In the spring of 2021, the 6th grade science teacher and I began forming a plan. She had seen the engagement of 6th graders in our afterschool Maker Days program and wanted to find a way to bring that into her classroom so that ALL of our 6th graders could have this opportunity. We … Read more
In the 2021-2022 school year, I collaborated with our 6th grade science teacher to incorporate makerspace activities into her curriculum. We decided on a hybrid approach where for some projects, students would come up to the library makerspace and for others, I would come down to the classroom. So we decided to purchase supplies (using … Read more
How to Run a Tech Take Apart Workshop in Your Makerspace Tech Take Apart is a fun, low-budget activity that gets students excited about seeing how the inner workings of electronics function. That being said, my first time attempting this activity with middle school students was a disaster (so much so that I only … Read more
Cardboard challenges have been a core part of my makerspace programming for the past eight years. I continue to be amazed year after year at the amazing ideas students come up with when given a design challenge and simple, everyday materials. In Part 1 of this post series, I looked at some of my favorite … Read more
The Cardboard Challenge remains one of my all-time favorite makerspace activities. I love how accessible it is to students. How enthusiastic and creative they can be with such simple materials. I’ll never forget one of my favorite makerspace moments – my students at Stewart were Skyping with another school that was looking to start a … Read more
This is a multiple post series. Part 1 gave an overview of what my school has been doing during COVID and how my library’s physical space has adapted. In Part 2, I shared about programs I’ve done to encourage reading, plus collaborations with teachers. For this last post, I’ll share how we’ve adapted our makerspace … Read more
If you’re interested in the ways that education and design intersect, this book is for you. If you’re interested in empathy, design thinking, hands-on creative learning, getting comfortable with failure, you’re in luck. And if you love super-awesome illustrations created by the author spread throughout your books, this one’s got you covered. Educated By Design: … Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic has closed down many schools. Some are fully in virtual learning mode. Others have a hybrid approach of in-person and online learning (as my school does). And others have gone 100% back to in-person, but are still following guidelines for safe social distancing and cleaning. It’s a pretty crazy time right now. … Read more
Paper circuits are SO much fun! They can be fun, crafty, and a great way to look at STEM concepts that still feels approachable for students. Paper circuits allow for a quick win for students – you can help them get a working circuit made within a 30-50 minute class period. Students can build on … Read more
In Open Exploration in a Makerspace: What it is and Why We Need it, I explored why having open exploration time in your makerspace in an important part of the learning ecosystem. In this post, I dig more into the practical stuff – how to actually make this work in your space. Open Exploration in … Read more