Makerspace activities excite and engage students and offer them a multitude of academic and mental health benefits! Cost should never be a barrier to implementation of makerspace activities in your classroom. Low-cost/no-cost makerspace activities are as engaging and exciting for students as higher priced activities. You can easily obtain low-cost or no-cost makerspace materials! You … read more »
As summer winds down and we approach the early days of fall, there’s still plenty of time to enjoy outdoor maker activities. While July’s Parks and Recreation Month may have passed, the pleasant weather of late summer and early autumn provides perfect opportunities to get creative outside. Let’s explore some engaging maker activities you can … read more »
March is International Ideas Month! Idea generation is an important skill for students. Maker education and design thinking (both aspects of making) nurture ideas in students! Students of any age can participate in making through short challenges, projects, or built-in maker opportunities—all of which allow students to generate ideas. If you would like to introduce … read more »
What is maker education? In maker education, “students imagine, design, and create projects that align the content of learning with hands-on application” (Makered.org). Maker education was born from the maker movement, which believes that we are all “makers” and can be creators—not just consumers—of things. Makerspaces are specific spaces in schools, libraries, and community organizations … read more »
In Part 1 of this blog, you were introduced to TES Blendspace. This free tool allows you to create interactive, online lessons. Yesterday we shared an overview of the tool. We also discussed the application of both the SAMR model and the TRIPLE E Frameworks as you integrate TES Blendspace into your instruction. Today’s post … read more »
Game-based learning and gamification are hot topics in education. This month I was given the task to find ONE tech tool to share related to games in the classroom. This task was quite the challenge due to the quality sites that I am already familiar with. But then I started to think about “what if” … read more »
Invention is a process: you don’t get there overnight Louis Foreman May is National Inventors Month, an excellent time to introduce your students to inventions and inventors and to discuss their character traits found, including perseverance, curiosity, and problem solving. Celebrating the spirit of inventors and the invention process is an engaging way for students … read more »
In honor of Georgia O’Keeffe’s birthday, let’s talk about the many ways school librarians and art teachers can collaborate. Librarian and teacher collaboration is a must for school librarians! Collaboration provides teachers, librarians, and students with new opportunities, resources, and ideas. It’s a win-win for everyone involved. Start small! Collaborate by helping the art teacher … read more »
September is National Library Card Sign Up Month! According to ALA (the American Libary Association) this year, Disney’s the Incredibles are Library Card Sign-up Month honorary chairs, helping to promote the value of a library card and bring attention to the many ways libraries and librarians transform lives and communities through education. Today’s Libraries offer … read more »
In today’s classrooms, amplifying student voice isn’t just good practice; it is a necessity for engagement and equity. Research shows that when students see their identities and experiences reflected in their learning environment, achievement increases significantly. Digital storytelling offers a powerful way for students to share their experiences, ideas, and identities in meaningful, multimodal ways. … read more »