Challenge-Based Makerspaces
Course
Makerspaces and Maker Culture [6:17]
Makerspaces and Maker Culture
Here's how I define makerspaces. A makerspace is a place where students can gather to create, invent, tinker, explore, and discover using a variety of tools and materials. Makerspaces are not about the stuff or about the space, they're about providing opportunities for making and creativity. What exactly the tools and materials in your space are is not the important part. You can have all the fancy equipment in the world, but it's worthless if your students aren't using it to create and explore their world. Makerspaces can be anywhere, but libraries are ideal locations as they make the space available to everyone.
Your school might have more than one makerspace, and that's fine. My previous school had a wood shop and a robotics lab in addition to our library makerspace. The reason that I am a strong proponent of creating makerspaces in school libraries is that it levels the playing field. Students may or may not be able to access other spaces in the school depending on their class schedule, grade, or behavior issues. But the library is available to all of our students, meaning that any student can come and use the space to grow. Makerspaces can cost $10,000 or zero dollars, they could be in a dedicated room or in a cart that's pulled out for classes. It's about figuring out what works best for your school.
One of my favorite things to say during presentations and workshops is that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all makerspace. That's why you won't find me writing up a checklist of items you must buy to create a makerspace or a list of rules for how the space must be laid out. I've seen schools with amazing tricked--out makerspace labs, complete with lots of tools and storage space, and I've also seen schools with a simple cart full of recycled materials that they gathered for free. In both situations, I've seen students deeply engaged in making. Ultimately, it's about finding what's going to work best for you and for your students.
A maker culture is the groundwork needed for a makerspace to be successful. Without a maker culture, your space risks becoming just a collection of stuff. Having a strong maker culture in place will make design challenges and challenge-based learning much more successful.
Here's some ways I found success building a maker culture. Start by making your library a safe space to take risks. I start this off the very first time I meet students for orientation. I want the library to be a space where students can try out new things and share their ideas without fear of ridicule. If I see someone making fun of another student because of something they're working on, I'll step in immediately. I will fiercely defend the right of my students to be creative and take risks in my space without fear of what others might think.
Another good strategy is to form a maker steering committee. It frustrates me to no end when I see schools create makerspaces and develop maker programs without talking to their students about what they want. You might have one idea of what you think students want to do in your space, but they might surprise you with something completely different. Your makerspace and your maker program are there for your students, not for you to check off some boxes on your evaluation, so gather together a group of students who are interested in helping shape your makerspace. You can do this whether or not you already have a makerspace in place.
Ask them what they're interested in, get their feedback, have them test drive potential new tools and materials, let them help plan your design challenges and other programs. Some of the most successful challenges and programs I did in the past came from ideas that my students offered up. This is a fantastic way to build student voice in your makerspace. Creativity stations are another great way to support maker culture. Your makerspace doesn't have to be limited to just one area of the library where students are engaged in making. By sprinkling little bits of creativity throughout your library, you are furthering that maker culture and creating an atmosphere that will better support your more in-depth projects.
Creativity stations can be deceptively simple. Sometimes they might be a passive design challenge, like setting out a bin of Legos with a challenge to build the school mascot. Some might be simple make and takes like coloring sheets or perler beads. Think of simple quick activities that can get your students engaged. If you're stumped on what to do, ask your steering committee for advice.
Branding your space is another great way to build your maker culture. I know that branding is often seen as a dirty word in education, but it shouldn't be. Branding can be used to help create a common vocabulary and understanding of your makerspace within your school. When I first created my library makerspace in 2014, we didn't really have any branding in the space. Some teachers wrote passes for making, others for centers, some had playing with Legos or Makey space, and I realized that many of our students were also unclear on what the space was. If a visitor asked them about their library makerspace, they'd have no idea what they were talking about.
So I created signage with a makerspace logo and I put it up throughout our space. I added makerspace as an option on our library passes the teachers could use to send students. Gradually, more teachers and students began to understand and embrace what it was that we were doing. For more ideas for activities you can do to build a maker culture in your school, be sure to check out the learning support materials. Take a minute to brainstorm what you could do to cultivate a maker culture within your library. Try to pick at least three action steps that you could do in the next quarter.
"There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all makerspace." Whether you already have a makerspace in your library space or if you're in the process of creating one, there are no written rules to what your makerspace must look like. Read the interview with Heather Moorefield-Lang, "The Voice of Experience in Creating a Makerspace," and reflect on her research and how you can relate that to your makerspace. Think of 3-4 new ideas for your makerspace and what you would need to make it happen. Also, how will these elements help build your maker culture? Use the worksheet on page 2 of the handout found in the resources below to jot down your ideas.
What are some experiences you have encountered with your students that have strengthened your makerspace and maker culture? Is there a particular project or moment that you saw your students' creativity take off? Do you have a strong maker culture in makerspace? How can you strengthen that? See page 9 of the handout in the resources above to jot down your notes.
MLA Citation
"Challenge-Based Makerspaces: Creating Your Makerspace." School Library Connection, April 2021, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2263196?learningModuleId=2263194&topicCenterId=2247903.
Entry ID: 2263199
A maker culture is the groundwork for any makerspace, and without it, you really just have a collection of stuff. As Diana Rendina points out, having a strong maker culture in place makes design challenges and challenge-based learning much more successful! Having a few makerspace activities ready to go at any time will continue to build a maker culture in your school. Take a look at some of the activities that are provided in the resources below. How will these work in your makerspace?
Think about the steps to create a maker culture discussed in this lesson and reflect on how you already do or can incorporate these into your makerspace. Is your library a safe space? Are students involved? Do you have creative stations in your library? What would your makerspace logo look like? See page 9 of the handout in the resources above to jot down your notes.
MLA Citation
"Challenge-Based Makerspaces: Supporting Your Maker Culture." School Library Connection, April 2021, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2263196?learningModuleId=2263194&topicCenterId=2247903.
Entry ID: 2263403
Additional Resources
About the Author
MLA Citation
Rendina, Diana L. "Challenge-Based Makerspaces. Makerspaces and Maker Culture [6:17]." School Library Connection, ABC-CLIO, April 2021, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2263196?learningModuleId=2263194&topicCenterId=2247903.
https://schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2263196?learningModuleId=2263194&topicCenterId=2247903
Entry ID: 2263196