"We Have Always Been Makers"

Makerspaces: An Innovation Renaissance

Based on the amount of conversation and discussion surrounding the maker movement you would think that creating spaces in our schools for students to tinker, experiment, build, create, and collaborate is something new in K-12 education. It isn't. 

I remember shop classes where my brothers built napkin holders, a ceramics/pottery class where I made an ashtray (yes, we made ashtrays for our parents whether they smoked or not), and Home Economics where I learned to sew and make Rice Krispie Treats. The maker movement and makerspaces is not a fad but an innovation renaissance; The rediscovery and reapplication of the once popular "learning by doing" process. 

Embedding makerspaces into our learning environments ensures students have equitable access to the tools, technology, and resources required to experience hands-on problem solving and is the actualization of the BVSD Success Effect: "create challenging, meaningful and engaging learning opportunities so that all children thrive and are prepared for successful, civically engaged lives." 

"We Have Always Been Makers"

Teacher-Librarians are uniquely positioned to lead this innovation renaissance:

"We have always been makers. Libraries have always been maker spaces. The tools change, but the core of who we are and what we do is the same.We are educators, enablers, equippers. We are a space to try new things, learn new things, and do new things. We are open doors and new opportunities. We are makers. We always have been. We always will be. Even when the terminology changes.  

--SLJ, 2015

We have put together a collection of K-12 aligned resources on the who, what, why, and where of the maker movement and how educators are integrating innovative spaces into their learning communities and library spaces.

Click here to jump start your maker movement research and learn how teacher-librarians and library spaces are leading this innovation renaissance.