Reflective Thoughts

What a semester! I have enjoyed getting to explore new ideas and connections. I had many takeaways from this class, but the two that stand out to me are the importance of partnering with teachers and incorporating Makerspace ideas in a school library.

School librarians are part of the mission of an overall school, and by partnering with teachers they are able to provide resources that correspond with curriculum and make learning more effective. While I had thought about curriculum connections before (especially as a teacher who has used curated materials from a school librarian often), I had not considered the intentional thought that goes into connecting with those teachers and finding the right materials. I will definitely prioritize getting to know the teachers and details about the curriculum when going to a new school.

The second thing that stood out to me was incorporating Makerspace ideas in a school library setting. While it is an older article, the article “Space for Creation Not Just Consumption” resonated with me because it discussed the reality of moving from consumption to creation reflecting recent shifts in education too. A Makerspace does not even have to be an entire area designated solely for creation, but it can be tools that students can use in a variety of ways. “Making at the library is about offering your students opportunities to move from simply being users and consumers into people who can make things that work better for them” (Canino-Fluit, 2014, pp. 21-22). As information specialists we want to provide opportunities to use information. Makerspaces provide growing opportunities, and, above all, fun learning experiences!

References:
Canino-Fluit. (2014). School library makerspaces: making it up as I go. (FEATURE ARTICLE). Teacher Librarian (Vancouver), 41(5), 21–27.