Read This Book: The Design of Childhood I first heard about The Design of Childhood: How the Material World Shapes Independent Kids in a NPR interview with the author. It immediately piqued my interest. Design, education and learning spaces are some of my favorite subjects. Bringing them all together in one book sounds amazing. And … Read more
Whether you’re already knee-deep into makerspaces or just toying with the idea of maybe adding some LEGOs to your library next year, we can all benefit by making time for creative experiences. Summer is a great time to rest, renew and grow as individuals. Making time for creative experiences and pursuits is one great way … Read more
The Four C’s are big in education right now: Creativity, Critical Thinking, Collaboration and Communication. We talk constantly about how we need to be teaching our students these skills. I’m not always a big fan of buzzwords – even though I’ve only been in education for less than a decade, I realize that they come … Read more
Back when I first started out as a school librarian, it was mostly a job. I enjoyed it, it was helping me pay off my student loans, and it was fun. But it was something that I did within my own space. Sure, I would share ideas with other librarians in my district and I … Read more
Makerspaces are amazing places. Our students can learn all kinds of new skills. But it behooves us to learn some of those skills ourselves. You certainly don’t have to be an expert in all things to create a makerspace in your library. When I first started creating a makerspace in my library in 2014, I … Read more
(Post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, I get a small commission that helps support running this blog) Just create something. Everyday. I love to read books about creativity and the artist’s process. It’s fascinating to learn the stories of authors, artists and other creatives and learn about their how they create … Read more
I believe that everyone has a Maker Story. A tale of how they came to be a maker. Maybe it was drawing classes in elementary school. Or a blinky soldering kit in middle school. Maybe you don’t consider yourself a maker, but there are those memories from when you were a kid of making things … Read more
Many educators falsely believe that you can’t start a makerspace without a huge budget. But some of the best makerspace supplies are free! As part of our new Maker Mondays program, I recently tried out a new activity with my students that went off great. I only spent around $50 on supplies, most of which … Read more
While I’ve never worked in an elementary school before, I’m always on the lookout for awesome maker picture books. Picture books are a great way to introduce a lesson or activity in makerspaces. We even have a whole chart on maker picture book connections in Challenge Based Learning (check out the resources page to see … Read more
When I first picked up Bored and Brilliant, I assumed it would be another book about creativity. And it is, but it’s so much more. Zomorodi takes a reflective and insightful look into how devices are distracting us. At how we avoid boredom at all costs. And how that avoidance of boredom is hindering our … Read more