One conclusion I've come to since talking to numerous people about their makerspaces is that no two makerspaces are alike. In my opinion, the most daunting part about schools and teachers taking on the implementation of a makerspace in a school is that there does not seem to be a clear cut definition of what one looks like or consists of. Makerspace Materials. Some of the makerspaces I have seen include mass amounts of technology, some include just scrapbooking materials and crafting supplies, some include power tools... Some of the makerspace areas seemed complete and several seemed like their collection of supplies was growing. MakerSPACE. In addition, the spaces in which these maker spaces exist can depend on the school, library, or facility. Several I went to don't even have a space! One makerspace included mobile technology that teachers can check out or use around the school. Here are a couple photos of examples I've seen: The more I look into the process of implementing a makerspace into our library, the more I realize that the school defines the purpose of the makerspace. My school needs to decide what they want out of that space. Is it a place to play? Is it a place to complete challenges and problem solve? Is it an area that teachers can check out interesting technology? Is it an area that students come to on their free time? There are so many possibilities!
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In order to analyze the current library design I had to go to Google Sheets and create the current library design. This gave me a birds-eye view of the space I have and how I could potentially move things to create the spaces our school desired out of the library. On the second tab of the Google Sheet, I wrote down comments about where I wanted to move things in the library. Additionally, I wrote down ideas I had on how the space could be used.
Before Pictures I recently obtained the position of Librarian/Technology Specialist at a K-6 elementary school. Through this position change I inherited a large, beautiful library. While thinking through my library redesign there were a couple questions I needed to ask myself before I created a plan.
1. How would the school like to use this space? Answering part of this question is simple: Obviously we use this space to store a collection of books that inspire students to read. I also want space for students to read comfortably. In addition, there should be an area for teaching lessons and a reading corner. It is my hope that we can also use this large library to create a Makerspace in one corner of the room and some collaborative work spaces for students. However, I cannot answer this question alone. I need to talk to students and staff about what they would like to use the library space for as well. (More to come on this!) 2. What are the goals of this library redesign? Through this library redesign I would like to create a place that inspires a love of literacy. I want the library to be an area of technology exploration and creative, design thinking. I know the students must be yearning for a more 21st Century feel to this area. Furthermore, it's important that the library is a place where students can come work together on projects. 3. How can we get funding and support for this redesign of the library? Our school is starting with essentially no technology for our makerspace. We can get donations from parents and community members to start our makerspace projects. These donations could include cardboard, legos, pipe cleaners, craft sticks, modeling clay, beads, and pom poms. In addition, grants will need to be written for more technology options and some collaborative library furniture. After thinking through the larger parts of this library redesign, it seems more likely to generate a plan over the course of three years in which the library will be fully developed and redesigned. However, through this process I am certain that I can create a purposeful and collaborative space in which students are excited to read, explore, and learn! |
AuthorMy name is Christine Perkins. I'm a technology specialist/librarian and a passionate lifelong learner. Archives
December 2017
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