# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 Active Learning Spaces Your Library Should Have | Knowledge Quest

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
6 Active Learning Spaces Your Library Should Have (1)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
More posts:

Articles I've written elsewhere:

More curated resources:

Learning Space Design Books

This is a fabulous book for any educator looking to change up their learning space to support students collaboration. Even though this book is not directly about primary and secondary school environments (it focuses more on offices and universities) there's so many practical lessons to be taken from this book. Also be sure to check out the book's resources page. ( My review here).

This amazing and beautifully designed book was created by a team of architects and designers who took a look at education and school learning environments and created a list of 79 practical design ideas for schools to implement. This book is chock full of amazing interviews, statistics, and examples of beautiful learning spaces. ( My review here)

This book, published by ISTE, contains research on active learning space models and advice on planning, transforming and creating active learning spaces in school. This book inspired my 6 Active Learning Spaces post. (My review here

This book is a fantastic collection of research and resources for renovating and redesigning existing schools as well as constructing new schools. It includes 29 different design patterns for schools, and many of them have strong applications in the library. ( My review here)

This book showcases fifty different library design projects and contains plenty of inspiration and ideas for redesigning school libraries. More information on the organization here.

Published by the American Association of School Libraries, this book focuses on creating modern library spaces with user-based design strategies.

Unlike many of the other books, I've mentioned here, this one focuses on constructing and moving into a new library media center. It has lots of great resources and information.

This beautifully designed and inspirational book is almost more like an artist's workbook. The authors guide educators through questions and ideas to help them reimagine their learning spaces.

Articles/Resources:

Webinars/Videos:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Learning Space Design | Renovated Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
More posts: Articles I've written elsewhere: More curated resources: This is a fabulous book for any educator looking to change up their learning space to support students collaboration. Even though this book is not directly about primary and secondary school environments (it focuses more on offices and universities) there's so many practical lessons to be taken from this book.

# data[].attributes.headline
Create a Simple Makerspace in 3 Simple Steps

# data[].attributes.subject
Create a Simple Makerspace in 3 Simple Steps

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As maker education gains steam, many educators are looking for ways to incorporate making and tinkering into their schools and classrooms - often on a shoestring budget.

"Kids are saying they want to learn more about technology and science, but they also want to experience it creatively and use it personally," said Dale Dougherty, founder of Make Media, which produces Maker Faire and Make Magazine.

"One of the ways we can do that is create more makerspaces for kids. Let's build more makerspaces inside schools, libraries and even community centers."

But what makes a makerspace? Dougherty and other maker movement advocates have identified three common elements of successful makerspaces:

They promote learning through play and experimentation.

They're cross-disciplinary, with elements of art, science and craftsmanship.

They offer tools and materials that encourage students to create rather than consume.

Makerspaces can be elaborate learning spaces equipped with sophisticated tools and supplies, but they don't have to be. Dougherty offered the following simple tips for creating one in your school.

Step 1: Secure some space.

It doesn't need to be fancy. It doesn't even need to be large. At the Ellis School in Pittsburgh, girls tinker at "Innovation Stations" that are tucked into hallways and the corners of classrooms, said technology director Lisa Abel-Palmieri.

Sometimes finding space is simply a matter of reprioritizing. For example, Shannon McClintock Miller, the teacher librarian at Van Meter Community School in Iowa, had an office in the corner of her library. She decided to convert it into a makerspace for students.

"It's not about our stuff," she said. "School is about the kids, and the kids are really grateful we made this for them."

That jibes with what Dougherty advises educators to do.

"I'm a big fan of making do. Just get something going and declare it," Dougherty said. "Usually there's some space already available. Maybe it used to be a shop class that was shut down. Let's reinvent it. It could be an art studio, a biology lab or a computer lab. It can be all of those things mashed together because we want to allow interdisciplinary exploration."

Step 2: Put stuff in it.

3D printers, Arduinos and agile furniture are great if you can afford them, but they don't necessarily define a makerspace. Instead, start with what you have and let it grow organically.

"You could throw in discarded materials from around your school and say, 'Kids, let's make something,' and they can have as good an experience as if you had $100,000 to build the space," Dougherty said. "Just get it started, and then reach out to engage your community. You'd be surprised. People have tools and materials they don't use and would love to donate.

"You can create a space for kids that becomes richer and richer over time."

Lissa Blake, a K-2 instructional technology integration coach in Clarendon Hills, Illinois, got creative with some unlikely materials. She used pizza boxes and a fistful of green stars from Starbucks to create a low-cost recording student where her 6-year-old students could make their own videos.

Watch her ISTE19 TED Talk to learn how she did it:

Step 3: Invite kids to play.

Sure, you can develop a curriculum for your makerspace. Sometimes it's helpful to give students a starting point, especially if they're new to the concept of tinkering in school. But it's just as valuable, if not more so, to let them explore on their own, Dougherty said.

"I value space over curriculum here," he said. "I value opportunity over rigidity."

Once you've got a functioning makerspace, you can start looking at how to take it to the next level - for example, getting community support and helping students extend their projects into the digital realm where they can share and sustain them. But the important part is to just get started.
Nicole Krueger is a freelance writer and journalist with a passion for finding out what makes learners tick. This is an updated version of a post that originally published on June 21, 2014.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Create a school makerspace in 3 simple steps

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As maker education gains steam, many educators are looking for ways to incorporate making and tinkering into their schools and classrooms - often on a shoestring budget. "Kids are saying they want to learn more about technology and science, but they also want to experience it creatively and use it personally," said Dale Dougherty, founder of Make Media, which produces Maker Faire and Make Magazine.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
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.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Defining Makerspaces: What the Research Says

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
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.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Are you the type of person who likes to fill in worksheets?

(Post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, I get a small commission that helps support running this blog)

So you want to write a Makerspace grant...

It seems like everyone on Twitter is working on a Makerspace grant or proposal for their school. It's SO exciting to see so many educators embracing the MakerEd philosophy and diving right in. But before you go and ask your administration for $5,000 for a state-of-the-art Makerspace, you need to ask yourself some questions:

What are the goals of this Makerspace?

Are you focused on getting students to exercise their creativity? Learn about electronics hands-on? Design and prototype their own creations? Practice engineering skills? While a Makerspace can do all of those things, some people want to focus on one domain more than another. Some are focused on providing exposure to technologies that students would never see otherwise. Some are more interested in creative expression through crafts and DIY. Both are valid.

What does my school already have?

The needs of a 1:1 school or a school where every single student has some type of device are going to be different from a school that doesn't have functional wi-fi. Your library might already have an iPad cart. Your school might already have a robotics team or woodshop. Your science department might have bins of K'nex that they bought years ago that are just sitting around. These need to be considered as you put together your Makerspace proposal.

How much physical space do I have?

While the dream would be to have a dedicated room, most schools don't have this much space. My growing Makerspace is one corner of the library. Some schools don't even have that much. Consider how much room you have for supplies and where you'll store them when not in use. There's no sense in getting a ton of stuff if there's nowhere to put it. Many schools are putting together Makerspace carts that can be put away when not in use.

How will it be used?

Will it be a mobile Makerspace that travels? Will classes come specifically to use it? Is it geared towards students who have a little free time? Or will there be a Maker Club? All of these need to be considered when figuring out what you will get. If it's a drop-in-when-you-have-free-time Makerspace, LEGOs and LittleBits will be easier for students to use than a bunch of Arduino's and soldering irons. If there will be a specific, regular group, more in-depth projects can work better.

Where will I get the supplies?

There's so many different ways to outfit your Makerspace. You're likely to have more success trying to get a few things at a time than writing a $10,000 grant. Focus on smaller grants, DonorsChoose projects, bookfair profits, etc. Also, see what you can get donated. Many stores are willing to donate broken electronics for a tech-take-apart station. Parents may have LEGOs sitting around their house that they'd be happy to give to the school.

P.S. The first couple chapters of my book offer advice from myself and two other librarians on getting a makerspace up and running at your school. If you liked this post, check out Challenge-Based Learning in the School Library Makerspace.

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 & is also a monthly contributor to AASL Knowledge Quest. 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.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Questions to ask when planning a Makerspace

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Are you the type of person who likes to fill in worksheets? Click here to download a FREE printable 5 Questions worksheet! (Post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, I get a small commission that helps support running this blog) So you want to write a Makerspace grant...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Resourcing the Maker Movement - ResourceLink ventures into the Makerspace!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is the first of two posts on the Maker Movement - inspired by a recent visit to Brisbane Catholic Education by two educational leaders, Gary Stager and Sylvia Martinez. Their 'Invent to Learn ' day inspired the twenty or so fortunate educators who were participating in their workshop, including myself, to take up the...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Video replaced 6/5/2012. Original number of views: 106. Jaymes Dec is the Technology Integrator and FabLab Administrator at the Marymount School. Previously, Jaymes was Program Manager at GreenFab, a high school program for students from the South Bronx that taught Science, Technology, Engineering and Math skills through classes on sustainable design and green technologies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
An approach to defining and designing the right space for your school.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Cooper

Makerspaces, STEAM labs, and fab labs are popping up in schools across the country. Makerspaces provide hands-on, creative ways to encourage students to design, experiment, build and invent as they deeply engage in science, engineering and tinkering.

A makerspace is not solely a science lab, woodshop, computer lab or art room, but it may contain elements found in all of these familiar spaces. Therefore, it must be designed to accommodate a wide range of activities, tools and materials. Diversity and cross-pollination of activities are critical to the design, making and exploration process, and they are what set makerspaces and STEAM labs apart from single-use spaces. A possible range of activities might include:

Cardboard construction

Prototyping

Woodworking

Electronics

Robotics

Digital fabrication

Building bicycles and kinetic machines

Textiles and sewing

Designing a space to accommodate such a wide range of activities is a challenging process. Educators and administrators can help guide the process and generate the space that works best by researching, brainstorming and clearly articulating their needs, while keeping in mind inevitable changes in the future.

Some schools have chosen to incorporate makerspaces within multiple classroom spaces. This works well for many activities, particularly in elementary schools. As maker activities expand to require more tools, it makes more sense to create a dedicated makerspace that includes appropriate tools, work areas and materials. The following design approach focuses on creating dedicated makerspaces and STEAM labs.

Ask the Right Questions

Because of the constantly evolving activities that a makerspace accommodates, a flexible design is critical from the outset. Therefore, the first moves should be the right moves to result in a space that's as usable as possible. Project leads must ask critical inquiring questions to guide and inform the design process.

What range of subjects will be taught in the space? What types of activities and projects could be done there? Determine the needs and desires of all teachers in the school who will or could possibly use the space. Imagine what projects they might initiate with their students. Ideally a science, math, technology and/or art teacher would lead or participate in the brainstorming. The Makerspace Playbook is a helpful guide to envisioning the projects and activities that could happen in the makerspace. The new book Invent to Learn is a great resource for making, tinkering and engineering project ideas. The main point here is to clarify the types of activities that the space would ideally accommodate.

Which tools are most needed? Will digital fabrication tools such as CNC routers, laser cutters or 3D printers be included? Which materials will be used? The Makerspace Playbook and Makerspace's Tools & Materials PDF document are both very useful tools for addressing these questions. They provide detailed lists of the diverse tools and materials that you might consider. Many types of equipment have special requirements, including ventilation and other elements to ensure a safe working environment. The list of tools and materials will naturally grow as specific projects and programs generate new needs, so it's good to allow for flexibility and expansion. Depending on the projects and activities, the space required for materials and project storage can be significant.

Who are the kids that will be using the space? Will others use the space as well? Who is staffing and managing the space? Having a space that is functional for a range of ages is key in school settings. Additionally, the space might be used for maker activities outside of class time, such as clubs (like Young Makers groups) or parent groups, as makerspaces grow into popular community hubs. At some point, the school may hire a part- or full-time makerspace teacher. In fact, some see this as critical from the outset.

When will the space be used? Students will use the space during the school day, perhaps in a dedicated class time or with their teacher. Other opportunities may arise to maximize utility of the space after school or evenings and weekends. In this case, the design would need to accommodate access outside of school hours and for multiple users.

Where in the school or on the campus would be ideal? What considerations are important? To accommodate the need for access to materials and tools, it's useful for the space to be easily accessible by cars and trucks, ideally during school day. A location close to or including outdoor work areas allows for larger or messier projects. Access to plumbing and electricity are critical. The space should be located where noise won't disturb classroom learning. Given the need for flexibility, it's good to find a place where the space could expand in the future. Finally, the makerspace would be centrally located so that it can be accessible to students, and visible so that work can be seen.

How will it be built? Is a new or separate structure needed, and if so what type? What is the budget? Will the design and construction team be a combination of contractor and volunteers, all-volunteer or fully contracted?

If you're lucky, there is a large space, classroom or portable just waiting for a new use, and building out the interior will be the main project. If space is at a premium, however, a new structure, portable or shipping container could potentially provide the space or some portion of it. Knowing your budget range will help determine the best way to proceed and whether you'll be able to employ contractors or need volunteers for some of the work.

Going Forward

Answering these questions will allow schools to create a design program for their makerspace, defining the specific needs and requirements. Because makerspaces and the activities they accommodate can vary so much, the design program is one of the most critical steps in ensuring the space will be functional and well used. The school could work with designers or architects to articulate the best ways of meeting those needs. Visits to other makerspaces or labs can be valuable and insightful during this phase, as educators envision what their space could be. A subsequent blog post will provide more information about design patterns typically found in makerspaces.

Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An approach to defining and designing the right space for your school. Photo Credit: Jennifer Cooper Makerspaces, STEAM labs, and fab labs are popping up in schools across the country. Makerspaces provide hands-on, creative ways to encourage students to design, experiment, build and invent as they deeply engage in science, engineering and tinkering.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
(Post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, I get a small commission that helps support running this blog)

The Story of our Awesome Whiteboard Wall

This past week, our library and Makerspace got one more step awesome with the addition of our whiteboard wall. This was a project that I had dreamed of doing for awhile, and I finally took the plunge about a month back and created a DonorsChoose project to get whiteboard paint and lots of dry erase markers. I had originally planned to go with IdeaPaint, but the vendor (Blick) was out at the time my project was funded, so I ended up going with WhiteyBoard instead (through Quill). I've read mixed reviews on both. Eventually I'd like to try out IdeaPaint to compare the two, but for now, this is what we have. Check out this video to see it all coming together:

(Video was made with an iPod touch, Stop Motion Studio and iMovie)

If you like being able to print out instructions to reference, I've created a printable PDF for you 🙂
Click here to download
Supplies

Prepping the Wall

The first step is to mark off the section of wall you will be painting with painter's tape. You can only do up to 50 square feet at a time, so I created this wall plus a mini wall. I used chevron frog tape for the top of the wall to give it a zig zag pattern. Once everything is marked off, sand down the wall really well. You want an ultra-smooth surface to paint on, as this will make it easier to write on with markers later.

Priming the wall

If your wall isn't already white, you'll want to prime it (unless you're using clear or black whiteboard paint). I probably should have primed it twice, but once was still sufficient.

Painting with Whiteboard Paint

After the primer dries, you can paint on the whiteboard paint. Here's where you have to make sure that you follow directions carefully, as each brand and type varies. It usually consists of mixing two different containers together to make the paint. You have to mix for a set amount of time, and then you have an hour to paint everything before your paint starts to get too thick. I used a high density foam roller, which helped to create a really smooth surface. The hardest part comes next - waiting three to seven days for the paint to cure (this brand was three, other brands can be up to seven). I painted it over a holiday weekend so that it wouldn't be as difficult on my impatient students.

The Awesomeness of a Whiteboard Wall

Once it was all cured up, I put the markers out and let the students loose. It got a little crazy the first couple of days, but it's calmed down a bit now. It's mostly students writing their names or making doodles. One thing I quickly noticed is that generic whiteboard markers don't erase well, so I'm only keeping Expo markers out. Also, red markers are a lot harder to clean than other colors. I plan on using it to create pop-up surveys (ie - write the title of your favorite book) and create art contests (ie - draw a rocket ship). It's been a lot of fun.

Here's the pros and cons of creating a whiteboard wall this way:

Pros:

Cheaper than mounting an actual whiteboard

The novelty of writing on the wall draws students in, lets them feel free to draw whatever

Immediately inviting and interactive

Cons:

Cheap markers don't erase well

Markers are ghosting a lot (leaving traces even after being cleaned)

Doesn't dry erase well - you have to use a board cleaner to get everything off

Our whiteboard wall may not be perfect, but my students certainly love it. I might consider eventually trying a different brand of whiteboard paint or a more permanent whiteboard, but for now, it's pretty awesome.
Do you have whiteboards or other interactive spaces in your library?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Create an Awesome Whiteboard Wall | Renovated Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
(Post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, I get a small commission that helps support running this blog) This past week, our library and Makerspace got one more step awesome with the addition of our whiteboard wall.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When I talk to other librarians and educators about starting a school Makerspace, one of the most common things I hear is: "I'd love to do (insert cool Maker activity) at my school, but we don't have a budget for that". What many people don't realize is that the idea that you need a lot of money to start a Makerspace is a myth. All you need is to have vision, ingenuity, and resourcefulness. A lack of funds is no longer an excuse for keeping your students from experiencing the empowerment of bringing the Maker Education Movement into your program.

Makerspaces on a Budget

This quote is from the introduction to my article in The Scanner, the ISTE Librarian's Network Newsletter (Volume 6, Number 1). In this article, I go over some of my best advice on ways to kickstart a Makerspace without spending a ton of money. These are just a sampling of ways that you can get started without spending a ton of money.

In the article, I talk about how to...

Cultivate a Makerspace Vision

Host a supply drive

Get help from local businesses

Utilize DonorsChoose and

Apply for Grants

Check out the The Scanner to read the rest. Also, check out the ISTE Librarian's Network page for links to previous newsletters.

Edited to add: Months after writing this original article, I revisited this topic again in my AASL Knowledge Quest post, How To Start a Makerspace When You're Broke. Go check it out for even more tips and advice.

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 & is also a monthly contributor to AASL Knowledge Quest. 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.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Tips for Starting a Makerspace on a Budget

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When I talk to other librarians and educators about starting a school Makerspace, one of the most common things I hear is: "I'd love to do (insert cool Maker activity) at my school, but we don't have a budget for that".

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Andrew Carle, a technology educator at Flint High School in Northern Virginia, scurries about the classroom, rearranging desks and chairs, strategically sprinkling around wires, batteries, transistors, and clocks-all the while a video camera whirs in the background. A few seconds later, 10 seventh graders saunter in and the room becomes a hive of activity. Students cluster in shifting groups of twos and threes, occasionally checking in with Carle, testing wires, referencing books and Macbooks. In that hour, compressed into 140 inspiring seconds on YouTube, the middle school students become consultants, designers, and builders. Or, as Carle and thousands of others like to call them, makers.

The maker movement, known to past generations as "DIY" (do-it-yourself), encourages collaboration, invention, and radical participation with a single goal: to create new things. This maker ethos is gaining a serious foothold in education, both in practice and at the policy level. In 2012, the movement's flagship event, Maker Faire, drew a total of 165,000 people to meetups in New York and San Francisco. In March 2013, Tom Kalil, the White House deputy director for technology and innovation, hosted a Google+ Hangout with a guest list that included Dale Dougherty, the founder of Maker Media, inventor and MacArthur fellow Saul Griffith, and 11-year-old Sylvia T. (better known to fans of her popular online maker show as "Super Awesome Sylvia").

STEMming from a great idea. The White House's embrace of the maker movement is hard-wired into President Barack Obama's "Educate to Innovate" campaign to improve STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education. "I want us all to think about new and creative ways to engage young people in science and engineering," Obama said at the campaign's launch in 2009. "Whether it's science festivals, robotics competitions, fairs that encourage young people to create and build and invent-to be of things, not just consumers of things."

As the maker movement evolves, so, too, does the demand for a new kind of participatory public arena, commonly known as a maker space. Here, budding makers mingle, share knowledge and resources, and collaborate on projects. Some leading maker machers-among them Cory Doctorow, science fiction author and co-editor of the blog Boing Boing-see librarians and makers as natural allies and think of libraries as a natural setting for creating a maker space.

Libraries should be "information dojos," Doctorow says, "where communities come together to teach each other black-belt information literacy; where initiates work alongside novitiates to show them how to master the tools of the networked age from the bare metal up." Now, librarians and their supporters in the nonprofit, academic, and policy worlds have taken up the gauntlet. Together, they're designing best practices, securing funding, conducting research, and recruiting schools and teachers, cobbling together the gears and circuitry of a culture that they say has the potential to forever change the way children learn.

Getting schooled. During the White House Hangout, Dougherty discussed a recent Maker Media initiative called " Maker Education, " which aims to empower young people to become master tinkerers. Addressing the issue of scale, he asked: "What are the kinds of models we can build that other youth-serving organizations can follow to work with kids?"

A key focus of Maker Education is integrating maker spaces into existing educational programs nationwide, says AnnMarie Thomas, the founding executive director of Maker Education. To head the initiative, Thomas took a one-year sabbatical from her job as an engineering professor at the University of St. Thomas, where she had noticed that "more and more kids were coming into engineering with very little hands-on experience." Maker Corps, a Maker Education program, aims to connect maker groups to one another and build a community that's based on the core competencies of the maker movement.

Making, says AnnMarie Thomas, resonates with children in extraordinary ways: "Look at any of the literature on hands-on work, look at what's happened at museums around the country. You really see a sense of interest and engagement among kids, see them taking ownership of their work." As examples, she points to the children at Mt. Elliott Makerspace in Detroit, who demonstrate soldering lessons at the local farmer's market, and an 11-year-old maker in Los Angeles who teaches community classes.

DIY gets F2F. Parker Thomas, Maker Media's current director of educational initiatives, notes that, while the Internet creates opportunities to collaborate long-distance, cyberspace is no substitute for "meatspace." Maker activity can create a force multiplier effect when it fosters cross-pollination between schools. To that end, during the last academic year, Thomas helped coordinate efforts among 15 public and private schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. "Some of our schools decided to partner so they could apply for grants together," he says.

Launching the programs at some of these schools required a healthy dose of imagination and perseverance. "It's easy to start a maker space if you're a motorcycle fabricator in your spare time," he says. "Less easy if you're a Spanish teacher and have never made anything in your life."

Some of the teachers were armed with "nothing but enthusiasm," he says. To get these educators more maker savvy, sponsors and advocates offered resources, including personal development workshops and online info sessions, and created a playbook that advised on everything from safety standards to how to pitch maker spaces to school administrators.

Parker Thomas worked directly with interested teachers. "We helped enable them," he says. "The administration then starts to see the results, and it's easier to get into the rest of the schools." But he acknowledges that "if we need to scale, we need to do this at the district level," noting that the Santa Rosa High School District is a recent collaborator.

The reaction from children has been deeply gratifying, he adds. At Independence High School in San Francisco-which Thomas describes as "kind of like your last speed bump before you drop out"-students have to be in school only 45 minutes per week. When students worked maker projects, however, they stayed voluntarily, sometimes several hours a day. Says Parker, "We seem to spark a sense of curiosity, of wonder."

At the June Jordan School for Equity, also in San Francisco, Thomas attended a mini maker fair at the end of the first semester of the maker class. "I saw a bulletin board with iPad speakers acting like an amp and a box with a lid that had LEDs on top," he says. "A kid didn't have a desk at home, so he built one." And the progress was evident. "You could see that they learned to iterate. The joints got better on each leg."

The level of craftsmanship and personal initiative seen at these schools seems limitless. Thomas cites the Oakland-based Lighthouse Community Charter School, which has had a maker program for the past five years: "Three 18-year-old seniors wanted to build an electric car. They found a Ford Ranger and pulled the motor out. They're trying to find batteries for it and they ran a Kickstarter campaign to do it." That kind of project, he says, rewards students with a host of skills, including engineering, storytelling, and managing an online fundraising campaign.

Most importantly, he says, making empowers children with a mindset. "You're not held hostage to what you can find. If you can dream it, you can make it, and you can shape the world around you."

Media as making. Gwyneth Jones, known to Internet fans as " The Daring Librarian," vividly recalls a recent trip to Nashville, where the city's public library administrators spoke about their under-construction, hands-on learning space: "It's the size of an airport lounge," Jones says, "with a 3-D printer, woodworking, and sinks with experiments. And it's just for teens-grown-ups are there on sufferance."

A Maker Space Starter Kit

Four walls do not a maker space make... Here are some of the fundamental tools commonly found in successful maker spaces. Though making is by its nature improvisational, a common toolkit can help to make it easier for newbies to learn the necessary skills and also help institutions and policymakers plan.
1. Arduino
An open-source electronic prototyping platform. Arduino programming language and modules ("boards"), which can be hand-built or purchased pre-wired, allow makers to create interactive electronic objects. Arduino devices can sense their environment by receiving input from multiple sensors and can control lights, motors, and other actuators.
2. Hot glue gun
A handheld tool for fastening items. Check out this basic tutorial on usage and safety instructions.

Wires used to transfer electrical signals from one part of a circuit board to a central microcontroller
4. Play-Doh
A modeling compound commonly used by young children for art and craft projects

A printer that makes a three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape from a digital model.
6. Laser cutter
Allows for very precise cuts without warping or destroying nearby material, enabling users to create elaborate designs for products. Click here to see a list of great projects.

Jones says she has always implemented maker tenets into her work at her Murray Hill Middle School library in Laurel, MD. "We've been doing animation and moviemaking from the get-go," she says. Her students use programs such as GoAnimate to create openings for the school's TV studio and Comic Life to build their own graphic novels-and then reach wider audiences by licensing their work through Creative Commons or selling their publications. Using such technology in a school setting, she says, also helps bridge the digital divide, much as the YOUmedia initiative has done in public libraries.

Such activities can expand a child's idea of what a product is, she says. "They can create something that shows what they learned. My kids are visual learners. If they can make something with their hands, they're going to write a PSA and maybe create an animation to go with it. They get to choose how to show what they learned and how much they learned, and didn't necessarily need to write a 10-page essay."

When Kiera Parrott first established a "creation station" at Darien Library in Connecticut, the tools at students' disposal were Mac computers, Flip cameras, and voice recorders. Integrated devices such as the iPad freed students to follow their imaginations. They now use iPads to create stop-motion animation with LEGO figures, video book reviews, and whatever else captures their fancy. Parrott contrasts these activities with the regular school curriculum. "Even if it's a wonderful school with fabulous teachers, there's still a hierarchy, it's still prescriptive." In a maker space, she says, "it's all about them and their experience."

Making a maker space. "Today's tinkerers work in vast, distributed communities where information sharing is the norm, where the ethics and practices of the free/open source software movement have gone physical," Doctorow says. To cater to kids' needs, librarians and school administrators will be forced to challenge traditional constructs of physical space, teamwork, and information architecture.

Flint High School's Andrew Carle calls for a space that evokes wonder, something that can attract students' attention, "slow down traffic in the hallway and pull them through the door....Every pinball machine, every arcade cabinet, was designed to capture [the] fleeting fascination of passing teenagers," Carle says. "3-D printers can do the same work." A well-designed maker space, he notes, will leave a trail of breadcrumbs throughout the school and reinforce the maker mindset of "discovering ways that you can tweak, hack, or create new things that exist in and interact with the wider world."

Yet Carle also stresses the importance of a supportive space, one that titillates but never intimidates newcomers, with ample signage and instructions, and where "no one (has to) go in alone."

"If you're a kid you can't do anything wrong," says Parrott. "There's no such thing at this point. We're not telling you what you need to make. We're going to give you the tools, physical and digital, and then let you go. We'll provide some guidance to shape those skills, but it's really about the exploration and discovery."

A short list of these tools includes "Arduino [programming language and circuits], papier-mâché, LEGOs, cardboard, robots, rockets, welding machines, gears, circuit boards, computer-assisted drawing software, string, vinyl cutters, LED lights, the command line, string, rubber bands, wire, duct tape, Play-Doh, steamworks, sensors, hot glue guns, scissors, Raspberry Pis, gyroscopes, Tesla coils, musical instruments, fire, water cannons, plastic, wood, motors, solar power, wearable computers, and 3D printers," according to education writer Audrey Watters. Due to constraints of both money and room, school libraries looking to establish maker spaces will have to prioritize what to purchase, especially if the spaces are being funded at the district or state levels.

Armed with a little planning and a basic toolkit consisting of laser cutters, a set of hand tools, and a single computer, Saul Griffith, who has received a DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) grant to aid him in his efforts, is confident that the maker movement could become a permanent fixture of school education. "It's very reasonable to imagine that we could outfit every high school and every middle school. I actually think we should be targeting down to every elementary school in the country with a reasonably capable set of tools so all children in the country become part of this manufacturing and design revolution," he says.

The big picture. "One of the impacts of building your own computing devices is that it forces you to confront the architecture and systems that underlie your own information consumption," Doctorow says.

Opening the wonders of maker culture to vast new audiences can have a liberating effect on education. Scholars, including the University of Indiana's Kylie Peppler and the University of California's Mimi Ito, have written several papers on topics such as learning about circuitry through e-textiles, introducing computation into arts education, and developing participatory competencies in media production.

In her 2009 book The Computer Clubhouse , Peppler and her co-authors reference MIT mathematician Seymour Papert's concept of "objects-to-think-with." The term, according to Papert, helps illustrate how both digital and physical objects such as robots, games, and programs can "become objects in the mind that help to construct, examine, and revise connections between old and new knowledge." Indeed, objects in a maker space can assume this role, according to the authors, "allowing members to engage with technology, problem-solving, and artistic expression in profound ways."

Scholars are being careful, however, to not define the movement's constraints too tightly, in order to preserve the improvisational feel that makes maker spaces so appealing. The goal, in a sense, is a rough map rather than a GPS device. Structure and setting still matter. "We would never want maker spaces to look like schools," Peppler says. "But you do need to get a sense of how they work."

With great power (tools) comes great responsibility. When power saws and drill presses replace traditional learning materials, the library inevitably becomes a riskier environment, something acknowledged by leading proponents of maker spaces. "There could be liability issues" stemming from use of tools and machinery, says Susan Hildreth, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). "But those could be addressed." Hardware is a potential issue, but the bigger practical concern is the space itself. "If you're going to have a space that could be noisy and could create smoke, you need to consider where the space is placed, and how it is vented."

Indeed, some have pushed for a more rigorous approach to safety standards in maker spaces. At a February workshop in Somerville, MA, titled "How to Make a Makerspace," Dougherty pushed makers to design best practices for building and operating spaces. William Gurstelle, noted science writer and the author of Backyard Ballistics and The Practical Pyromaniac , has written a safety guide that addresses the usage of tools such as sewing machines, table saws, and heat guns.

Money makers. Hildreth, whom President Barack Obama tapped in 2011 to be director of IMLS, says her curiosity about maker spaces was piqued by her insight that simple content mastery would no longer cut it. "Information and knowledge changes so quickly nowadays," she says. Now IMLS's emphasis is on supporting libraries to help students attain what she dubs "21st-century skills, skills such as being creative, collaborative, analytical, and learning how to parse and organize information."

A maker space, she says, serves as an active breeding ground for such skills, a place where swarms of inquisitive young people can come together and absorb new learning paradigms. The library world's shift from analogue to digital materials is helping to free up space that could be reconfigured to become a maker space, she adds. "If you think of the library as the learning center, you need to adapt to the demands of your community," she says.

The movement is yet in its infancy, Hildreth believes, but it's shown enough promise to warrant some IMLS funding, such as a $444,296 research grant to study the effects of maker spaces given to the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh.

The museum also received a further $150,000 grant to help it establish an in-house maker space with the cooperation of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. Other IMLS grants funding maker activity include $250,000 to the Chicago Public Library to create a new maker space; $100,000 to the New York Hall of Science (NYHS) for a "Digital Making program" within the NYHS's maker space; an additional grant to NYHS to engage racially diverse communities in making; and a $99,443 grant to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland, OR, to develop a community maker space. More maker funding will likely be a priority for 2014, Hildreth adds.

Funding is also flowing into the movement from elsewhere, according to Marsha Semmel, the IMLS' director of strategic partnerships. She noted in particular the Cognizant Foundation-which has given major grants to the Detroit Public Library and NYHS-and DARPA, which aims to establish making practices in 1,000 schools by 2016. The MacArthur Foundation also supports the Maker Education intitiative, partnering with IMLS to launch well-funded museum and library spaces, modeled after the YOUmedia program at the Chicago Public Library, that offer state-of-the-art digital media tools.

The money, Semmel says, would help to bridge the void left by the disappearance of traditional maker activities-home economics, shop, chemistry labs-from the traditional school curriculum. "My grandfather was a house painter and my grandma was a milliner, so I sewed and made mosaics," she says. "Those things have been pushed out of people's lives. But the urge to create and design is universal, and it remains."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Meet the Makers: Can a DIY movement revolutionize how we learn?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Andrew Carle, a technology educator at Flint High School in Northern Virginia, scurries about the classroom, rearranging desks and chairs, strategically sprinkling around wires, batteries, transistors, and clocks-all the while a video camera whirs in the background. A few seconds later, 10 seventh graders saunter in and the room becomes a hive of activity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I've been traveling the country speaking on the power of a student's voice in his or her own educational experience along with the need for transforming learning spaces in today's schools. Both topics are very important to me not only for my own passion as an educator, but as a parent of two children. I've personally seen the impact a learning space can have on a child's experience within the classroom. Additionally, I've been fortunate to have my children surrounded by caring educators who value the importance listening to students. This week I have the pleasure of speaking at Blackboard World in D.C.

When I arrived at Blackboard World, I knew the first stop I had to make, the student maker space. Blackboard invited students from all ages to participate in a day of creating their ideal learning environments. The company partnered with the Smithsonian to provide resources and guides to help facilitate the activities. Children would rotate between 5 stations throughout the day - each station lasting roughly thirty minutes.

Students were over the moon to be able to design and create together using 3-D printing capabilities. One boy especially caught my attention. I think seven-year old Joshua said it best, "I like 3-D printing because I get to take something from my imagination and make it come to life."

I was thrilled to see that all mediums were being utilized... not simply digital devices. The craft station encouraged students to gather inspiration for their learning spaces from books, magazines, and other print materials. It was interesting to see that snacks, animals, choice, and comfort were among the priorities for these kids. I couldn't agree more!

Many children expressed a desire to listen to music as they worked with one another. This was a station that took me a bit by surprise. I have never really considered sound in relation to design. Of course, I've considered sound regarding special needs and audio resources. However, for productivity and enjoyment, I haven't thought too much about this regarding classroom design. Yet... when I think of myself as a learner, one of the first things I do to get ready as I set up my laptop is to grab a cup of coffee and turn on Pandora. So, I could see the importance of creating a holistic creative space that meets all desires when developing an ideal learning space. These learners were working together in Garage Band to create sounds for their spaces.

The LEGO station was certainly one of the favorites for all the children. There's something about just being able to play and design. They loved seeing their designs come to life as they worked with one another. What I loved seeing was the vast amounts of open floor space they left in their design. They expressed the need for flexibility in their learning environment - yes!

Students were given cameras and asked to walk around the conference venue capturing vignettes and ideas that were inspiring when considering their design. What a great idea!

How would your students design their spaces?

Tags: 3-D printing, Blackboard, blackboard world, class design, classroom design, design, He's Going to Ask For..., LEGO, school redesign, student voice, When Students Design Their School: If You Give a Kid a LEGO

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
When Students Design Their School: If You Give a Kid a LEGO, He's Going to Ask For...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I've been traveling the country speaking on the power of a student's voice in his or her own educational experience along with the need for transforming learning spaces in today's schools. Both topics are very important to me not only for my own passion as an educator, but as a parent of two children.