3 Reasons Why You Need to Have Tools in a Makerspace

3 Reasons Why You Need to Have Tools in a Makerspace | When I talked about how a makerspace isn't defined by the tools it does or does not have, some misinterpreted me as saying that tools were optional in makerspaces. In this post, I discuss the importance of tools and how they can create vital learning experiences for our students. But at the same time, it's less about what those tools are and more about what they can do for our students.

Reflecting on “Defining Makerspaces” Just over a year ago, I wrote my post on Defining Makerspaces.  It was inspired after receiving a criticism about how my makerspace wasn’t a “real makerspace” because we didn’t have any power tools.  The focus on that article was how a makerspace is defined more by the learning experiences of … Read more

How to Start a Makerspace When You’re Broke

How to Start a Makerspace When You're Broke

  You CAN start a makerspace even if you’re broke In my recent post on AASL Knowledge Quest, I decided to revisit and revamp a popular article that I wrote for the ISTE Librarians Network Scanner about starting a makerspace on a budget.  Since writing that article in November 2014, I’ve talked to many more educators and … Read more

5 Tips for Starting a Makerspace on a Budget

5 Tips for Starting a Makerspace on a Budget | This post links to my article for the ISTE Scanner. In the article, I talk about my five tips for starting a makerspace on a budget, including cultivating a vision,

  When I talk to other librarians and educators about starting a school Makerspace, one of the most common things I hear is: “I’d love to do (insert cool Maker activity) at my school, but we don’t have a budget for that”.  What many people don’t realize is that the idea that you need a … Read more

10 Tips for Writing Grant Proposals That Will Show You the Money

10 Tips for Writing Grant Proposals That Will Show You the Money - I've raised over $10,000 in grants for my school library. I've also read and evaluate grant applications before. Here's my top tips for writing grant proposals that will get you the money you need.

Show me the (grant) money! I’ve written a lot of grant proposals since I became a media specialist in 2010.  And while I certainly haven’t received every grant I’ve ever applied for, I have been successful at getting quite a few, including two $5,000 grants and several smaller grants.  Like many other schools throughout the … Read more

How to Create DonorsChoose Projects That Will Get Funded

How to Create DonorsChoose Projects That Will Get Funded | I've raised over $13,000 through 20 funded projects through DonorsChoose. It's an amazing funding resource for public schools. Here's my advice on how you can create successful DonorsChoose projects.

DonorsChoose: A Hidden Goldmine for Public Schools My first experience with DonorsChoose was in 2011.  They had a promotion with Starbucks where gift cards were given out to patrons to spend on projects.  I had several successful projects at that time, but I didn’t really use DonorsChoose much again until 2014. It was around the same time that I … Read more

The STEM Maker Library Grant

In all the craziness of last year, I forgot to blog about one of the grants we received.  Almost every year that I’ve been a media specialist, I’ve applied for a grant from the Hillsborough Education Foundation.  In previous years, I’ve applied for more graphic novels, books geared towards reluctant readers, and audiobooks.  This year, … Read more

Library Makeover Preview

I just found out a few weeks ago that my school is receiving a Lowes Toolbox for Education grant of $5,000 to transform our library!  I applied for this grant back in February, with the goal of transforming the instruction/tables side of our library into a dynamic, collaborative, Learning Commons-style space capabale of quickly and … Read more

5 Questions to ask when planning a Makerspace

5 QUESTIONS to ask yourself when planning a MAKERSPACE | Many educators want to create makerspaces in their schools but aren't sure of where to get started. These five questions can help you to start the planning process and figure out where you want to go. | RenovatedLearning.com

Are you the type of person who likes to fill in worksheets? Click here to download a FREE printable 5 Questions worksheet! (Post contains affiliate links.  If you make a purchase using them, I get a small commission that helps support running this blog) So you want to write a Makerspace grant… It seems like everyone … Read more