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Newton's Nook - Library Newsletter
Incorporating Makerspace into STEM Classrooms
Hello STEM leaders, check out the blog "Tips and Ideas for Creating a Makerspace in the Classroom" written by Alison Smith (2021) with the TeachStarter blog. Smith describes makerspace, benefits of creating a makerspace in classrooms, materials needed to create a makerspace, tools needed, safety, handling mess, and more. Examples of some makerspaces are a craft station, LEGO station, construction, and electrical circuits station. Not all makerspaces have to include digital technology, but provide students with the space, opportunity, and supplies to get creative and create.
The good news about incorporating makerspace is that anyone can do it, and I am here to provide my assistance! A school librarian Any lesson that incorporates a hands on activity of creating is considered a makerspace. Makerspace is one way to incorporate technology and creative learning into the classroom without big spending. "Keeping the focus squarely on people—
as opposed to technology—will help
schools smoothly introduce a technology initiative and maintain enthusiasm for the project in the long term" (Overbay, Mollette, & Vasu, 2011, p. 59). As your school librarian, I am here to help implement these makerspaces into the classroom and would love to support you.
Makerspaces should be integrated into classroom instruction, especially in STEM classrooms. Smith emphasizes the importance of makerspace to teaching the STEM engineering process of 1. Ask, 2. Imagine, 3. Plan, 4. Create, 5. Improve, and 6. Share. As a technological leader of the school, I am here to help integrate this type of technology and provide teachers with opportunities to create things like makerspace into their classrooms and the school as a whole (Johnston, 2012).
References
Johnston, M. P. (2012). School librarians as technology integration leaders: Enablers and barriers to leadership enactment. School Library Research, 15.
Overbay, A., Mollette, M., & Vasu, E. S. (2011). A technology plan. Educational Leadership. 56-59.
Smith, A. (2021). Tips and ideas for creating a makerspace in the classroom. Teach Starter. https://www.teachstarter.com/us/blog/tips-and-ideas-for-creating-a-makerspace-in-the-classroom-us/
Katie,
ReplyDeleteI love love love me some Makerspaces! I am always on the lookout for new blogs and information about them. I learned about them this summer and wondered how I could get one into my fourth grade classroom, unfortunately I haven't been able to due to space, but I would love to get one when in my future library classroom. The many different conversations and ideas that students come up with while participating in STEM/STEAM makerspace projects is always one of my favorite things to easedrop on. I enjoy hearing them explain their thinking to their peers.
Hi Katie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this informative post on Makerspaces! I love to see STEM/STEAM available in the library because it allows access for more students and takes the burden of securing funding for individual sets off of classroom teachers. I love that it can be something as elaborate as a robot set or 3D printer to something as low tech as legos. For the higher tech items, we can learn how to use it and then be the teacher of the teachers and students. Thanks again for sharing .
-Lauren Jordan
Hi Katie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post on Makerspaces! As a first-year librarian, I created a Makerspace area this year. I am slowly incorporating different aspects, and I just recently introduced the coding/robotics element. My Makerspace is still a work in progress, and I am still thinking through different aspects of it. I loved the idea in the blog about incorporating the recycling aspects of reduce, reuse, and recycle, so that material does not get wasted. One resource I found this summer that has really given me a vision for my Makerspace is Teach Outside the Box by Brooke Brown. (https://teachoutsidethebox.com/makerspace-must-haves/) She is a great resource for STEM and Makerspace activities for elementary students.
I am a fan of Makerspaces as well! Although I do not have one in my classroom, it's been an aspiration of mine to one day have one in a school library that I lead! I've read a few posts about them and the ways to incorporate technology and coding into them. Think about how engaged the students would be! There are more and more children's books being written for coding as well. I have one in my classroom library called How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk. It is a creative way to introduce coding to students through an experience they have probably had.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I second Melissa suggestion of following Brooke Brown on Instagram! She has a lot of fun inspiration on Makerspaces :)
Hey, Katie!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this resource! I love the thought of Makerspaces in classrooms. I know you mentioned that Makerspaces could be used in STEM classes, but I feel like they could be used in other classrooms as well. I remember my favorite lesson I taught while student teaching was allowing students to take what they learned about maps and make a map of their school or community with supplies I had collected for them (bottles, paper, boxes, etc.). The students LOVED it! Therefore, I feel that, yes, this would definitely work in STEM classes, but I also do feel that all teachers could think about implementing this type of learning in their classrooms as well. I think a hands-on activity is a fun way for students to show what they have learned in response to the content that is taught.
Again, thank you for sharing.
Sincerely,
Courtland Smith