Changing Role of Libraries

The purpose and look of libraries are changing to meet the needs of today's world. Instead of entering a Library to quietly find a book, quietly read it, then return it, libraries are now becoming a hub for hands-on make and take learning, which is being steered by the Maker Movement. For example, in my Library I have Legos, building blocks, Ozobot robots, squishy figures, iPads, computers, duct tape, cardboard pieces, toilet paper rolls, oh and of course books!! This school year I began my Makerspace journey by reading articles and going with my instincts. Due to the limited amount of time I have with my students, I am slowly rolling out different ideas. Next year, I hope to provide my students with more making opportunities before and after school.

To aid in my journey, I read articles relating to the Maker Movement to see how other libraries are structuring their space as well as finding items for making. Flipboard is a great way to curate all these reliable sources into one easily accessible place. This is where I created a Tips for Education magazine as well as an Educational Articles magazine. For me to process information and easily find articles later, I place articles in separate magazines. In the future, I hope to add a MakerSpace Tools magazine where I can drop websites that have ideas for various technology tools.

View my Flipboard Magazine.
View my Flipboard Magazine.

Commenting, easy flipping, and overall layout are three reasons why I chose Flipboard. Adding an article to my magazine just takes two clicks. The layout does not overwhelm me but instead makes browsing for articles a breeze. Though I have not yet tried the commenting feature, I do find it intriguing I can leave my two cents. In addition, sending an article to a friend who does not have Flipboard is extremely easy if you know their email address. This makes sharing what I find with other Technology Integrationists doable. Even though I found some great people to follow on Flipboard, sticking to Flipboard itself was not ideal for me. There are articles I have already saved outside of Flipboard, adding the Flipboard Chrome extension was the next logical step.

I look forward to curating a magazine full of tips and information related to growing my MakerSpace. Instead of just book marking them in Chrome then sifting through the bookmarks, I can log on Flipboard and view in block format what I have found.

In your school, is there a designated space for making? If so, how often are your students entering this room? I have decided my students find the making process relaxing and exciting at the same time. It provides them with the opportunity to think and process with their hands, experiment with various ideas, socialize, and feed off other's ideas to create their own take. These opportunities are not typically allowed or flourished within the usual confines of a classroom. Below are pictures of a 4th grade class taking time to build with tools and experiment with robotics.