LIBE 477 - Reading Review Part B

Following is a list of articles and links helpful in exploring my topic of Makerspaces for intermediate students. Makerspaces provide innovative means for students to playfully inquire, innovate and create.

1. Makerspaces in the School Library Learning Commons and the uTEC MakerModel By David Loertscher, Leslie Preddy and Bill Derry
Loertscher, David V; Preddy, Leslie; Derry, Bill. Teacher Librarian; Bowie Vol. 41, Iss. 2,  (Dec 2013): 48-51,67. 

For anyone curious about Makerspace, its fundamental themes and goals, this is the perfect article. Here Loertscher et al. describe the innovation continuum of the Makerspace model.

1. Using: An early stage of participation in which students engage simply as Users, participating for enjoyment and using the Makerspace for expected outcomes
2. Tinkering: Users become increasingly curious about their activities and “fiddle around” (Loertscher et al, 2013) with the activities to produce different results
3. Experimenting: Users begin to produce something new through trial and error. At this stage, participants begin to ask and answer increasingly complex questions and practice producing new products
4. Creating: The final stage, Creating is based on independent learning and actions. At this level, participants generate truly innovative products and design

What I appreciate about this article is the author’s description of the dispositions that develop throughout the creative phases. As students participate in Using, Tinkering, Experimenting and Creating they develop important networking skills such as personal expertise, cooperative group work and collaborative intelligence.

uTec Maker Model (source: https://sites.google.com/site/utecmakermodel/)

 

2. The Virtual Makerspace: A New Possibility? By David Loertscher

 Loertscher, David V. Teacher Librarian; Bowie Vol. 43, Iss. 1,  (Oct 2015): 50-51,67. 

 In this fascinating sequel to the article above, Loertscher describes how a virtual makerspace may be produced as an accompaniment to a physical Makerspace. He provides a series of website template designs as well as a few helpful current examples. He brings up the interesting point that, while many schools are acknowledging the need for more student-directed, project-based learning, many choose the “physical and hands-on learning” (2015) of genius hour. However, the virtual Makerspace provides an easily accessible multi-modal alternative that doesn’t require extra equipment, space or training.

3. Fort Richmond Collegiate, Winnipeg MB

https://sites.google.com/site/frclearningcommons/home/physical-makerspace

https://sites.google.com/site/frclearningcommons/home/virtual-makerspace

This is, perhaps, my most valuable resource. This website, designed by Jo-Ann Gibson of the Manitoba School Library Association, hosts an excellent virtual Makerspace geared specifically toward intermediate learners! The author has a keen sense of the importance of both virtual and physical manifestations of the school’s Makerspace and the Learning Commons itself. She posts hours for the physical LC alongside the virtual LC. So too with the Makerspace. 

For the physical Makerspace, geared toward high school students, she provides a detailed list of the activities available: 3D printer, Lego Mindstorms, knitting supplies and robotics kits. The virtual Makerspace is a collection of websites powered by the Symbaloo bookmarking tool intended to provide students with opportunities for innovative creation with links for music composition, Howtoon, origami simulations, coding and sewing instructables among many others. The site also has links for student research and deeper learning through Maker Magazine, MIT and Python Programming, Popular Mechanics and Pinterest. 

Here is a helpful tutorial for how to set up your own Symbaloo Virtual Makerspace:

(source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLGGV8ek88M )

Also, a link to Symbaloo where you can create a free account and set up your own Virtual Makerspace: https://www.symbaloo.com/welcome

4. Refueling for the New Year: Tools and Inspirations

Fontichiaro, Kristin. Teacher Librarian; Bowie Vol. 46, Iss. 3,  (Feb 2019): 45-47,63. 

 

This brief article provides a list of innovative Makerspace activities to “jumpstart” (2017) a Maker collection. The list includes online resources such as food photography tips, MeeperBot robotics supplies, gimlet screwdrivers, storage solutions and recommended books to bolster the collection.

Fontichiaro writes widely on this subject and provides a Makerspace checklist for Makerspace designers. Her checklist includes common and necessary supplies to built a new Makerspace, as well as a series of helpful questions for getting started and constructing a personal Makerspace philosophy.

5. The Challenge of Assessment for Library Makerspaces by Aijuan Cun and Sam Abramovich

In my research, I found several articles by Cun, but this one provides the simplest matrix for assessing Makerspaces. Cun suggests incorporating simple assessment tools such as Observation, Self-assessment and Competition into everyday Makerspace practices for both summative and formative assessments.

 

Many articles on Makerspaces focus on how Makerspace initiatives enhance student achievement on standardized test scores. But I feel this assessment provides a shallow understanding of student performance in the Makerspace itself. Also, I feel that this kind of corollary assessment isn’t in alignment with the underlying goals of Makerspace philosophy – namely enhancing Loertscher’s fundamental Maker dispositions (personal expertise, cooperative group work and collaborative intelligence) and developing the NCTE 21st Century Literacies. Simple assessment techniques, as suggested by Cun and Abramovich, can be designed to observe and direct the development of both the NCTE literacies and Loertscher’s dispositions which are more specific assessments of student success in the Makerspace itself.