Makerspaces

Our module this week discusses all things Makerspace.

I have always loved the idea of Makerspaces and I am thrilled to be able to design my own in the future.  I think that having a Makerspace in a library is a fantastic way to collaborate with STE(A)M subjects.  I love how versatile that Makerspaces can be.  You can have something as basic as crayons and construction paper, or if you have a huge budget, you can implement items such as a 3D printer.

I currently work in a middle school library and we are developing our Makerspace. Last year, the school was an intermediate school and only contained 5th and 6th grades. The Makerspace at that time had a LEGO wall, an Indy car robot, and a large storage table that housed K'Nex and other building blocks. This year, the school was transformed into a middle school and now contains 6th through 8th grades. Because the school is considered "new," our district gave us a substantial increase in our library budget to cover the cost of new materials.  We have since purchased several 3D pens, a button maker, board games, and Buddha boards. We also still have the LEGO wall and building block table. Students can also use the Promethean board to draw on. Our students have loved the additions to the Makerspace.  It has became their favorite part of the library.  We have implemented a rule that they must check out a book before they can go to our Makerspace, and they gladly obey. 

There are numerous blogs and websites about Makerspaces and ways to make them better.  One idea that really stuck out to me is a Makerspace Fair. I saw this idea on Diana Rendina's blog, Renovated Learning. 
She created a Makerspace Fair for her middle school, where students would create items and showcase them at an afterschool event to their family.  The school set up several stations where students and families could create various kinds of items.  Everything from a K'Nex roller coaster, to a hand-woven oven mit. I love this idea and think it would be a fun way to get the community involved in our school.  I think that this could be a spin on the typical literacy nights, but we could have science and art stations. We could also invite community partners to set up a table and give out information or assist with various projects/stations.