Collaborative Space & Creativity - The New Frontier of Education
Over a decade ago, the Council on Library and Information Resources published a report entitled Library as Place: Rethinking Roles, Rethinking Space to examine the future of the library as access to information grew with digital technologies. The authors looked at how the physical space of the library should change to best accommodate the changing landscape of not only digital scholarship, but also digital natives. One question they attempted to answer was, "What is the role of a library when it no longer needs to be a warehouse of books and when users can obtain information without setting foot in its doors" (Loder, 2006, p. vii)? In 2006, this was a really breakthrough examination of the current and future evolution of libraries in the digital age. In 2016, we need to apply similar questions to our classrooms: What is the role of the traditional classroom when it no longer needs to be enclosed within four walls and when students can learn in a variety of new and different formats?
The evolution of the learning space, be that libraries or classrooms, is changing at a rapid pace, though not fast enough to accommodate the wide variety of learning styles modern students seems to have. Traditional classrooms had the teacher at the centre of the room with rows of desks facing the chalkboard. Today, the physical space of the actual classroom needs to adapt to, and support, advances in the digital space. Student collaboration and peer-led learning aren’t just buzzwords: they are how the modern student learns.
Makerspaces are areas in schools revolutionizing the learning space, having one open area meant for computer programming, robotics, 3D printing, sewing, creating art, writing, woodworking, and just about anything else that can be created and usually integrates some sort of STE(A)M activity. The Makerspace is a continually evolving space open to almost any project or activity a student or teacher can imagine and is meant for students who want to have a genuine learning experience and actively participate in their own education. Sheridan, Halverson, Litts, & Brahms (2014) note that, while the Makerspace supports creative work, they are “principally considered a place to learn—not to just practice what one already knows but to expand skills, deepen knowledge, and tackle increasingly difficult problems” (p. 514). Cooper (2013) urges schools to ask the right questions and thoroughly examine the total use of a prospective Makerspace before renovation of a new space. Questions like, what subjects will be taught? Which tools are most needed and are their any special requirements for these tools? Who will be using this space (age of kids, parents, clubs, etc.)? When will the space be utilized and where will the space be located (Cooper, 2013)?
There are lots of activity ideas that could help shape the space of the Makerspace. These activities force the space to transform a static space into flexible, fun, and youthful area revolving around creating. Below, you can look at my Pinterest boards on MakerSpace activities (below) as well as MakerSpace rooms (above).
References
Cooper, J. (2013, September 30). Designing a School Makerspace. Retrieved June 13, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/designing-a-school-makerspace-jennifer-cooper
Loder, M. W. (2006, February 01). Library as Place: Rethinking Roles, Rethinking Space. Washington, D.C.: Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR Publication, no. 129), 2005. Available online at http://www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/pub129abst.html. College & Research Libraries, 67(1), 85-86. doi:10.5860/crl.67.1.85
Sheridan, K., Halverson, E. R., Litts, B., Brahms, L., Jacobs-Priebe, L., & Owens, T. (2014). Learning in the making: A comparative case study of three makerspaces. Harvard Educational Review, 84(4), 505-531.doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.17763/haer.84.4.brr34733723j648u
