The idea of a makerspace makes me feel excited about the many possibilities for instruction and discovery. “Makers are people who make things rather than simply use them. They apply digital and manual skills to solve problems and create items that address their needs” (Canino-Fluit, 2014, p.21). I enjoyed researching the many ways that makerspaces can benefit in STEM instruction, but the blog that stood out to me was from Edutopia and related makerspaces to English and humanities instruction. Problems exist in every field, and makerspaces can provide ways for creative solutions to even abstract ideas like literature analysis.
Makerspaces are natural fits for science, robotics and more, but how could a makerspace connect with English? The Edutopia blog offers suggestions! The blog at: https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-makerspace-english-and-humanities-instruction outlines how a 3D printer could be used to print book symbols. Students could create a 3D version of a symbol in literature and use a program such as Thingiverse to turn the symbol into a printed reality on a Makerbot printer. The education section of the Thingiverse website provides lessons and ideas that could be used in a library setting for different grade ranges, including higher education. While a 3D printer would be a significant investment for a Makerspace, reading about creative ways that a 3D printer could be used beyond STEM education made the cost seem more reasonable.
I am excited to continue thinking about ways that Makerspaces can be used in a school library setting. “Making is context-specific. What we make, and the tools with which we make it, are deeply influenced by who we serve and the goals we have for and with them“ (Fontichiaro, 2019, p.53). Every community has different needs, and librarians can address those needs in different ways. I’m excited to continue seeing different ways 3D printing and applications like Thingiverse could be used to promote learning and discovery to meet different communities’ needs.
Sources: Canino - Fluit, A. A. (2014). School Library Makerspaces. Teacher Librarian, 41(5), 21-27.
Fontichiaro, K. What I’ve Learned from 7 years of the Maker Movement in Schools and Libraries. Teacher Librarian. 46(4), 51-53.
Cyberbullying is an important topic to consider. The pervasiveness of the issue can be overwhelming, especially with so many different components. Based on the cyberbullying videos and readings, I was surprised to see that cyberbullying is prevalent in workplace culture as well as K-12 settings. I was not as surprised to hear the sobering statistics about K-12 bullying and cyberbullying, but the numbers certainly call for action. “In terms of cyberbullying in the K-12 sector, Cassidy et al. (2012b) found that 36% of students reported they had been victims of cyberbullying and 32% admitted to cyberbullying others” (Faucher, 2015, p. 115). The related “cyberbullying at university study found that about 25% of students and 25% of faculty respondents had been targets of cyberbullying within the last 12 months” (Faucher, 2015, p. 116). With these alarming numbers in mind, schools need to be especially vigilant in working to prevent such bullying behaviors.
There are many important issues to tackle in relation to cyberbullying, and they cannot all be addressed in one sitting. Social emotional health is one important factor to consider, as this is often damaged due to cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is often a continuation of bullying or harassment that is taking place in person as well. Many of the cyberbullying issues can be addressed through materials designed for bullying. I thought that several of the videos might be especially helpful to address these issues with students.
For younger students, this video could be effective in building empathy and showing the consequences of bullying. There is a lot of symbolism in the video which could also be incorporated in a lesson note even focused on bullying at all. It could be a useful video to use as a teaching tool in a performing arts class as well.
For older students, clips from this video would be really helpful. The video is longer, but it addresses many of the behind the scenes issues that result in bullying and the effects of the bullying. This would be a great video to use in order to show the importance of words, especially names.
I love Jon Orich’s article about high school students partnering with younger students to teach them about the importance of digital citizenship. This has wonderful benefits for the high school students, helping them slow down and analyze their perspective since they are sharing with younger students. This also gives them an opportunity to learn more about the topic. Teaching a subject is often the best way to learn about it. This is, of course, beneficial for the younger students as well since they will hear from the “experts” in the subject and have opportunities to learn in new ways. Using a digital format for the conversations is a great way to practice while learning. Depending on how school districts are set up, this idea may involve complicated logistics, but I think many schools would be willing to make this a reality. I am excited to try this!
References: Faucher, C., Cassidy, W., & Jackson, M. (2015). From the sandbox to the inbox: Comparing the acts, impacts, and solutions of bullying in k-12, higher education, and the workplace. Journal Of Education And Training Studies, 3(6), 111-125.
Orech, J. (2012). How it's done: Incorporating digital citizenship into your everyday curriculum. Tech & Learning, 33(1), 16-18.
I tend to enter conversations about social media with skepticism, wondering if there are really as many opportunities as some claim. However, the readings from this week were compelling and opened my eyes to some new possibilities for social media platforms as I sought out the best platform to use for my hypothetical school library at Central Forest Middle School.
I chose Instagram as a platform for several reasons. My primary audience for my library would be students, parents, and other community stakeholders. Instagram appeals to younger audiences but is accessible to adults as well, making it a reasonable choice to reach a broad audience. As Molly Wetta points out in “Instagram Now,” it also integrates with other platforms making social media management easier. I would like to use this platform to highlight new materials in the library and also to share some of the happenings in my fictional media center. I aim for the platform to share enough information about the media center to spark interest among students and support from parents as they see the wonderful opportunities the media center provides.
Instruction/Collaboration: While teachers are not the primary intended audience for this account, teachers would be able to see the specific items in the library that may correspond with their curriculum. Ideally this is one of the many ways to connect with teachers who may have packed schedules. Instagram allows them to connect regardless of the time.
Instagram also provides an opportunity for students to engage in the instructional materials when things like research resources are posted. Students can connect with resources that may benefit them without taking the extra step to go to a library website or catalog. While Instagram is not the only social media platform students use, access to posts in a familiar platform can increase accessibility. Lucas John Jensen noted that “Learners feel more internally motivated if they have more autonomy and control over their learning, if they feel competent while engaging in learning, and if they feel a sense of relatedness, of being understood. Perhaps so many gravitate to social media tools because the tools satisfy these three needs.” Instagram could provide a way for students to feel comfortable interacting with the library space.
Communication: One of the keys to using Instagram is the ability to post pictures. My goal in using this platform is to share pictures of new and important images from the library. My first post was showcased a new book release. I hope that students will be able to see new materials and get excited to use them right away. Part of this communication is also related to the media center space itself. I aim to add posts of students working on various independent and group projects to both inspire other students and to promote the media center.
Advocacy: Advocacy is an important part of any school library. Jan Wilson in “Make Your Library More Visible“ calls photos “the best way to capture the variety of literacies occurring in the library.” Instagram is a perfect way to capture the essence of a media center in a format that is accessible to many people in and out of the school. Awareness is the important piece that Instagram can provide for the media center. People can be more aware of what is going on in the library, what the librarian is doing, and what possibilities the library holds.
References: Jensen, L. J. (2019). Integrating Social Media into Online Education. Library Technology Reports, 55(4), 27–30.
Wetta, M. (2016). Instagram now: engage young users with the image-based social media tool. School Library Journal (New York, N.Y.), 62(2), 30-32.
Wilson, J. (2017). Make Your Library More Visible. School Library Journal, 63(12), 16–17.
