The promise of a new school year – an untouched notebook, a sharpened pencil, an open mind –hold such allure. And endless possibilities.
I hope to preserve this excitement and capitalize on these possibilities all year long through some new initiatives.
I am in the process of establishing a MakerSpace in my library. Spacelette might be more accurate. I don’t have the budget, space or know-how for 3D printing and laser cutting (I’ll save that for next summer ;-) but I do have the ability to develop a space for my students to create, tinker, invent, compute and pursue their interests. A change in my schedule has given me the chance to have Maker Mondays, and a change in my perspective has shown me that this is an important endeavor.
The Maker Movement is receiving a great deal of press and attention lately. I confess I was not at all interested in attempting such a thing a few months ago. Then I began considering my students. I truly believe they need the opportunity to follow their interests, self-direct their learning, and be creative. So I’ll give it a shot. I’ll focus on what I can do now, this semester, this year and take it from there.
Computer Club will also become a reality this year. I’ve really struggled with what I want this club to look like. If this were a full-fledged class I’d be able to do so much more – digital citizenship, coding, robotics, digital media production. But since we are talking an hour or so after school I have to focus. The MakerSpace plan has helped with this. I can have some stations involving technology so I think I’ll start the first semester of the Club as a Coding Club.
Hello world!
I hope to preserve this excitement and capitalize on these possibilities all year long through some new initiatives.
I am in the process of establishing a MakerSpace in my library. Spacelette might be more accurate. I don’t have the budget, space or know-how for 3D printing and laser cutting (I’ll save that for next summer ;-) but I do have the ability to develop a space for my students to create, tinker, invent, compute and pursue their interests. A change in my schedule has given me the chance to have Maker Mondays, and a change in my perspective has shown me that this is an important endeavor.
The Maker Movement is receiving a great deal of press and attention lately. I confess I was not at all interested in attempting such a thing a few months ago. Then I began considering my students. I truly believe they need the opportunity to follow their interests, self-direct their learning, and be creative. So I’ll give it a shot. I’ll focus on what I can do now, this semester, this year and take it from there.
Computer Club will also become a reality this year. I’ve really struggled with what I want this club to look like. If this were a full-fledged class I’d be able to do so much more – digital citizenship, coding, robotics, digital media production. But since we are talking an hour or so after school I have to focus. The MakerSpace plan has helped with this. I can have some stations involving technology so I think I’ll start the first semester of the Club as a Coding Club.
Hello world!