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, Librarian, Connected Learner

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Makerspaces - the hot trend right now in schools, libraries and education - but what is it about makerspaces that encourages learning, and are they really worth the time and effort for students, or just a fad that will gather dust when the next big thing comes along?

1. 1. creative commons licensed (BY-NC-SA) Flickr photo 'first working prototype complete!' by mmassie: http://flickr.com/photos/mmassie/6869581159 Beyond the Buzzword - Creating a Makerspace in Your Library Kay Oddone

2. 2. Maker = Hipster?

3. 3. Essential Resources

4. 4. Kay Oddone Twitter: @KayOddone kayoddone@iinet.net.au My blog post: http://tinyurl.com/makerideas

5. 5. "An insanely brief and incomplete history of making" With thanks to Sylvia Martinez and Gary Stager. flickr photo by Profound Whatever http://flickr.com/photos/hoyvinmayvin/2802497364 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-SA) license

6. 6. Leonardo Da Vinci: "The greatest maker of all time" These works are in the public domain.

7. 7. John Dewey: "Hands on learning"

8. 8. Lovell, E. (n.d.). Getting hands on with soft circuits - a workshop facilitator's guide. MIT. Retrieved from http://alumni.media.mit.edu/~emme/guide.pdf

9. 9. Seymour Papert: "Constructionism"

10. 10. "What was considered science fiction a few years ago is now the stuff of childhood. We enhance creativity and enrich childhood when we add colours to the crayon box and offer a larger canvas on which to paint our future." Gary Stager, 2014

11. 11. Why a makerspace? or

12. 12. A space where the community can create Stand alone, or hosted within an organisation Designed around the community What is a makerspace?

13. 13. Published: 2011

14. 14. Published: 2015

15. 15. The New Work Order: Ensuring young Australians have skills and experience for the jobs of the future, not the past. (2015) Melbourne: Foundation for Young Australians. Used with permission.

16. 16. Used with Permission: Andrea Beaty, Rosie Revere, Engineer http://www.andreabeaty.com/rosie-revere-pages.html It's a mindset!

17. 17. "Just because it's hands on, doesn't mean it's minds on" - Grant Wiggins http://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2013/10/19/experiential-learning/

18. 18. Science Maths Technology The Arts Engineering Digital Technologies Design and Technologies Visual Arts Music Media Links to the curriculum? STEAM

19. 19. Making and the Early Years Cardboard construction

20. 20. Making and the Early Years Lego We-Do

21. 21. Making and the Middle Primary Years Squishy Circuits

22. 22. Making and the Middle Primary Years Scratch

23. 23. Making and the Middle Primary Years Makey Makey

24. 24. Making and the Middle Primary Years Combining Makey Makey & Scratch

25. 25. Making and the Upper Primary Years Soft Circuits Interactive papercraft

26. 26. creative commons licensed (BY-NC) flickr photo My hack - yay it works! by Rain Rabbit: http://flickr.com/photos/37996583811@N01/5603366408

27. 27. Making and the Upper Primary Years Lego Robotics

28. 28. Making and Years' 8, 9 & 10 Arduino

29. 29. Making and Years' 8, 9 & 10 3D Printing

30. 30. TheResourceLinkMakerfaire Experience

31. 31. Kay Oddone Twitter: @KayOddone kayoddone@iinet.net.au My blog post: http://tinyurl.com/makerideas

32. 32. Images used with thanks: * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experience_and_Education / CC BY-SA 3.0 * Cc licensed (BY-NC-SA) flickr photo shared by Profound Whatever: * cc licenced (BY-NC-SA) flickr photo shared by Chirag D. Shah * cc licenced (BY-NC-SA) flickr photo shared by Stuart Madeley * cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Pete Prodoehl * cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo shared by RoboCup2013 * cc licenced (BY-SA) flickr photo shared by bibendum84 * cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Pedro Moura Pinheiro * Cc licensed (BY-NC-SA) flickr photo shared by josemota * cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by dave_7 * cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by chrisf608 * cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Creative Tools * cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Snootlab * cc licenced (BY-SA) flickr photo by andresmh * Cc licensed (BY-NC-SA) flickr photo by adafruit: * Creative Commons (BY-NC) license flickr photo by theunquietlibrarian creative commons licensed (BY-NC) flickr photo by dodeckahedron: * http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/au/ shared by ACARA * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experimenter_Publishing#mediaviewer/File:Practical_Electrics_ Mar_1924_Cover.png / (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_News#mediaviewer/File:Radio_Amateur_News_Jun_192 0.jpg / (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experimenter_Publishing#mediaviewer/File:Science_And_Inven tion_Nov_1928_Cover.png / (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) * cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo by Creative Tools * cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo by BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives

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Librarian, Connected Learner Published on Makerspaces - the hot trend right now in schools, libraries and education - but what is it about makerspaces that encourages learning, and are they really worth the time and effort for students, or just a fad that will gather dust when the next big thing comes along?

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Illuminating Learning Communities Through School Libraries and Maker…

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Illuminating Learning Communities Through School Libraries and Maker…

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1. 1. Creating, Constructing, Collaborating, ContributingBuffy J. HamiltonTexas Library Association Conference 2013#txla13CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/jawshouamoua/4294260789/sizes/l/

2. 2. CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/bara-koukoug/6998746636/sizes/l/

3. 3. Defining MakerspacesSource: http://makerspace.com/

4. 4. Defining MakerspacesSource: http://makerspace.com/

5. 5. Defining MakerspacesSource: http://makerspace.com/

6. 6. DefiningMakerspaceSource: http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=4594 andhttp://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=5237

7. 7. Source:http://www.westportlibrary.org/sites/default/files/webfm/files/attachments.restored/recommended/Library%20Journal%20article.pdf/

8. 8. Foster play and explorationSupport opportunities for learningNurture peer to peer learningWork with community members as true partnersDevelop a culture of creatingSource: http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/public-services/the-makings-of-maker-spaces-part-1-space-for-creation-not-just-consumption/

9. 9. Source: http://metro.org/articles/from-stacks-to-hacks-makerspaces-and-librarybox//TransactionalTransformational

10. 10. Source: http://metro.org/articles/from-stacks-to-hacks-makerspaces-and-librarybox//creatinginventingbuilding

11. 11. Source: http://metro.org/articles/from-stacks-to-hacks-makerspaces-and-librarybox//Inquiry andquestioningNetworked/social learningandconstruction ofknowledgeProblemsolving

12. 12. Source: http://metro.org/articles/from-stacks-to-hacks-makerspaces-and-librarybox//3D printingand creatingHackathonsWriting salonsand writingcommunitiesCraftingDigitalproduction ofcontentMechanicalbuilding andtinkeringGardeningand growing

13. 13. Source: http://metro.org/articles/from-stacks-to-hacks-makerspaces-and-librarybox//MakerspaceLearning:STEAMScienceTechnologyEngineeringArtsMath

14. 14. Source: http://metro.org/articles/from-stacks-to-hacks-makerspaces-and-librarybox//Static/Fixed SpaceMobile/Pop Up LearningSpaces/CommunityEmbedded

15. 15. MAKEmagazine

16. 16. MakerFaire

17. 17. Makerspace

18. 18. MakerParty2013Source: http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/4115 andhttps://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2013/04/22/makerparty2013/

19. 19. EveryChildaMaker

20. 20. MakerspacePlaybookSource http://makerspace.com/make-a-makerspace/get-your-new-school-edition-of-the-makerspace-playbook

21. 21. Makerspace+LibrarySource: http://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian/2013/a-librarians-guide-to-makerspaces/

22. 22. Makerspace+LibrarySource: http://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/Makerspaces.pdf

23. 23. CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/jstar/288960063/sizes/o/Learn more: http://www.newlibrarianship.org/wordpress/

24. 24. relatively low barriers toOriginal photography by Buffy Hamilton

25. 25. one's creations with othersPhotograph used with permission of Andy Plemmons

26. 26. fluidity in the rolesofImage via Microsoft Clip Gallery

27. 27. with one anotherCC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/buildingunity/303497031/sizes/l/in/faves-10557450@N04/

28. 28. members believe theirCC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/ari/502329223/sizes/l/in/faves-10557450@N04/

29. 29. communities formed around...CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/23882161@N03/3745008067/sizes/o/

30. 30. communities formed around

31. 31. Source: http://dmlhub.net/sites/default/files/ConnectedLearning_report.pdfIto, Mizuko, Kris Gutiérrez, Sonia Livingstone, Bill Penuel, Jean Rhodes, Katie Salen, Juliet Schor, Julian Sefton-Green, S. Craig Watkins. 2013. Connected Learning: An Agenda forResearch and Design. Irvine, CA: Digital Media and Learning Research Hub.ConnectedLearning

32. 32. Libraries Creating aMakerspace Culture ofLearningBuffy Hamilton, July 2012

33. 33. CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/makerbot/5245082071/sizes/l/

34. 34. Source: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6666669.html

35. 35. Legos + LiteracyMemoryDevelopmentLogicalmathematicalthinkingScientificreasoningProblemsolvingTactile and kinestheticlearning increase studentunderstanding

36. 36. Learn more: http://prairiecreeklibrary.blogspot.com/2012/09/anime-and-so-much-more-club.html?spref=fb

37. 37. Learn more: http://prairiecreeklibrary.blogspot.com/2012/10/studio-you.html

38. 38. Source: http://www.saclibrary.org/?pageId=1599

39. 39. Sources: http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=3856 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHwLjoecaKE&feature=player_embedded

40. 40. Source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/19/4274750/homeless-poet-proud-of-newly.html

41. 41. Source: http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/public-services/the-makings-of-maker-spaces-part-2-espress-yourself/Ideas Process Product

42. 42. Source: http://community.tametheweb.com/socalshi/2012/10/29/makerspaces-school-libraries-emerging-trends-planning-worksheet/

43. 43. Source: http://acrl.ala.org/techconnect/?p=1403

44. 44. CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/dstl_unr/8033384867/sizes/l/in/photostream/

45. 45. CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/therontrowbridge/6672045725/sizes/l/in/set-72157628805853687/

46. 46. Source: http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=3335 and http://youmedia.tumblr.com/

47. 47. Source: http://on.fb.me/10bEIf1

48. 48. Source: http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=3335 and http://youmedia.tumblr.com/

49. 49. Source: http://bornbraveyoumedia.tumblr.com/

50. 50. Learn more: http://librarymakers.blogspot.com/search/label/CraftLab

51. 51. Learn more: http://librarymakers.blogspot.com/search/label/CraftLab

52. 52. Always In Stitches at Abington CommunityLibrarySource: http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=6444

53. 53. Dresses for young African girls. Localquilter and author Nancy Johnson-Srebro got the group interested increating simple dresses, which willbe sent to Kenya.Always In Stitches at Abington CommunityLibrary: The DetailsSource: http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=6444

54. 54. The Idea Box at Oak Park LibrarySource: http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/idea-box-draws-community-to.html

55. 55. The Idea Box at Oak Park LibrarySource: http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/idea-box-draws-community-to.html and http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=5025

56. 56. The Idea Box at Oak Park LibrarySource: http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/idea-box-draws-community-to.html and http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=5025Installations vary to reflect the diverse interests in our community.One installation may feature participatory art and culture; anothermay solicit opinions on an upcoming initiative or library service, orbe hands-on, demonstrating new technology.

57. 57. The Idea Box at Oak Park Library: RAWSource: http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/idea-box-draws-community-to.html and http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=5025"Other artists from thecommunity have come inand wanted to participate.It has been a reallyinteresting talking pointwith patrons."

58. 58. The Idea Box at Oak Park LibrarySource: http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/idea-box-draws-community-to.html and http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=5025If you could drawyour whole world,what would be init? Join us for anIdea Box of yourown creation,April 3 - 30.

59. 59. The Idea Box at Oak Park LibrarySource: http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/idea-box-draws-community-to.html and http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=5025

60. 60. The Idea Box at Oak Park LibrarySource: http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/idea-box-draws-community-to.html and http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=5025

61. 61. The Idea Box at Oak Park LibrarySource: http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/idea-box-draws-community-to.html and http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=5025

62. 62. The Idea Box at Oak Park LibrarySource: http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/idea-box-draws-community-to.html and http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=5025

63. 63. The Idea Box at Oak Park LibrarySource: http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/idea-box-draws-community-to.html and http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=5025

64. 64. The Idea Box at Oak Park LibrarySource: http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/idea-box-draws-community-to.html and http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=5025

65. 65. The Idea Box at Oak Park LibrarySource: http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/idea-box-draws-community-to.html and http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=5025

66. 66. The Idea Box at Oak Park LibrarySource: http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/idea-box-draws-community-to.html and http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=5025

67. 67. CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/moyogo/4884992/sizes/l/in/photostream/

68. 68. * Have a meaningful context and purpose forlearning connected to the library's vision,mission, and strategic plan* Identify community needs* Creating and connecting are valuable partsof creating "collections" of learningexperiences* Re-envisioning and redefining the conceptof learning* Connect with community partners andcommunity learning initiativesSources: http://www.slideshare.net/ALATechSource/makerspaces-a-new-wave-of-library-service-the-westport-ct-public-library andhttp://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/public-services/the-makings-of-maker-spaces-part-1-space-for-creation-not-just-consumption/

69. 69. * Creating staff buy-in and creating a team ofmentors who feel comfortable with their skillsets* Learning by doing, sharing, reflecting* Including tinkering and play as learningexperiences for staff as well as an element ofdata reporting* Market/publicize makerspace opportunitiesfor learning and events; create and build oncommunity excitement and expertiseSources: http://www.slideshare.net/ALATechSource/makerspaces-a-new-wave-of-library-service-the-westport-ct-public-library andhttp://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/public-services/the-makings-of-maker-spaces-part-1-space-for-creation-not-just-consumption/

70. 70. * Considerations for infrastructure/buildingneeds: power, permits, supplies, tools,fundraising/grants/crowdsourcing,community experts* Considerations for safety/liability* Create forms and channels for safetywaivers and volunteering opportunities* Managing logistics of sound, noise, mess,crowdsSources: http://www.slideshare.net/ALATechSource/makerspaces-a-new-wave-of-library-service-the-westport-ct-public-library andhttp://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/public-services/the-makings-of-maker-spaces-part-1-space-for-creation-not-just-consumption/; see http://www.westportlibrary.org/services/maker-space for sample waiver and volunteer forms

71. 71. * Formative and summative assessment* Qualitative and quantitative data* Enlist assistance of patrons and theirstories to construct the ongoing narrativeof library experience and stories ofmakerspace learning

72. 72. Additional TipsCC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/muyyum/5317136709/ ; source http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/02/want-to-start-a-makerspace-at-school-tips-to-get-started/Verfiy skill LevelsDo a preview run

73. 73. Additional TipsCC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/muyyum/5317136709/ ; source http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/02/want-to-start-a-makerspace-at-school-tips-to-get-started/Doing brings doubters on boardReach out for help

74. 74. Source http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/02/want-to-start-a-makerspace-at-school-tips-to-get-started/it's theNot

75. 75. Common IngredientsProgram, service, or learning medium basedupon a community need; flexibility is an anchor.Focus on people, community, creation,collaborationPlayful, varying entry points of access,activeMeaning making comes from transacting withinformation; experience as education

76. 76. CC image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcwathieu/2979581445/sizes/l/

77. 77. CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/zhou_mengjie/6523964087/sizes/l/

78. 78. contact information

79. 79. Recommended Resourceshttp://www.edutopia.org/blog/creating-makerspaces-in-schools-mary-beth-hertzhttp://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/02/want-to-start-a-makerspace-at-school-tips-to-get-started/http://bit.ly/Zjfhgd(free archived webinar series from ALA TechSource!)http://connectedlearning.tv/jeff-sturges-strengthening-communities-makerspaces

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Illuminating Learning Communities Through School Libraries and Makerspaces Creating, Constructing, Collaborating, Contributing

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Site menu:

Latest news:

June 17, 2015:
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the WebQuest model. Watch this space for announcements of some new resources coming later this summer!

October 22, 2008:
WebQuests and Web 2.0? This webinar conducted by the Discovery Education Network features a discussion about how blogs and wikis fit into the WebQuest model. You can view the archive here.

August 9, 2007:
QuestGarden received the MERLOT Teacher Education Classics Award at the organization's international conference in New Orleans.

Contact

Please report bad links and suggest additions and improvements to the site by writing to
Bernie Dodge, PhD.

You've arrived at the most complete and current source of information about the WebQuest Model. Whether you're an education student new to the topic or an experienced teacher educator looking for materials, you'll find something here to meet your needs.

Announcing:
The WebQuest Research Consortium

Are you a doctoral student or faculty member interested in conducting research on WebQuests? You're invited to join a new informal group to exchange ideas, collaborate and co-author. We can capture data as QuestGarden users create their own WebQuests that open up interesting lines of inquiry about the planning process teachers use. Write bdodge@mail.sdsu.edu to learn more.

What is a WebQuest?

A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web. The model was developed by Bernie Dodge at San Diego State University in February, 1995 with early input from SDSU/Pacific Bell Fellow Tom March, the Educational Technology staff at San Diego Unified School District, and waves of participants each summer at the Teach the Teachers Consortium at The Thacher School in Ojai, California.

Since those beginning days, tens of thousands of teachers have embraced WebQuests as a way to make good use of the internet while engaging their students in the kinds of thinking that the 21st century requires. The model has spread around the world, with special enthusiasm in Brazil, Spain, China, Australia and Holland.

To find out more, explore the links to the left of this page.

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Bernie Dodge, San Diego State University

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June 17, 2015: This year marks the 20th anniversary of the WebQuest model. Watch this space for announcements of some new resources coming later this summer! October 22, 2008: WebQuests and Web 2.0? This webinar conducted by the Discovery Education Network features a discussion about how blogs and wikis fit into the WebQuest model.

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What is PBL? | Project Based Learning | BIE

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What is PBL? | Project Based Learning | BIE

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Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects.

Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects.

In Project Based Learning, teachers make learning come alive for students.

Students work on a project over an extended period of time - from a week up to a semester - that engages them in solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills by creating a public product or presentation for a real audience.

As a result, students develop deep content knowledge as well as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication skills. Project Based Learning unleashes a contagious, creative energy among students and teachers.

And in case you were looking for a more formal definition...

Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge.

Watch Project Based Learning in Action

These 7-10 minute videos show the Gold Standard PBL model in action, capturing the nuts and bolts of a PBL unit from beginning to end.

This project features teacher Rayhan Ahmed at Leaders High School in Brooklyn, NY, with his 11th grade chemistry class.

This project features Kimberly Head-Trotter of McKissack Middle School, in Nashville, TN, with her 6th grade ELA/History class.

This project features teacher Cheryl Bautista of Katherine Smith Elementary School, San Jose, CA and her third graders.

How does PBL differ from "doing a project"?

PBL is becoming widely used in schools and other educational settings, with different varieties being practiced. However, there are key characteristics that differentiate "doing a project" from engaging in rigorous Project Based Learning.

We find it helpful to distinguish a "dessert project" - a short, intellectually-light project served up after the teacher covers the content of a unit in the usual way - from a "main course" project, in which the project is the unit. In Project Based Learning, the project is the vehicle for teaching the important knowledge and skills student need to learn. The project contains and frames curriculum and instruction.

In contrast to dessert projects, PBL requires critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and various forms of communication. To answer a driving question and create high-quality work, students need to do much more than remember information. They need to use higher-order thinking skills and learn to work as a team.
Learn more about "dessert" projects vs PBL
The gold standard for high-quality PBL

To help ensure your students are getting the main course and are engaging in quality Project Based Learning, PBLWorks promotes a research-informed model for "Gold Standard PBL."

The Gold Standard PBL model encompasses two useful guides for educators:

1) Seven Essential Project Design Elements provide a framework for developing high quality projects for your classroom, and

2) Seven Project Based Teaching Practices help teachers, schools, and organizations improve, calibrate, and assess their practice.

The Gold Standard PBL model aligns with the High Quality PBL Framework. This framework describes what students should be doing, learning, and experiencing in a good project. Learn more at HQPBL.org.

Yes, we provide PBL training for educators!

PBLWorks offers a variety of workshops, courses and services for teachers, school and district leaders, and instructional coaches to get started and advance their practice with Project Based Learning.
Learn more

This project features teacher Rayhan Ahmed at Leaders High School in Brooklyn, NY, with his 11th grade chemistry class.

This project features Kimberly Head-Trotter of McKissack Middle School, in Nashville, TN, with her 6th grade ELA/History class.

This project features teacher Cheryl Bautista of Katherine Smith Elementary School, San Jose, CA and her third graders.

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Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects. Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects.

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George Lucas Educational Foundation

Project-based learning is a dynamic classroom approach in which students actively explore real-world problems and challenges and acquire a deeper knowledge.

Sort by:

Project-based learning encourages student engagement and self-directed learning, and helps teachers make the best use of their time.

As they emerged from the difficulties of the past few years, these students combined humanities, STEM, and the arts in a project that celebrated their identities as individuals and as a community.

New research reveals that when science, reading, and math come together in rigorous hands-on projects, student collaboration, engagement, and achievement can soar.

A new study shows that when implemented well, AP courses built around project-based learning can raise test scores for all students, including those in traditionally underserved demographics.

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George Lucas Educational Foundation Project-based learning is a dynamic classroom approach in which students actively explore real-world problems and challenges and acquire a deeper knowledge. Sort by: Project-based learning encourages student engagement and self-directed learning, and helps teachers make the best use of their time.

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Kids have always made in my library.

We encouraged digital and visual and dramatic and rhetorical creativity before, during, and after school. But for a while, I've questioned the value of using already heavily used real estate to randomly carve out space for a 3D printer, electronics stations and sewing machines. I had my doubts about the makerspace movement in school libraries.

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to chat with Amos Blanton, project manager of the . On his Scratch online community, and a member of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT Media Lab I design and sustain creative learning environments for people with agency. profile Amos notes:

Amos makes the case for makerspaces as powerful, authentic, relevant learning experiences, and for when and why library may be the very right space to create a makerspace.

Here's the video of our chat and a few of key points to consider before adopting a maker culture for libraries

Amos' key points:

School pressures make it challenging to make space for interest-driven learning. The library works differently. The librarian doesn't say, Here's the book. Read it and I'm going to be evaluating how well you've read this book. That's not how the library works. The way it works is you go in and say, Hey I am interested in this. I want to know about this. Can you tell me how to connect with this interest that I have using all these great resources that you have? And that's really a closer analog to what I see as exciting about Makerspaces. I have this idea - can you help me flesh it out and bring it into the world?

A Makerspace is not a one-size-fits-all kind of space. There are all kinds of idiosyncratic ways to have a Makerspace, different ways to dial into the local culture. In creating a new Makerspace, people should ask: What tools are already being used in the community? What are teachers already doing? What is already there, and how can we add to and augment it?

Making is more powerful when driven by the interest of the learner. Makerspaces in schools should connect to student's authentic interests, or the experiences children have had. When that connection is made, the experience will have more meaning and power, and will be more likely to attract student attention and engage their efforts. If the agenda comes from outside, that could be problematic. I want people to bring their own agendas and be supported. That's a culture that already exists in libraries

What is very important and maybe not supported by many school curricula is people bringing into the world their own projects and ideas. When students have to spend all their time fulfilling an external agenda, they don't have a chance to learn how to create their own agenda. Teaching kids only what adults think they need to know can take up all the time kids need to explore what it is that they care about.

Freedom to choose changes the way students invest in a project. We need to connect learners to their interests, to give them the freedom to choose what to do and learn. Of course there is a minimum we need to cover in schools - everyone needs to be able to read and write. But in the process of following their own interests, they're going to develop a lot of other skills. They'll develop their writing skills in service of documenting or discovering more about something that they love, not just in service of an assignment that someone else told them that they had to do. That distinction is a key aspect of what makes a powerful learning experiences. They're connected to their interests.

School does some things well, but what I love about the library is that when I enter, I set the agenda. I am going there because there is something that I want to know based on interests or what's going on in my life or all sorts of local idiosyncratic contexts.... I am excited about Making in schools - it can be really great. But if the agenda for what needs to be Made is coming from outside the Maker, then that could be problematic. What seems to be a great fit with libraries and interest driven learning is that the person who comes to the library sets the agenda. I want them to be supported in that and that's a culture that already exists in libraries. So Making is a perfect fit into an already existing library culture.

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Kids have always made in my library. We encouraged digital and visual and dramatic and rhetorical creativity before, during, and after school. But for a while, I've questioned the value of using already heavily used real estate to randomly carve out space for a 3D printer, electronics stations and sewing machines.

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Project-Based Learning Through a Maker's Lens | Edutopia

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Project-Based Learning Through a Maker's Lens | Edutopia

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Making holds a number of opportunities and challenges for a teacher. Making, especially to educators and administrators unfamiliar with it, can seem to lack the academic rigor needed for a full-fledged place in an educational ecosystem. However, project-based learning has already created a framework for Making in the classroom. Let's see how Making could work when placed inside a PBL curriculum unit.

What Do You Want to Do?

The first step in designing a PBL unit for a Maker educator is connecting specific content standards to the project. The development and adoption of new content standards in math, ELA, and science has placed increased importance on the process and construction of a student's learning. Making loves the process and allows the teacher to move fluidly between levels and subjects. When I designed a middle school level Forces and Motion unit, NGSS MS-PS2 dovetails nicely with CCSS Mathmatical Practice. My students would have to interpret and communicate their results through mathematics. Once I chose the appropriate standard for my students, I could begin brainstorming projects.

Choosing, thinking, reflecting, and sorting possible projects should be a career-long process. Good projects don't fade with time -- they get richer and more exciting for both teacher and student. Great projects, on the other hand, are opportunities for learners and teachers to collaborate with those around them. As such, my students and I might spend weeks asking ourselves inquiry-driven questions and checking out online resources (such as those listed below) as brain fodder. Collaboratively, we narrow down our choices. I use my voice in the process as sparingly as possible, but I do guide my learners to projects which reflect our subject area, my own expertise, and my strengths as an educator to projects which can be completed in the time allotted. Lastly, we determine if we have the right resources and tools. It's a messy process, but the results can be incredible.

Essential Questions

With an appropriate project chosen, an educator can begin framing the learner's journey. Essential questions are best tool available for Maker educators to frame this journey. Essential questions are open-ended prompts which initiate, engage, and guide the student into the learning process. With practice, the students can frame the questions themselves. Collaborate with your students by having them list their queries and send them off to find answers from a myriad of sources. Keep the ones they can't answer yet. In a strong inquiry process, the students reveal their previous knowledge and their needs, allowing the teacher to craft respectful, differentiated learning goals that match. Once completed, the project becomes less of a daily race to fulfill lesson plans and more of a quest to document your students' growing capabilities. In my classroom, our Forces and Motion unit began with "How do we make a derby car travel faster?" Then it changed into "Does mass increase the car's velocity?" -- and a whole host of other questions. Making is a process, and strong essential questions allow the educator to frame the journey while allowing the learner to make inquiry-driven discoveries.

Making requires partners. Find a colleague in your school to support delivering cross-curriculum instruction. Chase down community partners, such as local Makerspaces and scientific organizations, who may lend expertise and resources. I've found Twitter indispensable for connecting with other educators with similar passions. Bring these resources into your classroom.

Finally, an educator can start thinking about individual lessons. The teacher can break down large units into smaller essential questions ("How does the arm length effect the distance of a catapult shot?"), and use these smaller questions to build to a monster prompt ("Can I make a catapult which shoots a marshmallow over 30 feet using these materials?"). With careful planning, these small labs take very little build time, often reuse materials, and allow for a gradual building and exploration of knowledge. Good preview and reflection cycles allow me space to introduce and reinforce the standards, and allow the students time to process and apply their knowledge. I often use blogging as an online showcase of my students' mastery.

Failure Is a Preferable Option

Good projects require failure. Great projects can teach a student grit, but you have to model it yourself first. Processing failure with your students turns a moment of fear into an opportunity for learning in a safe place. Strong PBL units increase student engagement while empowering students, therefore minimizing maladaptive behaviors.

Teachers new to PBL and Making often make similar mistakes:

Choosing projects too large for their comfort level and resources

Focusing on the outcome, not the process of Making

Thinking the educator must have the answer

Making is a discovery process for both educator and learner. Making allows the teacher to move from author of knowledge to master fabricator or builder. Making allows the educator to model the learner that he or she wants students to become.

Making requires support from all the stakeholders in the classroom: students, parents, colleagues, and administration. In order to build that support, an educator has to communicate by:

Giving voice to the students' desire to learn

Inviting parents to witness their students' learning and creations

Collaborating with other teachers to share and grow professionally

Building administration support by inviting them to see the growth of your classroom

Blogging in any form is the most effective tool available to the educator, a platform for all these levels of sharing.

If you're looking for more about Making, check out these resources:

And if you have experiences with approaching a PBL unit as a Maker, please share in the comments section below.

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Project-Based Learning Through a Maker's Lens

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Making holds a number of opportunities and challenges for a teacher. Making, especially to educators and administrators unfamiliar with it, can seem to lack the academic rigor needed for a full-fledged place in an educational ecosystem. However, project-based learning has already created a framework for Making in the classroom.

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The Difference Between Projects And Project-Based Learning

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The Difference Between Projects And Project-Based Learning

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by TeachThought Staff

Projects in the classroom are as old as the classroom itself.

'Projects' can represent a range of tasks that can be done at home or in the classroom, by parents or groups of students, quickly or over time. While project-based learning (PBL) also features projects, in PBL the focus is more on the process of learning and learner-peer-content interaction than the end-product itself.

While some examples of project-based learning might be helpful, it's also useful to understand the big picture: While PBL is a different approach to learning, it's not hugely different from traditional learning from a broad enough perspective. The learning process is simply personalized in a progressive PBL environment by students asking important questions, and making changes to products and ideas based on individual and collective response to those questions. In PBL, the projects only serve as an infrastructure to allow users to play, experiment, use simulations, address authentic issues, and work with relevant peers and community members in pursuit of knowledge.

By design, PBL is learner-centered. Students don't simply choose between two highly academic projects to complete by a given date, but instead, use the teacher's experience to design and iterate products and projects-which often address issues or challenges that are important to them.

The chart by Amy Mayer at the bottom of this post is helpful to clarify many of the important differences between projects and PBL. Ultimately, the biggest difference is the process itself.
Projects
The audiences are generally in the school

Are more about the end-product and less about the learning and process

They are pre-planned and clear

They are based on directions and criteria

They can be done at home without teacher guidance or collaboration

They can be outlined in detail on one piece (or even two pieces) of paper by the teacher

In a project, the 'teacher work' mainly occurs after the work is complete

Are less open-ended and more uniform

Projects are 'turned in' rather than 'published,' presented, or otherwise managed on an ongoing basis (like a business, for example)
PBL
In PBL, the audience is generally outside the school

PBL includes 'need to knows' and progress checkpoints

Input from peers, teachers, community members, experts, and others can help guide and improve the project

The 'teacher work' is done mainly before and during the process itself

PBL Is often based on a driving question and ongoing inquiry, discovery, and iteration

PBL depends on background knowledge, learner choice, technology tools, support from others, and dozens of other factors that result in a process of learning that produces very different results

Image attribution flickr user josekevo; © Amy Mayer, @friEdTechnology, The Original WOW! Academy, www.friEdTechnology.com

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What's the difference between projects and PBL? In PBL, the focus is not on projects but the process of learning through them.

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See Sally Research: An Environmental Scan - Home - Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog

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See Sally Research: An Environmental Scan - Home - Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog

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Monday, August 2, 2010 at 07:26PM

No, it's not deja vu - you may have read this post over on Joyce Valenza's NeverEnding Search blog already. She and I were asked to write a book chapter for administrators (note to self: no cracks about reading level) on today's information literacy practices. Here is the result. The good stuff is all Joyce's work. (She is THE smartest person in libraryland - bar none.)

See Sally Research: An Environmental Scan

Digital and ubiquitous sources of information, expanded definitions of literacy and audience, and greater emphasis on creative problem-solving have dramatically changed how - and why - students "do" research.

The following scenarios scan the evolution of the information and communication landscapes, sharing the new possibilities for student research.

1989 (pre-Web)
Sally Madonna is a high school junior very interested in environmental issues. The learning emphasis at her high school is on "research skills." (The first edition of AASL's Information Power was published in 1988, defining the role of the school library in the school and school librarians are using it as an information literacy bible.)

Development of question:
When the opportunity arises to research a controversial issue, Sally eagerly proposes an investigation of the environmental impact of the recent Exxon Valdez oil spill.

The assignment calls for simple reporting at Bloom's knowledge/comprehension level since the major learning outcome is knowing how to write a "term paper." Sally may not have had much choice in her topic, considering the general lack of available resources available in the average school or public library. Sally is asked to develop a "thesis" statement and to provide evidence that supports it.

Finding resources:
With her social studies teacher, Sally visits the high school library. In the library, the class uses the wooden library catalog with its drawers and paper cards to locate books. She consults the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature and the vertical file for magazines in the stacks and newspaper clippings. Additionally, the librarian suggests the microfiche and CD-Rom collections for finding magazine articles. While personal computers are coming into the schools through libraries and labs, electronic information sources are very much limited to reference materials like encyclopedias on CDs with content that is simply the electronic version of the print editions.

Sally's librarian has created bibliography of resources and pulled a cart of materials related to controversial issues, but she finds very little material that gives her more than background on critical environment issues. The librarian offers a ten minute introduction to possible sources. Because this is the first major environmental event of its type, Sally knows that books specific to this oil spill may not be available.

The librarian can connect to a service called Dialog with a dial-up modem. But this is an expensive service that cannot really be scaled out for an entire school and most students haven't yet even connected to a specific topic or thesis. At the end of the period, the librarian reminds the class to grab a style sheet handout.

When she gets home, Sally asks Mom and Dad if she can have the car to visit the public library and searches the house for change for the copy machine.

At the public library, Sally fills in call slips and waits for help to retrieve recent issues of Time and Newsweek from stacks and background articles on microfilm. Sally looks for both popular news and scholarly sources for background and gathers a nice collection of journals, newspapers. She has to visually scan the library's small collection of newspapers for any breaking news on the story.

Evaluation:
Since the resources available to Sally have been selected by professional librarians, little time needs to be spent in the evaluation of credibility of the material. Traditionally credentialed authors and reliable publishing houses are the hallmarks of a carefully developed library collection. But Sally realizes that she is going to have to work hard to ensure that her resources on this breaking story are as current as possible. Her reference list is going to contain far more background material than new content and she is concerned.

Organization/synthesis
Sally uses note cards to gather information about her topic and then organizes her information in an outline form. When she is ready, she writes in the expository voice, maintaining a carefully objective point of view.

Documentation:
Having diligently kept track of her sources on index cards, Sally spends a large amount of time on a bibliography that conforms to specifics of MLA citation style. Each element of the source is in its proper place and each punctuation mark is carefully checked and re-checked. Sally's bibliography and endnotes will heavily weighted in the final grade.

Communication:
Sally's final product is an 8-10 page type-written "report" which is only read by the teacher. Sally may save the paper, but she is not keeping a formal portfolio of her academic work.

Final Grade: A content, A- mechanics (fewer than two errors per page)

2004 2005 (Web 1.0)
Sally Spears is a high school junior very interested in environmental issues. The learning emphasis at her high school is on "information literacy." The Big6TM information literacy process and similar state designed models provide Sally's library media specialist the framework for assignments, as does the second edition of AASL's and AECT's Information Power, with its information literacy standards, and new emphasis on technology and partnerships for learning, published in 1998.

Also that year, ISTE released its first set NETS, national standards for technology literacy. Its six categories of proficiency: basic operations and concepts; social, ethical, and human issues of technology use; productivity tools; communication tools; research tools; and problem-solving and decision-making tools.

Development of question:
When the opportunity arises to research a controversial issue, Sally eagerly proposes an investigation of environmental impact of the recent Hurricane Katrina. Given the huge number of resources now available via the Web and powerful new search engines, Sally has to carefully narrow the focus of her research by asking a specific question about her topic: Would the restoration of coastal wetlands mitigate the impact of future Katrina-like storms in the Gulf? Sally does some "pre-searching" to determine the resources available to her using Google and Wikipedia.

Finding resources:
While Sally begins her search using Google and Wikipedia, she realizes that her high school library website offers a number of databases that offer news and other documents. Her media specialist is beginning to create online pathfinders to guide her in her research.

The media specialist discusses possible sources with the class, reminding students of several magazine and newspaper databases that offer access to current issues. The media specialist shows Sally how to use the advanced search features in Google to refine her search, to search the "hidden web," and to use subject specific search engines. She reminds the whole class to take home a list of database passwords. Sally is both excited about and a little frustrated by the sheer number possible information source available to her,

Evaluation:
She recognizes that there is a real need for her to evaluate her sources using reliable criteria and be able to defend the reliability of those resources she chooses. She realizes that database searches will likely yield the types of sources her teacher wants to see in her works cited list.

But Sally wonders if there is a way to connect with people who are on the ground. She uses e-mail to contact a wetlands expert in Florida for his perspective on the issue. She awaits a response.

Organization/synthesis
Sally's media specialist recently introduced the commercial online citation generator NoodleTools as a strategy for managing sources and documenting her work. Sally has to cite, not just books and periodical articles, but websites, e-mail and electronic reference materials. She takes advantage of the outlining and formatting tools built into her word processing program while she is writing the required drafts of her paper.

Communication:
Sally is required to word-process her document and to submit at least two drafts to her teacher before turning in the final project. A part of her assignment is to develop a PowerPoint presentation to accompany an oral report to her class about her findings. Sally's media specialist is instrumental in helping her import graphics and a video clip into the slideshow and suggests design strategies for effectively combining bullet points and graphics.

Sally stores an electronic copy of her paper on a 3.5 disk along with her personal printout and shares it with her teacher. She rehearses and tries to present looking at her audience-the class-without reading from her slides.

Final Grade: A content, A- mechanics, A+ on formatting, and A+ on her slide show.
2010 (Web 2.0/Social web)
Sally Gaga is a high school junior very interested in environmental issues. The emphasis is on developing "information and media fluency." The new information landscape is participatory. School libraries are playing a growing role in what is now being called transliteracy, the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media.

Those involved in Sally's learning life are influenced by ISTE's NETS Refreshed with their new focus on creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration, research and information fluency, critical thinking, and digital citizenship, and AASL's Standards for the 21st Century Learner with their focus on inquiry, critical thinking, creating new knowledge, personal growth, and participating ethically and productively as members of our democratic society.

Those who are helping Sally to learn and grow are far more connected to each other through their intersecting professional learning networks which include their blogs, tweets, Nings and other social networks, and easy shared access to current research across disciplines. Credibility for Sally's educators' ideas now comes from application in the field, as opposed to any single authoritative source or organization.

Development of question:
When the opportunity arises to research a controversial issue, Sally eagerly proposes an investigation of the environmental impact of the recent BP Gulf oil spill. The teacher encourages Sally to explore a dimension of this event that resonates personally with her. Sally one day hopes to run her own restaurant and she chooses to study the impact the spill will have on seafood availability.

Sally is in the habit of setting up a research wiki to share her progress with her classroom teacher, her teacher-librarian and her fellow students who will help peer-edit and review her work.

Finding resources:
The class in Sally's one-to-one school begins its research on their classroom laptops. Sally's teacher librarian worked with her teacher to create a pathfinder for hot issues research. The librarian drops in to give the class opening guidance and to remind learners of some newer search options. Sally checks the online catalog to locate print, ebooks, and a variety of relevant media. She knows about Google's newer features such as WonderWheel and Timeline. She embeds some of the ebooks she finds on Google Books on her research wiki. Sally also seeks video information in her search. She finds video news an excellent starting point in developing background knowledge and vocabulary around the issue. She grabs links for relevant videos and when she can, she embeds those too for easy access.

Sally knows that scholarly content will add power to her argument. After visiting databases the teacher librarian recommends on the library's website, Sally sets-up email alerts and RSS feeds so new content is pushed to both her mail box and the reader she sets up in her research wiki. Rather than revisiting Google day after day, after establishing search terms and tags, she sets up alerts there too.

Sally knows research can continue 24/7. Her favorite databases are now available via cell phone apps, so she can do some of this research during soccer practice. She remembers the trusty JSTOR widget she embedded on Facebook so she can get scholarly articles on the scientific impact of environmental catastrophes. Sally uses cell phone apps to search for local fish restaurants, emails (texts) a few proprietors, and arranges a Skype session with a Gulf restaurateur for a personal, credible statement. Sally knows she can email or text the library or teacher-librarian for support in each stage.

Sally can now can access a variety of opinions, and examine news from a variety of lenses, as she tries to discover truth. Blogs, wikis, tweets, real-time news. Mashpedia is one real-time source her teacher-librarian introduced to pull together a variety of new information formats with constantly updating feeds.

To exploit any real-time search tools, Sally must first determine the best hashtag for searching real-time news story. Who is tweeting, blogging about the issue? Is BP updating the news? People living on the Gulf? The US government?

Evaluation:
Since Sally is using sources of information such as Wikipedia, blogs and personal information sources, she will have to triangulate (verify in multiple sources) her gathered information to determine its authority and authenticity. She looks for bias, both stated and hidden. Bias is to be understood and noted, not necessarily avoided. Though finding current information is not a problem, Sally must examine at what point in the story each particular tweet or post or document was written; she considers why it was written and by whom.

Organization/synthesis
Sally uses a web-based mind-mapping strategy to help her discover patterns and relationships in her findings. She embeds this mind map in her research wiki to share with her teacher and teacher-librarian, along with her progress reflections.

Sally also shares Google docs she is using to draft her written project and storyboard her video with those others involved-her teacher-librarian, her teacher, and the restaurateurs.

Documentation:
Sally has the option of using fee-based NoodleTools or a variety of free citation generators for creating her works cited and works consulted lists. This time around she opts to use the free Bibme, which actually pulls most of the citation from a database and formats her citations. She will include live links to her online sources in her final products, and knows to cite not just textual materials, but visual and audio data used.

With the help of the teacher-librarian, Sally interprets and applies Fair Use guidelines as she selects what materials she will can and will use. She also seeks to use Creative Commons music and images when she can. She plans to assign a Creative Commons license to her own work so that others may remix it under conditions she can control.

All of these formative steps are visible to Sally's teacher in the wiki she maintains for this major project. No need to submit outlines and drafts, the teacher librarian helped Sally's teacher set up an index of her students' sites so they both might watch and intervene in their progress. She and the librarian can interact with Sally to ask her pointed questions and guide her work.

Communication:
Sally is proud of what she is learning and the video she is currently story-boarding and will be producing. Sally considers publishing her work online in the form of a public service announcement. (On YouTube, or Vimeo, or any of a number of other portals for sharing.)

The broader audience raises Sally's level of concern about the quality of her work. She recognizes the power that images - photographs, graphics and charts - can play in helping her get her message across in powerful ways. Sally's teacher-librarian helps her put her video together and upload it to a public video portal.

Sally considers the impact her work may have on her college studies and her future career, her academic digital footprint. She asks herself: "Will an extreme point of view hurt my chances of getting a job with a more traditional company?" "Will others be impressed with my academic and intellectual efforts? And, perhaps even more importantly she asks, "Will it make a difference?

She also opts to publish her formal paper using one of an array of public digital tools in the cloud-Issuu, DocStoc, Lulu, Yudu-that make her work look truly professional and will be available to others long after her school accounts are no longer active. Sally sees that her work in high school is part of a life-long portfolio necessary for advancing in her career.

Final Grade:

A non-graded practically self-created assessment tool helps Sally determine her areas of strength (clear writing style, good organization) and areas for development (need to see creative insights into work, consider a more global perspective of problem). Continuous peer and teacher assessment during the project is more meaningful and helpful to Sally than a final "grade."

Sally considers herself a co-learner along with her teacher, her teacher-librarian and her peers as she experiments and uses powerful and purposeful new tools that seem to appear almost daily.
What has changed for our Sallies over the course of more than twenty years?

1. Information is so much more accessible and students' choices of sources have grown exponentially. Learners can construct original research with new survey tools. Depending on the context of the information task, students must consider whether they have the right balance of a growing array of sources in traditional and emerging media.

2. Evaluation of information sources has become more important, more sophisticated and more subjective. Each of us, must develop the ability to triangulate the flood of information and media available to mediate truth.

3. For digital citizens, attribution is still the right thing to do. Careful documentation builds academic integrity and prepares learners for scholarship. Online citation generators make the work a bit less onerous and a lot more collaborative. But documentation has grown in complexity with students, and online generators, and style guides attempting to keep up with continually emerging formats.

4. Intellectual property issues require more sophisticated discussion, as Creative Commons becomes an alternative to copyright and as learners themselves remix media. In a remix culture, student producers must learn about current guidelines for using copyrighted materials, from the point of view of the creator, not just the consumer.

5. Learners have new strategies for synthesis. A new array of cloud-based brainstorming, mindmapping, timelining, and storyboarding tools are available, creating opportunities for collaborating and sharing.

6. The library collection is both physical and virtual. In addition to expanding the notion of what books physically look like, libraries collect and lend tools for production. Through dynamic pathfinders and websites, librarians not only lead learners to content, but to web-based tools for telling new stories. A school library's collection also may now include students' work, and by doing so, validates and celebrates their new knowledge.

7. The read/write Web has created a genuine audience for student work. Student communication products reach beyond the traditional term "paper" and include media appropriate to and effective for their message. Audience gives students a higher level of concern about the quality of their work and encourages them to have impact on the greater community of interest. Because communication is the end product of research, librarians guide learners in creating projects that best present their newly constructed knowledge.

8. Today's libraries are not only places to get stuff. They are places to make stuff and do stuff and share stuff.

9. The Web makes research a far more independent effort, but with the use such platforms as blogs or wikis or Google sites, the process can now be transparent and interactive. Teacher-librarians help move the research process online, using strategies some are calling knowledge building centers.

10. The role of the teacher-librarian has shifted from one who gathers, stores, and indexes resources to a educator and collaborator who helps students ethically and effectively filter, evaluate, and use information and then do something with it, ideally to communicate in powerful ways with authentic audience. The librarian becomes an even more critical player in new learning landscapes where information and communication options continually shift.

Resources:
American Library Association. Comments to the U.S. Department of Education on the National Education Technology Plan < http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/ALA_NETP.pdf>.
17 May 2010.

Eisenberg, Michael, Robert Berkowitz, and Doug Johnson. I nformation, Communications, and Technology (ICT) Skills Curriculum Based on the Big6 Skills Approach to Information Problem-Solving. 2010. Web. < http://www.big6.com/2010/02/03/infolit-experts-merge-k-12-technology-literacy-and-information-literacy-into-one-curriculum/>

Johnson, Doug. "Libraries for a Postliterate Society." Multimedia & Internet @ Schools, July/August 2009. Web. < http://www.doug-johnson.com/dougwri/libraries-for-a-post-literate-society.html>

Loertscher, David. Knowledge Building Centers. < http://schoollearningcommons.pbworks.com/Knowledge-Building-Centers>.

Valenza, Joyce Kasman. "Tag Team Tech: Evolving the Virtual School Library, Deconstructing the Essentials." eVOYA. Apr. 2010. Web. < http://techlearning.com/blogs/25886>.

Valenza, Joyce Kasman. 14 Ways K-12 Librarians Can Teach Social Media Tech & Learning, 21 Sept. 2009. Web. < http://www.techlearning.com/editorblogs_ektid23558.aspx>.

Valenza, Joyce Kasman and Doug Johnson. Things that Keep Us Up at Night. School Library Journal 1 Oct. 2009: 28-32. Print. < http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6699357.html>.

* Environmental scanning is a process of gathering, analyzing, and dispensing information for tactical or strategic purposes. The environmental scanning process entails obtaining both factual and subjective information on the business environments in which a company is operating or considering entering. Wikipedia

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

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See Sally Research: An Environmental Scan - Home - Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog

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Monday, August 2, 2010 at 07:26PM No, it's not deja vu - you may have read this post over on Joyce Valenza's NeverEnding Search blog already. She and I were asked to write a book chapter for administrators (note to self: no cracks about reading level) on today's information literacy practices.

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TEDxPhiladelphiaED - JoyceValenza - See Sally Research - School Libraries Achieving Results

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TEDxPhiladelphiaED - JoyceValenza - See Sally Research - School Libraries Achieving Results

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Discussion in response to the Australian Parliamentary Inquiry into School Libraries and Teacher-librarians in 21st Century Australia

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Diana Laufenberg: How to learn? From mistakes | TED Talk | TED.com

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Diana Laufenberg: How to learn? From mistakes | TED Talk | TED.com

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Diana Laufenberg: How to learn? From mistakes

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Diana Laufenberg shares three surprising things she has learned about teaching -- including a key insight about learning from mistakes.

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Week 8: Project-Based Learning (PBL)-Flipped ...

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Week 8: Project-Based Learning (PBL)-Flipped ...