Thoughts on Learning Commons, Inquiry and Literacy

For my final project, I chose to create a Virtual Makerspace, an online arena to launch students into deep creativity and unique productions. As I researched the Makerspace concept throughout this course, I began to realize some key areas with which educators struggle with Makerspace: price. A functional Makerspace can be quite costly in terms of time, money and physical space. Purchasing coding/tinkering/construction/crafting/3D printing supplies is only part of the process; a well-stocked Makerspace also requires extensive planning, preparation time and energy from the creator/supervisor. Maintaining the Makerspace can also require significant time. Replacing used or broken items, restocking and weeding are constant efforts. Finally, a quality Makerspace requires physical space, something which many schools and classrooms simply do not have to spare. I have become increasingly convinced of the usefulness of a Virtual Makerspace. In my research on Makerspace, I was quickly drawn...

Since my initial proposal, I have been busily at work learning Symbaloo and exploring a variety of websites for my Virtual Makerspace. A situation I quickly encountered was that of scope and audience. How can my webmix meet the needs of a variety of situations? Can I broaden my scope to include a wider variety of options? What if libraries don't have specific supplies (3D printers, apps, Raspberry Pi etc)? As I considered these questions I also began to wonder about teachers who are new to Makerspace - how can I create a mix that supports the learning needs of both teachers and students? As I explained in my earlier post, my Virtual Makerspace is intended for student use. Ideally, according to Loertcher et al, Virtual Makerspaces should be designed with student input and interests in mind (2015). However, for my project I need to create a broader, more generally applicable webmix of sites that are immediately accessible to a variety of students in a variety of situations. My pr...