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My Goals for Empowering Students as Creators

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My Goals for Empowering Students as Creators

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Encourage students to use their creativity to produce new information

Develop lesson plans that integrate problem solving, facilitate collaboration, and promote the use of digital technology

Offer a multitude of digital tools students can use for creating and sharing information

Incorporate digital and craft makerspaces in the library so that students have the tools and the space needed to foster their ingenuity

Create a digital media lab that supports audio visual, graphic design, and engineering enthusiasts

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Alliance for Excellent Education: Empowering Students as Creators Webinar

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Alliance for Excellent Education: Empowering Students as Creators Webinar

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A webinar hosted by Shannon McClintock Miller and guests Teri Chun and Diana Rendina. These librarians discuss their personal experiences for how they have incorporated the empowering students as creators frame into their own libraries.

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An article by Derek Bruff about the "students as producers" movement. He provides examples of different classes that have focused on this theme and offers ways teachers can incorporate students as producers in their curriculum.

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As I announced last month, this year many of the Center for Teaching's workshops, conversations, and other resources for the Vanderbilt teaching community will be part of our "Students as Producers" theme. I first heard the term "student as producer" in a keynote by the University of Lincoln's Mike Neary at a 2011 conference in Ireland. Mike is Dean of Teaching and Learning at Lincoln and directs the Student as Producer initiative there. He argued that students should move from being the object of the educational process to its subject. Students should not be merely consumers of knowledge but producers, engaged in meaningful, generative work alongside the university's faculty.

From the Student as Producer website at the University of Lincoln:

Student as Producer is a development of the University of Lincoln's policy of research-informed teaching to research-engaged teaching. Research-engaged teaching involves more research and research-like activities at the core of the undergraduate curriculum... In this way students become part of the academic project of the University and collaborators with academics in the production of knowledge and meaning.

Students are frequently involved in knowledge production at Vanderbilt outside of the classroom, through undergraduate research and internships. And our students take on "producer" roles in student organizations and entrepreneurial activities-again, outside the classroom. What appealed to me about the University of Lincoln's initiative, and what I look forward to exploring with the Vanderbilt community this year, is the involvement of students as producers inside the classroom, that is, within the confines of a standard semester-long course.

What does it look like when students take on producer roles in a course? It varies greatly across different kinds of courses and across the disciplines. That's why we've included several related terms in our theme-year logo: students as scholars, creators, researchers, performers, designers. We might have included innovators, authors, and problem solvers to that list. The idea of students as producers plays out differently in different contexts. Here are just a few examples of courses that feature "production" activities, all highlighted here on the CFT website in the past:

English faculty Humberto Garcia and Allison Schachter ask students in some of their courses to express their ideas through words and images on course blogs. Instead of writing weekly reading responses only seen by their instructors, students share their perspectives and analyses with each other, contributing to the collaborative construction of knowledge within their courses.

Students in Steve Baskauf's second-semester introduction to biology lab don't engage in "cookbook" labs. Instead, they design experiments to answer open questions in biology, and share their results with each other and the department in an end-of-semester poster session.

All Engineering undergraduates take a senior design course, during which they work in teams on real engineering projects, often for external clients. Every year, at least a couple of these teams win prizes or outside funding for the innovations they develop. We interviewed one team for our podcast who developed spinach-powered solar cells.

HOD faculty member James Fraser helped students in his "Sustainability, Justice, and the City" course to gather and analyze data on the Chestnut Hill neighborhood in Nashville, data that showed excessive heating and cooling costs for many residents. The students' reports were shared with the mayor's office which then provided energy audits and repairs to residents' homes.

What makes a course a "Students as Producers" course? While there's no formal definition, one can see a few common elements in the examples above.

Students are asked to work on problems that haven't been fully solved or questions that haven't been fully answered. That might mean tackling an open, but manageable research question, as in Steve Baskauf's biology lab; applying ideas and techniques taught in a course to a novel situation, as in James Fraser's service-learning course; or making original connections across course material and the student's prior experiences, as in Humberto Garcia and Allison Schachter's English courses. (For more on the latter idea, see Chapter 9, "On Original Work," in James Lang's excellent new book, Cheating Lessons.) Since definitive answers to these questions aren't known, the work the students do is more authentic. Not only does this motivate students to take the work more seriously (it's not "busy work"), but it also helps prepare them for the open-ended problems they will face when they leave college. (See Chapter 4, "How Do Students Develop Mastery?", in How Learning Works by Susan Ambrose and colleagues for more on helping students transfer knowledge to new situations.)

Students are asked to share their work with others, not just their instructor. Several years ago, I heard a talk by Gardner Campbell in which he described a course blog of his in which students wrote not just for him, but for their peers in the course, students who had taken the course in previous semesters, and interested readers around the world. I was struck by how these audiences motivated the students to contribute to the blog, to write and to write well. More recently, I've started using a term coined by Randy Bass and Heidi Elmendorf to describe this idea: social pedagogies, "design approaches for teaching and learning that engage students with what we might call an 'authentic audience' (other than the teacher), where the representation of knowledge for an audience is absolutely central to the construction of knowledge in a course." In each of the Vanderbilt examples above, students shared their work with authentic audiences, either fellow students or external audiences, motivating students to produce work worth sharing. (For more on the power of social motivations, I recommend Yochai Benkler and Helen Nissenbaum's 2006 article, "Commons-Based Peer Production and Virtue.")

Students are given a degree of autonomy in their work. Whether students are given a general category of questions to pursue, as in Humburto Garcia and Allison Schachter's seminars or Steve Baskauf's lab course, or a more constrained list of problems from which to choose, as in James Fraser's course and the senior design course in engineering, students engaged as producers are typically given the chance to work on tasks of personal or professional interest. In my own mathematics courses, I'm constantly impressed by the enthusiasm that many of my students bring to their application projects when I allow and encourage them to select their own topics. As with the first two elements of students-as-producers, motivation plays an important role here. Cognitive science tells us that we are more motivated when we feel we have some autonomy over our work. Giving students choices is one way to increase their feeling of autonomy and agency. (See "Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations: Classic Definitions and New Directions" by Richard Ryan and Edward Deci for more on the importance of autonomy for learning.)

There's much more to be said about the idea of students as producers. We'll be exploring the topic here on the CFT blog and in workshops and conversations throughout the year. We have several events on this theme scheduled already. I hope you can join us at one or more of them this fall!

Students as Producers: Incorporating Research and Design into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Classes, a conversation on teaching with faculty panelists John Ayers (Earth & Environmental Science), Mark Woelfle (Biological Sciences), and Tom Withrow (Mechanical Engineering) - September 25th, 4:10-5:30pm - More info

Beyond the Five-Page Paper: Representing Student Learning Visually, a teaching workshop facilitated by CFT senior staff Derek Bruff and Nancy Chick - October 16th, 3:10-4:30pm -

Producing, Performing, & Creating Learning across the Humanities: Models of Generative Learning Assignments, a conversation on teaching with faculty panelists Nathalie Dieu-Porter (French & Italian), Alice Randall (African-American & Diaspora Studies), and Rory Dicker (Women's & Gender Studies) - October 24th, 4:10-5:30pm - More info

Engaging Students as Learners and as Participants in Community Building: The Synergies of Service Learning, a teaching workshop facilitated by CFT senior staff Joe Bandy - November 14th, 4:10-5:30pm -

Tags: Student Motivation, Students as Producers

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by Derek Bruff, CFT Director As I announced last month, this year many of the Center for Teaching's workshops, conversations, and other resources for the Vanderbilt teaching community will be part of our "Students as Producers" theme. I first heard the term "student as producer" in a keynote by the University of Lincoln's Mike Neary...

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11 Digital Education Tools For Teachers And Students

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11 Digital Education Tools For Teachers And Students

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A list of digital education tools available for teachers and students comprised by Ashutosh Chauhan. These tools provide access to information digitally, as well as allows student to create and share media.

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The Most Popular Digital Education Tools For Teachers And Learners

Hundreds of digital education tools have been created with the purpose of giving autonomy to the student, improving the administration of academic processes, encouraging collaboration, and facilitating communication between teachers and learners. Here we present 11 of the most popular.

1. Edmodo

Edmodo is an educational tool that connects teachers and students, and is assimilated into a social network. In this one, teachers can create online collaborative groups, administer and provide educational materials, measure student performance, and communicate with parents, among other functions. Edmodo has more than 34 million users who connect to create a learning process that is more enriching, personalized, and aligned with the opportunities brought by technology and the digital environment.

2. Socrative

Designed by a group of entrepreneurs and engineers passionate about education, Socrative is a system that allows teachers to create exercises or educational games which students can solve using mobile devices, whether smartphones, laptops, or tablets. Teachers can see the results of the activities and, depending on these, modify the subsequent lessons in order to make them more personalized.

3. Projeqt

Projeqt is a tool that allows you to create multimedia presentations, with dynamic slides in which you can embed interactive maps, links, online quizzes, Twitter timelines, and videos, among other options. During a class session, teachers can share with students academic presentations which are visually adapted to different devices.

4. Thinglink

Thinglink allows educators to create interactive images with music, sounds, texts, and photographs. These can be shared on other websites or on social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook. Thinglink offers the possibility for teachers to create learning methodologies that awaken the curiosity of students through interactive content that can expand their knowledge.

5. TED-Ed

TED-Ed is an educational platform that allows creating educational lessons with the collaboration of teachers, students, animators-generally people who want to expand knowledge and good ideas. This website allows democratizing access to information, both for teachers and students. Here, people can have an active participation in the learning process of others.

6. cK-12

cK-12 is a website that seeks to reduce the cost of academic books for the K12 market in the United States and the world. To achieve its objective, this platform has an open source interface that allows creating and distributing educational material through the internet, which can be modified and contain videos, audios, and interactive exercises. It can also be printed and comply with the necessary editorial standards in each region. The books that are created in cK-12 can be adapted to the needs of any teacher or student.

7. ClassDojo

ClassDojo is a tool to improve student behavior: teachers provide their students with instant feedback so that good disposition in class is 'rewarded' with points and students have a more receptive attitude towards the learning process. ClassDojo provides real-time notifications to students, like 'Well Done David!' and '+1', for working collaboratively. The information that is collected about student behavior can be shared later with parents and administrators through the web.

8. eduClipper

This platform allows teachers and students to share and explore references and educational material. In eduClipper, you can collect information found on the internet and then share it with the members of previously created groups, which offers the possibility to manage more effectively the academic content found online, improve research techniques, and have a digital record of what students achieved during the course. Likewise, it provides the opportunity for teachers to organize a virtual class with their students and create a portfolio where all the work carried out is stored.

9. Storybird

Storybird aims to promote writing and reading skills in students through storytelling. In this tool, teachers can create interactive and artistic books online through a simple and easy to use interface. The stories created can be embedded in blogs, sent by email, and printed, among other options. In Storybird, teachers can also create projects with students, give constant feedback, and organize classes and grades.

10. Animoto

Animoto is a digital tool that allows you to create high-quality videos in a short time and from any mobile device, inspiring students and helping improve academic lessons. The Animoto interface is friendly and practical, allowing teachers to create audiovisual content that adapts to educational needs.

11. Kahoot!

Kahoot! is an educational platform that is based on games and questions. Through this tool, teachers can create questionnaires, discussions, or surveys that complement academic lessons. The material is projected in the classroom and questions are answered by students while playing and learning at the same time. Kahoot! promotes game-based learning, which increases student engagement and creates a dynamic, social, and fun educational environment.

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11 Digital Education Tools For Teachers And Students

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Interested in tools that give autonomy to students and encourage online collaboration? Check 11 Digital Education Tools for teachers and students.

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A blog created by Trisha Roffey of Edmonton Catholic Schools, and other educators to act as a resource for teachers. This blog is about how makerspaces can bolster education and tools that librarians can implement to create them.

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About the Author: Trish is an Emerging Technology Consultant for Edmonton Catholic Schools in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In this role, Trish specializes in supporting teachers and students to...

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The Ultimate List – 65 Digital Tools and Apps to Support Formative Assessment Practices

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The Ultimate List – 65 Digital Tools and Apps to Support Formative Assessment Practices

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An extensive list, created by Cathy Dyer, of apps and digital tools that teachers can incorporate into classrooms to support creativity and student collaboration through a digital medium.

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There is no shortage of formative assessment strategies, techniques, and tools available to teachers who use formative instructional practice in their classrooms. Here is an extensive list of 75 digital tools, apps, and platforms that can help you and your students use formative assessment to elicit evidence of learning. We didn't just add any old tool to this list. Here are the criteria we used for those that made the cut:

Supports formative instructional strategies and ways to activate learners to be resources for themselves and peers

Is free or awful close to it (under $10 per year, where possible)

Allows both students and teachers to take the activator role when possible (sometimes teachers need to get things started)

Before you dig into the tools, I encourage you to spend some time thinking about exactly what you want to accomplish with your students. "How to pick the right digital tool: Start with your learning goal" by Erin Beard can help you wrap your head around goals and guide you in choosing the best tool for the task. "27 easy formative assessment strategies for gathering evidence of student learning" can help you decide what strategies work best for you and your students.

Record audio and video

Create quizzes, polls, and surveys

1. Crowdsignal Lets you create online polls, quizzes, and questions. Students can use smartphones, tablets, and computers to provide their answers, and information can be culled for reports.

2. Edulastic Allows you to make standards-aligned assessments and get instant feedback.

3. FreeOnlineSurveys Helps you create surveys, quizzes, forms, and polls.

4. Gimkit Lets you write real-time quizzes. And it was designed by a high school student!

5. Kahoot! A game-based classroom response system that lets you create quizzes using internet content.

6. MicroPoll Helps you create polls, embed them into websites, and analyze responses.

7. Naiku Lets you write quizzes students can answer using their mobile devices.

8. Obsurvey Designed to make surveys, polls, and questionnaires.

9. Poll Everywhere Lets you create a feedback poll or ask questions and see results in real time. Allows students to respond in various ways. With open-ended questions, you can capture data and spin up tag clouds to aggregate responses.

10. Poll Maker Offers unique features, like allowing multiple answers to one question.

11. ProProfs Helps you make quizzes, polls, and surveys.

12. Quia Lets you create games, quizzes, surveys, and more. Access a database of existing quizzes from other educators.

13. Quizalize Helps you create quizzes and homework.

14. Quizizz Guides you through designing quizzes and lets you include students in the quiz-writing process.

15. Quizlet Lets you make flashcards, tests, quizzes, and study games that are mobile friendly.

16. Survey Hero Designed to build questionnaires and surveys.

17. SurveyMonkey Helpful for online polls and surveys.

18. SurveyPlanet Also helpful for online polls and surveys.

19. Triventy Lets you create quizzes students take in real time using individual devices.

20. Yacapaca Helps you write and assign quizzes.

21. Zoho Survey Allows you to make mobile-friendly surveys and see results in real time.

Brainstorm, mind map, and collaborate

Present, engage, and inspire

Generate word or tag clouds

1. EdWordle Generates word clouds from any entered text to help aggregate responses and facilitate discussion. Word clouds are pictures composed of a cloud of smaller words that form a clue to the topic.

2. Tagxedo Allows you to examine student consensus and facilitate dialogues.

3. Wordables Helps you elicit evidence of learning or determine background knowledge about a topic.

4. WordArt Includes a feature that allows the user to make each word an active link to connect to websites, including YouTube.

Get real-time feedback

Foster family communication

1. Remind Lets you text students and stay in touch with families.

2. Seesaw Helps you improve family communication and makes formative assessment easy, while students can use the platform to document their learning.

3. Voxer Lets you send recordings so families can hear how their students are doing, students can chat about their work, and you can provide feedback.

Strengthen teacher-to-student or student-to-student communication

Keep the conversation going with live chats

1. Yo Teach A backchannel site great for keeping the conversation going with students.

2. Chatzy Supports live, online chats in a private setting.

Create and store documents or assignments

1. Google Forms A Google Drive app that allows you to create documents students can collaborate on in real time using smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

2. Piazza Lets you upload lectures, assignments, and homework; pose and respond to student questions; and poll students about class content. This tool is better suited for older students as it mimics post-secondary class instructional formats.

Learn more

There are several resources for learning more about formative assessment and responsive instruction strategies. Consider our formative practices workshops, where school and district teams can gain a better understanding of the role formative practice plays in instruction and the four foundational practices to use in the classroom. Or for a quick start, download our eBook "Making it work: How formative assessment can supercharge your practice."

Jump in, try new tools and methods, and have fun!

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75 digital tools and apps teachers can use to support formative assessment in the classroom

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We've compiled an extensive list of 75 digital tools that can help teachers use formative assessment to elicit evidence of student learning.

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An article written by Mikael Jacobsen & Carolyn Anthony. It provides an example of how a public library created a digital media lab for its patrons.

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The Skokie Public Library's state-of-the-art media lab lets patrons get creative with technology
By Mikael Jacobsen & Carolyn Anthony
A patron with no experience producing movies came to the Adult Services Computer Lab at Skokie Public Library (SPL), IL, requesting to use the Digital Media Lab (DML). She wanted to scan images of her recently deceased uncle as part of a video memorial. She also wanted to use music he wrote and recorded as the video's audio track.

A staff member began by teaching her how to use one of the lab's flatbed scanners-and the basics of Photoshop Elements 9-to digitize and enhance her images. Since she had nearly 100 images, a portable hard drive was checked out to her. At the next session, the patron was shown how to add the scanned images to an iMovie time line along with background music. Once all the images and music were added, she was shown how to put the credits at the beginning and end of the video and add statements to the images (such as dates, names of people in the pictures, and locations)-a considerable project-with staffers making suggestions throughout to help her realize her vision. Finally, the patron burned the movie to a DVD to show it to her family.

It's all in a day's work for the Digital Media Lab.

SPL staffers have given many tours of the DML and answered many emails and phone calls from libraries interested in starting their own. The Learning Labs in Libraries and Museums project from the Institute of Museum and Library Services has further highlighted the need and provided the opportunity for digital media labs in large public libraries like Chicago Public Library's YouMedia, smaller ones like Barrington Area Library's Media Lab (see "Making Space for Creativity," p. 38), and Skokie's DML.

A digital media lab is a space designed for patrons to have access to software and hardware to create digital media-such as videos, music, podcasts, images, ebooks, websites, animation, and more. Most people have asked similar questions: Who is using the DML? What programs and equipment are popular? How does it work? What are the statistics like? What is the library doing for staff training? How is the library promoting it? Here are the answers to these questions-which will hopefully allow you to make a stronger decision on whether to create a digital media lab for your library.

A digital start-up
For more than 20 years, SPL had been part of the Library Production Studio, in which four partner libraries paid for two employees to film selected library programming for viewing on cable television channels. The staff for the Library Production Studio had undergraduate degrees in film studies and used high-end cameras and an Avid digital editing system. The end of that partnership in 2009 spurred the establishment of an in-house studio. By 2009, equipment had become sufficiently inexpensive, and it was possible for laypersons without much training to both film and edit, achieving quality results. Streaming video was clearly taking on the role that public access cable TV had previously filled. The socially interactive nature of the Internet as well as the new emphasis on 21st-century skills development convinced us to invite the public into the production studio.

The DML was unveiled in September 2009. SPL director Carolyn Anthony and community outreach librarian Frances Roehm met with then State Representative Elizabeth Coulson about the idea for a digital media lab in the library to produce digital media content for, and by, the public (and also about the statewide Illinois Clicks online information project). Coulson secured a Member Initiative Grant, $35,000 of which the library used to start the DML. Moving forward, the library has kept the $10,000 in its operating budget for the DML for its share of the Library Production Studio costs.

Community connection
Community media projects are nothing new. When Comcast sought a franchise in Skokie, it built a studio for public access, which people could then book for filming and editing. Various volunteers helped with camerawork, editing, and other tasks. This kind of grassroots programming would never be featured by large media corporations and helps give those involved in the production a strong foothold in the community. The public sees their neighbors and friends in local productions and become better informed about community activities.

More recently, the exploding popularity of YouTube shows that people are interested in small, personal productions. Giving people the means to express themselves, such as the DML, is empowering. They can promote their entrepreneurial activities, for example, or proudly display their art, or simply reach out in a visible and audible way to find others interested in their cause and receive feedback-a major improvement over public access television. As costs decrease and ease of use increases, it seems natural that the library would make this equipment and software available. It is still prohibitive for many, if not most, people to purchase high-end Macs, microphones, musical keyboards, green screens, professional-grade software, and other tools.

As community members gain experience using professional-level technologies available in the DML, they are becoming more employable. Skills such as editing video, audio, and images are all in demand in careers in education, sales, and technology-as well as video and audio production and graphic design.

Many new partnerships and interest groups have been formed at the DML. For example, a guitarist helped out a rapper in recording a track, and the rapper in turn helped out a video director by providing original background music. It is amazing watching these relationships take root.

The DML was used more than 1200 times in the last fiscal year, the first year the library has taken statistics-that is, computers were "booked" that many times. DML projects are often group-based, so the number of users is significantly larger than the number of bookings.

Obtaining the tools
The DML is 100 percent Mac-based, with three iMacs and one Mac Pro. Macs were chosen because of the outstanding programs available in the Mac operating system environment. (For a full list of the software currently at the DML, visit ow.ly/6ODkP. A list of hardware is at ow.ly/6ODoR.) The most popular programs by far are part of the inexpensive and surprisingly robust iLife '11 Suite: GarageBand, iMovie, iDVD, iPhoto, and iWeb.

GarageBand, with separately purchased Jam Packs (loops of music that make it simple to create complex and occasionally amazing pieces of music), is very popular with patron musicians. The many rap artists also love to use the Yeti Pro Microphone by Blue to record audio. Rockers work with one of the two M-Audio Fast Tracks interface devices to record electric guitars on top of GarageBand drumbeats. For musicians looking for more power, there is Pro Tools 9, a professional-level audio recording program-a useful tool, especially as many of them are considering music as a career path.

Video production is probably the most popular use of the DML. IMovie is the most sought after program in the DML-an extremely easy-to-learn application that allows patrons to create quality videos quickly. Patrons use it, along with a chroma key wall (a single-color wall, usually bright green, which allows for the addition of background effects), to create mock weather reports or memorial slideshows and more. For more advanced patrons, we have two copies of the professional-level Final Cut Pro Suite 3 (and the library plans to upgrade one to the latest Final Cut X soon) and two copies of Adobe Premium Pro CS5

Photoshop CS5 is also popular, as is the easier-to-learn Photoshop Elements 9, which is on each computer. Beginners use Photoshop Elements 9, and a not insignificant number of graphic design students and professional graphic designers use the "real" thing. A large amount has been spent to purchase such professional-level graphic design software, including the Adobe CS5 Master Suite, Adobe CS5 Design Premium Suite, and the Adobe CS5 Production Premium Suite. With these come many other programs, such as Illustrator and InDesign.

Hands-on classes on GarageBand (for music and podcasting), iMovie (for video production and converting VHS to digital), and Photoshop Elements 9 (for the basics, touching up old photos, and digitizing old slides) are available in support of demand.

Peripherals such as Flip Video cameras, LaCie portable hard drives, Canon PowerShot cameras, and H2 Handy MP3 recorders, available only to confirmed cardholders, may circulate for three days (or seven days for the hard drives). These are important for a robust DML-especially the portable hard drives. Patrons' content requires lots of storage and cannot be saved to flash drives or other devices. Since these projects take a lot of time, circulating hard drives are important to provide. They circulated nearly 600 times in the last fiscal year.

Who is using the DML?
Many people assume that the DML is primarily a space for young adults. However, Skokie's DML is designed for all cardholders high school age and up-and, happily, all age groups actually use the space, although the demographics do skew a little young.

Teens come after school to work on personal and school projects. College students come when they have some free time. Generation X-ers, especially stay-at-home moms, show up during the day while their children are in school. Small-business and nonprofit owners and workers also take advantage of daytime hours, while seniors generally sign up for classes before experimenting on their own.

The library has had so much interest from junior high and elementary school students that another DML is being designed specifically for them, to open at the end of the fall 2011. In the meantime, the library instituted a "Kids' Swim" this summer in which fourth- to eighth-graders used the space, supervised, for an hour each day.

Staffing the space
Although it is centrally located on the main floor and has a glass door to stimulate visual interest, the DML itself is generally unstaffed and remains locked. A patron checks with a technology assistant in the computer lab in order to use a specific computer. A staffer "books" the computer after a short Q&A session to ascertain which computer they will need. The patron then exchanges a picture ID for a key card that unlocks DML. The patron is guaranteed two hours of use; if no one wants to use the same computer, that person can stay longer.

Staff training is a priority, and the library has folded in a digital media component into its yearly objectives. When SPL planned to create a video tour of the library, staff instead of outside contractors were asked to produce the programs. This required participants to set up a camera, shoot, edit, and upload a video to a hosting site such as YouTube, with assistance when required. Soon the library will be undertaking a program called Video Boot Camp, about planning and producing videos with iMovie. Online screencast instructional resources Lynda.com and Atomic Learning have also been invaluable for training on higher-end technologies such as Illustrator CS5 and simpler programs such as GarageBand.

The library's hiring requirements for Computer Lab technology assistants have changed to include knowledge of the Mac OS and often higher-end programs like Photoshop CS5. This is also becoming more important when hiring librarians.

Promoting the DML
The library also developed a blog ( blogs.skokielibrary.info/medialab) that promotes the software and hardware in the DML as well as patron created content and points to it often via the library's social media presence.

This month, the library will be starting a Digital Media Lab advisory committee to help promote the idea of a library as a creative space for various populations. As an advisory group, it will also have a voice in how the DML is run and help guide it.

The library is also planning an open house, open-microphone session for patrons who create content in the DML. Musicians will play, video directors will see their work on a big screen, and artists will have work displayed. One of the main goals of the DML has always been to give exposure to our content creators, be they teens creating videos for a community portal ( skokienet.org) or projects about local history (skokiestories.org) or other types of productions ( ow.ly/6OHPB). Word of mouth has been the biggest driver-and the DML is a space that fosters that with audiences the library does not traditionally draw.

Libraries that are providing digital media production tools to patrons are still learning best practices. Skokie Public Library has discovered what has worked as much through trial and error as with intention. We hope its experience will help your library make its digital media lab decision.

Mikael Jacobsen is Supervisor of Adult Computer Labs and a librarian, and Carolyn Anthony is Director, Skokie Public Library, IL

A Few Digital Media Lab Projects by Patrons and Staff

This video was made by the library's youth services librarians for a program called "The 39 Clues: The Live Event." It was filmed in the DML using the chroma key (green screen) wall and a Flip Mino HD camcorder. It has been viewed more than 7600 times.

Operating under a strict deadline, two students were asked to produce a music video for their Spanish class. They were able to check out a Flip Video camera from the library, shoot the video, and edit the footage all within a matter of hours.

A volunteer and user of the DML produced a poster for a church event using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and a Bamboo Fun Tablet along with a video showing how she did it (ow.ly/6PFyk) using ScreenFlow screencasting software.

A local high school freshman was given an assignment to design a video of the history of her family. Although she had never produced a video before, she found the library's software easy to use and scanned family photos using a scanner and made a video. She incorporated background music and recorded a voice-over to tell her story.

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By Mikael Jacobsen & Carolyn Anthony A patron with no experience producing movies came to the Adult Services Computer Lab at Skokie Public Library (SPL), IL, requesting to use the Digital Media Lab (DML). She wanted to scan images of her recently deceased uncle as part of a video memorial.

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Makerspaces – environments that facilitate innovation in Secondary schools

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Makerspaces – environments that facilitate innovation in Secondary schools

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This digital essay, published on a CSU Thinkspace examines the definition of a makerspace, the concept of creative thinking, and provides examples of how to implement them in a digital learning environment. The article is accompanied by two youtube videos. One is a presentation of makerspaces in libraries, while the other is a news clip of a New Jersey High School's makerspace.

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A Makerspace can be defined as a " location where people gather to share resources and knowledge, work on projects, network, and build" (Educase, 2013, p. 1). People come together to create, collaborate, make things and innovate. Makerspaces facilitate cooperative learning, project-based learning, experimental hands-on activities, independent inquiry and students as producers of knowledge. They are generally in a community environment like a library, community centre, business or educational campus. Makerspaces and makers collaborate together in digital and physical spaces.

The Makerspace concept has emerged from the 'maker culture' where there is a strong emphasis on technology. This 'maker culture' is associated with the Make magazin e and blog as well as the Maker Faires, Hackerspaces and DIY (do-it-yourself) websites. Makerspaces are also related to the hacker culture that is based around technological experimentation, development of computer hardware and exemplar idea making. The maker movement has even been suggested as our best hope for reigniting progressive education, which is an exciting prospect! (Libow Martinez & Stager, 2013)

Makerspaces were firstly associated with academic institutions; mainly universities but now they are being incorporated into schools and public and school libraries. Libraries are a natural fit for a space that encourages learning, creativity, access to technology and collaboration. Libraries are "democracy engines" ( Altman, 2013) that give access to knowledge-making, space and time for creativity and opportunities for all to learn together.

The do-it-yourself (or even better do-it -with-others) mindset is the tell-tale sign of the maker movement. Makerspaces bring together people who share a wide range of interests including textile craft, robotics, woodcrafts, electronics, digital fabrication, mechanical repair, writing, gaming or any sort of creation. It is a diversified culture of making, but is unified by a shared engagement to collaboration, open exploration, curiosity and creative ideas. There is a spirit in Makerspaces to transform the patron to a producer rather than consumer (Peepler & Bender, 2013). The makers or Makerspace users include inventors, artists, innovators, crafters, designers and youth or school groups (Belbin &Newcome, 2013). The complex knowledge networks that are developed through Makerspaces are because of the diversity of people that identify as makers.

Seymour Papert is considered the father of the maker movement. His journey is one of learning through tinkering and his life work has centered on creating tools, theories and coercion-free learning environments. Papert's message is that learning happens by actively constructing knowledge through the act of making something that is shareable (Libow Martinez & Stager, 2013).

A number of publications including Professor Neil Gershenfeld's Fab: The Coming Revolution on Your Desktop- from Personal Computers to Personal Fabrication and the Make and magazines have alerted the general population to the tinkering revolution. Physical computing with microcontrollers like Raspberry Pis, 3D printers and cutters and programming have had significant implications for classroom practice and school reforms. Open content, websites, social media and networks have helped spread the concept of Makerspaces around the world.

The idea of a Makerspace is steeped in the current learning theories of creative and critical thinking, Connectivism, Blooms Taxonomy of Educational Objectives and Design models. The concept of Libraries as Learning Commons shared by the whole school (Loertscher, 2013) helps explain how libraries can be an optimum environment for Makerspaces.

The concept of a Makerspace is supported by Ken Robinson's (2011) theory that knowledge creating organisations that are part of a culture of innovation are of great importance in allowing individuals to be creative. Creative and collaborative cultures are powerful. Robinson's (2011) principles of developing creative organisations focused on how to achieve every participant's creative potential and expand and strengthen the team or organisation's architecture of collaboration, diversity and fairness. A Makerspace can be the foundation of an organisation's architecture of collaboration.

Creative thinking is seen as one of the highest order thinking skills in the continuum of increasing cognitive complexity as represented in Rex Heer's and Iowa State University's Model of Learning Objectives ( a revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives). The ability to design, assemble, generate and reflect are all essential thinking skills in a Makerspace community. Makers integrate metacognitive, procedural, conceptual and factual knowledge when engaging in design projects too (Heer,2012).

This creative thinking and knowledge making take place in a collaborative environment which often exists in a physical and digital environment at the same time. The principles of eory of Connectivism (a theory of learning for the digital age); outline that: learning and knowledge rest in a diversity of opinions; that learning is a process of connecting nodes of information sources; that nurturing and maintaining connections are needed to facilitate continual learning; and that decision making itself is a learning process. These principles are evident in the dialogues that occur between makers.

Libow Martinez & Stager (2013) in their discussion of Makerspaces describe a very simple design model called TMI -Think, Make Improve. They place a strong emphasis on the doing without ignoring the talking that makers do. Connections can be made with Papert's view as tinkering as a source of ideas and models for improving the skill of making - and fixing and improving and making mental constructions.

Design Thinking guru Kim Saxe's D. School design thinking model is more complex and better suited to a Secondary school Makerspace. At Nueva School, Saxe has taken the D. School design thinking model and has re-created it as a learning design model which sees students undertake inquiry in a way that insures they have an empathetic real world context (Amos, 2014).

Makerspaces are "a very powerful fit with the library mission. After all, libraries aren't just about print literacy; libraries and library staff are about 'understanding the world we live in' literacy"( Foote, 2013 p.26)

The inclusion of Makerspaces in a school library represents the 'changing shape' of libraries. It also reinforces the notion of the school library being seen as the learning commons of the school and helps future proof the library and teacher-librarians.

The Principal of New Milford High School, Eric Sheninger (2014) recently shared his view about the Makerspace his staff have established in their Library -

"The Makerspace in the library is an oasis for student self-directed learning. It serves as a rejuvenation center for inspiring of love for both formal and informal learning. In my opinion, a space like this should be a priority for all schools in the twenty-first century; and you do not have to break the bank to create one."

.Makerspaces can be temporary programs or events, or they can be a permanent part of the library, a physical area that is specifically created for the school community. A Makerspace may even be a 'pop-up' program or event that the library staff hosts or promotes elsewhere in the school environment (Foote, 2013).

In providing a specific space that is designated to creating and connecting with other people, the community are at the starting point of learning that can result in creativity and innovation. Permission is given for people to explore their own curiosities about explore how projects can be developed. It is also important for people to feel safe to try something new so that this can lead to spectacular things happening

In order for a Makerspace to be successful partnerships need to be forged, plus awareness and advocacy are essential. The leader needs to explain the reason for the change as well as the benefits. Activities facilitated need to be relevant to the school community and the project needs to be clearly promoted.

The Makerspace Playbook: School edition (Maker Media, 2013) is a great guide to the background and practicalities of setting up a Makerspace in a school. Included are twelve important steps to setting up a Makerspace

1. Get listed as a Makerspace

2. Get connected

3. Spread the idea

4. Identify student making communities

5. Set up a website or blog

6. Set ground rules

7. Come up with own identity

8. Find funding

9. Set a deadline and meeting dates

10. Use a Makerspace starter kit

11. Document your work and achievements

To put it simply young people "should engage in tinkering and making because they are powerful ways to learn" (Libow Martinez & Stager, 2013, Introduction).

As Educators we aim to inspire students to be engage with their learning. We also want students to become inventors and innovators leading to a creative and productive economy. Educators are also about building complex and collaborative knowledge networks.

There are three impact areas of Makerspaces

* Inspiration: inviting students to participate in the creative economy and to direct their own future

* Innovation: serving as a catalyst for grassroots invention

* Education: building a connection between the community and learners. (Maker Media, 2013)

There are many strong potential learning benefits to bring Makerspaces into a school Library;

- the paramount benefit is to bring STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and Math) into the library curriculum and program.

-opportunities for creative and critical thinking eventuating in innovation

-the support of inquiry and questioning, problem solving and collaborative learning

- opportunities to flip the role of novices and experts -younger students may have more expertise than adults or older students (Foote, 2013.)

-enhanced community engagement with the Library

-the transformation of the library's image from a place where works are consumed to a place where works are created

-new connections made with community members where traditional Library programming has failed

-allow for opportunities for community members to connect with others over shared interests.

-facilitation of knowledge creation and the provision of equal opportunity to access materials, information and materials

-access to new and emerging technology

-future-proofing of libraries (Slatter & Howard, 2013).

The learning outcomes of critical and creative thinking in Makerspaces align perfectly with Australian Curriculum's guidelines in embedding these general capabilities in the curriculum. The Australian Curriculum describes that when students are able to develop capabilities in creative and critical thinking, they learn to develop and evaluate knowledge, analyse concepts and ideas, seek alternative possibilities, consider alternatives and find solutions to problems (acara, v.6.0, 2012).

A different learning space like a Makerspace in a school library can reinforce the learning that is happening in the classroom or it can open up powerful experiences where students can take control of 'hack' their own learning experiences. As Libow Martinez (2013) suggests, 'Making lets you take control of your life, be more active and be more responsible for your learning.' Makers have the potential to become confident, competent and curious citizens.

When the powerful benefits and learning outcomes of Makerspaces combine with the positive influences of a Library environment, what results is creation and most importantly innovation. The current and future contexts of education are demanding new strategic directions for Libraries including; new skills, new knowledge, new global connections and new learning communities (O'Connell, 2014, p.17). School Libraries and teacher-librarians that implement the new strategy of developing a Makerspace in their Library to match the needs of their learning communities will help develop educational contexts that include knowledge networks and learning spaces encouraging young people to be innovative, creative, social and critical life-long learners.

Recommended Websites for Makers and makers of Makerspaces
http://makezine.com/2013/09/17/school-library-to-makerspace/ http://theunquietlibrarian.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/tla-2013-illuminating-learning-communities-through-school-libraries-and-makerspaces-creating-constructing-collaborating-contributing.pdf http://librarymakers.blogspot.com.au/ http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/makerspaces-participatory-learning-and-libraries/ http://library-maker-culture.weebly.com/makerspaces-in-libraries.html http://www.3dprinter.net/reference/what-is-3d-printing
acara (2012). Critical and creative thinking . Retrieved 2014, from Australian Curriculum; general capabilities: http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Pdf/Critical-and-creative-thinking

Altman, M. (2012, November). The Hackerspace Movement: Mitch Altman at TEDxBrussels. Retrieved May 2014, from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkiX7R1-kaY

Amos, C. (2014, May). Hack Your Classroom: Week 3 - Introduction to Design Thinking. Retrieved June 2014, from Teaching and E-Learning: A blog about teching, learning, e-learning and leading change: http://www.teachingandelearning.com/2014_05_01_archive.html

Belbin, N., & Newcombe, P. (2013). Fab Labs at the Library. Education Digest 78, 65- 68.

Davies, A., Fidler, D., & Gorbis, M. (2011). Future Work Skills 2020. Phoenix: University of Phoenix Research Institute.

Educause. (2013). 7 Things You Should Know about Makerspaces. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7095.pdf

Foote, C. (2013, Sepetember). Idea Watch: Making Spaces for Makerspaces. Retrieved May 2014, from Internet@Schools:An Educators Guide to Technolgy and the Web: http://www.internetatschools.com/Articles/Column/Idea-Watch/IDEA-WATCH-Making-Space-for-Makerspaces-91993.aspx

Heer, R., & Teaching, I. S. (2012, January). A Model of Learning Objectives based on A Taxonomy of Learning, Teaching, and Assessing:A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Retrieved May 2014, from Iowa State University Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching: http://www.celt.iastate.edu/pdfs-docs/teaching/RevisedBloomsHandout.pdf

Libow Martinez, S., & Stager, G. (2013). Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom. Torrance: Constructing Modern Knowledge Press.

Loertscher, D. V. (2013). Makerspaces in the school library learning commons and the uTEC maker model. Teacher Librarian, 48.

Media, M. (2013). The Makerspace Playbook: School Edition. Retrieved May 2014, from Makerspace.com: http://makerspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/MakerspacePlaybook-Feb2013.pdf

O'Connell, J. (2014, June). Preparing for the Impact of Web 3.0. Retrieved June 2014, from SlideShare: http://www.slideshare.net/heyjudeonline/preparing-for-the-impact-of-web-30

Peppler, K., & Bender, S. (Nov.2013). Maker movement spreads innovation one project at at time: lessons learned form the grassroots spreading of the "maker movement" can help us reimaginr schools and foster a mindset of creativity and innovation in educational settings. Phi Delta Kappan 95.3, 2.

Robinson, S. K. (2011). Out of Our Minds Learning to be Creative. United Kingdom: Capstone Publishing Ltd.

Sheninger, E. (2014, May). What's in a Makerspace? How we built our Makerspace. Retrieved June 2014, from Corwin Connect: http://corwin-connect.com/2014/05/whats-makerspace/

Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism:A learning theory for a digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 3-10.

Slatter, D., & Howard, Z. (2013). A place to make, hack and learn:makerspaces in Australiian public libraries. The Australian Library Journal, 272-284.

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A Makerspace can be defined as a " location where people gather to share resources and knowledge, work on projects, network, and build" (Educase, 2013, p. 1). People come together to create, collaborate, make things and innovate. Makerspaces facilitate cooperative learning, project-based learning, experimental hands-on activities, independent inquiry and students as producers of knowledge.

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This is a podcast hosted by John Spencer. His podcast is a resource for teachers to learn how they can nurture their student's creativity.

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Subscribe to the Creative Classroom Podcast The Creative Classroom podcast is consistently ranked in the top 10 K-12 podcasts on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe below to get equipped and inspired to boost creativity and spark innovation in

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An article written by Emily Mckelroy, published through the New Media Consortium focuses on what "learners as creators" means and provides links to different institutes that have incorporated facilities that engage patrons to create.

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With our Learners as Creators event taking place on March 22, we wanted to share our perspective on the subject, along with some core definitions and examples to set the stage. If this topic interests you, please be sure to register!
Understanding "Learners as Creators"
The notion of learners as creators has been a hot topic across all sector-focused editions of the NMC Horizon Report. Participatory experiences where an individual engages in the learning experience by tinkering, experimenting, and synthesizing information is growing rapidly and giving rise to innovative approaches to learning. Creativity, design, and engineering are making their way to the forefront of educational considerations, as tools such as robotics, 3D printers, and web-based 3D modeling applications become accessible to more people. Makerspaces are DIY environments where people use their ingenuity to create, invent, and participate in innovative learning experiences. Makerspaces are increasingly being looked to as a method for engaging learners in creative, higher-order problem solving through hands-on design, construction, and iteration.

The Museum Perspective
As highlighted in the NMC Horizon Report > 2015 Museum Edition, more and more, museums are integrating technology innovations that enable their institutions to provide patrons with more immersive opportunities that integrate visitor knowledge into exhibits and objects. As a result, visitors are being asked to actively contribute to installations to create meaning. The participatory experience includes exhibits that are designed for visitors to interact or engage in an activity. The introduction of digital tools such as 3D scanning and rapid prototyping have stimulated interest and many museum leaders are adding makerspaces to create designated areas where visitors can act on their ideas and engage more deeply with artistic concepts and media. Makerspaces provide visitors with opportunities to learn through hands-on activities that allow for an authentic learning experience that can be shared beyond the walls of the museum.

The Library Perspective
The NMC Horizon Report > 2015 Library Edition highlighted the expansion of libraries to make room for active learning classrooms, media production studios, makerspaces, and other areas conducive to hands-on work. These changes reflect a trend that is being driven by a deeper pedagogical shift to foster learning experiences that lead to the development of real-world skills and concrete applications for students. Changing expectations about visitor needs are also leading new visions of future of libraries. University libraries are integrating makerspaces that invite creative tinkering and experimental learning. The addition of makerspaces is solidifying the library's position as a hub where students and faculty can access, create, or engage in hands-on projects across departmental lines. Library makerspaces contribute to the community's capacity to capitalize on individuals' potential by offering access to cutting-edge tools, often through relationships with local partners that would otherwise not be possible.

The Higher Ed Perspective
The NMC Horizon Report > 2016 Higher Education Edition references that Project-based learning (PBL) is widely perceived as a method for facilitating active and self-directed learning. PBL is an example of an instructional method that supports the idea of Learners as Creators. In the PBL model, learners strategize tasks, processes, and products needed to demonstrate newfound knowledge, engaging in deep reflection along the way. Technology plays a major role in facilitating this approach, helping students collaborate, design, and create. For example, Wentworth Institute of Technology was among the first to pilot Stratasys, a free 3D printing curriculum. The subsequent course provided several in-depth lectures with class discussions and 3D printing projects for engineering and industrial design students. As a result, a laboratory that was once underused became a busy hub of innovation. Participating students noted excitement in having more freedom to be creative without rigid guidelines.

The K-12 Perspective
The NMC Horizon Report > 2015 K-12 Edition references the importance of Makerspaces to teaching and learning. Public and school libraries are spearheading the makerspace movement in K-12 education. These spaces are increasingly being looked to as a method for engaging students in authentic learning projects that encourage creative and higher order problem solving skills. Makerspaces are places that empower students by allowing them to exercise their ingenuity to construct tangible products and promote confidence in their abilities. For this reason, many schools are increasing the availability of these environments.

Blue High School in Maine
At Mt. Blue High School in Maine, students used a 3D printer to create an art installation that helped demonstrate their comprehension of concepts from the graphic novel, Watchmen.

Impact
The turn of the 21st century has signaled a shift in the types of skillsets that have real, applicable value in a rapidly advancing world. Makerspaces are places where anyone, regardless of age or experience, can exercise their ingenuity to construct tangible products. These environments that allows individuals to learn through creation is inspiring a new generation of individuals and are important to the future of education. Makerspace education has the potential to empower people to become agents of change in their communities by providing activities that inspire confidence and help learners acquire skills that are immediately applicable to the real world. They present the opportunity for individuals to partake in hands-on building while practicing critical thinking, and call for a holistic approach to learning that nurtures the skills and talents of diverse individuals.

The increase in these creative environments also raises important questions about professional development, evaluation, sustainability, and institutional philosophies of making. Participatory strategies involve innovative approaches and many projects are breaking ground in experimental territory, therefore it is especially important for leaders, administrators, and curators of these environments to evaluate and share the successes and failures of their projects.

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