BLMS Library

BLMS Library Media Center Makerspace "Preparing Students for the Future-- Now."

Recently, Jill Slapnik, media specialist received a Donors Choose grant for $600 to help start her library makerspace. In November and December, students were able to paint a wood block and decorate it as a holiday gift for someone. Kim Ruff, a former teacher and now sub, helped in donating the wood. Oswald Lumber waived their cutting fee.

Now thanks to donors funding her project, students will now have other opportunities in which to create and explore. Students can interact with S.T.E.A.M. activity stations that include arts and crafts, engineering, technology, and problem solving.

Students will get a chance to create origami and duct tape crafts, build with Lego’s and learn about robotics, coding, and programming with the new Sphero 2.0, Ollie, and Ozobot robots and explore circuits and coding with Makey Makey. Students can use the online Scratch coding app, in conjunction with the MaKey MaKey to interact with music and games. Other items that will be available include a littleBits Synth Kit which can be used to create music, a Bloxels Builder kit that students can use to create their own video game, a circuit kit, a Stikbot Animation Studio kit for creating stop motion videos, and a View-Master Virtual Reality Starter kit.

The library is also planning to incorporate recyclable, free, and found items to be used in projects--like jars, toilet paper and paper towel tubes, pine cones, and cardboard. Jigsaw puzzles and coloring are also available. Donated ribbon and bows from Berwick Offray is another material that can be utilized creatively. In February, students could color a Valentine sheet, build a house out of playing cards or make a card soldier like in Alice in Wonderland, make a Lego heart, or a paper rose.

The Makerspace will help BLMS students develop creativity, innovation, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration skills, which is “Preparing Students for the Future---Now.”