Setting Up Your Own MakerSpace

If you are interested in having me visit your school or district, please contact me at arosheim@liberty.k12.mo.us or 816-668-6028.

Visit my blog to get a glimpse into our library.

We utilize this page often for our maker resources.

Since you already know that you want to set up a MakerSpace you know that it is an area that provides hands-on, creative ways for students to design, experiment, and invent as they engage in science, engineering, and tinkering.” (definition from edutopia)

Before I started making specific plans for a MakerSpace in my library, I started reading everything that I could get my hands on that would inform me about such a space. I read online, searched out other libraries, schools, classrooms, and communities that had MakerSpaces, hit the library and Amazon looking for books about MakerSpaces, visited several MakerSpaces in the area, read blogs about MakerSpaces, and followed makers on Twitter. Even though I have a MakerSpace up and successfully running, I am still seeking out any information I can that will improve my space for my students.

Once you are informed, chat with your building leaders to share why your students need MakerSpace opportunities and the plan you have established to make it happen.

FOLLOWING THESE FOLKS ON TWITTER

@BrightLibrarian (librarian)

@read4life (librarian)

@koehnkfisher (librarian)

@terteach (instructional media technologist)

@KitchellS (instructional media technologist)

@DianaLRendina (librarian)

@plemmonsa (librarian)

@smartinez (Author of Invent to Learn)

@gravescolleen (librarian)

FOLLOWING THESE HASHTAGS

#makered

#makerspace

MASL 2016 Presentation Blending Your MakerSpace and Library Standards For Student Success: Teresa Barnett and Angela Rosheim

Invent To Learn by Stager and Martinez

MakerSpace Playbook http://makered.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Makerspace-Playbook-Feb-2013.pdf (download)

MakeSpace: How To Set The Stage For Creative Collaboration by Doorley & Witthoft

The Maker Movement Manifesto by Mark Hatch

The Art of Tinkering by Karen Wilkinson

Worlds of Making: Best Practices for Establishing a MakerSpace in Your School by Laura Fleming

MAKE Magazine

Tinkerlab by Rachelle Doorley

Below are a few fabulous picture books to help your kids begin thinking, innovating, problem-solving, creating, and even failing like makers!

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires (Love This!)

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty

Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty

Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis

Awesome Dawson by Chris Gall

Monkey With A Toolbelt by Chris Monroe

Going Places by Peter Reynolds (Love This!)

Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet

What Do You Do With An Idea by Kodi Yamada

Violet The Pilot by Steve Breen

Papa's Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming

Anything is Possible by Giulia Belloni

Mr. Cornell's Dream Boxes by Jeanette Winter

Galimoto by Karen Lynn Williams

Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzbert

Marvelous Mattie by Emily Arnold McCully

• Grants
• Donor's Choose Projects
• Local Business Donations
• Family/Staff Donations
• PTA funds
• Building Budgets

December 2016 School Library Journal

LPS Article

Fox4 News

MASL Library Spotlight

Education Week Article

SLJ Build Something Bold Award-First Runner-Up

October 2015 Scholastic Cool Teacher

Scholastic Teacher Magazine The Joy of The Maker Movement

HIGH-TECH MATERIALS

• 3D printers
• littleBits
• MaKey MaKey
• Sphero Robotic Balls
• Ollie
• OSMO
• ipads-loaded with production apps
• Robotics Materials-WeDo/Lego Mindstorm EV3
• Motors
• LED lights
• Snap Circuits
• Dash and Dot Robots
• Cubelet Robots

NO-TECH MATERIALS

• Craft supplies
• Cardboard
• Plastic materials
• Paper
• Styrofoam
• Paint
• Collage materials
• Rainbow Loom
• Knitting and crochet supplies
• Legos
• TinkerToys
• K'Nex
• Attribute blocks
• Box rivets (Makedo and/or Mr. McGroovy)
• Plastimake

OTHER MATERIALS

• Sewing machines
• Old electronics for tinkering
• Electric Keyboard
• Tinkering tools
• How-To books
• Video production materials-green screen and lighting

• Curricular Ties
• Morning Clubs-Monday Morning MakerKid Clubs
• Saturday Family Events-Global Day of Play
• Elective Classes
• Book Club Tie Ins
• Genius Hour/Passion Projects
• Lunch Bunch Makers

• Allow for students to embrace failure as a means for heading toward success
• Allow students to collaborate and learn from one another
• Create experts who students will look to for guidance
• Foster creative thinking
• Create ways for students to ask real questions to drive their exploration
• Encourage students to pursue existing passions or seek out new passions
• Ignite excitement and a joy for learning
• Promote multiple ways to solve problems
  
• Allow students to practice perseverance in day to day learning
• Expose students to materials they may have never used before: 3D printers, robotic balls, textile materials, circuits, littleBits, programming, and so much more!
• Encourage student reflection on the process of making
• Create thinkers

I am a teacher-librarian at Lewis & Clark Elementary in Liberty, Missouri. I have been in education for 28 years and every year is an adventure! This last year has been amazing as I brought a MakerSpace to our school to allow our kids to explore, tinker, collaborate, find their passions, problem-solve, fail, persevere, and actively participate in what they learn. Hop on over to my blog if you would like to see our kids and MakerSpace in action...

Email: arosheim@liberty.k12.mo.us
Website: http://lc.liberty.k12.mo.us/lmc
Location: 1407 Nashua Road, Liberty, MO, United States
Phone: 816-736-5430
Twitter: @ARosheim