School Library Connection | Library in Context

Articles & Columns

Perspectives & Partners

Editor’s Note

Unplug Making for Summer

Rebecca J. Morris

Batteries, paint brushes, fabric scraps, and robots. Pencils and paper, Legos, glue sticks, and magnifying glasses. This list could be an inventory of my home office—which serves double-duty as toddler arts and activities closet—or a few of the delightful materials that we might find in school library makerspaces. In both instances, opportunities abound for discovery and no small amount of mess and organized chaos. Read More

Full Voice

Anita M Cellucci

Empowering Youth through Social Making

As my library has a hard focus on social and emotional learning, it seemed a natural fit to align making in this way as well. This has evolved into "social making"—a way to use our creative and critical thinking skills to help others and to work through complex social issues.

Research into Practice

Michelle Maniaci Folk

Lucy Santos Green

Reframing Learning through the Maker Movement

We encourage you to explore the growing body of research on the relationship between makerspace activities, inquiry learning, design thinking, and problem solving.

Advocacy in Reach

Stony Evans

Passionate Creators Make Passionate Advocates

In this column, I will discuss how making has impacted our school library program and how it can be a powerful advocacy tool for our profession.

Features

Makerspace Collaborations across the Curriculum

by Brian T. Johnson

As librarians, we can collaborate with our teachers to help students make their inquiries visible through making. Given the importance of information seeking during the inquiry process, we truly have a unique chance to take a leadership role with our teachers as they implement inquiry-based learning. Read More

Technology Is Everywhere, but Where Are the Girls?

by Angela Galik and Adriane Bradberry

The underrepresentation of girls and women in computing is a serious issue with wide-ranging consequences. The National Center for Women in Information Technology is working to address the disparity and offers a number of helpful strategies and resources. Read More

Ambitious Science Teaching

by Melissa Braaten

Over a decade ago, my colleagues and I began designing, testing, and refining tools for supporting ambitious and equitable science teaching. This effort spread to include dozens of teachers working toward a shared goal of making exemplary science learning experiences commonplace for students. Read More

One-Question Surveys

What Is the Philosophy of Your Makerspace?

One-Question Survey: What Drives Change in Your Library?

1-Question Survey: Community Connections

How Do You Connect with Your Community?

So Many Ways to Collaborate!

New Year, New You?

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