One thing my new school didn’t have when I started was a makerspace. We did have a newly created Virtual Reality Lab (with a 3D printer) in the library, but there had not been any maker culture in the library before. It’s been a traditional study hall environment, so I knew it would take some time to make the shift to a maker environment. Due to current school policies, I also knew that we couldn’t really do much making during the school day. I could have students come in to use the VR lab, but that was it. So this semester, I initiated an afterschool Maker Mondays program.
Being at a new-to-me school that hasn’t had a makerspace, it can be difficult to figure out how to get started. Creating Maker Mondays has been a great way to take baby steps during the first year.
Small Steps to a Makerspace: Maker Mondays
In my post on AASL Knowledge Quest, I talk about the program that I’ve created in my school library. We meet afterschool once a week. Sometimes we have open exploration days. Sometimes we focus on particular topics, such as 3D printing, virtual reality, recycled book art and paper circuits.
Click on over to AASL to learn more about our Maker Mondays program.
Thank you for your thoughts and best practices, warm regards.