161.

pathway2success. (2022, February 2). Strategies to engage reluctant learners. The Pathway 2 Success. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://www.thepathway2success.com/strategies-to-engage-reluctant-learners/

Rouse, R., Krummeck, K., & Uribe, O. (2020, February). Making the most of a Makerspace. NSTA. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://www.nsta.org/science-and-children/science-and-children-february-2020/making-most-makerspace

Student Centered Education. Strategic plan 2021-2031 - north vancouver school district. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://www.sd44.ca/Board/StrategicPlan/Pages/default.aspx#/=

The benefits of Teaching Steam Lessons: Resilient educator. ResilientEducator.com. (2020, December 10). Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/benefits-of-teaching-steam/

Vandenbroek, A. (2013, October). BEYOND BOOKS: BRINGING STUDENTS INTO THE LIBRARY THROUGH /J CREATIVE PROGRAMMING. Retrieved November 12, 2022.

Vongkulluksn, V. W., Matewos, A. M., Sinatra, G. M., & Marsh, J. A. (2018). Motivational factors in makerspaces: A mixed methods study of elementary school students’ situational interest, self-efficacy, and achievement emotions. International Journal of STEM Education, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-018-0129-0

Ways to use Lego in the classroom. Teaching Ideas. (2019, September 18). Retrieved November 2

STEAM Culture! Why We Should Make Way for Maker Spaces: Final Reflection Part 1

"Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world."

                                            Joel Barker

How do I create a 'maker culture' in my school without space or funds? Our school is under construction so our 'in between' spaces are currently storing building materials and we have no space for storing educational items. We are a needy school without funds to start new projects. How can I put my dream of having a 'maker space' at school into action?

I repurposed a rolling trolley that used to hold a projector. I purchased several inexpensive clear bins with lids and grabbed some old bigger bins from home. I put a call out to my staff for specific recyclables and I began my research.

Next, I collected relevant materials that I already had in my classroom or at school. I pulled out origami and paper airplane books, as well as all my STEAM and maker books. These could be incorporated into the maker bins for inspiration and instructions. I made notes, and found samples of some ideas of projects that I had done with previous classes and made a trip to the dollar store. My colleagues (at school and at UBC) generously shared some of their resources with me. 

The more research I did, I realized that the purpose of the activities were quite different. Some of the activities were 'problem solving' tasks, others were 'creative' tasks. I changed the name of the Maker Cart to the STEAM Trolley as the activities were varied and covered all the disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.


Developing curiosity, creativity, and collaboration are my key intentions for students using the STEAM Trolley.

I have shared the STEAM Trolley with my class several times since its conception. Students were highly engaged and worked with others while pursuing tasks. I overheard several students say, "This is hard!" but to my delight they stuck with their task and completed their projects. The open-ended nature of the activities lead students to laugh, instead of being upset when their plans didn't go as expected. It may have helped that I introduced my son's robotic team's motto, "Fail hard, fail often."

In Leading from the Library: Help Your School Community Thrive in the Digital Age, Miller and Bass suggest “When we give our students the opportunity to explore and create, we also improve our culture by offering new and exciting experiences.” (2019). A classroom maker trolley is a new and exciting experience for both my students and me. The bins can easily be swapped in and out, and by adding new ones to keep interest high.

In Beyond Books: Bringing Students Into the Library Through Creative Programming, Alicia Vandenbroek suggests, “As the role of the librarian continues to evolve, it is critical that we focus not only on books, but also on all the other resources we provide.” (2013). I incorporated several of Vandenbroek's most successful programs like origami, technical drawing, paper airplanes, and  friendship bracelets.  

Each bin contains everything needed for small groups of students to work, and many activities can be easily adapted for a whole class to use.

Two large bins that contain recyclables are for 'creative making.' In Tinkering With Makerspaces author Christopher Hunt says, "We try to go off book, and deviate from, or ignore, instructions. We try to throw away the cookie cutter (smash it, really). Each kid should be able to proudly say, “I made this; I’m impressed with my creativity; let me tell you how I did it; let me tell you about the things that went wrong; let me tell you how it works now, and what it is for….” With each of my students I kept challenging them to improve or adapt their projects to make it their own. I certainly had no problem with students sharing their creations. They were always quick to talk about what their project was and how they made it.

Pinterest 

I have collaborated with my school librarian to start a lunch time Maker Club.  We decided that the club would be for Grade 2 and 3 students because the Grades 4-7 students have lunch time opportunities such as choir and floor hockey.  We already have grade seven students that have expressed interest in leading the club. We are going to start with some simple winter crafts, then after the holiday open up the STEAM Trolley to the Maker Club. We will also offer the Spheros during an after school session as there won't be enough time during lunch. The advantage to using the Spheros after school is that parents can view their child's work when they are picked up. 

Why is fostering a maker culture important? There is an overwhelming amount of research that supports developing a 'maker culture' in schools and public spaces like libraries. In The Resilient Educator the article The Benefits of Teaching STEAM Lessons the writers describe benefits such as meaningful collaboration, increasing critical thinking skills, hands on experience, non-linear problem solving, and encouraging different ways to value the arts.

With a broader educational goal in mind What is STEM and Why is it Important? article the author and researcher David White concludes that teachers of K-12 are important influences in introducing the STEM concepts and that, "These concepts may lead to the students pursuing a STEM major in higher education and ultimately choose a STEM career within the workforce."

In Makerspaces: The Benefits the article outlines advantages that are close to my heart. It references recent research that supports that makerspaces are learner-centered, empowering, and authentic. “When we allow children to experiment, take risks, and play with their own ideas, we give them permission to trust themselves. They begin to see themselves as learners who have good ideas and can transform their own ideas into reality.” The article also explains that maker spaces help prepare students for the future. "Makerspaces are increasingly being looked to as a method for engaging learners in creative, higher-order problem-solving through hands-on design, construction, and iteration.”

“Ultimately, the interdisciplinary and empowering natures of these makerspaces can help prepare youth for a future we can’t yet imagine.” Davee, Regalla & Chang, 2015

Another important benefit of maker spaces is the high level of student interest and engagement, especially for students that may be struggling academically or socially at school. In Strategies to Engage Reluctant Learners  the article encourages teachers to support, encourage and empower their reluctant students by increasing engagement. This may look different for each student so teachers need to change their practice to reach all students. Many of the strategies to engage learners suggested in the article are authentically presented in a maker culture. A safe learning space, interest, choice and peer support are naturally embedded in maker activities.

The STEAM Trolley is just the beginning of my learning vision. There is more action to come in transforming my 'maker' dream into reality. I have taken a huge step in my own risk taking and technology skill development by creating a video to present to my staff, parent advisory and school district promoting the benefits of Maker culture in my elementary school. There is a greater purpose for this. I am hoping to secure some finances to purchase Lego for the school library. There are so many ways to use Lego bricks to enhance student learning and solve STEAM challenges. Here are a few links with some inspiring ideas: Ways to Use Lego in the Classroom,  30 Day Lego-STEM Challenge, and Printable LEGO Challenges for Kids.

Orchard School Lego Wall

Expanding the STEAM Trolley to include more digital and technical kits, something my school is lacking, will be my next goal. I will soon include bins with supplies to make penny spinners, catapults, umbrellas, cardboard structure pieces, egg drop kits... and then I can draw ideas from 26 Projects to Jump-Start Your Maker Space.

Equity is a huge concern for educators like me, working in a school that does not have many resources to draw from.  More than lacking, our school is lagging behind in learning opportunities that other schools in our district have had for years. I am hoping my video, presented to the right people, may lead to a larger collaborative action team that can work to bridge the gap in technology.

I have created a simple rubric for primary and intermediate students that can be used by teachers in assessing students. I have used the new reporting language that will be implemented next year and incorporated the Big Ideas in ADST (Applied Design Skill and Technology) as well as the Core Competencies. Sharing the STEAM Trolley with teachers and providing an assessment rubric is a small way that I can support my staff right now. 

My goal is to move my teaching experience and love of literacy into the library in the next year or so. As a Teacher-librarian I will be adding digital mentor to my list of responsibilities. I have stepped up my involvement in technology in a number of ways. I have made an intentional effort each week to learn at least one new skill and teach it to any staff member that is interested. I have made a point of reading every Tech Newsletter that is sent to me from my school district. I have learned timely and valuable tips in every issue. I have reached out to more tech savvy friends and colleagues to help me solve issues I can't figure out from youtube instructions. Instead of shying away from tech challenges I am trying to figure them out by including my students in the process.

My vision has action! See my next blog post to see my digital artifact embedded in my final blog Reflection 2.

References

About Us. Empower the Learner. (2021, August 29). Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://empowerthelearner.com/about/

BC Ministry of Education. (n.d.). Applied Design, skills and technologies. Building Student Success - B.C. Curriculum. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/adst

Brown, J. (2017). Uncovering the truth about Maker Spaces. In Canadian School Libraries Research Archive. 

Butler-Kisber, L. (2020). How do Makerspaces heighten student engagement? EdCanNetwork.

Cowen, A. (2022, November 4). 26 projects to jump-start your makerspace: Science buddies blog. Science Buddies. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/blog/makerspace-projects

Curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/

Davee, S., Regalla, L., & Chang, S. (2015, May). Makerspaces highlights of select literature. Retrieved from http://makered.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Makerspace-Lit-Review-5B.pdf

Davidson, A.-L., & Price, D. W. (2018). Does your school have the maker fever? an experiential learning approach to developing maker competencies. LEARNing Landscapes, 11(1), 103–120. https://doi.org/10.36510/learnland.v11i1.926

Fingal, J. (2022, October 27). How curiosity, creativity and Student Agency unlock student learning. ISTE. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://www.iste.org/explore/education-leadership/how-curiosity-creativity-and-student-agency-unlock-student-learning

Hunt, C. (2019, March 18). Tinkering with makerspaces. Canadian School Libraries Journal. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from http://journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca/tinkering-with-makerspaces/

Littlebins. (2020, July 31). Printable Lego challenges for kids. Little Bins for Little Hands. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/lego-challenge-calendar-ideas-kids/

Makerspaces: The Benefits. curiositycommons. (2016, April 25). Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://curiositycommons.wordpress.com/makerspaces-the-benefits/

Miller, S., & Bass, W. (2019.  Leading from the Library: Help your School Community Thrive in the Digital Age. (Links to an external site.) International Society for Technology in Education.

Nadelson, L. S. (2021). Makerspaces for rethinking teaching and learning in K–12 education: Introduction to research on makerspaces in K–12 education special issue. The Journal of Educational Research, 114(2), 105–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2021.1914937

Otieo, C. (2017). Makerspaces: A Qualitative Look into Makerspaces as Innovative Learning Environment Catherine Otieno Follow this and additional works at: https://digscholarship.unco.edu/dissertations This Text. University of Northern Colorado Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC, 1–161.

pathway2success. (2022, February 2). Strategies to engage reluctant learners. The Pathway 2 Success. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://www.thepathway2success.com/strategies-to-engage-reluctant-learners/

Rouse, R., Krummeck, K., & Uribe, O. (2020, February). Making the most of a Makerspace. NSTA. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://www.nsta.org/science-and-children/science-and-children-february-2020/making-most-makerspace

Student Centered Education. Strategic plan 2021-2031 - north vancouver school district. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://www.sd44.ca/Board/StrategicPlan/Pages/default.aspx#/=

The benefits of Teaching Steam Lessons: Resilient educator. ResilientEducator.com. (2020, December 10). Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/benefits-of-teaching-steam/

Vandenbroek, A. (2013, October). BEYOND BOOKS: BRINGING STUDENTS INTO THE LIBRARY THROUGH /J CREATIVE PROGRAMMING. Retrieved November 12, 2022.

Vongkulluksn, V. W., Matewos, A. M., Sinatra, G. M., & Marsh, J. A. (2018). Motivational factors in makerspaces: A mixed methods study of elementary school students’ situational interest, self-efficacy, and achievement emotions. International Journal of STEM Education, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-018-0129-0

Ways to use Lego in the classroom. Teaching Ideas. (2019, September 18). Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://www.teachingideas.co.uk/maths/ways-to-use-lego-in-the-classroom

White, D. (2014). What is STEM education and why is it important? - researchgate. What Is STEM and Why Is It Important? Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264457053_What_is_STEM_education_and_why_is_it_important

Www.facebook.com/mombrite. (2021, July 9). Free printable 30-day lego stem challenge calendar. Mombrite. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://www.mombrite.com/lego-stem-challenge-calendar/

Sarah D. Sparks, O. 30. (2020, December 17). Make learning personal. Make Learning Personal. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from http://kathleenmcclaskey.com/ 

Final Vision Project: Learner Considerations

Maker activities provide authentic
opportunities for collaboration

"Makerspaces support multidisciplinary, individual, and collaborative learning through iterative error- and risk-tolerant tinkering, offering multiple points of entry including repairing items, building robots, and creating. We saw a direct relationship between developing maker competencies and the willingness to learn new tools." (Davidson and Price, 2017).

Why have Maker Spaces and STEAM projects created such a buzz in elementary and high schools across North America? What is their value to us as parents and teachers in British Columbia? How do these science, technology, engineering, art and math projects benefit students?

What is Maker Culture?

"Maker culture embodies do-it-yourself tinkering using tiny, affordable open-source computers, electronics, and recycled items to further sustainability, equity, social innovation, democratization of innovation, and community building. Makers engage in self-directed experiential learning through risk-tolerant, persistent problem solving in interdependent communities tackling complex, socially relevant problems." (Davidson and Price, 2017). Maker culture or Maker Spaces and STEAM are intertwined, and for the purposes of their connection to curriculum, are considered the same.

Although these STEAM activities are fun and engaging for students at school, I would like to inform parents and teachers of their deeper value. These activities can be designed to intentionally meet the curricular goals in both the BC Curriculum and our North Vancouver School District's strategic planning and visioning. It is no 'fluke' that our new curriculum has provided learning outcomes that encompasses STEAM activities.

Let’s take a look at the BC Curriculum…

The Core Competencies include several skills identified as essential for learner success. BC students are expected to reflect on their own development of these skills and give specific examples connecting their learning to the competencies. STEAM activities naturally provide authentic opportunities for students to practice collaboration, critical and creative thinking as well as personal and social understanding.

Core Competencies: BC Ministry of Education

Another curricular area Applied Design, Skills and Technology (ADST) naturally encompasses Maker and STEAM activities.  The Big Ideas directly connect to the Core Competencies. Both curricular areas include the same key words: knowledge, skills, technology, communication, ideas, purpose, joy, thinking, understanding, identity, and purpose.

ADST Big Ideas: BC Ministry of Education

Looking deeper into the intended curricular competencies of ADST, there are even more connections to deeper learning with STEAM or Maker activities. The ADST Curricular Competencies are loaded with skills that are necessary to be life-long learners.

Some of the key applied design and applied skills include: generating ideas and adding to others' ideas, gathering peer feedback, incorporating new ideas into a design, using materials safely, extending capabilities, reflecting on one's ability to work in a group, and telling others of their design story. All of these fit under the 'umbrella' of Communication, Thinking, and Personal and Social Skills from the Core Competencies.

There are also obvious curricular connections within the academic subjects of Science, Math and Art in all grades from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

Equity and access to STEAM activities continues to be an issue. Schools with healthy economic backing supply an assortment of digital technologies for students while other schools simply can't afford the 'extras.' The broad definition of Maker Space or Maker Culture can encompass hands on activities that develop skills even without the digital component. For example, 'Breaker Spaces' where students take apart broken products can learn about how they are made, or play hands on games that use the concepts of coding.

How about my School District Strategic Plan and Visioning Statements…

On our NVSD website it is easy to find our District's Vision, Values and Goals. The first sentence under Strategic Plan states, "The North Vancouver School District provides world-class instruction and a rich diversity of engaging programs to inspire success for every student and bring communities together to learn, share and grow."

NVSD Vision, Values, and Goals

Specifically, listed under Goals, the NVSD states Student-centered Education, Innovative Instruction and Mental Health and Well Being as three of the six goals of our school district. Each of these has been proven to be embedded in student learning during STEAM activities.

  Here is what the research says…

There is an overwhelming volume of research that supports the implementation of STEAM and Maker Spaces. Increased engagement, collaboration skills, and problem solving skills are benefits one would expect. Interestingly, participants in STEAM workshops developed an increased sense of wellness and strong sense of community. Some research also states that participants develop a growth mindset and confidence.

Curiosity Commons has published an article titled Makerspaces: The Benefits. The site describes many benefits and also points out that the actual product is irrelevant. “What is made may not matter at all; it can still influence the thought process, vision, and ability to connect of a learning maker." (Curiosity Commons).

The National Inventors Hall of Fame Journal has also published What are the Benefits of a Makerspace? Learning to take failure in stride, hands-on learning, opportunities for innovation, and developing a wide range of 21st learning skills are some of the claims stated in the article.

The Resilient Educator published the article Benefits of Teaching STEAM Lessons on their website. They list collaboration, developing creative and critical thinking, and hands on experience as benefits, as well as encouraging girls in STEAM.

In the Learning Landscapes Journal titled: Does Your School Have the Maker Fever? An Experiential Learning Approach to Developing Maker Competencies, authors and researchers Davidson and Price conclude in their study that, "Our analysis suggested key themes of initiative, playful learning, authentic adaptation, interdependence, and over resourcing. These themes can be developed into “maker competencies” to meet 21st century needs." (Davidson and Price, 2017).

Maker Spaces and STEAM activities have many overlaps within the BC Curriculum and our NVSD goals and vision. Not only are activities engaging and fun, but prove to develop resiliency and social emotional benefits.

My final project is meant to educate parents and teachers of the value and deeper intent of these activities. Perhaps with increased awareness and support from parents and teachers we can advocate for more equitable funding for digital resources in 'have not' schools like mine.

After all, all students, regardless of their parent's income, deserve a "world class instruction and a rich diversity of engaging programs." (NVSD website).

References

BC Ministry of Education. (n.d.). Applied Design, skills and technologies. Building Student Success - B.C. Curriculum. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/adst

Curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/

Davidson, A.-L., & Price, D. W. (2018). Does your school have the maker fever? an experiential learning approach to developing maker competencies. LEARNing Landscapes, 11(1), 103–120. https://doi.org/10.36510/learnland.v11i1.926

Fingal, J. (2022, October 27). How curiosity, creativity and Student Agency unlock student learning. ISTE. Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://www.iste.org/explore/education-leadership/how-curiosity-creativity-and-student-agency-unlock-student-learning

Makerspaces: The Benefits. curiositycommons. (2016, April 25). Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://curiositycommons.wordpress.com/makerspaces-the-benefits/

Nadelson, L. S. (2021). Makerspaces for rethinking teaching and learning in K–12 education: Introduction to research on makerspaces in K–12 education special issue. The Journal of Educational Research, 114(2), 105–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2021.1914937

Student Centered Education. Strategic plan 2021-2031 - north vancouver school district. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://www.sd44.ca/Board/StrategicPlan/Pages/default.aspx#/=

The benefits of Teaching Steam Lessons: Resilient educator. ResilientEducator.com. (2020, December 10). Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/benefits-of-teaching-steam/

Vongkulluksn, V. W., Matewos, A. M., Sinatra, G. M., & Marsh, J. A. (2018). Motivational factors in makerspaces: A mixed methods study of elementary school students’ situational interest, self-efficacy, and achievement emotions. International Journal of STEM Education, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-018-0129-0

Key Elements in My Vision for Teaching in the 21st Century

    When I was first asked to think of key words that shape my teaching and direction of learning, I created a word cloud. Integral words included: engagement, curiosity, inquiry, collaboration and educational balance. With this in mind, how do I move forward in my growth as an educator? What is this going to look like in my classroom? How will this look when I become a teacher-librarian?

As I transition into the final phase of this course I believe the key elements for my final project are:

1. Balancing Digital Literacy in My Classroom

2. STEAM in My Classroom and Beyond

3. Connecting ADST Curriculum With Our New Assessment Language

Balancing Digital Literacy in My Classroom

In How Curiosity, Creativity, and Student Agency Unlock Student Learning, the author Jerry Fingal states, “Unfortunately, many educators still use technology in ways that are just a substitute for analog learning, he said, citing a few examples: “We take textbooks and scan them and then we have digital textbooks. Instead of boring lectures, we have boring lectures that are recorded on video. Those are not strategic uses of technology for learning because they are passive, not active.” (ISTE, October 2022).

My goal is to move from passive use of computers and ipads to active use. This is going to be tricky in that I have very little access to our school devices. On Friday, it was my allotted time to use the computers and four teachers came into my room before the bell. One teacher pulled 6 laptops for her class, another took 2, and the others asked for 4 each. I had to justify my use of them and ask for some back so that my students could each use one.

I’ll be honest, I teach primary students and logging on is still a challenge, but they are getting more independent and capable each time we use them. Our classroom use of the devices has been mostly passive. We use the laptops to read on Epic (while I work one on one with my most struggling readers), and to post work to their Scholantis Portfolios. I still have not tried using the Spheros but will before the end of this school term. Keeping in mind that parents of my students this year have been very clear that they do not want their children online very much at school. There are lots of great resources online that focus on digital literacy skills that I can use to direct teach to the whole class on my computer projected large scale.

 

STEAM in My Classroom and Beyond

STEAM (Science. Technology. Engineering. Art. Math) in the classroom is what I am most excited about right now. I have put together a STEAM trolley (cart) with an assortment of bins with challenges and supplies. Some of the activities can be done with a whole class at once, others done in small groups or as an individual. I have included several activities that touch on each of the STEAM subject areas on the trolley. I have also tried to include activities that are low cost or use materials that are free and can be recycled.

On Friday afternoon, I challenged my students to make a marble maze from their pizza box from the hot lunch program. This STEAM challenge is not included on the cart but I will write it as a lesson and include it because our school has pizza lunch once a month and so all classes could easily do it. Building the maze was a challenging task for grade three students. I usually teach older students so I had forgotten how hard it is to cut cardboard with small scissors. Luckily I had a stash of adult size scissors they could use. It took a surprisingly long time to plan, cut and tape pieces. Although students were fully engaged the entire time, no one finished. However, the student's excitement helped them persevere through their challenges.

I am looking forward to finishing the mazes on Monday and then testing them with marbles. I am most curious to see how their reflections, self-assessment and improvements to their design develop throughout this week.

On a completely different open-ended learning task, I challenged my students to create 'monster eyes' on Halloween. What a fun activity! Student engagement was high and the creativity soared. My grade three students also helped their kindergarten buddies make 'an open-ended' paper monster. This collaborative activity was also successful. The discussions were rich with questions, problem solving and choice. The open ended nature meant that every project was successful as there was no 'right way' to make it. 

Connecting ADST Curricular Big Ideas With Our New Assessment Language

Our school district is implementing new language in assessment next year. My staff had a workshop introducing the incoming assessment structures last week. I am excited to start connecting the assessment language of ADST Big Ideas from the BC Ministry of Education, and reworking it to fit the new rubrics using the Curricular Competencies. I think this will be of great benefit to my entire staff. There are few Big Ideas in ADST for Kindergarten through Grade 7 so it is a manageable task for me to complete as part of my STEAM Trolley (which can be borrowed by teachers in the school). I do think it is important to have the curricular competencies embedded in the learning outcomes and assessment of the STEAM activities. Teachers using the kits can use the rubric language as comments on student report cards or adapt them for their own maker projects.

Kathleen McClaskey, CEO and chief learning officer of Empower the Learner and author of the book Make Learning Personal, shared seven elements of learner agency that help move educators from a teacher-centered environment to a student-centered environment and, ultimately, to a learner-driven environment. These are: voice, choice, engagement, motivation, ownership, purpose, and self-efficacy. Read more in the ISTE October 22 journal.

McClaskey writes, “Personalized learning is not what is done to the learner or about tailoring the learning. It is about helping each learner to identify and develop the skills they need to support and enhance their own learning so that agency and self-advocacy can be realized.” Maker activities or STEAM challenges are empowering for students and touch on each of the seven elements that McClaskey lists in a student-centered environment.

My Vision for Teaching in the 21st Century

My future vision extends beyond my classroom. Hopefully I will soon be in a library. I can recreate a STEAM Trolley complete with self-assessment and teacher assessment rubrics for students with the newest language. At this point, I think my final presentation will be a slide show that includes photos, videos and rational of students working through the STEAM trolley challenges. This presentation can be presented to my current staff and then my new staff when my position changes. I am hoping this bundle of student-centered activities is a helpful resource for colleagues. It is likely that my new school will have more resources and so I can include more coding activities as part of the STEAM Trolley.

 I am excited to share and help my fellow teachers.

Resources

About Us. Empower the Learner. (2021, August 29). Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://empowerthelearner.com/about/

Curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/

Fingal, J. (2022, October 27). How curiosity, creativity and Student Agency unlock student learning. ISTE. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://www.iste.org/explore/education-leadership/how-curiosity-creativity-and-student-agency-unlock-student-learning

 Sarah D. Sparks, O. 30. (2020, December 17). Make learning personal. Make Learning Personal. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from http://kathleenmcclaskey.com/

Making Space for Fearless Fun and Playful Learning

A sign at our psychologist's office

    Fail hard, fail often! This is the motto for my son’s robotics team. I love the idea of celebrating failure! As a classroom teacher I have noticed that my students have a hard time taking risks in their learning and many are reluctant to try new things for fear of ‘failing.’ If a project doesn’t go their way they give up. This is one of my main reasons for starting a maker space. I want my students to persevere and work through challenges. I want them to experience enthusiasm and determination when looking for ways to improve or rework their ideas both at school and throughout their lives.

    There is loads of research that claim maker spaces help students learn to take failure in stride. I’ve also learned that making things with your hands makes you happier and more intelligent. I have had to be selective in choosing material to share because of the enormous volume of posts surrounding the idea of maker spaces.

Core Competencies display in my classroom

    To be honest I was searching for small feasible maker projects to start with my class when I discovered academic journals that promote public maker spaces because of the breadth of benefits. Having the research to support my maker space initiative really grounds me in moving forward. I can readily promote the academic, social and emotional benefits of maker spaces while connecting them to our BC curriculum, especially the in the Core Competencies.

See BC Curriculum here.
https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/

    In the School Library Journal, article Seven Surprising Benefits of Maker Spaces, Carrie and Alton Barron claim, “Making is crucial for happiness, health, and mind expansion.” (2016). Their article explains how making things with your hands keeps you in the present state and requires movement so you aren’t worrying as much and are actually getting more blood flow to your brain.

“Making and tinkering expand intellect because a disproportionally large part of the brain’s somatosensory cortex is connected to the hands.” (Barron and Barron, 2016). They also claim other benefits including improving one’s mood, building a sense of community, and breaking the habit of wastefulness.

See the full article here.
https://www.slj.com/story/seven-surprising-benefits-of-maker-spaces


    Learning through play is a benefit of maker spaces that I had not initially considered when I began this learning journey. As I delve into the research supporting maker spaces, I am learning about library and university common spaces that are encouraging and supporting patrons to create in public spaces.

   In Library Journal, Lauren Britton states in her article The Making of Maker Spaces: Making Space for Creation, Not Just Consumption, “Someone who wants to do something because it is fun is more likely to find an activity to be meaningful than someone who is doing something for a reward or to learn something. When someone is engaged in a playful space, that person will learn more easily.” (2012). I have found this to be true as a classroom teacher which is why I have embraced inquiry based learning, especially in Science.

    Britton also states, “Maker spaces promote learning through play; have the potential to demystify science, math, technology, and engineering; and encourage women and under­represented minorities to seek careers in those fields.” (2012).

See the full article here.
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/public-services/the-makings-of-maker-spaces-part-1-space-for-creation-not-just-consumption/


    In the American Academy of Pediatrics, the article The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds by Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg describes in detail the importance of play in learning, especially free play where children can use their imagination and be creative. 

See the full article here

Importance of Play in Promoting a Healthy Child

Pictured is my daughter is standing between prom dresses

made from garbage found in the ocean in Tofino, BC.

    The University of Toronto has an online guide to inform users about Digital Pedagogy. It includes information on educational theory, a collection of case studies, and resources relevant to the study of digital pedagogy including maker spaces. Dale Grover states, "They (maker spaces) are environments where people share tools, skills, and ideas, and collaborate on projects. The learning experience tends to be hands-on, collaborative. The focus of makerspaces is to bring together people to explore and create projects that interest them."

See the full article here.
https://guides.library.utoronto.ca/c.php?g=448614&p=3216758


    Focus on creating rather than consuming. Think social engineering. In Neil Gershenfeld's TED talk he gives multiple examples of digital innovation created by people working together in public Fab Labs.

See the full article here.
https://www.ted.com/talks/neil_gershenfeld_unleash_your_creativity_in_a_fab_lab?language=en


    Although sidetracked by journals supporting maker spaces, I did find some inspiring projects to help get me started. I need to see where I should focus my initial collection of materials. Rubber bands, popsicle sticks, milk lids, pop lids, small plastic water bottles, toilet paper and paper towel tubes, tape, tape, and more tape, are part of a beginning list of items I have asked friends and colleagues to collect for me. In the meantime, I need to purchase containers to organize and store building materials and tools. Here are a couple of links that got me really excited to set up shop!

See full articles here.
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/blog/makerspace-projects

https://stemactivitiesforkids.com/


Picasso said, "All children are born creative; the task is to help them stay that way." Making a classroom space for fearless fun and playful learning is how I am going to help my students stay creative. 

I am so excited to get started.

References

Barron, C. and A. (2016, August 2). Seven Surprising Benefits of Maker Spaces. School Library Journal. Retrieved October 1, 2022, from https://www.slj.com/story/seven-surprising-benefits-of-maker-spaces

Britton, L. (2012, October 1). The makings of maker spaces, part 1: Space for creation, not just consumption. The Digital Shift. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/public-services/the-makings-of-maker-spaces-part-1-space-for-creation-not-just-consumption/

Cowen, A. (2021, November 5). 22 projects to jump-start your makerspace: Science buddies blog. Science Buddies. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/blog/makerspace-projects

 Ginsburg, K. (2007, January 1). Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds. Publications.aap.org. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/119/1/182/70699/The-Importance-of-Play-in-Promoting-Healthy-Child?autologincheck=redirected%3FnfToken

TED Talks. (2006). Unleash Your Creativity in a Fab Lab. Neil Gershenfeld: Unleash your creativity in a Fab Lab | TED Talk. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.ted.com/talks/neil_gershenfeld_unleash_your_creativity_in_a_fab_lab?language=en.

STEM Activities for Kids. (2018, February 20). Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://stemactivitiesforkids.com/

 University of Toronto. (2022, May 9). Digital Pedagogy - A Guide for librarians, faculty, and students: Makerspaces. Library Guides. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://guides.library.utoronto.ca/c.php?g=448614&p=3216758