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Upcoming Awesome Stuff, Webinars and Hands-on Makerspace Learning!

/ gravescolleen / Leave a comment

I’m pretty excited about the next couple of weeks.

Next week I’ll be leading part of a “Getting Started with Robotics” webinar presented by School Library Journal and ISTE.  It is totally free to join and I’m excited to share how we use robots in my library, but I’m also excited to learn from Sharon Thompson from Dream Workshop and fellow educator, Mark Gura.

robots robots robots

Free webinar hosted by SLJ and ISTE!

If you are in Texas, you’ll have a couple of chances to see me the first week of February.

I’m leading hands-on makerspace learning for educators in Leander ISD on Feb 1st.  Check social media often on Monday, Feb 1st if you want a glimpse into their learning!

Then on Wednesday at TCEA at 8:00, the #superlibrarianhubs and I will be presenting ideas on utilizing Makey Makey in the Classroom.  Bring a laptop and get ready to program some marshmallows and bananas.

During Library Academy at TCEA, Aaron and I have been asked to hold a makerspace for our favorite people, LIBRARIANS! So if you are in Texas and at TCEA, please come by and make something with us during Library Academy! Here’s the schedule below:

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After TCEA, I’ll be buckling down and working on making and writing until ISTE this summer and a hosting a Super Happy Maker Fun Hour for Colorado State University in May!  In case you haven’t heard of it, Super Happy Maker Fun Hour is a great and FREE resource to learn more about making in the library!  Today was the first session and it was great! Join every month to learn more about makerspace and get great info from other librarians!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is a Makerspace?

/ gravescolleen / 9 Comments

Making looks different at different types of makerspaces. However, schools, public libraries, and even artist collaboratives have some universal themes that tie us all together (and owning a 3D printer isn’t one of them.)

  • A makerspace is a place where you make stuff, but many times making meaning is more important than the “stuff” you make. (See Jay Silver’s Maker Movement is About Making Meaning.) Anyone can follow directions and make something, but it’s the ACT of making that is important because that is where the learning happens.
  • A makerspace is a community where you learn and grow together; it is also a community of like-minded people where you can share ideas and be inspired by others.
  • A makerspace is a place where one can envision making just about anything (or at least a prototype of almost anything.)
  • A makerspace is filled with resources that inspire- even if those resources are just cardboard and duct tape.
  • A makerspace needs a facilitator because makers need someone who knows a little bit about everything in case they struggle with completing their ideas. The facilitator needs to know how the resources in the makerspace function so they can assist makers as needed. Plus, in a library/educational setting, a facilitator is needed to create programming for the makerspace.
  • A makerspace is a place where people create not consume.
  • A makerspace creates producers in a world of consumers. For some makers, it creates an understanding of how technology works. For others, it creates an understanding of how our world works.

 

Makerspace (1)
Post inspired after a chat with Mike Degraff over at UTEACH Austin.