This is your mission should you choose to accept it... So, here we are three weeks after FAME conference and I am embarking on my Maker Space journey. According to the road map I have outlined, it will be an epic quest and it will take the hands of many courageous helpers along the way. Step 1: Identify spaces that can be makerspaces.Step 2: Planning: What do we have! What can we do!Zone 1: The Game Zone Einstein said "Play is the highest form of research." It is with that in mind that we plan our Game play area. We are hoping to create a LEGO corner, a WII setup, at least 4 Minecraft computers, and of course, a wall full of every board and strategy game we can get. Help Corner Creativity with LEGOs |
More to come in a future post
Zone 3 iPadlet recording studio
Zone 4 Upcycle and recycle arts and crafts area
Your comments and suggestions are welcome.
Zone 4 Upcycle and recycle arts and crafts area
Your comments and suggestions are welcome.
1 Comment
In our school, teachers are required to post a common board configuration, that is each teacher uses the same format to post information in the classroom so as students move from class to class, the uniformity will create comfort in finding information quickly and efficiently. But, what do you do if you are collaborating with a teacher and you do not a board that the common board configuration can be posted on?
Build it! Upcycle an unused audiovisual cart (we know you have them everywhere) and a cardboard box into a mini mobile classroom space.
Build it! Upcycle an unused audiovisual cart (we know you have them everywhere) and a cardboard box into a mini mobile classroom space.
With a little butcher paper and some tape. You can create your mobile station for posting information that can be rolled around the media center to whatever area that teaching may be occurring.
Presto: mobility in your teaching spaces in the media center!
What to do? I want to make more displays, but I do not have enough book stands to make an attractive display. What do I do now? I am sure many new librarians have this experience upon entering a new space...the supplies are low.
How to cope? Upcycle!
How to cope? Upcycle!
At my school, we no longer store magazines for decades. We disburse old magazines to classrooms for their use, but we still have the boxes we used to store the magazines in. It is time to upcycle. These boxes can be turned into effective displays.
Let creativity be your guide.
Recently, I discovered that we library media specialists have been the original makers in our large makerspace. We are the people who have been looking at objects, not for what they are, but for what they may be. On Friday, as I was presenting a workshop to the Osceola County library media specialists #Ocsla, a question arose about my use of VHS tape boxes. I didn't realize that it was a particularly crafty invention, but we had to stop the workshop to have a side workshop on how useful the VHS tape boxes can be because sometimes, the "rabbit hole" conversation is the conversation that you should really be having.
Here are some of those ideas...
So, one day as I was weeding my collection of VHS tapes, I decided to save the boxes. No real purpose at that point. I just thought they were sturdy boxes and they could be used for something. It was later when I was creating a display for Banned Books Week that a purpose became evident. You see, we all want our students to check out the books they become interested in, but how do I have a book on display but still allow book checkout? I made these book dummies. I used the VHS case as the body for a book cover and added information about the book in conjunction with Banned Books Week.
Here are some of those ideas...
So, one day as I was weeding my collection of VHS tapes, I decided to save the boxes. No real purpose at that point. I just thought they were sturdy boxes and they could be used for something. It was later when I was creating a display for Banned Books Week that a purpose became evident. You see, we all want our students to check out the books they become interested in, but how do I have a book on display but still allow book checkout? I made these book dummies. I used the VHS case as the body for a book cover and added information about the book in conjunction with Banned Books Week.
So today, I am taking a bit of time to look for additional learning opportunities after attending my state's annual conference, FAME Annual Conference. This day is an opportunity to remind myself what is available to me. I find myself wondering, why don't I spend more time on edWEB.net.
From edWeb's information page,
"edWeb.net is a highly-acclaimed professional social and learning network that has become a vibrant online community for exceptional educators, decision-makers, and influencers who are on the leading edge of innovation in education.
edWeb members are teachers, faculty, administrators, and librarians at K12 and post-secondary institutions. edWeb is a place where educators who are looking for ways to improve teaching and learning can gather and share information and ideas with peers and thought leaders in the industry.
Any educator can use edWeb for free to create a personal learning network or professional learning community to make it easier to collaborate, share ideas, and move forward faster with new ideas and initiatives, particularly those than leverage technology to accelerate improvement."
From edWeb's information page,
"edWeb.net is a highly-acclaimed professional social and learning network that has become a vibrant online community for exceptional educators, decision-makers, and influencers who are on the leading edge of innovation in education.
edWeb members are teachers, faculty, administrators, and librarians at K12 and post-secondary institutions. edWeb is a place where educators who are looking for ways to improve teaching and learning can gather and share information and ideas with peers and thought leaders in the industry.
Any educator can use edWeb for free to create a personal learning network or professional learning community to make it easier to collaborate, share ideas, and move forward faster with new ideas and initiatives, particularly those than leverage technology to accelerate improvement."
Some of the best webinars that I have ever participated in were provided on edWEB.net.
edWeb.net hosts professional learning communities (PLCs) that offer free webinars and CE certificates. Once you have created a free account on edweb.net, you may join any of these online communities. Each community provides members with the opportunity to get advice from experts, exchange and celebrate ideas, ask questions of the collective mind, and discover new methods and practices for personal growth and development.
Each community has the following features, more or less:
Each community has the following features, more or less:
- Community blog---which features news and announcements within that community, feature articles from experts, and other exciting information.
- Discussion forums--provide members to ask questions and engage in conversations that are relevant to your learning and development.
- Resource library--additional materials provided by community members for the benefit of the PLN.
- Webinar archives--unquestionably the best part of edweb communities, are the archives, in which you may view a recorded webinar, take a quiz, and earn ceu's asynchronously!
- Polls & Quizzes--usually used to gauge collective opinions or to gain insight for future webinar offerings.
- Wiki's
- Bloglinks
- Weblinks
The webinars allow you to have professional development with those experts from other states that we would only come in contact with at a state or national conference.
In 2004, Mark Herring in an American Libraries Online post argued that "given the condition of reading test scores among school children nationwide, it isn't surprising to find both our nation and our culture in trouble." He felt that the only reason students were continuing to visit the library was to get Harry Potter books; and he worried that once all schools had internet access that libraries would be obsolete. I can say that I am glad that Mark Herring was concerned about libraries and our culture, but I don't believe Mr. Herring had the full picture.
You see, culture--that complex combination of our collective knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, customs, habits, and traditions--is in no way measured by reading test scores. In fact, I am not really sure that reading test scores measure anything other than our students' abilities to take that particular test on that particular day. Our students are proving every day that they are adding to our collective knowledge, developing beliefs, art, morals, and habits, breaking down customs and traditions and are creating the new paradigm that will be culture in their futures. There is no way that test scores are going to measure that.
I am now a part of the Intertopia, the society dependent on the Internet and I would like to say that while the Internet is providing replacements for some aspects of the library, it--the inanimate corpusal of 1's and 0's--has not found a way to replace what is the essential element of libraries in schools--the certified library media specialist.
You see, culture--that complex combination of our collective knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, customs, habits, and traditions--is in no way measured by reading test scores. In fact, I am not really sure that reading test scores measure anything other than our students' abilities to take that particular test on that particular day. Our students are proving every day that they are adding to our collective knowledge, developing beliefs, art, morals, and habits, breaking down customs and traditions and are creating the new paradigm that will be culture in their futures. There is no way that test scores are going to measure that.
I am now a part of the Intertopia, the society dependent on the Internet and I would like to say that while the Internet is providing replacements for some aspects of the library, it--the inanimate corpusal of 1's and 0's--has not found a way to replace what is the essential element of libraries in schools--the certified library media specialist.
I am now a part of the Intertopia...
Here are 10 reasons why our schools need the only tech savvy, transliterate, information navigator in your school, that is the library media specialist.
1. (10 years ago...Not Everything is on the Internet.)
Now...Everything that matters is on the internet.
With the Internet, we are able to travel anywhere in the world. Libraries and repositories of knowledge and art understand that for their collections to be relevant, they must provide information where patrons are accessing it. Patrons are not going to the building; they are going to the Internet. Digitization projects abound in every institution around the world that would like to claim to be a relevant source of knowledge for our culture. With so much information provided on the Internet, we still have the basic problem...How do I find it? Who will help us navigate?
2. (10 years ago...The Needle (Your Search) in the Haystack (the Web)
Now... Do you know the haystack that your needle is in?
When the Internet began, it was a vast dumping ground for every uncataloged or uncategorized bit of information that any user could think to contribute. Libraries now provide databases to guide searching. Search Engine Optimization is one of the hottest topics to date in web development. In short, who is helping you find your needle?
3. (10 years ago... Quality Control does not exist.)
Now...Control is an illusion. Quality of information depends on the needs of the user.
There are times when a user may need to find quality, reliable information from a trusted source. Other times, we would like to read a blog about another person's experience, which may not be the opinion of an expert. We may want to create our own website about underwater basket weaving for which we know nothing about for entertainment. Every user has an information type they are seeking, but not every type of information is for every user. (Thank you, Rangathan. Your law still applies.) Who will help us find the level of quality to match the level of need?
1. (10 years ago...Not Everything is on the Internet.)
Now...Everything that matters is on the internet.
With the Internet, we are able to travel anywhere in the world. Libraries and repositories of knowledge and art understand that for their collections to be relevant, they must provide information where patrons are accessing it. Patrons are not going to the building; they are going to the Internet. Digitization projects abound in every institution around the world that would like to claim to be a relevant source of knowledge for our culture. With so much information provided on the Internet, we still have the basic problem...How do I find it? Who will help us navigate?
2. (10 years ago...The Needle (Your Search) in the Haystack (the Web)
Now... Do you know the haystack that your needle is in?
When the Internet began, it was a vast dumping ground for every uncataloged or uncategorized bit of information that any user could think to contribute. Libraries now provide databases to guide searching. Search Engine Optimization is one of the hottest topics to date in web development. In short, who is helping you find your needle?
3. (10 years ago... Quality Control does not exist.)
Now...Control is an illusion. Quality of information depends on the needs of the user.
There are times when a user may need to find quality, reliable information from a trusted source. Other times, we would like to read a blog about another person's experience, which may not be the opinion of an expert. We may want to create our own website about underwater basket weaving for which we know nothing about for entertainment. Every user has an information type they are seeking, but not every type of information is for every user. (Thank you, Rangathan. Your law still applies.) Who will help us find the level of quality to match the level of need?
What you don't know is not reliable in your experience.
Vandy
Pacetti-Donelson, EdD
Dean of Undergraduate Studies
United States Sports Acade4my
Archives
January 2020
July 2018
March 2018
January 2018
July 2017
June 2017
July 2016
June 2016
April 2016
January 2016
December 2015
October 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
November 2014
October 2014
July 2014
Copyright 2021 Vandy Pacetti-Donelson