Libraries are about learning which is why makerspaces should have a home in them.
Makerspaces
Makerspaces encourage creativity, collaboration, sharing of ideas, engage learners, and ignite excitement in the school library. They can be elaborate with technology devices or as simple as a few prompts and some supplies. Where you take your makerspace is up to you. I have been working in a library for a few years as an assistant and we have had several makerspaces put into action. We have used Keva Planks, Legos, Rigamajigs, Strawbees, and have had several arts and craft stations. Even a table full of recyclable items sparks creativity and brings students together, many of whom would sit alone otherwise. Spaces can reflect content learning in STEM and the humanities. We generally rotate out our stations and try new concepts to spark a student's imagination. It is amazing to see what they can create and how they work together.
Finding a New to Me Space
To create a new makerspace station within our library, I ventured the web to seek out a blog that would inspire me to test a new concept. My first initial idea was to design a makerspace with the use of a 3D printer. I have never used one and have recently learned about how it can inspire innovative ideas and be used to create a plethora of items. Creations can align with educational standards and be formed to be applicable in real life problems. Take a look at See how Maker Spaces Work to learn how middle school students used a 3D printer to create a four-propeller drone like helicopter complete with a remote control. Students were challenged to find a way to help farmers in Nepal who had to keep their children home from school to help protect their crops from birds. How can this not make you excited about a 3D printer?
I considered to run with this idea, but I wanted to select a makerspace concept that I could implement now, in this pandemic setting of hybrid learning and within my budget. A makerspace that could abide by CDC and school guidelines and be available to all virtual students. As I pondered ideas I came across blogger Diana Rendina and reviewed her post, How to Manage Your Makerspace During the 2020 Pandemic. Rendina recognizes that makerspaces will be taking on a different look in our current environments. Her article provides multiple points, and I had my top two takeaways that stuck out to me in my search for a space idea. First, she recognized the significance of considering a way to “support students’ social-emotional well-being” as students are dealing with a variety of stress factors in the current learning environment. This promoted me to create a calming space that students could reflect upon their feelings and express them in a positive outlet. Second, is to “Keep socio-economic disparities in mind”. This inspired me to select a maker idea that students could do with items around the house at little to no expense. Further review lead me to Rendina’s post on 4 Super Easy Budget Friendly Projects for Your Makerspace and their was my maker idea, Blackout Poetry.
While I have heard about blackout poetry, I have
not incorporated this with students before.
It can be a great outlet for students to express themselves and can be
completed with just a few items.
Students need a page from a newspaper, old book, or magazine, a marker,
and their imagination. For students in need of supplies, individual student
maker kits could be assembled as suggested by Rendina. I would also implement
this tactic for an in person setting to ensure that students only use items
from their own kits to avoid cross contamination. Sharpies and pages from old,
weeded books can be placed in gallon sized Ziplock bags for pick up. Participation
guidelines and tutorials on how to create blackout poetry can be placed on the school’s
media center website.
This makerspace activity can be completed virtually or from a safe six-foot distance from peers. If your library is closed, you can easily transport items on a mobile maker cart and take your station into classrooms. Students at home can participate individually or in a Google Meet setting where they could collaborate with design ideas, anchor words, and poem prompts. This would also offer the librarian the opportunity to put this activity in practice asking students key questions to access the value of the project. Angevine & Weisgrau, 2015 suggest the following three questions.
- “What are you making” - to remind them that they are the agents to determine how they create their poetry with words and artistry.
- “Why are you making this?” – to encourage student to put value to their work.
- “Who is this for” – to help students access who their audience is.
Through these questions the librarian is assisting students with owning their projects and encouraging creativity and innovation. Students can express their thoughts and emotions through word selection and the visual forms created in blackout poetry. When student works are finished, they can submit images of their work to the librarian which could be uploaded into a presentation and posted online, or hard copies posted on a school bulletin board. I would also suggest setting up a follow up share-out option as suggested by Rendina. This could be done during a virtual makerspace meeting on Google Meets or on Flipgrid which would act as a voice agency allowing students to post a reflection about what they did while also providing a forum for peers to comment on each other’s creations. They could even compile their poems to create a longer poem or short story.
Tips and Ideas
Check out the Following Links for Tips and Ideas for implementing Blackout Poetry
5 Tips for Creating Blackout Poetry
Blackout Poetry: A Unique Way to Turn Your Teen Into a Poet
Taking Blackout Poetry to the Next Level
Final Thoughts
As my library’s circulation numbers of novels in verse consistently increases, I see student appeal in poetry rising and therefore see this makerspace as being of interest to them. Blackout poetry is a fun way to engage students in this type of writing. Many are not sure about starting a poem and stare at a blank page. By providing them a starting point of a paper filled with words, they can deconstruct it to form an entirely new piece of work. Something they can be proud of. Who knows, we may be inspiring a future poet.
References
Rendina, D. (2020, August 10) How to Manage Your Makerspace During the 2020 Pandemic. Retrieved from https://ideas.demco.com/blog/how-to-manage-your-makerspace-during-the-2020-pandemic/
Rendina, D. (2016, December 19) 4 Super Easy Budget
Friendly Projects for Your Makerspace Retrieved from http://www.renovatedlearning.com/2016/12/19/budget-friendly-projects-makerspace/
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