I'm a little behind on this trend for sure! I will admit, I have been resistant to the whole makerspace idea. Thoughts such as "I don't have the space," "Who has time for that?" and "How would I even make this work?" have circulated through my brain every time the subject comes up. I only have my students for 30 minute blocks- we already have so much to do in such a little time!
Then I attended a workshop on Novel Engineering at the SSL 2019 conference. This workshop was on how to do makerspace type projects along with stories. The presenter read us the beginning of HELP! A Story of Friendship by Holly Keller about a mouse who falls in a deep hole, and how his friends try to figure out how to help him. She did not read the whole story, but rather half of it. We had to identify the problems that the characters face that we could build a solution to. Then, once we selected which problem to tackle, she set us free to her supply cart to start building. It was SO MUCH FUN! It was also super interesting to see how each group tackled the problems- no two solutions were the same. I left that workshop thinking that these type of activities need to happen in my library next year. Which led me to this topic in Cool Tools.
I love the idea of tying the making process in with literature. It is a great way to make cross-curricular connections. It also is an incredible way for the students to really connect to and engage with the story. They become invested in the characters and what happens to them. It also allows them to put themselves in the characters' shoes and to try to solve their problems. It also gives me a great spot to start to introduce the Makerspace concept in my library. I have decided that I will start by dedicating at least one class per month towards a Novel Engineering project in the library- and then slowly build off of that.
As I have no supplies, the first thing will be to gather those. The supplies used in the workshop were everyday recyclable items. Easy enough to get my hands on- I can ask for donations from teachers and parents! The Setting Up Your Own MakerSpace Smore by Angela Rosheim is an excellent resource for other ideas on how to build your makerspace supplies up and where to look for potential funding sources. I also love her list of different ways to use the makerspace- not just during library time, but other ideas like having a maker club or a Family Maker Day (Global Day of Play), or even tying it into our book club (we are always looking for ideas to keep this fresh!). What this Smore really brought into focus is that the makerspace does not have to be some elaborate set up. It can be as simple or as complex as you want and have the space for. For me, starting simple seems to be the best route. I have limited space (even if I have all of it on a cart- I don't have much room for a cart!) and not tons of time. But this is something that I will make work someway and somehow!
There are obviously many benefits to having the students participate in making activities. Collaboration, brainstorming, hypothesizing, and problem solving skills are all developed through activities such as these. One skill that I had not thought of before was that makerspaces provide students with a safe space to fail. Annie Murphy Paul refers to this in her SLJ article "How to Ensure that Making Leads to Learning," calling the process "productive failure". According to research, productive failure can lead students to become deeper and more flexible learners. Making allows students to realize failure is okay and encourages them to just keep trying. It teaches perseverance, which is such an essential skill for students to have!
I am excited to try the concepts introduced to me at the Novel Engineering workshop in my school library, as well as to bring some more maker activities to our students, whether it be during library time, during clubs, or even a family event. If you are interested in reading more about Novel Engineering, their website is a great place to start!
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