Makerspace

Planning the makerspace

The area chosen for the makerspace. We moved the class sets and placed baskets on the shelves. The procedures poster will be hung on the wall, along with standards. We envisioned a F.A.I.L. poster -- First Attempt In Learning -- for students to post projects that didn't go as planned, in order to practice design thinking. Completed student work can be displayed on the top of the bookshelves.

Collecting makerspace items in baskets the library already had but wasn't using.

We also got permission to move the LittleBits from the science lab, where they weren't being used, to the library, but were unable to do so before school closed.

March Book Madness

The bracket in the hallway outside the Information Center. Students could record and view FlipGrid book talks, and vote using Google Forms. Interest was high, but participation was lower than we hoped. It was difficult to get the classroom teachers to collaborate, and getting the word out via the school's morning news and the school website was hard to get started. Students also showed a reluctance to vote or participate on their own initiative, without being given specific instructions and time to do so.

A student recording a book talk

This student was very excited and eager, and was the first to record a book talk.

Makerspace Project Cards

Starter cards for students to use during free makerspace time. There is also a book talk script organizer.

Blackout Poetry Activity for Poetry Month

Our original plan was to set up a walk-by Blackout Poetry station in the library for students and teachers to use whenever they wanted. However, because the school is closed, I wrote up this blackout poetry at-home handout.

What is blackout poetry? Blackout or erasure poetry is poetry created by taking a printed page and marking out or erasing unwanted words to create a poem from those words that remain. For the simplest form, you use a black marker to cover the unwanted words. There are many different variations, from using other paper to collage over unwanted words to making drawings on the page.

Blackout Poetry Challenges

· Create a simple blackout poem, using a marker.

· Photocopy your printed text several times, and see how many different poems you can make

· Cut strips of magazine photos, colored tissue paper, or other colorful paper and glue them down to cover unwanted words

· Draw a picture over the unwanted words

· Use string to connect words

· Take an existing poem and make a new one from it

· Cut out words and glue them down to make a new poem

More resources

Austin Kleon’s newspaper blackout poems

Austin Kleon on his process

Blackout poetry ideas from Scholastic

NCTE blog post on blackout poetry, with examples of advanced methods