The Most Effective Makerspace

In her blog, Literary Chronicles, classmate Acacia Wilson shares some musings on makerspaces (http://ischoolblogs.sjsu.edu/info/acaciawilson/). It is certainly the trend with libraries today, and with resources such as Make and Instructables, project instructions are at the ready for librarians to explore and determine how they can be incorporated into their library. Something important to consider is that instead of just materials for students to tinker with at the library, librarians’ expertise and collaborative skills can be used to integrate the makerspace across the curriculum. Our group for the Emerging Trends Project is focusing on makerspaces at middle schools, but specifically how the librarian can serve as a bridge in helping to integrate a makerspace mentality, and project-based learning in all subject areas. Davee (2015) writes, “In the interest of inclusivity and providing multiple paths of access for learning and connections between disciplines, makerspaces are positioned to enrich and expand learning, equitability, and access” (p. 9). Oliver (2016) writes, "While makerspaces to date are more commonly found in non-classroom spaces such as public libraries, and making is more commonly practiced in after-school camps and clubs, making has the ability to enrich the school-day curriculum and bridge formal and informal learning contexts" (p. 160).

In Dale Doughtery’s “We are Makers” youtube video, he shares that makers are, “enthusiasts, amateurs, people who love doing what they do…They’re playing to discover what technology can do as well as their own capabilities.” Some students don’t have the opportunity to maximize their potential because they lack access to resources. In “Are They Really Learning? A Case Study of a School Library Makerspace,” Koh explores the effectiveness of the makerspace at Irving Middle School, in Norman, Oklahoma. At the conclusion of the study, they found teachers impressed by student demonstrations, although they admitted that student learning wasn’t necessarily evident or visible throughout the process. They recognized the valuable opportunity it gave students in learning how to learn: “Students experienced a sense of accomplishment and gained increased confidence in learning, technology, and problem solving” (Koh, p. 3).

References

Davee, S., Regalia, L., & Chang, S. (2015, May). Makerspaces: Highlights of select literature. Retrieved from http://makered.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Makerspace-Lit-Review-5B.pdf.

Koh, K. (2014, August). Are they really learning? A case study of a school library makerspace. Retrieved from https://infocreatingbehavior.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/researchsummary_irving2014a.pdf

Oliver, K. M. (2016). Professional development considerations for makerspace leaders, part one: Addressing "What?" and "Why?" Tech Trends, 60, 160-166.

Wilson, A. (2017, March 6). Makerspaces [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://ischoolblogs.sjsu.edu/info/acaciawilson/.