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1:02 Minute Video

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That video has been produced with Explee: http://explee.com. Create animated videos easily! Explee is an online presentation software that allows you to create amazing and mind-blowed animated videos. Select animations that fit with your speech and produce your video. The result: a beautiful and efficient video presentation.

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Be sure to check out Kaechele Library Learning Commons!

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Welcome to Tinkering Spaces, and informative and inspiring series of makerspace interviews with makers and tinkerers of all kinds: parents, teachers, librarians, and artists.

If you're scratching your head because you can't figure out where to put your children's art materials, hatching a plan to turn your laundry room into an art room, or shifting furniture to make room for a new easel, these interviews are sure to give you food for thought.

Emilie Brehem gives us a peek into her wonderous homeschool environment.

Mariah Bruehl of Playful Learning shares how her family makes learning playful in this language-rich environment.

Shannon Hyman of Kaechele Library Learning Commons shares how her library turned itself into a maker space.

Meri Cherry of Kol Tikvah is an atelierista who shares her Reggio-inspired early learning classroom.

Jean Van't Hul of the Artful Parent gives us an inside look at her inspiring laundry room-turned art studio.

Megan Schiller invites us into her colorful sunroom/art studio.

Lisa Carrie Goldberg from Action Potential Lab shows us her curiosity cabinet-meets-science lab-meets art studio. Inspiring!

Meri Cherry or MeriCherry.com tours us around her Southern California Backyard Art Oasis art studio.

Compact STEAM Studio: Make a fold-away STEAM table with Hillary and Ilan Frank.

Turn a porch into a family art studio with Cristi Wuenshcel from The Keeper of the Memories.

Stay tuned... More tinkering and maker space interviews coming soon! Keep this page bookmarked!

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Tinkering Spaces | Makerspace Tours and Interviews | TinkerLab

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Welcome to Tinkering Spaces, and informative and inspiring series of makerspace interviews with makers and tinkerers of all kinds: parents, teachers, librarians, and artists. If you're scratching your head because you can't figure out where to put your children's art materials, hatching a plan to turn your laundry room into an art room, or shifting furniture to make room for a new easel, these interviews are sure to give you food for thought.

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Defining MakerSpaces: What the Research Says  

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Defining MakerSpaces: What the Research Says  

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by Diana Rendina

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Recently, I had the unfortunate experience of dealing with criticism. I was told (not to my face) by a visitor to our school that our library makerspace is not a "real makerspace". This same person stated that our woodshop is a "real makerspace" because it has power tools. She suggested that I "do some research" on what makerspaces actually are.

Feeling personally insulted aside, what bothers me most about this statement is the concept that some makerspaces are more valid than others and that a makerspace is solely defined by the tools it contains. I do agree that our woodshop is a makerspace, even though we don't call it that. Our woodshop is awesome, and I'm so glad that we have a space where students can learn how to use saws, drills and other tools to build awesome projects as part of their curriculum. Yes, that is a makerspace.

But is my space any less of a makerspace simply because it doesn't have power tools? Because it doesn't have a 3D printer? Because my students build with LEGOs, K'nex and cardboard?

Defining Makerspaces

All of this got me thinking about how we define "makerspace". So I did what librarians do best: I researched. I gathered together my books on makerspaces, I searched our databases for articles, and I crowdsourced the amazing hive mind of Twitter.

For the record, here's my own definition of a school Makerspace:

A makerspace is a place where students can gather to create, invent, tinker, explore and discover using a variety of tools and materials.

A makerspace can be anything from a repurposed bookcart filled with arts and crafts supplies to a table in a corner set out with LEGOs to a full blown fab lab with 3D printers, laser cutters, and handtools. No two school makerspaces are exactly alike, nor should they be. Makerspaces are as unique as the school cultures they represent. There is no such thing as one form of making being more valid or better than the other. Makers are artists, crafters, knitters, seamstresses, builders, programmers, engineers, hackers, painters, woodworkers, tinkerers, inventors, bakers, graphic designers and more.

A #makerspace is a place where kids gather to create, invent, tinker, explore & discover. Click To Tweet

What the Research Says About Makerspaces

Here's where my research led me:

I like this definition from Samatha Roslund's book Makerspaces. I see three important elements to this definition: Place... people... make things. While different possible foci are mentioned, this definition does not limit a Makerspace to a particular set of tools. It's about a place, about a community. Another similar quote comes from the Educause Learning Initiative article, 7 Things You Should Know About Makerspaces:

"A makerspace is a physical location where people gather to share resources and knowledge, work on projects, network, and build."

Makerspaces are not about the tools; they're about enabling making.

More on Makerspaces

"... [A] space where kids have the opportunity to make - a place where some tools, materials, and enough expertise can get them started. These places, called makerspaces, share some aspects of the shop class, home economics class, the art studio and science labs. In effect, a makerspace is a physical mash-up of different places that allows makers and projects to integrate these different kinds of skills." Dale Dougherty, The Maker Mindset, in Design, Make, Play

"Even if you don't have access to expensive... hardware, every classroom can become a makerspace where kids and teachers learn together through direct experience with an assortment of high and low tech materials." ~ Gary Stager and Sylvia Martinez in Invent to Learn

"A Makerspace is a metaphor for a unique learning environment that encourages tinkering, play and open-ended exploration for all" ~Laura Fleming, author of Worlds of Making

Making, Creativity, and Design

"What do you do in a makerspace? The simple answer is you make things. Things that you are curious about. Things that spring from your imagination... that inspire you and things that you admire. The informal, playful atmosphere allows learning to unfold, rather than conform to a rigid agenda. Making, rather than consuming is the focus. It is craft, engineering, technology and wonder-driven." Thinkers and Tinkerers

"The most important quality of a makerspace is that it encourages creativity. This can be done with a space full of hand tools, materials, and finished projects. The culture in a space should support the idea that anything is possible." 3 Key Qualities for a School Makerspace

"Makerspaces provide hands-on, creative ways to encourage students to design, experiment, build and invent as they deeply engage in science, engineering and tinkering." Jennifer Cooper, Designing a School Makerspace (Edutopia)

"Makerspaces are collaborative learning environments where people come together to share materials and learn new skills... [they] are not necessarily born out of a specific set of materials or spaces, but rather a mindset of community partnership, collaboration, and creation." Library as incubator project

(Emphasis in quotes is mine)

The video above is really long by internet standards. But you should at least watch the first few minutes, where students share what their makerspace means to them.

Read up more on Makerspaces

(Note: post contains affiliate links. Actions taken may result in commissions for Renovated Learning)

Diana Rendina, MLIS, is the media specialist at Tampa Preparatory School, an independent 6-12 in Tampa, FL. Previously, she was the media specialist at Stewart Middle Magnet School for seven years, where she founded their library makerspace. She is the creator of the blog RenovatedLearning.com. She was a monthly contributor to AASL Knowledge Quest from 2015-2018. Diana is the winner of the 2016 ISTE Outstanding Young Educator Award, the 2015 ISTE Librarians Network Secondary Award, the 2015 AASL Frances Henne Award & the 2015 SLJ Build Something Bold Award. She is an international speaker on the Maker Movement and has presented at conferences including AASL, FETC & ISTE. Diana co-authored Challenge-Based Learning in the School Library Makerspace with Colleen and Aaron Graves and is also the author Reimagining Library Spaces: Transform Your Space on Any Budget.

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Defining Makerspaces: What the Research Says

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Recently, I had the unfortunate experience of dealing with criticism. I was told (not to my face) by a visitor to our school that our library makerspace is not a "real makerspace". This same person stated that our woodshop is a "real makerspace" because it has power tools.

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Making the Grade: How Schools are Creating & Using MakerSpaces

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Making the Grade: How Schools are Creating & Using MakerSpaces

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by Ellen Ullman

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Summit Elementary students love their makerspace so much they eagerly clean it up. About two years ago, Summit Elementary in Oconomowoc (WI) brought in laptops and ramped up its science and math curriculum in an effort to reach the hands-on, active learners who had already begun to check out. A committee researched the maker movement, secured a grant from a local education foundation, and turned the outdated computer lab into a makerspace. Now, as part of their specials schedule, students spend an hour each week in the makerspace, learning about the design process and playing with the materials. Because it's been such a big hit, the committee applied for another grant to create four maker carts that teachers can check out. The carts-Engineering, Math & Science, Tech & Robotics, and Creativity-include materials and activity binders. "Teachers design lessons around the materials that fit right into the curriculum," says Wendy Harrop, learning resource teacher. "They hold STEM challenges and do buddy classes with older and younger students."

The mobile solution is perfect for schools that lack physical space. Harrop says teachers frequently check out the engineering cart, which has K'NEX, Legos, magnet blocks, and tubing connectors, for lessons on 3D geometry and machines. "The students construct tangible versions of what's on their paper. It's a huge learning opportunity," she says.

Younger students love using Osmo (on the Tech & Robotics cart) with their iPads to learn about numbers and words and play Tangram, a puzzle matching game. Recently, the art teacher used Osmo for a self-portrait project.

Harrop says the makerspace has brought about enthusiasm and other positive changes. "We immediately noticed that some children who hadn't had a forum to be leaders were showing up as leaders." Behavior problems decreased and students are willing to clean up and take care of the materials. Best of all, perhaps, is the fact that students are also improving their social skills and character development.
TOOLS THEY USE SUMMIT ELEMENTARY A D-I-Y EFFORT Makers at Shorecrest Prep can't wait to tinker and create in their makerspace.
The library/media specialists at Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg (FL) were so determined to start a makerspace that they went a little rogue to do so. They got a grant, bought a 3D printer, and started reconfiguring the library to free up space. They asked for donations from parents and received a ton of craft supplies, Legos, and K'NEX. That's when the technology department saw what was happening and stepped in.

"The technology department got $10,000 from the head of school, which we used for a laser cutter, another 3D printer, movable tables, containers, and makerspace books and kits," says Dottie Smay, library/media specialist. Smay attended makerspace Webinars and created mini-lessons for parents and students so they could understand the makerspace's purpose and value. She held teacher workshops during which she pointed out curricular tie-ins and started an afterschool club.

One of her favorite things is the monthly Lego Challenge, during which students are asked to create something using a specified number ofLego pieces. "It's great for their self-esteem," she says. "They may not win the 100-yard dash or get an A on the spelling test, but everyone sees their designs on the Lego Wall."

Early on, Smay invited every grade in the lower school to come in and tinker with the littleBits. "I pretended I lost the directions and asked them to figure out how they worked."

This year, teachers are using the makerspace more frequently and linking it to projects. First graders built bodies using cardboard, straws, balloons, and tissue paper and then used littleBits with LED wiring to show how the brain sets off signals. "The teacher didn't tell them how to do it; they figured it out for themselves," says Smay. "It's a whole different mindset."

Smay believes anyone can start a makerspace, even if you only have duct tape, cardboard, string, and pipe cleaners. "It's not what's in the makerspace; it's what happens in the makerspace."
TOOLS THEY USE SHORECREST PREPARATORY SCHOOL STAMPING OUT STRESS High schoolers in Yorktown (NY) entered a challenge to buy more tools for their makerspace.
When Shannon Mersand, School Media Specialist at Yorktown High School in Yorktown (NY), visited the Google offices in New York City a few years back, she and her colleagues were fascinated by the Lego play stations and open areas where employees could decompress. "Our students are stressed from all the pressure of work and studying, and we wanted to give them a few outlets to relax," she says. She mentioned the idea to a couple of teachers, and a few days later she was holding an enormous tote full of donated Legos. She stuck it in the middle of library. Within days, students were building things and asking to display them.

From there, Mersand asked for donations of K'NEX and board games. She created whiteboard tables that students use to doodle, brainstorm, and help each other study. Once her principal obtained Board approval, she eliminated 15,000 books (many of which she donated to a neighboring high-needs district). She placed makerspace materials on the shelves and started a student-run Genius Bar.

To get more makerspace supplies, the Genius Bar students entered a challenge by Khan Academy, Google, and DonorsChoose and earned $1,000. They bought a da Vinci Duo 3D printer. Thanks to a grant from a local education foundation, the school was able to purchase Arduino kits, MaKey MaKeys, and a Raspberry Pi.

Students in the CDOS (Career Development Occupational Skills) program started with Snap Circuits, moved to paper circuitry, and are now working on sewable circuits. They're planning to create items to sell in the school store.

One student is printing a prosthetic hand that he will pair with an Arduino board to make it move. A group of sophomore English students are participating in 20-Time projects, and many of them will use the makerspace to create their final product.

Teacher integration is picking up, too. Math teachers have used the space to teach about conics and English classes used it for a research project, including one student who's creating an alternative energy source.

But most of all, it's a space to unwind and have fun. Students made holiday cards with paper circuitry and programmed Arduino boards during Hour of Code week. They drop in during free periods to work on whatever they want. "They don't get to play in high school, so to give them an outlet to tinker and have fun and learn at the same time has been wonderful," Mersand says. "It's brought different types of students together who would not normally interact."
TOOLS THEY USE YORKTOWN HIGH SCHOOL
► Arduino boards
► Chibitronics
► Cube 3D printer
► da Vinci Duo 3D printer
► Drawdio
► HyperDuino kit
► K'NEX
► Legos
► MakerBot Replicator
► MaKey MaKey
► Raspberry Pi
► Paper circuitry (copper tape, conductive paint, LEDs, button batteries)
► Sewable circuits (conductive thread, needles, regular thread, LED sequins, button batteries, sewable button battery holders, Adafruit FLORA boards)
► Snap Circuits
MOBILE MAKERS Classroom work is infinitely more engaging with a mobile makerspace.
Last summer, Nick Greenwood and Nancy Kellner, a librarian and technology specialist at Peaslee Elementary School (part of the Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough [MA]) received a grant for a mobile makerspace. "Now we're trying to help everyone develop a maker mindset," says Jennifer Trombino, instructional technology specialist for the district.

Trombino says that many teachers think of the makerspace as a playroom with no curricular value, so she helps them to see the value. "Our goal is to get people creating, asking questions, solving problems, and innovating," she says.

Peaslee teachers sign out Bee-Bots, Osmos, and other maker materials to use in their classrooms. Younger students use Bee-Bots to identify letters, numbers, and sight words; older students use littleBits to learn about circuitry.

Trombino's latest effort is creating space in the library to hold a Friday afternoon makerspace drop-in so that more students can visit. "When you provide time for choice, creativity, and collaboration, students can answer similar questions in different ways. Then you can shift from 'Here's what I want you to know' to 'What do you think the answer or answers might be?'"
TOOLS THEY USE PEASLEE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

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MAKING THE GRADE: HOW SCHOOLS ARE CREATING AND USING MAKERSPACES

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Summit Elementary students love their makerspace so much they eagerly clean it up. About two years ago, Summit Elementary in Oconomowoc (WI) brought in laptops and ramped up its science and math curriculum in an effort to reach the hands-on, active learners who had already begun to check out.

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(Big old) Google Doc

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Summer Kindergarten Program Planning 2017

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Summer Kindergarten Program 2017   Winter Email from A. Lovejoy Kindergarten Kamp Resource Ideas 2017.03.15 Meeting Notes What is the vision? Daily Schedule Themes Materials: What do we need to purchase: Books Staffing Action Steps 2017.05.18 Meeting Notes 2017.05.30 2017.06.06 Meeting 2017.06.1...

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Huffington Post Article by Rebecca Palacious

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"The important thing is to never stop questioning."-Albert Einstein

Photo credit: Delaware Children's Museum - http://delawarechildrensmuseum.org/

When I began teaching in the mid-1970s, I was taught in my undergraduate studies to incorporate elements of different subjects into my teaching to help children make connections among the ideas they were learning.

What did that look like? If we were learning about buildings, you would see students in my early childhood classes building with blocks; measuring how high their structures were with measuring tapes and drawing what they had built; documenting their work and building over time; and then reading about buildings in their community or around the world. They would paint buildings, draw them, talk about them, and pretend to be builders, carpenters, architects, masons. Our learning centers would change to match the curriculum themes and interests of the children.

Language development and literacy instruction revolved around vocabulary related to their current project, such as the names of the tools, the sizes, colors and parts of the buildings, and words related to building shapes, like rectangle, side, angle, and symmetry. And we also talked about the people who lived or worked in buildings, jobs and money, and connections to other ideas in social studies (food, health, transportation).

I'm disappointed when I see that some of the wonderful early childhood education practices like those I was taught have been replaced by other activities that, while they may help children learn information and skills, don't provide these very important opportunities to make connections that truly empower children to question, think, collaborate, and create.

On the positive side, though, I am encouraged to see a new initiative in schools across the country today called STEM or, sometimes, STEAM. It refers to units of study that combine ideas and skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, (the Arts), and Mathematics. This idea of interconnecting content takes us back to best practices for educating young children, incorporating thinking and, yes, play! This is play that is creative and bolsters student confidence, engagement, and enthusiasm for learning.

What is STEM, or STEAM? It is a philosophy. It is science and technology, interpreted through the actual design of something using engineering and the arts, all described and planned using mathematical elements.

Here's another way to think about STEAM:

S(cience): A way of thinking

T(echnology): A way of doing

E(ngineering): A way of building

A(rts): A way of creating

M(athematics): A way of measuring

What is expected of students and teachers is to take those ways that we think, do, build, create, and measure and use them together to be critical and creative thinkers.

What does this mean for families? It means that as parents you can provide the first foundation for your children's experiences by giving them opportunities to think, do, build, create, and measure.

Observing weather

Observing living things for similarities and differences and patterns of growth

Exploring balance, weight, gravity, motion, and momentum with small toy cars and ramps or in outdoor play structures (swings, motion rides, balance beams)

Noticing cause/effect relationships in physical and chemical changes, as in cooking and making clay pots

Using apps to design and create

Using digital devices to search for information and to communicate

Taking and manipulating pictures

Creating with blocks or other "open-ended" materials" like spools, straws, craft sticks, play dough

Playing with construction toys

Making things with child-friendly household tools and materials

Working in a variety of media

Learning about colors and shades of colors

Using art apps

Measuring and documenting changes over time

Sorting information

Creating and extending patterns

Making pictographs and bar graphs

I like to set the stage for these learning activities by reading a book. There are many wonderful choices. Then talk to your child about what project you could do related to what you read, gather the tools and materials needed, create a design, and build!

If You Find a Rock by Peggy Christian and Barbara Hirsch Lember

This book is full of pictures of all kinds of rocks, found in all kinds of places. It will help children appreciate the beauty and surprises in the natural world that's all around them

Rocks

Play dough

Paper

Crayons, pencil, markers

Ruler or stacking blocks to determine height

After reading the book, ask your child: Do you think we could make a house out of rocks? Why are rocks good for that? (They're strong.) What kind of house should we make? (A little cabin, to start with.) Should we use big rocks or small rocks? How can we hold the rocks together? (Make play dough.) What should the cabin look like? (Draw a picture.) How tall should it be? (Use a ruler or stack of same-sized blocks to decide that height.) How many rocks do you think we'll need? Should we try to get rocks of different colors or the same color? Where can we find them? (Collect them, build, then take that apart and use what you learned the first time to build a better cabin the second time.)

Cuckoo is a Mexican folktale about a bird that is considered vain and does not help the other animals with the work of gathering seeds for the winter. When a fire threatens the crop, Cuckoo surprises everyone with her help. The book contains geometric illustrations and bright, vivid colors reminiscent of the art forms of Mexico.

After reading the story, ask your child to help you make your own bird. Ask: What are parts of the body of a bird? What shapes could you use to make the bird? How many shapes do you need to make the bird? How can you make the eyes, beak, wings, talons, and the body of the bird using simple geometric shapes? Can you plan it? What colors could you use to distinguish parts of the bird? Will it be flat (2D), or will it stand up and have space inside (3D)?

STEAM activities are great for weekends or any day you have some time! Once you've made something, leave it up over time so that your child can build and add or try different designs. You can take pictures of your child working on STEAM activities and write captions with him or her. You're not only using Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics to create things-you're also creating memories!

Rebecca A. Palacios, Ph.D., is a Senior Curriculum Advisor for Age of Learning, Inc., the company that produces the ABCmouse.com website and ABCmouse mobile apps.

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"The important thing is to never stop questioning."-Albert Einstein When I began teaching in the mid-1970s, I was taught in my undergraduate studies to incorporate elements of different subjects into my teaching to help children make connections among the ideas they were learning. What did that look like?

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Univ. of Florida

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From Tinkerlab book by Rachelle Doorley

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From Tinkerlab book by Rachelle Doorley

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Tinkerlab - Creating an inviting space.pdf

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From Tinkerlab book by Rachelle Doorley

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From Tinkerlab book by Rachelle Doorley

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What Nursery Schools Can Teach Us about Creative Invitations

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What Nursery Schools Can Teach Us about Creative Invitations

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From Tinkerlab book by Rachelle Doorley

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Tinkerlab - What Nursery Schools Can Teach Us About Creative Invitations.pdf

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From Tinkerlab book by Rachelle Doorley

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Tinkerlab - The Benefits of Basic Materials.pdf

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There is one for each Primary School!

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Engineering Treasures

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Bling Treasures

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RED Schedule   8:30-8:45 Warm Up-putty, blocks, puzzles, etc.    8:45-9:00 Mini- Morning Meeting-greeting, message, poem/rhymes    9:00-9:10 M, T Read Aloud (book tied to MakerSpace Invitation) After read aloud, pass along book to Blue Group  W, Th Meaningful Movement  9:10-...

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Important tenets to remember!

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Invitations & Supplies

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Invitations & Supplies

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Weekly Invitations Music Pinterest Board Read aloud & related STEAM idea/s: Rhythm and Movement  Book by Amanda Blake Soule - activity ideas  Building Community - Collaboration (outdoor music wall) - Ideas related to read aloud/s: Boomwhackers, Makey-Makey, GO Noodle,  Building Community/MakerSp...

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Invitations & Supplies

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Weekly Invitations Colors Pinterest Board  Read aloud & related STEAM idea/s:  Dot  Mixed Up Chameleon Mix-it-Up Press Here - book  Building Community - Collaboration (In Makerspace) - Ideas related to read aloud/s: Mixing colors,   Water (outside) ~   Garden ~   Theme Specific  ~  Theme Specifi...

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Invitations & Supplies

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Weekly Invitations Maine Pinterest Board  Read aloud & related STEAM idea/s: Counting Our Way to Maine Books by Maine authors (ie. Lynn Plourde-Pigs in the Mud) Robert McCloskey books Dahlov Ipcar Books  Collaboration/MakerSpace ~ Tent/Flashlights/Story/Songs 					 Water (outside) ~   Garden ~  ...

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Invitations & Supplies

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Weekly Invitations Transportation Pinterest Board Read aloud & related STEAM idea/s:  MakerSpace/Collaboration Activity  Water (outside) ~   Garden ~   Theme Specific  ~  Theme Specific ~  Kindergarten (Math) ~  Kindergarten (Literacy) ~   Construction (include a variety of blocks, legos) ~  Art...

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Productive Talk Teacher Resources Google Drive Folder

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Productive Talk Teacher Resources Google Drive Folder

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From Kirsten Gould

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Productive Talk Teacher Resources - Google Drive

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Tips from Kirsten Gould