Makerspaces and Old Technology

 

“Student needs, interests, talents, and attentions continually evolve.  Because of these constantly evolving needs, school librarians have to be adept at creating new ways to connect to students” (Preddy, 2013, p. 41).  One of these new ways of connecting is through makerspaces housed within the library setting. 

Mark Shilitoe, a Maker Educator with the MakEY project, shared a Light Play Makerspace he hosted at the Sheffield Children’s Library back in 2017.  “These experiments with light, featured a range of DIY approaches to building light boxes and exploring light in playful ways” (Shilitoe, 2017).  What really caught my eye were that “overhead projectors were dusted out of retirement and repurposed…leaving lots of space for participants to make their own meaning out of the materials through tactile exploration” (Shilitoe, 2017). 

https://makeyproject.wordpress.com/2017/11/24/light-play-at-a-pop-up-makerspace-sheffield-childrens-library/

According to Liz Smith, a K-5 librarian and mental health advocate, she “believes it’s all about giving kids time to use their imagination.  ‘It’s important to tap into the creative parts of their brain, to take a break from all of the testing, and meeting the state’s standards,’ Smith said.  She sees her students exhibiting greater focus and fewer discipline problems and ‘becoming better versions of themselves’” (Murphy, 2023).  Although the experiments Shilitoe suggests in the MakEY blog are fantastic and would tie well into science standards, I believe students would also enjoy the aspect of free-play/creating that the overhead projectors would bring to a makerspace.  What better way to put these old-timey machines that are just lying around your school to good use? 

 

REFERENCES

Murphy, P.J.  (2023, March 13).  Making a difference with makerspaces.  

        Publisher’s Weekly.

 

Preddy, L. (2013, February).  Creating school library “Makerspace”.  

        School Library Monthly, 29(5), 41-42. 

 

Shilitoe, M. (2017, November 24).  Light play at a pop-up makerspace, 

        Sheffield Children’s Library.  MakEY.    

         https://makeyproject.wordpress.com/2017/11/24/light-play-at-a

        -pop-up-makerspace-sheffield-childrens-library/