A few years back the school district I taught for decided the school needed a Makerspace. They bought a big cart, some Littlebits, and some Code and Go Robot Mouse sets. The library was the natural home for this cart. Unfortunately I was in only my first or second year of being a school librarian and hadn't started my MLIS yet. I had only really heard of Makerspaces in passing and didn't have a lot of extra time to figure it out. I wish I had access to Teach Outside the Box back then.
Educator Brooke Brown recently published a gloriously extensive intro to Makerspaces. Having begun hosting a Makerspace five years ago, she recently decided to share all that she has learned along the way. The post begins with a definition of a Makerspace and why they are important. The rest of the blog is broken down into her 5 S's of a Successful Makerspace: Space, Stuff, Schedule, Structure, and Self-Direction. With Space she shows off various Makerspaces and set-ups, some a simple cart, others a corner of the room. She ends that section showing a before and after of her first Makerspace with the one she has now. The growth is truly inspiring.
With Stuff, Brown details the types of materials to stock your space with, where to find them without breaking the bank, and how to inspire students to use them. She includes favorite apps, links to activity cards, as well as some truly innovational ideas like green screens. This section alone could have been a whole blog post, but she goes on. For Schedule, she explains how to make time for your Makerspace in your busy schedule as well as how to create Maker Centers. She included a link to TeachersPayTeachers for a centers starter kit. The final two sections are ones that I really would have benefited from back in the day, Structure and Self-Direction. For Structure, she explains how to introduce and manage a Makerspace. With Self-Direction she explains how she lets students choose the activities they want to do without things getting out of control.
Teach Outside the Box's So You Want to Start a Makerspace is an amazing asset for anyone curious about how to begin a Makerspace. By the time I left that school I thought I had my Makerspace running pretty smoothly. That said, after reading Brooke Brown's post, I've come away with even more ideas and a deeper understanding of the possibilities for a Makerspace. If I was still running that space, I may consider restructuring based on Brown's suggestions.
Brown, B. (2019). So You Want to Start a Makerspace. Teach Outside the Box. Retrieved from https://teachoutsidethebox.com/2019/02/so-you-want-to-start-a-makerspace/
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| So You Want to Start a Makerspace |
Educator Brooke Brown recently published a gloriously extensive intro to Makerspaces. Having begun hosting a Makerspace five years ago, she recently decided to share all that she has learned along the way. The post begins with a definition of a Makerspace and why they are important. The rest of the blog is broken down into her 5 S's of a Successful Makerspace: Space, Stuff, Schedule, Structure, and Self-Direction. With Space she shows off various Makerspaces and set-ups, some a simple cart, others a corner of the room. She ends that section showing a before and after of her first Makerspace with the one she has now. The growth is truly inspiring.
With Stuff, Brown details the types of materials to stock your space with, where to find them without breaking the bank, and how to inspire students to use them. She includes favorite apps, links to activity cards, as well as some truly innovational ideas like green screens. This section alone could have been a whole blog post, but she goes on. For Schedule, she explains how to make time for your Makerspace in your busy schedule as well as how to create Maker Centers. She included a link to TeachersPayTeachers for a centers starter kit. The final two sections are ones that I really would have benefited from back in the day, Structure and Self-Direction. For Structure, she explains how to introduce and manage a Makerspace. With Self-Direction she explains how she lets students choose the activities they want to do without things getting out of control.
Teach Outside the Box's So You Want to Start a Makerspace is an amazing asset for anyone curious about how to begin a Makerspace. By the time I left that school I thought I had my Makerspace running pretty smoothly. That said, after reading Brooke Brown's post, I've come away with even more ideas and a deeper understanding of the possibilities for a Makerspace. If I was still running that space, I may consider restructuring based on Brown's suggestions.
Brown, B. (2019). So You Want to Start a Makerspace. Teach Outside the Box. Retrieved from https://teachoutsidethebox.com/2019/02/so-you-want-to-start-a-makerspace/
Hi Melissa!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this blog with the class! I really enjoyed reviewing it, seeing the awesome pictures for set-up and space, and was especially interested in the "scheduling" concept.
That seems to be my biggest challenge. I don't know if I should try to use my space during library classes or offer something like Maker Mondays as suggested by Brown in her blog. As well, I like the way the students can put their card next to the stations to show which activity they want to participate in during the maker time.
I'm still overwhelmed in my second year of MLIS and being a librarian to fully implement my space, but I'm working on it. My goal is to have my ideas and space more organized and ready to roll next school year.
Thanks again for sharing!
~Audrey Thompson
I really liked that you showed us a makerspace introduction. Makerspaces are awesome, and (as you mentioned) plenty of us have heard the word mentioned over and over in recent years. Where and how to begin a makerspace's implementation is and entirely different story. Well done!
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